It took me 3 years of playing consistently (2-3 times a week) and when going to the driving range, only taking my PW.
I noticed a big difference in my scores when I worked out my pre-shot routine and consistently shifted my weight when striking the ball. I was hitting a 5 iron maybe 150yrds then suddenly I was hitting 170-180yrds. When applying this to your short game, it makes a massive difference when you are hitting PW instead of an 8 iron in to the green.
If your aim is to shoot consistently in the 70's you can already strike a ball, so you need to apply good course management and know your limitations. For instance, I know hitting fairway driver when the ball is above my feet is a weakness in my game so I will tend to use a 4iron and lose a few yards instead of getting into a mess.
Its all about being realistic and understanding golf is about how good your good shots are and mitigating how bad your bad shots are.
