To Golfers Who Score in the 70s - What's Your Story?

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, LMoore said:

Lowest score wins is on the "to read" list. What is ESC?

Every Shot Counts. Did you buy a copy of LSW off Amazon or something?

[LMoore]

Already know my wife got it for me for Fathers Day. I know it is available through Amazon, so I imagine that's where she got it.

[iacas]

20 minutes ago, LMoore said:

Already know my wife got it for me for Fathers Day. I know it is available through Amazon, so I imagine that's where she got it.

Okay. Except I hope she got it from lowestscorewins.com. 😄

Let me know when you read it so I can get you the badge. Hopefully she's not cruel enough to make you wait until June.

[LMoore]

Being married for 32 years, we've past trying to outdo each other for Mother and Father's Day. The book actually came up when we were corresponding prior to your trip to Augusta. The price is the same, just free shipping as an Amazon Prime member.

As for waiting, I usually read a book a week, Father's Day will probably net 3-4 books, but I'll read Lowest Score Wins first and contact you directly.

[Double Mocha Man]

There are days when my ball striking is off but I putt well and I'm in the mid 70's.  Other days the opposite; ball striking is good but my putting is off... again, mid 70's.  When ball striking and putting is good I'm low 70's.

Of course there are the days where neither is good and I get a taste of the 80's.  Not my favorite taste...

[iacas]

2 hours ago, LMoore said:

The price is the same, just free shipping as an Amazon Prime member.

It’s $29.95 from us, shipping included. We are the only people printing them.

If someone on Amazon is selling it, it’s being re-sold.

Just FYI.

[LMoore]

I’ll find out this evening if she indeed has ordered it. Easy to send back. Thanks 

[Michael B]

I posted on this topic thread a couple weeks ago about my experiences, and long journey, to breaking 80 (with my lowest round at 73, thus far). However,  I thought about what other information, other than my experience getting to sub-80 rounds and what was key to that, would be helpful to the prospective reader of this thread who may be trying to get closer to 80 or break 80 for the first time.  

I think it's helpful to hear that the ability to break 80 doesn't mean that you are now precluded from having bad rounds. Yes,  a "bad" round for someone who cam break 80 is probably better than the majority of golfers' good rounds. But I think it's important to not get down on yourself after you break 80 and then find yourself with a score in the high 80s or even low 90s.

I'm a 6 handicap (or even closer to a 5) with my scoring range over the past two years of 73 to 88. My scoring average is probably around 81 for all my rounds the last two years, but that's different than my handicap (which, in simple terms  is the average of my better half of scores). If one looks top the PGA Tour, scores generally range from 63-77, with scoring averages around 70 or so (which is right in the middle of that range). I am stating all of this because I know I was often really upset after and during a bad round, thinking something like,  were my sub-80 rounds flukes, and/or did I lose my entire game and will I get it back? Yes,  when you break 80 for the first time, yes,  that's a great accomplishment.  But don't put tremendous pressure in yourself now that your did it.  Enjoy the success,  and just keep doing what you were doing top get you to your first sub-80 round (,i.e., practice,  practice,  practice).

[Nutsmacker]

In the last 3 years I have shot a low round of 68 and a high round of 94.  Out of 130 rounds during that 3 years I have had about 20 rounds in the 70's(1 in the 60's), 100 rounds in the 80's, and about 10 in the 90's.   

For me shooting in the 70's, is basically eliminating catastrophic mistakes, duffs, chunks, and 3 putts.  Generally speaking I cannot make it through an entire round without having at least one or two catastrophic mistakes which is why I tend to shoot in the 80's more then the 70's.  When I do shoot in the 90's it is because I have exploded a few holes, something is seriously off in my swing and mental thought process and the course is difficult.  If the course I am playing is not terribly difficult, I can almost always keep it under 90 no matter how poorly I am playing.  But, when playing on a challenging course I can really suck.  I am a 7.5 handicap also.  Hope that helps keep things in perspective.  

[rehmwa]

31 minutes ago, Nutsmacker said:

In the last 3 years I have shot a low round of 68 and a high round of 94.  Out of 130 rounds during that 3 years I have had about 20 rounds in the 70's(1 in the 60's), 100 rounds in the 80's, and about 10 in the 90's.   

