What part of your game do you think is most important.

[EverythingGolf]

Hello everyone I just started teaching and I wanted to get some people's thoughts on what part of there game felt more important to them..

[Uber$winG]

The mental game…

In my humble estimation, this is the alpha and the omega of the game.

[The Road Dog]

Golf is actually two games Air and Ground.

I think the basic swing is the most important part of the air game. Everything else depends on it. It is unique to you no matter how hard you try to model it after someone else and it changes with the changes your body experiences. You can see the results of it, but unless you have video slo-mo you can't see it to work on it.  Anyone I introduce to the game I try to stress to them that is what they need to work on before they consider going out for golf.  Oh and since golf is two games it carries over to the ground game also, the putting stroke is the basis of that. Just my .02.

[Doug Green]

In my opinion, the most important part of the game. Hitting the ball straight for 300 yards and not being able to putt would be a waist of the distance.

[jpd5184]

everything is important but there are four things that i always have emphasis on when i teach somebody.

1. alignment

2. putting

3. posture

4. ball contact

alignment is important because you cant hit the ball in the fairway or on the green if your not aiming there. I like to say play with what you got. if you have a slice you can still play well as long as you aim far enough left.

putting is always important and i think is the most underlooked part of the game. If you can put good you can take 6 strokes or more off your score. i dont think enough people concentrate on putting. people will go buy a 300 dollar driver but not a 300 scotty cameron.

posture is extremely important. tall stance with your head up. no body swaying, keep your head still, eye on the ball. if you change your posture throughout the swing you wont hit the ball like you want.

[EverythingGolf]

Very good point, It amazes me that people spend 300 dollars on a drive and not even think about the putter.

[kpaulhus]

For me, the most important part of the game is my iron play. If I am having a good day and hitting GIR's I usually have a great score. If I am all over the place it is the opposite. Hitting fairways is important, yes, but look how may PGA Tour players have a higher GIR percentage than FIR percentage. Putting is also important, but if you hit every green and two putt you shoot even par.

So to me, iron play is the most important part of the game.

[dbuck]

A couple of Bobby Jones quotes come to mind:

"Golf is played on a 6 inch course between the ears."

"The secret of scoring is to turn 3 shots into 2"

Assuming you are not a rank beginner and can at least generally move the ball forward on each stroke, you must match your abilities to the course and play to your strengths. You must believe in and trust your swing. And as jpd5184 said, you must do everything you can before the stroke to promote the best outcome, ie alignment, grip, posture etc.

The short game combination of chipping and putting are as others have said, the area where work pays off the quickest.  No one hits every fairway or every green, so good short game skills are where scoring is done.  Regulation par allows for 2 putts per green--the standard goal for most is 30 putts per round--but the point is at least 50% of your shots are short shots--chips, pitches, or putts.

[TourSpoon]

I just became a big fan of Bobby Clampett's The Impact Zone which really delves into swing dynamics over style.   It has made a huge difference in every aspect of my game from putting, chipping, pitching and full swing.

Of course, that would come after the basics of grip, stance, posture, and alignment.  The most important thing past these concepts certainly goes into the mental game, but for the basis of what I would teach would all come down to the first 5 chapters in Clampett's book.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by EverythingGolf

Hello everyone I just started teaching and I wanted to get some people's thoughts on what part of there game felt more important to them..

I have two parts to my game. Aim and distance control. If I had to pick one to be a little more "on" than the other, I'd go with distance control, which is related to crisp contact and a smooth consistent swing.

[B-Con]

For me, impact position seems to be the most important improvement. Coming down on the ball and through it in an inside-to-outside swing path is what took me from averaging 103 to 93. That applies for almost all shots more than a long pitch from the green. Obviously chipping and putting are extremely important, but if you can't even hit the green in GIR+2, you'll never break 100.

[Bryan SD2]

Chipping and Putting is the most important part of the game no doubt about it...

[iacas]

Originally Posted by jpd5184

everything is important but there are four things that i always have emphasis on when i teach somebody.

