So, what's holding you back...?

[billm408]

Putting.

Tee to green is fine, touch shots (chips/pitches) is just a matter of playing more often, but I lose a lot of strokes between 5 and 15 feet.

[elchene]

When I don't drive the ball well, I can't even break 90. Fortunately, this only happens every once in a while when I get too much tension in my arms.

My short game is pretty bad. I'm close to or on the green when I'm playing well, but my scrambling is only around 20%.

[lumpuckeroo]

Driving.

I am not consistent driving the ball. When I drive the ball well I usually can score well, while my iron play is not stellar, I can really make up any short comes with my short game.

[CG031]

Weakest part of my game is no doubtly my ball striking. My iron play hasn't ever been a strong part, but compared to the rest of my game it's been pretty bad. I'm solid off the tee, pretty average with my hybrid...but my iron play needs to get better to get to the next level. This is why I purchased a driving range membership so this summer I can hit a minimum of 100 balls a day. If I improve my iron play I will get to my goal of being a 5 handicap at the end of summer.

My short game is as good as anyone I know, better than a few scratch players. It's really what saves me on the course is my ability to get the ball up and down.

[mruseless]

Its changed for me as my handicap comes down. Driving and long clubs used to be my big weak spot, and putting was pretty good. Now my driving game is getting much better (hitting 50% of fairways and sometimes better), and my up and downs are getting better. So now, I feel putting is my weakest area. I only putt about 32 times a round, but its because I don't hit many greens. So I have lots of UD chances where I two putt from inside 10 feet. Gotta improve on that!

[sp33d]

My driver, last year every driver was pin point straight, and damn near dead center.

This year I cant find my groove, except when Im at the range. If I could figure out whats going on with my driver I'd drop 5-6 shots a round which would effectivly put me at par (i usually only play 9) The other thing is my fear of over shooting the green on shots 10-20yds out with a wedge. I see the target I see what I need to do and how its going to look (if i hit it correctly) but then Ill chunk my 60* or whiff it 10' infront of me. So I started using my 52*...

[shankapotamus]

Awareness. I get up to the ball and while I'm swinging I start to think about where the ball is going to go, not about my swing.

[bogeyhitter25]

Short game and putting. I'm driving the ball better than I ever have and my irons are being struck well. It's all just a matter of the short game.

[wedge player]

For me, I think my most glaring sore spot is driving the ball consistently. It comes and goes, and currently I'm really in a bad place with my driver

thats me to the tee

[Mathlete1123]

For me, my biggest problem is negative thinking/lack of confidence while over the ball. Especially on partial wedge shots. I let negative thinking creep into my head three times today, each time I thought about backing off but decided to hit the ball anyway and horrible shots resulted. My putting is also starting to hold me back (I missed two birdie putts today that were inside 10ft ) I'm getting way too caught up with the line on my 35+ footers and not lagging it close enough to the hole. Sad part is a month ago putting was the strongest part of my game. Time to hit the practice green/par 3 course for me.

[Fore Right!]

Putting.


If I could one putt more often and 3 putt less often I would be incredibly satisfied with my game.

[GoodLife]

putting...reading greens...putting.

[fredloves2golf]

How is your handicap above an 8?? 3 putts? Really big scores? If you hit 9 greens, 3 times get up and down, and on the other 6 holes?

I'd like to think 11.8 isn't that far off from an 8 handicap. One of my other derived goals is to have an single-digit handicap... A couple factors keep that from happening:

• 2-3 3-putts per round (sometimes on greens hit, sometimes when trying to get up and down, bringing double-bogeys)
• At least one "nightmare" hole where nothing goes right
• Playing a home course with an uncharacteristically low course and slope rating (70.1/125) for it's "true" difficulty; shooting an 83 (which I do often), for example, is an 11.6 differential. So, I've gotta get some 70s scores back in the computer to break into single digits.

[AmenCorner]

I think my putting is holding me back. Next is iron play. I hit the ball long and relatively straight (according to my peers) and my touch is great from 100 yards in, but I can't seem to drain that putt. In order to go from an 8 handicap to a 3 or 4, I need to improve there. Right now I'm just not making any birdies. The ones I do make are only on par 5's.

[TheNatural]

Driving, when Im driving ok I score 85-90 when its off 95-105. Ive never played a round with 14 "7's with the driver. (on a 1-10 scale)

My "1" will go 10 feet on a top. My "10" is 340 down the middle or anywhere playable.

A "7" to me is 240 yds. in the fairway or rough, as long as its playable.

My last round the driver played like a "4" and I shot 95.


From 150 in I think I am the equal to a 5HI player.
From the bunker I am equal to a 20 HI player.


Sounds silly but If I were to tee off par 4 and 5's with a 8i every time, I would break 90 every round. %100 8i and I will go 170-190(i deloft)

i will avg a 2 putt on any green ive played.

as one previous poster stated long par 3's are my demon, but i dont own a hybrid.

[BirdIsTheWord]

The "in your back pocket" shot. I thrive best under pressure, on the shots that require a small miracle.

[AlCzervik]

I suck at putting and get pissed off too easily.

[Guest]

Putting, Putting, Putting, and consistency.

My last round I hit 4 out of fairways in the front nine, but had 2-4 puts and 3-3 puts. The other problem was only 3 GIR. If I hit a good drive, my second shot goes all tweaky, but sometimes I hit a mediocre drive and a great second shot.