Need help.........

[DK9mm]

Hello all, my name is Derek and I am from San Jose , Ca. I have been playing golf for about 10 years now but the last year a lot more often. In the last 6 months I've been playing about 3 times a month. I shoot in the high 90's or low 100's. Recently I shot a 90. Lowest score ever. Problem........ I can't duplicate it. I find myself frustrated and discouraged to the point of putting away the clubs. Most times my consistency in ball contact/flight is the cause for my extra strokes. Any advice to help get me off the ledge? Home training aids, you tube videos... I cont afford lessons so I am looking for other options. Thanks for you consideration is this matter.

[mvmac]

Lots of good advice here

http://thesandtrap.com/f/4088/swing-thoughts

http://thesandtrap.com/t/54665/great-golf-instruction-tips-videos-and-articles

[DK9mm]

Thanks for the info. Any suggestions as to the best approach.

[Valleygolfer]

Honestly, the 90 was probably a freak occurrence. I was getting to play as much as you and practice at home a bit and shot about the same. I didn't start being consistent in the low 90's until I started playing a few times a week. I guess I am saying, unless you practice considerably between rounds, you should not expect those scores on a regular basis. This is a post from my not as smart as it thinks it is phone.

[LovinItAll]

Hello all, my name is Derek and I am from San Jose , Ca. I have been playing golf for about 10 years now but the last year a lot more often. In the last 6 months I've been playing about 3 times a month. I shoot in the high 90's or low 100's. Recently I shot a 90. Lowest score ever. Problem........ I can't duplicate it. I find myself frustrated and discouraged to the point of putting away the clubs. Most times my consistency in ball contact/flight is the cause for my extra strokes. Any advice to help get me off the ledge? Home training aids, you tube videos... I cont afford lessons so I am looking for other options. Thanks for you consideration is this matter.

Re: Your score of 90 - As you mentioned, the key to breaking 90 is ball contact and the absence of fat or topped shots. Generally, if one can get the ball in the air and avoid shots that go nowhere and shots that rocket over the green, they will scrape together a bogey golf round (maybe slightly better/worse). Re: Your frustration with being unable to duplicate a record round - That's sort of the beauty of golf....you'll never master it. You might very well feel the same way the first time you shoot/break 80 and then can't repeat the feat for awhile. Then it might be shooting your first round at even par, etc. Look at Tiger. Dude has missed something like 9 cuts in his career, which is almost incomprehensible. When any pro makes the cut, they aren't exactly dinking it around that week, yet to hear TV commentators talk about it, Tiger is playing to 3 HC if he doesn't win. Sure, winning is his goal, but if he makes a cut, he's playing some pretty good golf. Back to your advice question. As is mentioned above, there are numerous training aids, drills, etc. to help you improve. I don't want you to think of this as swing advice, but I'll say this: When I watch golfers that shoot 100, almost all of them seem to have excessive movement during their swing. If your only goal is to shoot around 90, focus on a consistent set up, keep your body relatively quiet during your swing so that you make decent contact on almost every shot, and you should get close to your goal. Oh, and try to avoid three putting :-)

[saevel25]

Basically shooting 90 is bogey golf for every hole. Meaning you need to start making pars, your at the point in your game were you need to:

-minimize penalties

-increase your GIR's

On your scorecard keep the following stats per hole

FIR

GIRs

Putts

If your hitting 8-12 GIR's, you should be shooting +6 to +12, but if your shooting anything worse, then your missing shots. The key is, if your GIR's should be pars, and no GIR's should be bogeys. From there you can objectively look at how your short game is, and your putting is.

[Pablo68]

Originally Posted by LovinItAll

When I watch golfers that shoot 100, almost all of them seem to have excessive movement during their swing. If your only goal is to shoot around 90, focus on a consistent set up, keep your body relatively quiet during your swing so that you make decent contact on almost every shot, and you should get close to your goal. Oh, and try to avoid three putting

OP, this is VERY sound advice.

Focus on making a sound setup each and every time you pick up a club. Be it on the range, on the course or even just practicing in front of a mirror. Develop a repeatable setup and most likely you'll swing the club in a repeatable fashion.

Can you give us some details about your rounds where you can't get near 90? Like how many double, triple, quad bogies you have, number of putts etc? Are you hitting a lot of chips fat, thin, etc?

