Low Handicap Your Typical Misses

[sean_miller]

. . . a 5-9 handicapper isn't going to miss that much different than a 10-20, but their short game is going to be a lot better . . .

In my experience, no this is not necessarily the case.

I've played with higher handicappers me who can putt the lights out (compared to me) and I play with a few lower handicappers who aren't that great out of hazards and couldn't hit a non-standard pitch or chip shot if their life depended on it - if they're not on the green or the apron it's a guaranteed bogey - they don't get as much practice hitting from the cabbage.

[snowsurfer]

Driver miss is high right (quit) or long left (overswing/no body all arms)
Iron misses are slight pull or push. Wedges are 99% push 5-10yrd right of target, but I'm starting to thing that may be my alignment.
Also, I'm currently thinning a few due to a RT hamstring injury.
My index is 7.9, I don't know If that's considered low.....

[msd3075]

My misses are similar as I need to improve my ball striking in that I will try to force a club (do this more then I should) to its full distance which if not stuck perfectly will result in a miss short or hit a pull from swinging to hard and getting a tad over the top…however, when I will try to hit a smooth 8 iron 150, I sometimes end up hitting it 160 because I swung within myself and hit it on the sweet spot. I aspire to be under a 5 handicap and ball striking is my issue…I plan to work on this to play more under control as it relates to distance and not care how far I hit my 8 iron but just be content with knowing how far I hit it consistently at 80% effort…clear as mud?

If you are having that problem, use my little trick that I've been using lately to prevent myself from trying to swing anywhere near 100% on irons shots. What I do is on the range before I play, I stretch and warm up as usual and hit about 5 or 6 shots with my irons at about a 50% swing (mainly to loosen up a bit). From there I progress up to 100%, hitting a few balls balls at each "level" on the way up to 100%. Once I'm at 100%, I hit 5 or 6 balls; when I'm doing this, I'm not so much concerned with the quality of the shot's result as I am I'm putting a ton of effort into swinging hard. After that, I dial it back until I get to about 85% (what I try to swing at our on the course). From there, I practice like normal. This really helped me learn how to dial it back and settle into a proper swing instead of jsut swinging for the fences on each shot.

Also, you said you want to get down to a 5 handicap and that your ball-striking is hurting you. This time last year I was at about an 8 handicap and am now down to a 4.5; the one single thing I worked on that helped me the most was practicing chip and pitch shots around the green. When I was at an 8, I rarely got up and down when I missed a green. Now that I have a much better feel around the green, getting up and down happens much more often. The most noticable byproduct though is that it's taken a ton of pressure off my iron game since I know I don't have to absolutely pull each shot off. If anythign my irons have improved now because I don't have all the pressure on me anymore.

[i-Guy]

If you are having that problem, use my little trick that I've been using lately to prevent myself from trying to swing anywhere near 100% on irons shots. What I do is on the range before I play, I stretch and warm up as usual and hit about 5 or 6 shots with my irons at about a 50% swing (mainly to loosen up a bit). From there I progress up to 100%, hitting a few balls balls at each "level" on the way up to 100%. Once I'm at 100%, I hit 5 or 6 balls; when I'm doing this, I'm not so much concerned with the quality of the shot's result as I am I'm putting a ton of effort into swinging hard. After that, I dial it back until I get to about 85% (what I try to swing at our on the course). From there, I practice like normal. This really helped me learn how to dial it back and settle into a proper swing instead of jsut swinging for the fences on each shot.

Thanks...I have never done that...I will have to try as it makes sense to teach yourself how to dial it back...especially when you are on the course and start swinging for the fence...sometimes I just think it is my darn "A" type personality getting in the way...Ha! Ha!

Also, you said you want to get down to a 5 handicap and that your ball-striking is hurting you. This time last year I was at about an 8 handicap and am now down to a 4.5; the one single thing I worked on that helped me the most was practicing chip and pitch shots around the green. When I was at an 8, I rarely got up and down when I missed a green. Now that I have a much better feel around the green, getting up and down happens much more often. The most noticable byproduct though is that it's taken a ton of pressure off my iron game since I know I don't have to absolutely pull each shot off. If anythign my irons have improved now because I don't have all the pressure on me anymore.

Thanks for the advice but believe me it is my ball striking...I have a pretty solid short game and that is why I am an 8 handicap...I avg 30 putts per round and get up and down nearly 40% of the time...now not that these two stats should not get better but my FIR and GIR are not where they need to be even for an 8...last year I had a playing lesson (9holes) with a teaching pro and afterwards he made the comment that with my short game I should be under 5 and that I had ball striking issues but nothing too bad…so I know it is my short game keeping me in the single handicap...I look at that with confidence though because as my ball striking gets better I will be bringing along a very solid short game...

