Stuck in the 90s

[LottaBalata]

[QUOTE=folker;508032] I really strugle with my shots into the green more so with a 7 or 8 iron than with wedges but anywhere from 100-140 out I know before I swing that I'm not hitting the green. This is really where I wastes strokes. Any tips on improving my iron accuracy? If I could improve my GIR I know could be shooting in the mid 80s.[/QUOTE

First off, get rid of the negative thoughts. If I thought I was going to hit a bad shot, you know what happens usually, I DO. I've already set it in my mind that I'm going to fail on hitting the green. Change that instantly. VISUALIZE where you want the ball to land and roll. Keep your head down, don't look at the shot until you're finished with your swing. Don't be afraid to lose a ball--so many people with higher handicaps tend to look before they finish because they ALREADY have it in their head that the ball is not going where they want it. Think confidently. . .I know it sounds like a bunch of bs-psychobabble, but look at Tiger, his head isn't in it, he's apathetic, he almost looks like he knows the next shot is going to suck. And it does.

As far as improving on your short game, practice. Also, if you can afford it get a couple lessons.

It would be awesome to see a vid of your swing. Do you slice the ball? Do have a high ball flight but no distance? Do you have decent distance but low wind-cutters?

[Floger]

I feel your pain. I hit the 90 mark once and knew I had a chance at 89 and 3 putted. Par 3's kill me - the short ones. Like in the 150 - 175 yd range. Almost every time its a bogey or double.

[Shindig]

I generally go for the par 5s and most of the time end up 10 or 20 yards off the green, chip up, 2 putt par. 1 out of 20 times I will either make or stick the green and proceed to 2 putt birdie. The par 4s I struggle on are in the 350-375 range. Usually end up with a short iron or wedge into the green which I will hit about 20% of the time. My chipping and putting while improved is not good enough to make up for a 20% GIR. It seems when I play other courses with longer par 4s in the 425 range I tend to play them better than the shorter ones and I wonder if that's because I have already subconsiously resigned myself to the fact that I'm probably not going to hit the green from 175 yards out and it takes some pressure off me.

There was an article in Golf Digest a few months back for how often people hit a green from X yards out with particular handicaps. I can look up details later. But I think the clear answer is twofold: practice your short irons a bit more, and try to find a safe place to miss the green -- most greens have SOME place that's better to miss than others (even TPC Sawgrass #17 has that bunker).

[BallStriker]

I remember the first chance I had to break 90 like it was yesterday....I remember the butterflies were going crazy in my stomach after hitting a good tee ball on 18......I needed a par for 89 and hit a 5 iron from 180 yards and completely flew the green and had no chance.....but I was proud I hit the ball so solidly.

For whatever reason, I didn't get the same nevousness/feeling going to break 80.....even now trying to break par it just isn't as big of deal as when I stared down that first sub-90 round.

[Cali]

try this. take your 3 longest clubs out of your bag and play from the shortest tees at your course

[sacm3bill]

Depending on the ESC determine what your maximum hole score can be, that may help a bit ....

That may help with getting a lower score for posting for handicap purposes, but not with what you actually shoot.

[soloredd]

We are in the same boat. I've had a number of 90 and 91 scores this year, coming up short of my goal to break 90. Frustrating yes but when I look back at it, I take it with a grain of salt. Last week I shot a 95 and felt like it should have (and in the past would have) been a 100. I've had 2 chances the past month to break 90: 1) I need a par on a par 5 18 and ended up with a double because my approach shot went in the greenside bunker and I failed to get the ball close enough for a par putt and 2) needed a par on par 4 18 and had a great approach shot FROM THE ADJACENT FAIRWAY but chipped like Hercules and ended up 2 putting for bogey.

20 yards and in is where hackers like us need to become really good. I look at my stats and go over my rounds and it's not always the wayward tee shot or short approach shot - it's recovering. On that par 5 my tee shot sliced but I hit a punch hybrid out to leave myself a 8 iron to the green. The bunker shot wasn't hard I just suck at them and I never practice them (yes, shame on me). That par 4 was 5 yard chip shot and bladed it needing 2 putts. As someone earlier in the thread stated, once we can get our short game to the point where we leave a par putt instead of needing a hero putt, the 80s will come consistently.

[Dr. Griefo]

I was there three years ago then one day I shot an 87. I had, and still have a similar problem, lot's of trouble hitting the greens from 100+ yards. What I did was practice my short game, get the ball close to the front of the green and chip close for a one putt. If the pin is at the front, even better. Two easy putts. You can practice chipping at targets in your yard or one the practice green so it is accessible and easy to get better. I got the ball close by using an 8 or 9 rather than a 6 or 7. Better accuracy and never in any trouble. Then one chip, one putt for par. The other thing I did was went to the course one evening when it was quiet and hit from 140 in with my 8 until I was better at getting the greens, then 150 in with my 7. I'm about 40% with my 8 now and 25% with my 7. I need to go do this more often.

You'll break 90 soon with your scores

[crayputter]

How do you play the par-5s and par-3s? Which do you prefer?

And that mate, is the key right there !

For an amateur golfer to break 90, the key is to Par the 3's and 5's and keep to bogeys, and maybe a couple of double bogeys and one triple, for the rest of the holes. Assuming the above is the case, your score will be : 4 Pars, 12 bogeys, 2 Double bogeys and 1 triple...giving you a total score of 90 ( on a par 72 course ) ! Eliminate that triple, or double, or just make a par on one of the short Par 4's, and voila, you break 90 ! Ray

[folker]

I'm decent inside 100. I'm decent off the tee. Where I struggle is off the tee on par 3s and the second shot on par 4s. I guess I just need to hit the range and practice 100-150 yards and actually aim at something instead of just bashing balls. I've also lately been trying to swing easy to improve my balance thinking that perhaps that was the cause of me spraying the ball with my irons. If it takes an extra club then so be it because what I've been doing isn't working.

