Ways to keep improving

[OCdude12]

Finally!!!  I've finally broken the 0.0 barrier this month after playing some pretty solid golf the last couple months and I want to keep going lower.  I've finally broken par on multiple courses now, but all those rounds have been 70's, I still have yet to shoot in the 60's in my life, but each time I shot 70, either lipped out putts or just burned the edge.

Aside from the trying to break the 70 barrier, my index has gone down from a 3.2 on 5/1, 1.4 on 6/1, 0.8 on 7/1 and now a +0.2 this month.  However I will put out a disclaimer that I haven't been working the last month which obviously helps, but I've been playing with a 4 year old driver and a set of irons that barely have any grooves left on them.  Once I get a new job and some more steady income, I'm going to order some new irons and hopefully I can keep the good playing up still, but I'm kinda stuck whether I want to try and go back to a corporate job or find something in golf that I might be able to keep practicing a lot.

Since finally having a car in the last month, I've been able to get out and actually practice the short game and putting a little bit, something I haven't really done much of before.  What are some of the most helpful drills out there to improve putting?  Making those 10-15 ft birdie putts is one of the things that is really holding be back from finally shooting in the 60's I think and its beginning to bug me.

Scratch golfers out there, what was the biggest thing for you to keep it going?  Fitness, putting practice, wedge practice, new equipment?  Feels like a whole new world, now I just need to shoot in the 60's damnit.

[CuppedTin]

Seems like making more putts is the only thing you are missing...

[x129]

The easiest way to do that is to play more golf. A low handicapper will beat his handicap by 3 about 1 in 50 times.

As far as improvement figure out where you are losing strokes and work on that. Do you sag late in the round. Maybe fitness is your key. Leaving chips 15 ft from the hole instead of 6'? Short game work. And so on. Unless your equipment is really bad, I wouldn't expect to get a lot out of improvement out of it.

  CuppedTin said:

Originally Posted by CuppedTin

Seems like making more putts is the only thing you are missing...

[The_Pharaoh]

  OCdude12 said:

Originally Posted by OCdude12

Finally!!!  I've finally broken the 0.0 barrier this month

Congrats! I got to +0.1 right before turning pro and I know how great an accomplishment that is.

As far as getting better, I suggest you start tracking your game a la PGA Tour. At your level, you need to be comparing yourself to the very best and trying to get as good as them. But don't just track the easy stats, track the tough ones as well so you know how close on average you hit your 8 iron to the pin, your putting success rate from inside 10 ft etc. At least in this way you'll know your strengths and weaknesses, and how to organize your practice sessions.

Good luck!

[The_Pharaoh]

  x129 said:

Originally Posted by x129

The easiest way to do that is to play more golf. A low handicapper will beat his handicap by 3 about 1 in 50 times.

Where did you get that stat from? I've managed it 5 times in 45 rounds this year!

[x129]

You are clearly a sandbagger Or using a handicap that doesn't use the USGA formula.

The numberI quoted was from the USGA : http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/understanding_handicap/articles/deanstable.html

  The_Pharaoh said:

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

Where did you get that stat from? I've managed it 5 times in 45 rounds this year!

[The_Pharaoh]

  x129 said:

Originally Posted by x129

You are clearly a sandbagger Or using a handicap that doesn't use the USGA formula.

The numberI quoted was from the USGA : http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/understanding_handicap/articles/deanstable.html

I'm a professional! ;-)

[deasy55]

A professional sandbagger? That's a first

[x129]

You need to play at my club. We have a half dozen of them that show up for every tournament

I just thought of it but in addition to playing more golf, you should also play easier courses. If that isn't enough, ladies tees can be considered.

  deasy55 said:

Originally Posted by deasy55

A professional sandbagger? That's a first