For me shooting in the 70's, is basically eliminating catastrophic mistakes, duffs, chunks, and 3 putts.  Generally speaking I cannot make it through an entire round without having at least one or two catastrophic mistakes which is why I tend to shoot in the 80's more then the 70's.  When I do shoot in the 90's it is because I have exploded a few holes, something is seriously off in my swing and mental thought process and the course is difficult.  If the course I am playing is not terribly difficult, I can almost always keep it under 90 no matter how poorly I am playing.  But, when playing on a challenging course I can really suck.  I am a 7.5 handicap also.  Hope that helps keep things in perspective.  

that sounds exceedingly familiar

[dennyjones]

From Amazon:

Sold by Deal Trader and Fulfilled by Amazon.

 

Also didn't realize it came in a DVD series

Lowest Score Wins DVD

Edited April 19, 2019 by dennyjones

[iacas]

3 hours ago, dennyjones said:

From Amazon:

Sold by Deal Trader and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Also didn't realize it came in a DVD series

Lowest Score Wins DVD

Don’t buy that. It’s not legal.

[Pretzel]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Don’t buy that. It’s not legal.

That's impressive, it looks like they managed to infringe upon two different copyrights at once!

[JuiceMan]

I've played for about 12-13 years, I'm 25 now, and this has been the first year I have routinely shot in the 70s (over the past 15 rounds my average is 78.9, worst round being 82, best 75). This winter was the first time I've worked with a coach and been focusing on lowering my scores. I am now actually working on my game, not just showing up to play. I shot in the 80s for about 6-7 years as a hobby golfer in my teens/early twenties. 

My biggest takeaway has been this. If you want to get better, work with a coach. Started this year at a 7ish handicap, at 4.6 right now.

[Nail]

Just read through this whole thread, great topic and a lot of helpful advice. I have yet to shoot under 80 but its a goal of mine. 

I agree 100% with the points about the long game being more important. I only got a handicap this year for the first time its a 17 at the moment and the only way it will drop is if I start finding fairways and striking irons a lot better. My short game is fine, I very rarely putt more than 36 times a round and my play around the green is solid i think, but its my long game by a long way that needs the big improvement if I am to break 80. 

 

[deenic]

GlobalGolf, 

Great question, Great topic. 

Up front: My current GHIN index bounces between +1 to -1.  Currently I play on average around 6,000 yards and I average around par within a stroke or two up or down.  How did I get here...

I may come at this differently than some as my experience would not be typical.  I grew up in golf as my father was a pro-level player and my grandfather a scratch player. As a woman, my father spent time teaching my brothers but not me.  I guess girls weren't supposed to play golf.  Anyway, I observed those lessons and my grandfather did, reluctantly, spend time with me.  I had a natural ability early on and I would sneak on to the local golf courses and practice as early as 9 years old.

By the time I was a teenager, I was playing better than scratch and beating my brothers from the same tees.  These were the days of persimmons woods and yet as a teenager I could drive a ball over 250 yds carry.  My irons were Spalding blades and yet my 7 iron was my 160 club, so I could hit a ball.  I played some in college and had a chance to play in an Open when I was 20.  My life however took me in a different direction.  I joined the Army.  I was a combat medical nurse for almost 16 years before I was injured in a mortar attack in Iraq in 2003.  Over the next decade I fought a neck injury, nerve damage, loss of mobility and was constantly in and out of a wheelchair during that time.  I thought golf and lots of things I used to enjoy was gone to me forever.

After surgery, physical therapy and sheer determination, I was cleared to resume normal activities with caution.  I immediately bought a set of golf clubs.  I played maybe a dozen rounds of golf in 2014, it took all my energy and effort and my handicap index for that year was a 32.  I almost gave up the game for good.  My husband however encouraged me to keep at it.

So I went from naturally, without much effort, shooting in the upper 60's (my best round ever was a 63 at 6100 yds) to low 70's...to shooting in the upper 90's to low 100's.  Talk about an awakening.  What I did naturally without thinking or much effort, now was lost to me and I had to reteach myself how to play golf again.  So the idea that golf comes naturally to some and others have to work at it is unfortunately true.  Having said that, in my life I have experienced both of those extremes.

I reached out to local pros and took lessons, something I never had to do before.  They helped some but each pro taught differently so there was little that carried over from one pro to the next.  This inconsistency in teaching is one of the greatest hurdles, I feel, in the game of golf.  Even on fundamentals there were notable differences.  Initially I tried combining all their different input into a sudo-swing but that was a failure. It seemed every coach had their own way of teaching and I learned that finding a coach who could help was harder than I thought it would be.  