[abraxas]

folker, i know exactly what youre talking about!

throughout this year, ive struggled in so many different parts of my game. beginning of the year, i couldnt drive without losing a ball every couple holes. once i got that relatively under control, i kept topping all my irons (questioning if the swings should be the same, is it the ball position, hitting up, hitting down, haha SOOO many questions). forget about getting off the tee on par 3s, yikes. and of course more recently, i couldnt hit a wedge to save my life.... nevermind the endless quest to one timing a putt!

but somewhere along the way, things began to click one step at a time. youll put together 3-4-5 good holes together leading maybe to a solid front or back nine. and then *pooof* one lucky day everything will just happen to fall into place and different parts of your game will click all together. i didnt think it was gonna happen but it did... i went from scoring in the 110s in the spring to rocking an 87 the other day!

what people say on this board didnt make sense sometimes because i didnt understand it at that particular time. but try to remember some key points because later on it most definitely resonates and that moment of OOOHHHH hits you. best of luck!

[soloredd]

Well, after posting here yesterday I went out today and shot a 84. Hahaha! Unbelievable round. I have to say it folker, my game inside 100 yards today was damn near perfect. I recovered myself from a couple errant drives and right or left approach shots. I think for hackers like us it just takes a whole lot to go right, maybe it's not just one particular thing? I also played within myself. I can draw the ball pretty effectively but cannot fade it. There are one or two dogleg rights at the course I played so I just hit 5 irons off the tee and hit 6 irons to the green (both GIRs on those holes).

In your last post you stated when you go to the range you need to aim at something instead of just hitting balls. This has helped me tremendouslly. At my range there are "greens" on the range with flags. This year I have made a consistent and conscious effort when practicing irons to try to hit those greens and not just hitting blindly down the range.

[crayputter]

Well, after posting here yesterday I went out today and shot a 84. Hahaha! Unbelievable round. I have to say it folker, my game inside 100 yards today was damn near perfect. I recovered myself from a couple errant drives and right or left approach shots. I think for hackers like us it just takes a whole lot to go right, maybe it's not just one particular thing? I also played within myself. I can draw the ball pretty effectively but cannot fade it. There are one or two dogleg rights at the course I played so I just hit 5 irons off the tee and hit 6 irons to the green (both GIRs on those holes).

Whoa dude, that's awesome !!! Now, make sure the next round you play, keep it to below 90....DON'T make the mistake of trying to better that 84...be cool.

Your 84 will go lower eventually, but let it happen gradually...right now, your focus should be playing consistently around the 85 - 88 point range.... But hey, what do i know...I am just a 18 handicapper myself...LOL... Again, well done ! Ray

[soloredd]

Whoa dude, that's awesome !!! Now, make sure the next round you play, keep it to below 90....DON'T make the mistake of trying to better that 84...be cool.

Thanks for the nice comments, Ray. I'm playing next this Monday afternoon and am trying to forget the 84 and just concentrate on the fact that I broke 90. I went to the range this morning for a brief session and approached it the same way - playing at targets, not trying to make hero shots, and when using my driver at the end of the bucket actually visualizing a couple of holes from the tee.

I spent most of the bucket on placing 100-105 yard 56* shots. I mentioned how good my short game was to help me out and I truly believe it. I have to admit, though, I know I will feel down if I go in the 90s on Monday. I need to remind myself throughout the round not to get cranky after a bad shot or hole.

[danwalk]

The par 4s I struggle on are in the 350-375 range. Usually end up with a short iron or wedge into the green which I will hit about 20% of the time.

As some others have suggested, this is a great part of your game to work on. I have improved greatly with my short irons this year and my game--and scores--have gotten much better. Something to keep in mind is that short irons and wedges do not require hard full shots. Accuracy will be much improved by laying off a bit and using a nice smooth swing, even if you have to grab one club more in the process.

[Dr. Griefo]

As some others have suggested, this is a great part of your game to work on. I have improved greatly with my short irons this year and my game--and scores--have gotten much better. Something to keep in mind is that short irons and wedges do not require hard full shots. Accuracy will be much improved by laying off a bit and using a nice smooth swing, even if you have to grab one club more in the process.

I've been trying to figure out how to lay off a bit all summer. Bizarre things have happpened, I may chunk it cause I'm going too slow, get a weak shot that is well short or hit the sweet spot and fire it way over the green. I would like to bottle that sweet spot swing but I can only repeat bad shots, not good ones... Any tips on laying up a bit?

[ks8829]

I had the same problem with partial shots and taking off a little off the full swing. I use to chunk it and lose all confidence. What I discovered is if I take the club back a certain way that I can return to the ball regardless of how easy I swing back to the ball. another words with the proper backswing you can return to the ball without any effort but simple returning to the ball.

I take the club back and point the toe down and up the line on my natural arc of my backswing. When I do this the club returns effortlessly back with very little effort to the ball making solid contact everytime.

[tm22721]

Stay on the range until 75% of shots are straight with 6i or 7i. Take it to the course using nothing longer than 6i or 7i. That's how I broke 90 and plunged to a 10 hcp. Plateaued for 2 years until I finally figured out the longer clubs just 5 months ago.