Looking to go to the next level...pointers?

[out_in_30]

I feel like my game is on the verge of breaking through to shooting low 70s and under on a regular basis and I am finding it difficult to meet and play rounds with players that have the same aspirations as I do.
i want to start playing in bigger tournaments than i do now to give myself the chance to play to my maximum potential (for example like the California state open and city championships around the cities in southern california) is there anyone out there that does this now that would be willing to lend me some of their expertise from a first hand perspective. I would love to hear from players that have played or are planning on playing the upcoming amateur events in southern california.

[DriverTees]

Don't get nervous. And get a proper routine'. And don't hit a ball if you're not feeling 100%.

[mc0388]

I feel like my game is on the verge of breaking through to shooting low 70s and under on a regular basis and I am finding it difficult to meet and play rounds with players that have the same aspirations as I do.

Dump your girlfriend or get a divorce!! haha

[CG031]

No offense, but low 70's in your casual rounds isn't good enough to consider going on the Tour. You need to consistently be shooting in the mid to high 60's and then you'll have a legitimate shot.

Even then, your chances are slim to none. I've looked into trying to get really good since I am still young, and it is INCREDIBLY hard. My friend is a +3 handicap and has never even considered trying to make the Pro tour, and he has shot numerous 67's this year.

[out_in_30]

No offense, but low 70's in your casual rounds isn't good enough to consider going on the Tour. You need to consistently be shooting in the mid to high 60's and then you'll have a legitimate shot.

what u say is 100% true.. it is difficult. i am fully aware of this and I didnt say anything in my post about trying to make it to the 'big show' Tour. I was talking more along lines of state opens and city championships.. not sure you understood my post fully; no offense taken. The reason i posted this thread here is because it seemed to fit... maybe its in wrong section i dont know.

[CG031]

what u say is 100% true.. it is difficult. i am fully aware of this and I didnt say anything in my post about trying to make it to the 'big show' Tour. I was talking more along lines of state opens and city championships.. not sure you understood my post fully; no offense taken. The reason i posted this thread here is because it seemed to fit... maybe its in wrong section i dont know.

It is in the wrong section, but I misinterpreted your post for sure. Good luck with more local events in California. There's some great players that go in those I'm sure too, but at a 2 handicap I'm sure you can compete in those.

Good luck, sorry for seeming like a d-bag because I did misread your post.

[LongballGer]

No offense, but low 70's in your casual rounds isn't good enough to consider going on the Tour. You need to consistently be shooting in the mid to high 60's and then you'll have a legitimate shot.

.......................

[CG031]

Yeah, but I'm not playing and neither is my friend courses that the Pro's would play. We are playing fairly easy tracks...well, not easy, but not near the length Tour Pro's play on. If they were playing on the public courses my friend and I do, they wouldn't have a scoring average of that...come on now, it's pretty obvious. Plus, doing it under pressure and when you are out with a buddy on a summer tuesday round is completely different then when you are under pressure in a tournament playing for your career and tour card.

Your right. Mental game and putting are BY FAR the biggest differences between a +2 handicap like yourself, and say, Tiger...or, any other good pro, maybe not Tiger since he is so amazing, but you get the point, lol.

But, some people either "have IT" on the greens and other's don't. Obviously you can improve every facet of your game, always room for improvement as Tiger would say...BUT, Not everyone is going to be a great putter. Some are just better than others and more talented iwth the flatstick, no matter how much they practice...And a lot of that ties into the mental game, a lot of guys KNOW they are going to make the putt. Once you get to a +2 - +4 level it's not that easy to just say "I'm going to work on my putting and improve it to Tour Quality..." Some just don't have it, sadly, to get any better past that point, since if your a +2-+4, your putting can't be bad.

[Ram]

Here's my advice in list form.
1) Enter and play in as many tournaments as you think you can stand. The best way to put yourself in position to win is, first, to actually play, and second, to be comfortable in those kinds of tournaments. I'm going to assume you're a high school golfer. In those city/county/state tournaments, you're going to be playing with guys who are older, better, and more experienced than you. The more you play with them, the less you'll be intimidated. Once you put your first good round up in one of those tournaments, you'll be able to do it again and again. That being said, it could take some time. Don't get discouraged if you have a bad outing here and there. Keep grinding away, and focus on the positive aspects of your game while taking away the things you need to work on.

2) Pick up Bob Rotella's "The Golf of Your Dreams." This book is basically a prescription for the kind of commitment you need to make to take your game to the next level. Study it, and understand the work you're going to have to make to get there, and then do it. And again, don't get discouraged when it doesn't come immediately.

3) Work hard on your short game. I know we all get tired of hearing this, but do it anyways. It's the great equalizer. If you're in high school, you're not going to be as long as a lot of guys (unless you are), and you'll probably need to make quite a few up and downs to keep those birdies on the board.

4) Make every situation a competitive one, and if you can, play with older players. There are a couple ways to go about this. First, play for money every time you play. 5 dollar closeouts are a good way to go (i.e., 5 dollars for the front, 5 dollars for the back, 5 dollars for the whole match, with the option to press once a side is closed out). 30 dollars doesn't seem like a high stakes bet, but it's large enough that it will hurt if you lose both nines and the presses. If you play at a club and your dad plays golf reasonably well, get him to let you play with his buddies. If you play at a club and your dad doesn't play reasonably well, find the good players, meet them on the range, and see if you can get a game going. You'll be surprised at how many older guys are willing to play with younger golfers. If you play public courses, find out when their skins games are, play in those, and get side matches going with the guys in your group. Again, you'll be playing with older guys, and at 2 handicap, you'll be giving a lot of them strokes.

5) Make your practice competitive/pressure based. Work on hitting shots, not hitting golf balls. The same goes for short game practice.

6) Play as much as you practice.

If you have any questions, need clarifications, or whatever, feel free to shoot me a PM.

[enis750]

i too would like to start playing more tourney's etc and get to that "next level"
i have no intentions of ever playing on tour - but i would like to be recognized locally and bag some local tourney's

my goal (as stated in my sig) is to first get down to a 2hcp
then try to qualify for the SK Men's Open - this is bascially a Canadian Tour Event open to the public to try our for - similar to the US open
i just want to be able to say i could hang w these guys

will be tough though - it's on a course that measures 7200 yds from the tips on a links style course
they only take 4 guys - last year winners were 64(course record), 69, 71, 72
best i have played at this course was 75 - from the blue's
they wont let you play from the tips unless you have a registred hcp of 2 - im not a member anywhere, so they wont let me play them

it will be a long winter of practicing the ol short game (indoors) and hitting balls in the dome