Reasonable shot set-up time

[flanagan]

tjy355,

Thanks for the more compact posting.

You do need to speed it up. I've gotten to the point where for drives and most fairway shots I don't even take a practice swing, the exception being trying to get a feel for a particular shot, and that's usually just an abbreviated swing. I really think on most shots practice swings are overrated, and abused more than almost anything else, by slower players (until they get to the greens!).

[soup]

Lots of good advice from everyone.

I, too, agree that the original poster is playing too slow.

I got out late this afternoon at Bethpage and played 9 holes in about 90 minutes - it rained all morning and was dreary, so the place was pretty quiet. I played 2 balls the entire 9 by myself. I had a twosome in front of me but kept my distance and let them enjoy their round.

I was thinking to myself today that I really don't have a routine - not on the tee, from the fairway or putting. I work off the sprinkler heads and never really walk it off, just estimate. I make sure I'm square, take a half-assed practice waggle and swing. Same with putting - take a quick look from behind, take a practice stroke and go.

The best advice anyone can give to a golfer that asks for advice - play fast.....that's it. No one cares if you shoot 120 or 70. Just play quick and you'll be the best partner to play with. If you have to ask if you play slow - you probably are playing slow.

[Cussin hacker]

My ball is on it's way within 15 to 20 seconds from the time I arrive at the ball. I hate taking forever to hit a ball. Many of todays players take way to long with routines. Furik and Ben Crane come to mind. Just hit it will ya.

[finoky]

I have played with plenty of people that tell me how great they hit it on the range but can't take that to the course. Most are doing what on the range? Dropping a ball hitting it, few seconds later drop a ball and hit it, over and over again. Then watch that same person on the course. Besides the obvious of checking the yardage and the wind they have now added all this other fluff. They now must line up behind the ball, walk up, take a few practice swings, then verrrrrrry carefully take their grip, address the ball, look towards their target and back to the ball multiple times, waggle, take a nap over their ball at the address position, and then swing.

Bottom line is 45 seconds is way too long. If the OP can speed up that process by at least half I can bet that index of 19 will begin to drop.

[wedge player]

i agree 45 seconds is to long my normal routine takes all of 15 seconds at most.

[schigara]

I definitely agree with this statement. The best scores I ever put up were playing as a single on an empty course or with my best friend who plays as fast as I do as well on an empty course.

I played 45 holes today(36) with my friend. The first 18 started at 7:30 and there was a lot of traffic so we would sit and sit while waiting to shoot. I shot 93 first round. Second round, the traffic lightened up and I shot a 87. My friend left after 36 and I still felt good and shot a 39 front nine with absolutely no holdups. It was wonderful. I was able to pull up to the ball, pull the club, align, one waggle and fire. The ET, from stepping foot from the cart till I fired the club, was probably 14-16 seconds.

Bottom line is 45 seconds is way too long.

[Zeph]

I spend most time on finding a good spot to stand (on the tee), deciding where to aim and which club to use. I start planning the shot when I approach my ball, when I'm there I know where to aim and which club to use, normally. When I'm all set, I just go up and hit the shot after a quick short practice swing. People that know their distances and take some time to find the right club is OK. I don't like those that take two full practice swings, or any amount of practice swings until they get the feeling of a good swing, usually followed by a fat shot. I don't like those that stand over the ball for an eternity (same goes with bowling), waggling, nudging the club up and down. When you are set up and have done a waggle, HIT THE SHOT ALREADY! If you're not mentally prepared after setting up, spend more time on building confidence before the shot. I don't understand what good it does to stand over the ball for a long time.