I learned that finding a coach who understands how to teach "you"...is worth the effort but it most likely will take time and many coaches in the process.  What helped me narrow it down was identifying how I played the game,  physically and mentally.  For instance, are you a feel player or a technical player, or maybe a little of both?  For me I am a feel player in my short game but I think about the game in technical ways.  So I found a coach for my short game who was more a feel type coach and a coach for the rest of my game who was more a technical coach.  Keep in mind, I went through dozens of coaches before I found the two I work with now.  

That helped me get started on my current path.  Later I would learn from both coaches on all aspects of my game.  Here's the rub though; some coaches are money oriented, it just is what it is, and some are in it for the love of the game.  It's hard to tell in the beginning because everyone wants to earn a living and get paid for their contributions to your game and endeavors.  But finding a coach who is in it for the purity of the game and a deep love of teaching that to others is a journey in itself, but it is a journey one must take in order to truly excel in this game.  

Keep in mind, every professional golfer (with few exceptions) including Tiger Woods; works with a coach and in many cases multiple coaches.  So if they need a coach, you do also.

The quickest way to find the right coach for you is to know yourself, to know your game in both the good and bad (you must be honest with yourself) and to look for similar traits in a coach.  A technical coach for a feel player is a waste of money and vice versa.  Find a coach that can teach you in the way you know you are most likely to learn and benefit from. 

Here's the other rub; the majority of people interested in the game of golf will never play in the 70's for various reasons.  Less than 1% of all golfers, ever, play in the 70's and less than 5% play in the 80's...those are the facts.  Many are lazy, just speaking truth, so they look for quick tips on YouTube or from a buddy, or they try the latest gimmick, etc.  These people will never put in the time to practice grooving a swing, learning distances and improving their game.  That's just a sad truth. 

Some will press on, they will practice some and get frustrated.  Some of these people will give up, join the previous group, play for fun and drinks and some will give up the game entirely.  Few will face the challenges, put in the time, pay for instruction and find the combination of coaching, equipment and effort that works for them.  These few will grasp the commitment it takes, the hours it takes and the failures that add up in order to finally succeed and starting playing at par or better.  It takes effort, money, and commitment for those that do not possess natural talent...or for those that have lost that talent, like myself.

For me being a +1 player when I was a teenager to facing a -32 handicap was almost unbearable.  The thing that got me to commit to relearning this game was my love for this game.  To hit that first drive right down the middle, to hit your approach shot 3 ft. from the pin or make a 50 ft. birdie putt.  To be out amongst nature, to feel the sun and the wind.  All of it, I missed it too much to give up so I made it my passion to improve.  In 2014 I ended as a 32 index.  In 2015 my index was a 22, then in 2016 I was a 14 index, in 2017 my index went to a 7, in 2018 my index was a 4 and in 2019 my index dropped to a 2 and in 2020 my index finally reached a +1, the same as it had been when I was 20 years old.  Keep in mind, the swing I have today is nothing like the swing I had in college.  So hopefully what you get from that is;> there are many ways and many paths to becoming a scratch golfer.

That was my journey.  It involved many coaches, much practice, much failure and a large investment of time and money.  Today I have two custom set of fitted clubs, two coaches I work with monthly and I utilize an online coach for basic drills on things I'm working on weekly.  My best round last year was a 65 at 5800 yds or for the guys reading this, my best round so far from 6300 yds is a 68.  I don't practice much as I did over the previous years only because I work on maintenance now vs. learning techniques.  I warm up prior to a round of 20-30 minutes for fun play and 60-75 minutes for tournament play.  I practice 30 minutes to an hour after every round to work on deficiencies that round exposed and to engrain proper techniques for the next round. 

My best advice to you or anyone asking this question (how do I get good) would be this:

1. Know yourself and your game as it is right now. 

2. Determine what you want your swing and game to look like.

3. Find a coach who understands your current game and teaches the game and swing you want to get to.  Finding a coach you like is not good enough, you must find a coach who you believe can get you where you want to go.

4. Practice, practice, practice

5. Play and keep playing as much as you can.

6. Once you break into the 80's (with your new swing) get fitted for clubs.

7. Once your playing in the 80's consistently with fitted clubs, focus 80% of your practice and play time on your short game.  Everything from 100 yds in.

8. Once you break 80, your path to par or better is all about course management, knowing your misses, and refining your short game.

Keep in mind from 80 to 70 is 10 strokes.  At least 6 of those strokes can be found in your putting, your chipping will determine your putting success and the rest at that point is mostly mental; making good choices during the round.  I suggest trying to play with better golfers (harder than you think but worth the effort), always play the swing you're given that day not the swing you want that day, always play confidently as a confident stroke is always better than a hopeful one.

