Single digits...how to get there

[TheFinnster]

Hi,   My handicap is just below 15 and I want to get to single digits.   I now get to play twice per week and have some time to practice too.   What part of the game should I work on the most?  Can I just rotate my practice time to like putting and chipping one day and hitting balls the next time?

Thanks...Finn

[cipher]

Spend the majority of your time working on the full swing. http://thesandtrap.com/t/58816/65-20-15-practice-ratios-where-to-devote-your-practice-time

[ilikefishes]

I totally disagree. You should be working on 100 yards and in.

[cipher]

I totally disagree. You should be working on 100 yards and in.

Good luck with that. Check out my 100 yards and in stats on the game golf link. I never really "work" on it much.

[mvmac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilikefishes

I totally disagree. You should be working on 100 yards and in.

Please check out the thread @cipher posted.

Quote:

Now, when I talk about this someone will invariably say something like "I practice my short game religiously and my full swing stinks and I still shoot 82 most days!" They'll remember the one round they made everything or chipped close or in a few times and how it "saved" a bad round. To the first guy, consider how good he'd be if he could marry that short game with a long game that didn't lean on it so much. To the second guy, you remember that round because it's an anomaly, and because you hit the ball badly enough that you needed miracle short game shots just to shoot around your typical score!

The stats and studies don't lie. I get that a six-foot putt that you miss counts the same as a drive you put into the right rough. But the odds state very plainly that a six-foot putt is not nearly as damaging to your score as a miss green, and a missed green is not nearly as damaging to your score as a missed tee shot.

Few more posts to check out:

http://thesandtrap.com/t/77121/what-if-scenario-pga-tour-becomes-an-all-putting-tour-or-an-all-ballstriking-tour#post_1053842

http://thesandtrap.com/t/14930/is-the-long-game-more-important-than-short-game/144#post_914889

http://thesandtrap.com/t/14930/is-the-long-game-more-important-than-short-game/90#post_914540

http://thesandtrap.com/t/14930/is-the-long-game-more-important-than-short-game/72#post_914432

http://thesandtrap.com/t/14930/is-the-long-game-more-important-than-short-game/72#post_914442

[9424tm]

Welcome to the site! Practice your game off the tee. I used to practice green to tee with most of my time chipping pitching and putting and the time tapered off the longer the club. This year I reversed this and dropped several stroke off of my handicap. Now I only practice minimal putting from about 8 feet and in only. Mid irons and driver. That's where you make strokes up as a mid handicapper in my opinion.

[iacas]

Welcome to the site! Practice your game off the tee. I used to practice green to tee with most of my time chipping pitching and putting and the time tapered off the longer the club. This year I reversed this and dropped several stroke off of my handicap. Now I only practice minimal putting from about 8 feet and in only. Mid irons and driver. That's where you make strokes up as a mid handicapper in my opinion.

Bingo.

[Roblar]

If you can find a course that is rated as being much more difficult than it actually is that will shave off a few strokes too!

...I say this because I believe it to be true of my home course, and, at least in terms of my handicap, I think it makes a 3-4 difference.  There's no way I'm a single digit, but my handicap says I am...

[Shorty]

I totally disagree. You should be working on 100 yards and in.

What......so that he has a chance of getting up and down for a double bogey?

All aspects of the game are important. Probably none more than driving.

[tomvk77]

Well you should ask yourself what part does need the most practice.

If you play the course keep a scorecard and just write down.

Fairway hit y/n

green hit y/n

bunker up/own y/n

putts when GIR

putts after missed green

chips within 5 feet

bunkers within 6 feet

if you keep these for  a few weeks you get a good mixture off data, and you can see what part does need work the most.

It's to easy to just say a part you need to work on, it's rather personal.

As for 100 yards and in. that is something to work on when your single digit and want to get below 5.

[TheFinnster]

Thanks all.   I'm kinda streaky.  When my driving is on I struggle with my irons.  Then there are days when the short irons are easy and I cant find the fairway!!

[Crapula]

Thanks all.   I'm kinda streaky.  When my driving is on I struggle with my irons.  Then there are days when the short irons are easy and I cant find the fairway!!

This is my first post. You should practice driver and irons. Try alternating shots with driver and a random iron. Also, take lessons from someone good, as a 15 you have probably made compensations. I know I still do.

[cipher]

This is my first post.

You should practice driver and irons. Try alternating shots with driver and a random iron.

Also, take lessons from someone good, as a 15 you have probably made compensations. I know I still do.

Nice first post and welcome to the site!  I would just also say that practicing with the purpose of improving the motion of the swing is key as well.  I don't believe you are just saying bash a driver and then bash an iron over and over, I get where you are going with that and switching between clubs.  I think there is some value in that.  You mentioned working with an instructor, that instructor will likely give the student a priority piece that should be identified as a weakness.  When working on the full swing portion of the game the most important thing is to work on that drill or feel that is meant to improve that most glaring weakness in the swing.  Not my words but then basically keep working on that piece "until you can't get it wrong."

[TheFinnster]

Thanks,   A lot of good advice I'm going to start with this idea.   Driver, hybrid,short Iron and repeat.   Thanks

[inthehole]

I'm in same boat ... I do know it's going to take alot more PRACTICE than playing (and I play a f'n lot - seem to hit a wall & can't break the 80 glass ceiling) ... which unfortunately, goes against me.    I just like to play - for me, it's clearly going to be a long term goal (just finished my 3rd full season, so I'm cautiously optimistic ... but know full well things have to change as it would be very easy to stay exactly where I'm at and not improve) ...

[inthehole]

I totally disagree. You should be working on 100 yards and in.

This is what I originally thought too ... the boys here with far lower hcp's than me corrected me right quick - improving is all about driving and 2nd shot ... based on all the evidence provided.

[Patch]

Getting to single digits, and staying there, requires the golfer to have an all around good, consistent 18 hole golf game. Long game, approach game, short game, and the putting game. Each of those parts compliments the other parts. When one part falls off, the other three can make up for it.

The golfer needs a consistent good game all the time, on all the different courses they play.

The toughest shot to recover from on those par 4s, and 3s,   is a long game error. A poor tee shot usually requires an extra shot to hole out. That, or saving that extra stroke with a great approach shot. If the approach shot fails, and it usually does for the amateur, since the ball is usually in a bad spot after a poor tee shot, then the golfer is looking at holing out with their short game to save par. If the chip/pitch fails, then the golfer is looking at a one putt bogey.  Getting off the tee in good shape makes the rest of the hole easier. That makes the tee shot most important imo.

I always figured a good golfer could have no more than 7  bad holes in a round. Two, or more of those 7 bad  holes could be made up with birds on the par 5s. The more par 5s the better.  Back when I was playing really good golf, I did so by consistently making lots of pars. My birdie count was nothing to write home about. 10-14 pars a round were pretty normal for me.

I think the old saying about driving for show, and putting for dough only works in the professional ranks. Those guys can usually turn a terrible tee shot into a birdie opportunity with no problem. The old "bomb, and gouge" technique.

[CarlOwen]

assuming you have a decent swing and can hit the ball (judging from your handicap)

There is nothing you can do to lower your score more effectively than learning how to sink putts.  If a course has a par 72 this means 36 of these strokes are putts.

My game really fell apart this year because of a few lessons (don't ask) but I was able to maintain a fairly consistent handicap because my putting was more effective.

hopefully next year I can forget what I "learned" in the lessons, go back to my old swing and get to single digits.