Tips on shooting scratch golf?

[Kevin18]

Hello,

I am a farrrrr way off of this milestone, but hey any tips would only help bring down my score a few strokes. Even more. But what are some tips on shooting scratch golf? And what truly sets normal scratch amateurs apart from pros? I know its the mental part, but what exactly?
Thanks so much and may god bless you all! ^_^

[VoidOfEnigmas]

being pretty close to scratch I can only tell you what I do, I play or practice 5 days a week. I spend atleast 3-4 hours a week practicing my short game which is without a doubt the most important part of the game. When you're on the range dont just aim at target, practice hitting a draw, a fade, a knockdown to it. Learn how to hit every shot that you can add to your arsenal. Read golf publications, golf digest is a wealth of good information and insight from pro's playing below the scratch level. Find a good teaching pro, most good teaching pros are difficult to schedule with but are worth it. Be prepared to put $100+ into golf every week to get to scratch. Hope this helps.

[poser]

Have some talent and do everything well like driving, irons, putting, and chipping.  I hover around 0-1 depending on how much I play but, I only get out once week usually.

[VoidOfEnigmas]

Originally Posted by poser

Have some talent and do everything well like driving, irons, putting, and chipping.  I hover around 0-1 depending on how much I play but, I only get out once week usually.

that's the best advice you can give? Hit it good?

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by voidofenigmas

When you're on the range dont just aim at target, practice hitting a draw, a fade, a knockdown to it. Learn how to hit every shot that you can add to your arsenal.

I disagree with this.  Once you are a scratch golfer or getting pretty close, by all means, learn how to hit all different kinds of shots to get even better.  But for now, it seems to me that you are better off perfecting one shot - whether it be draw or fade - that you can repeat consistently.

Originally Posted by voidofenigmas

Read golf publications, golf digest is a wealth of good information and insight from pro's playing below the scratch level.

I strongly disagree with this.  Sure, there is plenty of good info in those magazines, but there is just as much, if not more, bad info.  You throw it all into your head, and its going to confuse you, send you off in the wrong directions sometimes, and help you to make a mess of everything.

The other two things void mentioned, I do agree with ... take lessons from a good teacher and practice.  I have just started my own lessons as well hoping to get that handicap down.  (FYI, I'm using Evolvr and even though I've only been doing it for a couple of weeks, I really like the plan and philosophy so far)

[VoidOfEnigmas]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I disagree with this.  Once you are a scratch golfer or getting pretty close, by all means, learn how to hit all different kinds of shots to get even better.  But for now, it seems to me that you are better off perfecting one shot - whether it be draw or fade - that you can repeat consistently.

I strongly disagree with this.  Sure, there is plenty of good info in those magazines, but there is just as much, if not more, bad info.  You throw it all into your head, and its going to confuse you, send you off in the wrong directions sometimes, and help you to make a mess of everything.

The other two things void mentioned, I do agree with ... take lessons from a good teacher and practice.  I have just started my own lessons as well hoping to get that handicap down.  (FYI, I'm using Evolvr and even though I've only been doing it for a couple of weeks, I really like the plan and philosophy so far)

can not be right everytime, i'm purely speaking from my own perspective because being trained as a golf teacher and therefore can pick out bad information in golf digest. However disagreeing with my first statement I dont agree with, a good golf course, will call on you to hit a fade or a slice. If you know how to control your fade or slice, you can pick apart a golf course.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by voidofenigmas

can not be right everytime, i'm purely speaking from my own perspective because being trained as a golf teacher and therefore can pick out bad information in golf digest. However disagreeing with my first statement I dont agree with, a good golf course, will call on you to hit a fade or a slice. If you know how to control your fade or slice, you can pick apart a golf course.

You can pick out the bad information, but you are an expert ... I don't know that it is wise to recommend that to beginner/intermediates because the good info will get muddled by the bad info and you won't know which way is up.

And, I would hope you would disagree with me disagreeing with you, otherwise you'd be disagreeing with yourself. And no doubt that you are correct that you can pick apart a golf course if you can shape your shots at will.  What I am saying is that it seems like for a 15 handicap, that would be biting off more than he could chew at this time, and unnecessary.  Maybe when he gets down in the mid/low single digits, then he's shown he has a decent grasp on all aspects of the game and can control his ball... so now its time to up the ante and start working the ball in all directions??

[saevel25]

spend most of your time working on your long game, if you hit more greens you don't need a short game. Short game is really simple, especially if you start learning were to leave your misses on holes, so you have simple chips. That motion is pretty simple to do once you learn it. Learn how to make less than 2 putts per hole over the whole round.

[poser]

Originally Posted by voidofenigmas

that's the best advice you can give? Hit it good?

it's not rocket surgery....  What else you want me to tell him.  He is a 15 handicap and we have no idea what his game is like.  Yes do everything well and somethings better than others and you can be scratch....   Hell without seeing him swing or knowing his misses or how many greens he hits or how many putts he makes or how he chips or how he drives or how he blah blah blah... Thats about all I could come up with.