I was a scratch golfer and lost it due to injury.  It took me six years to get back to scratch.  It might take you less...or more, it's up to you but one thing I know for sure...

You have to want it.  

[dennyjones]

4 hours ago, deenic said:

GlobalGolf, 

Great question, Great topic. 

Up front: My current GHIN index bounces between +1 to -1.  Currently I play on average around 6,000 yards and I average around par within a stroke or two up or down.  How did I get here...

I may come at this differently than some as my experience would not be typical.  I grew up in golf as my father was a pro-level player and my grandfather a scratch player. As a woman, my father spent time teaching my brothers but not me.  I guess girls weren't supposed to play golf.  Anyway, I observed those lessons and my grandfather did, reluctantly, spend time with me.  I had a natural ability early on and I would sneak on to the local golf courses and practice as early as 9 years old.

By the time I was a teenager, I was playing better than scratch and beating my brothers from the same tees.  These were the days of persimmons woods and yet as a teenager I could drive a ball over 250 yds carry.  My irons were Spalding blades and yet my 7 iron was my 160 club, so I could hit a ball.  I played some in college and had a chance to play in an Open when I was 20.  My life however took me in a different direction.  I joined the Army.  I was a combat medical nurse for almost 16 years before I was injured in a mortar attack in Iraq in 2003.  Over the next decade I fought a neck injury, nerve damage, loss of mobility and was constantly in and out of a wheelchair during that time.  I thought golf and lots of things I used to enjoy was gone to me forever.

After surgery, physical therapy and sheer determination, I was cleared to resume normal activities with caution.  I immediately bought a set of golf clubs.  I played maybe a dozen rounds of golf in 2014, it took all my energy and effort and my handicap index for that year was a 32.  I almost gave up the game for good.  My husband however encouraged me to keep at it.

So I went from naturally, without much effort, shooting in the upper 60's (my best round ever was a 63 at 6100 yds) to low 70's...to shooting in the upper 90's to low 100's.  Talk about an awakening.  What I did naturally without thinking or much effort, now was lost to me and I had to reteach myself how to play golf again.  So the idea that golf comes naturally to some and others have to work at it is unfortunately true.  Having said that, in my life I have experienced both of those extremes.

I reached out to local pros and took lessons, something I never had to do before.  They helped some but each pro taught differently so there was little that carried over from one pro to the next.  This inconsistency in teaching is one of the greatest hurdles, I feel, in the game of golf.  Even on fundamentals there were notable differences.  Initially I tried combining all their different input into a sudo-swing but that was a failure. It seemed every coach had their own way of teaching and I learned that finding a coach who could help was harder than I thought it would be.  

I learned that finding a coach who understands how to teach "you"...is worth the effort but it most likely will take time and many coaches in the process.  What helped me narrow it down was identifying how I played the game,  physically and mentally.  For instance, are you a feel player or a technical player, or maybe a little of both?  For me I am a feel player in my short game but I think about the game in technical ways.  So I found a coach for my short game who was more a feel type coach and a coach for the rest of my game who was more a technical coach.  Keep in mind, I went through dozens of coaches before I found the two I work with now.  

That helped me get started on my current path.  Later I would learn from both coaches on all aspects of my game.  Here's the rub though; some coaches are money oriented, it just is what it is, and some are in it for the love of the game.  It's hard to tell in the beginning because everyone wants to earn a living and get paid for their contributions to your game and endeavors.  But finding a coach who is in it for the purity of the game and a deep love of teaching that to others is a journey in itself, but it is a journey one must take in order to truly excel in this game.  

Keep in mind, every professional golfer (with few exceptions) including Tiger Woods; works with a coach and in many cases multiple coaches.  So if they need a coach, you do also.

The quickest way to find the right coach for you is to know yourself, to know your game in both the good and bad (you must be honest with yourself) and to look for similar traits in a coach.  A technical coach for a feel player is a waste of money and vice versa.  Find a coach that can teach you in the way you know you are most likely to learn and benefit from. 

Here's the other rub; the majority of people interested in the game of golf will never play in the 70's for various reasons.  Less than 1% of all golfers, ever, play in the 70's and less than 5% play in the 80's...those are the facts.  Many are lazy, just speaking truth, so they look for quick tips on YouTube or from a buddy, or they try the latest gimmick, etc.  These people will never put in the time to practice grooving a swing, learning distances and improving their game.  That's just a sad truth. 

