Next Level Scoring

[criley4way]

I have been working hard on my game this year and have chipped at my handicap. I have been regularly shooting in the mid-70s. But today I played a match with a former college player and realized that I am not on that level. I need to hit more consistent shots and hit smaller targets to leave better putts.

How do/did people break into the par to sub par scoring? 

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, criley4way said:

How do/did people break into the par to sub par scoring?

I'm not sure I understand: continue to improve. Hit the shots more solidly, with more consistent face and path relationships. Key #5 is big, as is not making too many mistakes with any club or shot: not hitting a 25-foot putt 31 feet, not flubbing a chip, not taking on the flagstick from 125 out, etc.

[criley4way]

9 minutes ago, iacas said:

I'm not sure I understand: continue to improve. Hit the shots more solidly, with more consistent face and path relationships. Key #5 is big, as is not making too many mistakes with any club or shot: not hitting a 25-foot putt 31 feet, not flubbing a chip, not taking on the flagstick from 125 out, etc.

I guess that is the problem. I am trying to figure out what I am asking. I know that I need to hit solid consistent drives, eliminate wasted shots, miss in better spots and not blow putts by. 

How to figure out what the plan should be.

[dennyjones]

@criley4way reading Lowest Score Wins may help.    Highly recommended.

[Patch]

Lots of natural talent, quality instruction, practice, and play.

Also,  enough time, and disposable pocket money to utilize all the instruction, practice, and play needed to  improve a golfer's game to the best of their ability. 

I never broke par, but I carded quite a few rounds of 70-71 on par 70 & 71 courses. What I listed above is what got me to a low handicap. 

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, criley4way said:

I guess that is the problem. I am trying to figure out what I am asking. I know that I need to hit solid consistent drives, eliminate wasted shots, miss in better spots and not blow putts by. 

How to figure out what the plan should be.

Lowest Score Wins  is a must read for you. You need to track your rounds and see if there’s consistently an area where you’re losing strokes. Too many three putts? Was that from poor putting or too far from the pin on your approaches..that sort of thing. Course management? This all addressed in the book and strategic play is discussed in great and understandable detail.

[Buckeyebowman]

You should realize that the closer you get to a zero handicap, the harder the advancement is! When you are trying to advance from, let's say, low 90's to the mid 80's, and from there to the low 80's to mid 70's, can happen in "chunks". 

From the mid 70's on down toward par and below is much more difficult and slower. It becomes incremental, stroke by stroke. It can take years or it can never happen! Or, it can happen for a while, and then float away never to be seen again. The golfer can still play quite well, just not at the level they might like.  

[Binh Nguyen]

I always wonder what is the ceiling for a weekend golfer, like say playing twice a week and go to practice twice or three times per week. And of course with the conditions that you are normal people and working on right things. 

To be the next level or next next level you have to do almost everything right and spend a lots of time for golf, too.

[upndown21]

On 9/2/2019 at 9:40 PM, criley4way said:

I guess that is the problem. I am trying to figure out what I am asking. I know that I need to hit solid consistent drives, eliminate wasted shots, miss in better spots and not blow putts by. 

How to figure out what the plan should be.

I am in a similar boat (granted a few more shots per round) but I got to my current level over the last few years by playing smart/conservative golf.

What I have found is I don’t give myself the green light enough on approaches. I play for the miss and do my best to eliminate impossible up and downs. The consequence of these actions is making a load of pars and very few birdies. I had 4 rounds without a birdie shooting no worse than an 82 (9 diff) and that was the last straw.

With all that said over the last few rounds I have been more aggressive— anything inside 165 I am flag hunting unless it is truly a very bad pin to chase. 

[NM Golf]

On 9/2/2019 at 7:25 PM, criley4way said:

I have been working hard on my game this year and have chipped at my handicap. I have been regularly shooting in the mid-70s. But today I played a match with a former college player and realized that I am not on that level. I need to hit more consistent shots and hit smaller targets to leave better putts.

How do/did people break into the par to sub par scoring? 

There is no secret, it takes a lot of hard work and quite a bit of natural talent. I know no one ever wants to hear it, but not everyone can be a single digit handicap much less scratch or better. 

On 9/8/2019 at 9:40 AM, upndown21 said:

I am in a similar boat (granted a few more shots per round) but I got to my current level over the last few years by playing smart/conservative golf.

What I have found is I don’t give myself the green light enough on approaches. I play for the miss and do my best to eliminate impossible up and downs. The consequence of these actions is making a load of pars and very few birdies. I had 4 rounds without a birdie shooting no worse than an 82 (9 diff) and that was the last straw.

With all that said over the last few rounds I have been more aggressive— anything inside 165 I am flag hunting unless it is truly a very bad pin to chase. 