Sorry I never found a magical pill that helped me get there.  I did it in 2 years but, had a bad swing and chipped the ball very well. Had back surgery my 3rd year and now in my 5th year playing. I have a better swing now than I did in the past but, my short game lacks from practice so my good rounds are pretty boring.

[Kapanda]

Originally Posted by saevel25

spend most of your time working on your long game, if you hit more greens you don't need a short game. Short game is really simple, especially if you start learning were to leave your misses on holes, so you have simple chips. That motion is pretty simple to do once you learn it. Learn how to make less than 2 putts per hole over the whole round.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/58816/65-25-10-practice-ratios-where-to-devote-your-practice-time

[VoidOfEnigmas]

Originally Posted by Kapanda

http://thesandtrap.com/t/58816/65-25-10-practice-ratios-where-to-devote-your-practice-time

lol ya I wanted to post that myself

[joekelly]

Technique, skill, confidence. Those are the factors in the golf equation. Of these, technique is the least important.  Technique is 'how you do it', skill is 'how well you do it', and confidence is 'your ability to use the skill and technique under any condition'. Consider chipping: many techniques offered by the pros and teachers but in fact it's not which technique but the skill and confidence which puts the ball close to the hole.  Two supreme examples: the goofy, agricultural swing of Lee Trevino, home  grown and  ridiculed by the 'peanut gallery'. Effective? Very certainly because Lee had marvelous skill and confidence.  Also, today we see Tiger Woods using his new technique as taught by Sean Foley. Is this technique better than before? Unknown, but Tiger's skill and confidence with this new technique does look good.  So for you, find a useful technique and hone that skill and gain the confidence. The golf books and digest offer lots of techniques which will tend to confuse the golfer who lacks confidence.

[VoidOfEnigmas]

Originally Posted by joekelly

Technique, skill, confidence. Those are the factors in the golf equation. Of these, technique is the least important.  Technique is 'how you do it', skill is 'how well you do it', and confidence is 'your ability to use the skill and technique under any condition'. Consider chipping: many techniques offered by the pros and teachers but in fact it's not which technique but the skill and confidence which puts the ball close to the hole.  Two supreme examples: the goofy, agricultural swing of Lee Trevino, home  grown and  ridiculed by the 'peanut gallery'. Effective? Very certainly because Lee had marvelous skill and confidence.  Also, today we see Tiger Woods using his new technique as taught by Sean Foley. Is this technique better than before? Unknown, but Tiger's skill and confidence with this new technique does look good.  So for you, find a useful technique and hone that skill and gain the confidence. The golf books and digest offer lots of techniques which will tend to confuse the golfer who lacks confidence.

best post i've seen, awesome sir.

[adamgoodman]

I practiced almost never and took my golf game with as little seriousness as possible with fun being the number one priority... And here I am.

Point is, everyone reaches their goals differently.

[xmanhockey7]

Originally Posted by saevel25

spend most of your time working on your long game, if you hit more greens you don't need a short game. Short game is really simple, especially if you start learning were to leave your misses on holes, so you have simple chips. That motion is pretty simple to do once you learn it. Learn how to make less than 2 putts per hole over the whole round.

Are you being serious? OP: This is someone who is either kidding or plain wrong. A PGA professional typically misses 6 greens in a round. Sometimes more sometimes less. That means there are typically 6 times they need to get up an down. If they don't have a good short game they won't play well. Look at Zach Johnson a couple weeks ago. He wasn't hitting the ball well on Saturday (I believe) but he still shot a decent round and was able to win because he has such a good short game. Plus if you develop a good short game you don't need to hit the green to make par. All you need to do is get it somewhere close and get up and down.

[DenisO]

What you need to do is find your weakness and practice that to get down lower and to scratch. Beginners can easily shave strokes off their game by practicing their short game because it's easiest for them to learn (less 3 putts, no flubbed chips, etc), but I think the majority of the time, the long game is what gets a player to scratch.

I am currently at a 3, and to get down to scratch, I feel I really need to work on my long game (140-200 yards) to hit 1 or 2 more greens per round, and for all my approach shots to be more accurate and give me a better chance at birdie.

No shot shaping, no fancy trick shots. You can get to scratch by simply hitting fairways and greens consistently and accurately.

[blue72ss]

Originally Posted by saevel25

spend most of your time working on your long game, if you hit more greens you don't need a short game. Short game is really simple, especially if you start learning were to leave your misses on holes, so you have simple chips. That motion is pretty simple to do once you learn it. Learn how to make less than 2 putts per hole over the whole round.

I assume this is a joke

[Mr3Wiggle]

What do you need to do to be a scratch golfer???

Um, practice a lot and have some talent.  Lessons from a qualified teaching professional wouldn't hurt either.  Get your swing on tape and have it taped regularly so you can see your progress.  When you are hitting it poorly go back to the tapes of when you were hitting it well and see what you were doing differently.