1. alignment

2. putting

3. posture

4. ball contact

I like #4. Ball contact (location of low point) is the single biggest determinant of handicap. Pros and great players all have a low point behind the ball. Low single digit players have a low point from 2" to right under the ball. And as the handicap goes up, the low point moves farther and farther back, with startling consistency. It's the single easiest predictor of handicap. (It's not 100%, but it's the closest - we all know guys who take huge divots and sometimes hit the ball cleanly, but can't break 90, and their low point is obviously forward of the golf ball.)

Alignment? Nah.

What percentage of PGA Tour golfers line their clubface up directly at their target? 10% if you're generous - and it's not there at impact. Players play for their curve, so while "alignment" is important, to list it as #1 seems silly to me. "I've chunked every shot I've hit, but they're all lined up perfectly!!!"

Posture? Nah again.

Consider Craig Stadler, or Paul Azinger, and consider Adam Scott, or Jack Nicklaus, or Lee Trevino, or Arnold Palmer. Obviously everyone has "some" sort of posture, but the people who list "posture" as super important aren't looking at the bigger picture.

I've taught beginners and seen beginners taught, and the first thing we teach them is to hit the ball first, and then the ground (coincidentally, since these players are so new to golf, we can get their low points 3-4 inches forward of the golf ball, but they're not breaking 100 their first time out :-D). We teach them to hit the ball high and far second, because power matters.

The whole "GAP" stuff (grip, alignment, posture) takes about three minutes, and the rest of the time we're teaching them how to hit the ball first, with decent height and power. They draw the ball from the start and have a good time getting the ball airborne. Then we teach 'em a little about putting and chipping.

[BrushCaddy]

For me, the most important part of my game is just feeling comfortable at address and swinging.  It could be the weather, stiff muscles, something on my mind or just not following my pre-swing regiment, if I don't feel comfortable, the ball isn't going to go where I want.  It doesn't matter what my grip is, my tempo, swing plane or the price of my driver, feeling comfortable and relaxed when addressing the ball is most important to me.

It's funny because I always know before hand, that something doesn't feel right and then sure enough...  duff.  I need to learn to step back and start my address again.

[benredik]

Originally Posted by BrushCaddy

For me, the most important part of my game is just feeling comfortable at address and swinging.  It could be the weather, stiff muscles, something on my mind or just not following my pre-swing regiment, if I don't feel comfortable, the ball isn't going to go where I want.  It doesn't matter what my grip is, my tempo, swing plane or the price of my driver, feeling comfortable and relaxed when addressing the ball is most important to me.

It's funny because I always know before hand, that something doesn't feel right and then sure enough...  duff.  I need to learn to step back and start my address again.

I can definately relate to all that - also, my first tee shot is a good indicator of the rest of the round. A good tee shot gives confidence, confidence give full swings, full swings give solid hits and so on..

[n8dogg2669]

easy... PUTTING!!!

[ND Fan]

This the golf question of the ages...

the fact is that all facets of the game are pretty important.  Scoring is not based on long game or short individually it's a marriage of the two.  You could be the best putter on the planet but if takes you 6 shots to get to every green then I would say your putting, although great is not very important.  The same could be said with a guy who hits everything pure and hits 16-18 greens per round but follows that with 45 putts.  His long game although enviable is not important.

Everyone needs to find a balance to play the game they way they want to.  Not everyone needs to be a scratch golfer to enjoy it. It a simple matter of playing to the best of your ability in every aspect.  When you do that the game feels great no matter what you shoot.

For the average golfer I think chipping and putting is what saves sanity.  Assuming you can strike the ball towards the general direction of the green the short game will make or break your score every time.  If you can't reach most greens in under four or five shots.  Please consider taking up bowling.

[Gary]

Originally Posted by Uber$winG

The mental game…

In my humble estimation, this is the alpha and the omega of the game.

Couldn't agree more!

It's more important than a perfect swing for me. A bad hole leads to another and so on. A good mentality is needed to conquer that.

just my 2 cents.