Green light? Anything over 100 yards you should be aiming at the center of the green, regardless where the pin is. I am a +1 handicap. I aim at the middle of the green on EVERY full shot. 

[Double Mocha Man]

On 9/2/2019 at 6:25 PM, criley4way said:

I have been working hard on my game this year and have chipped at my handicap. I have been regularly shooting in the mid-70s. But today I played a match with a former college player and realized that I am not on that level. I need to hit more consistent shots and hit smaller targets to leave better putts.

How do/did people break into the par to sub par scoring? 

Good strategy and excellent course management should be a "given".  Study it, implement it.  After that you need to practice enough to gain consistency.  Consistency is key... your bad shots should become what 20 handicappers would call a "good" shot... wishing they could hit like that.  Then you'll be staring down the barrel of par (or close) golf.

[Double Mocha Man]

32 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

I know no one ever wants to hear it, but not everyone can be a single digit handicap much less scratch or better. 

 

Not everyone can be a 36 handicapper.  A dozen or so years ago an attorney in my town decided to take up golf.  He was completely non-athletic... never having played any other sport in his life.  He took lots of lessons... I even once observed his teaching pro showing him how to hit a chip and not flip with his hands.  A few days later I saw him on the practice range... he was the model of bad wrist flipping.  Spent a year practicing and never did go on the course.  Gave it up.   Now I see him in the neighborhood with his dog walking him.

[upndown21]

21 hours ago, NM Golf said:

 

Green light? Anything over 100 yards you should be aiming at the center of the green, regardless where the pin is. I am a +1 handicap. I aim at the middle of the green on EVERY full shot. 

Right, so a 1/2 swing pw from 105 that I can put inside 12 feet I should just aim to the center and leave a 40ft putt. That’s ludicrous.

Know your own zones and play to your strengths. 

[klineka]

14 minutes ago, upndown21 said:

Right, so a 1/2 swing pw from 105 that I can put inside 12 feet I should just aim to the center and leave a 40ft putt. That’s ludicrous.

Just because you can put it inside 12 feet from 105 yds doesnt mean you average inside 12 feet. If you did, you probably wouldn't be an 8.6

FWIW, the best player on the PGA tour from 75-100 yards averages 13.5 feet to the hole, and the PGA tour average from that distance is 17.5 feet to the hole. 

Plus, even when you aim for the center of the green, there is still a normal shot dispersion that will occur (most likely a titled oval), so not every putt will be from 40 feet when you aim for the center of the green. Some will be closer to the hole, some will be further, but you'll hit a lot more GIR that way.

[iacas]

29 minutes ago, upndown21 said:

Right, so a 1/2 swing pw from 105 that I can put inside 12 feet I should just aim to the center and leave a 40ft putt. That’s ludicrous.

I'd wager everything I have that you don't average anywhere near "inside 12 feet" from 105.

Stat – Approaches from 100-125 yards

---

Strokes Gained | Greens in Regulation | Accuracy from Fairway | Accuracy from Rough | Scoring | Going for it | HoleOuts, Other

Stat – Approaches from 75-100 yards

---

Strokes Gained | Greens in Regulation | Accuracy from Fairway | Accuracy from Rough | Scoring | Going for it | HoleOuts, Other

(Both of those are exclusively when hit from the fairway, FWIW.)

[Double Mocha Man]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

I'd wager everything I have that you don't average anywhere near "inside 12 feet" from 105.

Stat – Approaches from 100-125 yards

---

Strokes Gained | Greens in Regulation | Accuracy from Fairway | Accuracy from Rough | Scoring | Going for it | HoleOuts, Other

Stat – Approaches from 75-100 yards

---

Strokes Gained | Greens in Regulation | Accuracy from Fairway | Accuracy from Rough | Scoring | Going for it | HoleOuts, Other

(Both of those are exclusively when hit from the fairway, FWIW.)

And I'd wager his 300 yard drives are actually 240 yards.

[Vinsk]

@upndown21..no..no just wait. Before you think these responses are attacking you, they’re not. This site has an impeccable reputation for truth. We all want one another to get better at this game and we don’t play the con game. Period. No one’s going to applaud you just because you say you’re talented. Now realize that your claim of averaging 12’ at 105yds is better than the tour average. You were given stats to show that. I think ( not accusing you of lying) that your data is incorrect. Where did you get that you average 12’ at 105yds..or whatever the numbers were? 

[iacas]

20 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Now realize that your claim of averaging 12’ at 105yds is better than the tour average. You were given stats to show that.

1. The best - the very BEST - on the PGA Tour from only 75-100 yards in the fairway was Pat Perez, at 13'5".
2. He said "inside" 12', not to 12'.

@upndown21 has been a member here long enough that he should know it's not an "attack" - it's just me (or whomever) calling BS when I/we see BS.

He should also know it's in the interests of helping him play better golf.