What will cut my score the quickest...?

[grantc79]

Golf lessons.

Its really just that simple.

The same plane line, flat left wrist, low point, lag, and everything else required to hit good chips is required for the driver, 3 iron, 3 wood, 7 iron, wedge, and everything else.

You can practice chipping all day long but if you don't have the proper technique then you aren't really doing anything but practicing a bad habit now are you?

[ks8829]

Focus all your energy on the number of putts per round and your up and down per round.

1) Putts per round score
2) up and down to save par, birdies and even to save boogies
3) Jim Furyk said that 60% of the score is within 50 yards from the green.

If you are 36 handicap and your score are 108.

A) how many putts per round
B) up and down attempt and actual saves
C) Do not worry about fairways hits or greens on regulations until you are breaking 90.

If you practice putting and chipping around the green you can cut 5 - 10 strokes off your game immediately.

Putting
a) your immediate goal is to two putt every green
b) practice 3 foot putts
c) practice 20- 30 footers so that you can lag putt and have a tap in.

chipping
a) just off the green and within 20 yards off the green.
focus on distance control for easy tap ins.

[grantc79]

Focus all your energy on the number of putts per round and your up and down per round.

Putting you can improve solo.

But if he doesn't have a flat left wrist at impact practicing any swing without correcting that swing flaw will be a waste of time.

[ks8829]

take more club into the greens. in other words go for the back of the green and if you miss hit your shot you are on the front of the green. If you find that 90% of your shots are short of the green make the necessary adjustment on the course.

This also goes for your putts never up never in.

[DogbertBH]

PLAY FEWER HOLES!!!

If you're shooting 114 for 18, think what you'd shoot for 14!! You'd be WELL under 100!

In my case, I took lessons for the basics, developed a (mostly) repeatable swing, then had clubs fitted to that swing.

Went from a 30+ to a 12-

Good luck!

[piper_clap]

SHORT GAME.

+1

I'd been struggling with my ball striking all year, and my scores had been like a roller coaster. One day, I got sick of it and went out to our pitching green, and hit shots from 90, 40, and 15 for about 4 hours. Soon, I found the feel of accelerating through the ball, making a decent turn, and hitting crisp shots. I was happy to just have found something resembling a short game, but over the next few weeks I noticed something-being able to "trust" my clubs carried over to my putting, and I stopped decelling on those too, and more starting to drop. I started making a better turn with my long clubs, adding about 10 yards to each of my irons (with better accuracy) and about 15 on the driver. I'll definately go back to pitching/wedge shots to work on my full swing again, it really worked for me to get those swing mechanics ingrained.

[David in FL]

Like ks8829, there's no doubt in my mind that improving your short game will get you the fastest improvement.

I include putting there too. If you're 2-putting 70% of the time, you're 3-putting (or worse) 30% of the time. That's at least 42 putts per round......and that's after you've had a chance to chip from relatively short range since you don't hit very many greens with your approach shots.

Work on a simple, repeatable, chip and run and work on putting. Even if the rest of your game remains the same, you should drop 6-8 strokes pretty easily.

[pittpanther]

I took a look at the original posting, and the replies. Now I'm more confused, and not really sure how to help.

I think the root of my confusion is I don't believe the OP is being completely honest with us. He makes a couple of statements, such as "I did OK with my long irons," and "when I hit my drives straight, I tend to bogey the hole."

But he shot 114! That's double-bogey, almost triple-bogey golf. Believe me, I'm not criticizing his score - I know what it's like to shoot 114. But if I did, I would never say "I did OK with my long irons." A 114 means I did pretty poorly in most facets of the game. Sure, I might have had a bogey hole or two, but most were doubles, some triples, and some snowmen!

I stand behind my original response, though. I don't think you can shoot 114 by getting near the hole in a reasonable number of shots. You shoot 114 by driving into the water, taking a penalty, then duffing your third shot, then hitting the fourth waaaay off the green. So you're at four or five before you even start pitching or chipping.

That's how you shoot 114. And that's why I think focusing on the short game is a waste of time. If you shoot 114, you can't drive reliably , and you can't approach reliably. Those things need to be fixed before worrying about chips and putts.

[TheNatural]

PITTPANTHER is the DEAD ON

[wedge player]

an eraser i would work on your driving first get it straight,then irons,then putting,then short game in that order. why that order?because i think like this=
1.if your always driving into trees irons dont matter
2.if your in the fairway you need to hit the green
3.you need to make the putt
4.when you miss the green you can get up and down

thats how i practiced when i first started,i got down to a 5 in 2 years been there for about 6 monthes now