Nothing will lower your scores quicker than working on your short game. For every hour you spend on the range/golf course, spend twice that amount practicing your short game.

Also as someone pointed out, avoid the penalties. Keep the ball in play, and if you can hit the ball near the green in two to three shots every hole, you'll shoot near 90 no problem..........provided you practiced your short game as previously mentioned.

[DK9mm]

OP, this is VERY sound advice. Focus on making a sound setup each and every time you pick up a club. Be it on the range, on the course or even just practicing in front of a mirror. Develop a repeatable setup and most likely you'll swing the club in a repeatable fashion. Can you give us some details about your rounds where you can't get near 90? Like how many double, triple, quad bogies you have, number of putts etc? Are you hitting a lot of chips fat, thin, etc? Nothing will lower your scores quicker than working on your short game. For every hour you spend on the range/golf course, spend twice that amount practicing your short game. Also as someone pointed out, avoid the penalties. Keep the ball in play, and if you can hit the ball near the green in two to three shots every hole, you'll shoot near 90 no problem..........provided you practiced your short game as previously mentioned.

Ok, as far as bogeys etc, the following is how I score Par 5 - 6/7 Par 4 - 5/6 Par 3 - 4/5 With that said I have made par on each of these and usually do a couple per round. I have had Par 3's that have gone 6 due to OB shot or bunker play. Practicing bunker shots is difficult as there are any practice bunkers in my area. My drives are about 250 straight. 3 wood about 215 off a little. Most of my irons are straight "when" good contact is made. I tend to hit it fat rather than thin 80% of the mis hit times. I am thinking of going back to basic 101.... Range time with focusing on good smooth swings and ball contact. Even if I only hit my 5 iron 175 yards I would rather have that result straight than farther off track. My putting has improved as I tend to spend an hour on the green before each round. I use to hit a large bucket prior to a round but changed it up. A good % of the time I 2 putt with some 3 putts when I am far from the hole on the green. I hope my confession helps with some suggestions... Thank all!

[BWChuck]

Originally Posted by DK9mm

I have had Par 3's that have gone 6 due to OB shot or bunker play. Practicing bunker shots is difficult as there are any practice bunkers in my area.

If your from San Jose, there is a great short game practice facility at Mariners Point (in Foster City right off 101), should only be 30 minutes or less from you.  I can't remember exactly what they charge per hour, but quality sand and greens to practice from.

[Pablo68]

Here is a video that should help you in the bunkers........

Focus on  moving the ball forward in your stance as you aim left of the target, hands NOT ahead of the ball (he shows that in the video) and swing on your body line. To vary the length of your shots, you vary the length of your backswing but follow through fully with each shot.

To practice try going out for an early morning round where you are not being pushed by anyone behind you. Play a couple balls out of the bunker as you play a round.

When chipping, pick out a spot on the green and try to chip it right on that spot.....your feel will get better and your score will drop.

Also, focus on course management. Golf is a game of angles and you must play the properly to give yourself the best chance to score or recover should you hit a bad shot. If there's water left of the green, play for the right side of the green. Forget the hero shots out of the woods and avoid making two bad shots in a row. Take your lumps and eliminate the triples........

[DK9mm]

I don't see a video.... :)

[Pablo68]

Originally Posted by DK9mm

I don't see a video.... :)

Sorry...........

Here's the link. The guy seems a little goofy but it does help if you can get past his mannerisms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOnVGAO5dVw&feature;=relmfu

[DK9mm]

Ok, update.... I went out this afternoon and played. I have been doing some reading, on line video training videos and some other research. I have always been afraid of hitting it thick/chunking it so it has caused the fear which translates to being cautious and not making good contact. Needless to say every iron shot I played I tilted my head so my left eye over the ball and my right eye farther back and focused on ball first contact and....... I shot an 89! :-D

[Pablo68]

Originally Posted by DK9mm

Ok, update.... I went out this afternoon and played. I have been doing some reading, on line video training videos and some other research. I have always been afraid of hitting it thick/chunking it so it has caused the fear which translates to being cautious and not making good contact. Needless to say every iron shot I played I tilted my head so my left eye over the ball and my right eye farther back and focused on ball first contact and.......

I shot an 89!

Congrats!