Some will press on, they will practice some and get frustrated.  Some of these people will give up, join the previous group, play for fun and drinks and some will give up the game entirely.  Few will face the challenges, put in the time, pay for instruction and find the combination of coaching, equipment and effort that works for them.  These few will grasp the commitment it takes, the hours it takes and the failures that add up in order to finally succeed and starting playing at par or better.  It takes effort, money, and commitment for those that do not possess natural talent...or for those that have lost that talent, like myself.

For me being a +1 player when I was a teenager to facing a -32 handicap was almost unbearable.  The thing that got me to commit to relearning this game was my love for this game.  To hit that first drive right down the middle, to hit your approach shot 3 ft. from the pin or make a 50 ft. birdie putt.  To be out amongst nature, to feel the sun and the wind.  All of it, I missed it too much to give up so I made it my passion to improve.  In 2014 I ended as a 32 index.  In 2015 my index was a 22, then in 2016 I was a 14 index, in 2017 my index went to a 7, in 2018 my index was a 4 and in 2019 my index dropped to a 2 and in 2020 my index finally reached a +1, the same as it had been when I was 20 years old.  Keep in mind, the swing I have today is nothing like the swing I had in college.  So hopefully what you get from that is;> there are many ways and many paths to becoming a scratch golfer.

That was my journey.  It involved many coaches, much practice, much failure and a large investment of time and money.  Today I have two custom set of fitted clubs, two coaches I work with monthly and I utilize an online coach for basic drills on things I'm working on weekly.  My best round last year was a 65 at 5800 yds or for the guys reading this, my best round so far from 6300 yds is a 68.  I don't practice much as I did over the previous years only because I work on maintenance now vs. learning techniques.  I warm up prior to a round of 20-30 minutes for fun play and 60-75 minutes for tournament play.  I practice 30 minutes to an hour after every round to work on deficiencies that round exposed and to engrain proper techniques for the next round. 

My best advice to you or anyone asking this question (how do I get good) would be this:

1. Know yourself and your game as it is right now. 

2. Determine what you want your swing and game to look like.

3. Find a coach who understands your current game and teaches the game and swing you want to get to.  Finding a coach you like is not good enough, you must find a coach who you believe can get you where you want to go.

4. Practice, practice, practice

5. Play and keep playing as much as you can.

6. Once you break into the 80's (with your new swing) get fitted for clubs.

7. Once your playing in the 80's consistently with fitted clubs, focus 80% of your practice and play time on your short game.  Everything from 100 yds in.

8. Once you break 80, your path to par or better is all about course management, knowing your misses, and refining your short game.

Keep in mind from 80 to 70 is 10 strokes.  At least 6 of those strokes can be found in your putting, your chipping will determine your putting success and the rest at that point is mostly mental; making good choices during the round.  I suggest trying to play with better golfers (harder than you think but worth the effort), always play the swing you're given that day not the swing you want that day, always play confidently as a confident stroke is always better than a hopeful one.

I was a scratch golfer and lost it due to injury.  It took me six years to get back to scratch.  It might take you less...or more, it's up to you but one thing I know for sure...

You have to want it.  

You have quite the story.   First, thank you for your service to our country.   I'll forever be grateful to the many that have served.   

Your story is inspiring; to have something that you love to do taken away, to realizing that you want it back so bad you'd be willing to put in the work to get it back.   It sounds like a Korean love story minus the people!  

[YouKeepScore]

Most people make things harder than they need to be. They have dozens of "tips" going through their head as they address the ball. Try having your mind be a white sheet of paper when you're addressing the ball. Fairway/Tee--The goal is hitting the ball straight. Find your swing. Fast but easy. Most swing too HARD, which causes muscles to tense. We're letting the club do the work. I'm thinking of striking Down, through the ball. Chipping-- i think of my arms and hands like a small shovel and the club is an extention. I want my club face/ shovel pointed at the flag as I throw the ball at the target. Putting--Stand easy, bent at the waist so your eyes are directly over the ball.  Again, the goal is to hit the ball straight. The only way to do this is to hit through the line on the ball with the line on the club.  Stare at that spot on the ball. Count to 3 after the ball is struck before you stop looking down at the point where you made contact. Keep the club moving forward toward target. Dont try and stop putter after contact. Finally, if you are unable to bring putter back away from the ball and then forward and consistently match up club line to ball line--Then begin with putter in the backswing position and only move club forward. 

-mike