[jsherm45]

What's holding me back:

1. Putting

2. Up and Down %

3. Consistency with Driver (Accuracy)

[kevin.chan]

1. Game Management
2. Short Game
3. Putting

[i-Guy]

What's holding me back:

A friend of mine who is a very good player (played on the various mini tours in Florida and recently got his amateur status back and competes in FSGA events told me once that anyone can be a 6-10 handicap…he said that as long as someone can make decent swings (not a great ball striker) but who focuses on their short game (putting and U&D;) can be a 6-10 handicap…but he said in order to go below 5 your ball striking has got to be very good…well I proved him right as I went from a 12 to an 8 by focusing on my short game for 6 months (and continue to) but I really think for me to go to the next level my ball striking has got to get better....so to answer your quetion I would work on #1 and #2 the most and continue to devlope your ball striking...clear as mud?

[pearfootball]

My handicap is 3, and my misses tend to be with the longer clubs. At the beginning of last season these would be to the right, however toward the back end of the season and during the off season, my misses have been to the left. This is probably a result of an over compensation of the problem i was having at the beginning of the season, and therefore I have got into a bad habit which is proving difficult to eliminate. If I were to hit a poor shot with my wedges, it would be to hit them too far, as opposed to either short, left or right.

[kevin.chan]

I cant play with the game dragged more than 4 hrr 20 minutes for 18.

[mdl]

To me, I think the biggest difference between low handicappers and higher is consistent distant control. If I hit a 8 iron normally 165 yards, I'm going to consistently hit it between 155 -165 yards. Where a higher handicap player can hit the same club maybe 125- 165 yards depending on how solid he hits it. It comes down to hitting the ball solid consistently. The low handicap player does that most of the time.

I have to disagree with this. I don't have great distance control over my hybrid, but off the fairway I know within 5 yards how far each of my irons (4-PW) are going, 95% of the time, I just push or hook too many, which depends on the day. Even the hooks often end up pretty close the right distance. But I don't have the short game to hit in the 70s anyway, and one or two too many of those shots off line will be a driver somehwere that gives me no 2nd shot.

[misty_mountainhop]

Misses tend to be slight blocks with longer clubs when aiming for a draw and slight pulls with the same clubs when trying a fade. Don't miss too much from 6/7-iron down. Short game from 100 inwards and putting is my weak spot. I'd love to average 30 putts as 'typical'! Guess what I'm prioritising for practice this season?

[DJYoshi]

my typical miss has always been to the right.... when i'm on.. i'm on and have the confidence that if I miss, I'll get up and down... but when I go thru the shanks, the inconsistency, the yips...whatever it might be....
I can be off as much as a full club...and I've taken a 9 iron which by the time you're a single digit...i'd say you should be hitting it within 20 feet a majority of the time.... I've hit it as far off on a simple 140 yard shot by as much as 30 yards to the right of the green....
but the typical miss on all my shots is right and short

[Rexx]

The usual spread of shots can be a little right or a little left, but decent contact. The "misses" tend to be hitting it a little fat (especially from the rough) or a pull hook where I just quit on the shot and my hands turn way over before impact.

[joepro23]

A lot of people have mentioned distance control (even on the misses) for low handicappers, and that is definitely true for my game. Whenever I miss a green it is usually pin-high, but a couple yards off the green. My real miss is a hook off the tee which sneaks into my game a couple of times per round.

[play4him]

I have to disagree with this. I don't have great distance control over my hybrid, but off the fairway I know within 5 yards how far each of my irons (4-PW) are going, 95% of the time, I just push or hook too many, which depends on the day. Even the hooks often end up pretty close the right distance. But I don't have the short game to hit in the 70s anyway, and one or two too many of those shots off line will be a driver somehwere that gives me no 2nd shot.

It looks like you've answered your own question as to getting into the 70's. Work on your chipping, pitching, and putting. If you hit your irons that consistent ( within 5 yards ) , then you should be shooting in the 70's. I've played with a lot of amatuers throughout the years, who shoot from the 80's-90's, and the thing I notice the most is their inconsistent ball-striking. They can hit good shots, but not consistently.

I told my youngest son to work on his short game, if he wants to see his scores go down consistently. I told him that he won't all of a sudden start hitting 12 - 14 greens in regulation, but if he can hit each shot pretty solid, he'll be around the green somewhere. And that's where the short game comes in.