What is the most important aspect of golf that you think can improve your score?

[billchao]

What is the most important aspect of golf that you think can improve your score?

Full swing mechanics, it's not even a close call.

I think the thread is about what you personally think is the most important aspect to improve your own score, but I doubt your answer would change.

[Patch]

In my case it just putting. I am where I want to be in most of the other areas of my game. I am not a really bad putter. I just know I could save 3-4 (5?) strokes per round if I could get back my old putting skills. The main problem is that my putting is the only part of my game that I can't practice on any kind of a regular basis. Nearest practice greens are 60 miles a way. Right now, averaging 54 holes a week playing, I am getting  less than 1.5 hours a week using my putter, with the majority of that time being used up while actually playing. So in effect it's a location, and scheduling issue for me. None the less I am very slowly improving.  I can hit a straight putt 99% of the time, with no problem. It's the speed, and reading part that I need more work on.

[Lihu]

Throw me in the ballstriking camp as well. That's the priority until I start hitting 12 GIR a round or something. Hitting more GIR also means I'm hitting less bad shots. Bottom line, that's what will lower my scores.

What types of things would you do to improve your ball striking? I ask this because it seems like your ball striking is pretty good already. I would think contact is not a problem. Maybe just course strategy and short game?

[Aflighter]

The hole after hole comment was aimed at the older gentlemen and some of the ladies I have played rounds with.

I just don't feel like forcing yourself into a scrambling situation is all that good even on one or two holes. At my handicap, it probably makes almost no difference, but I have played easier setups like 5800 yards or even ~5000 yards and can come a few strokes of shooting par (scratch golfers usually shoot 10-12 under). On those courses, it is really nice to be "over-powering" the course rather than "catching up".

Ok at the present time my handicap is around 9.5 and has been as low as 8 and never goes over 10.5 and I have shot even par 3 times so I know wht I have to do to shoot low scores.You are at 12-13 currently and that's not too much different from mine.I have to ask you what are you trying to accomplish in golf.Im sure everyone would like to shoot par or better most of the time but unless you are going to practice a lot and hit balls about every day it is very tough to do that.We have to be realistic.Except for winter I play most of the time 2 times a week and maybe and that's a big maybe 1 time at the range a week but unfortunately that's not going to get me to shooting par a lot.My goal is winning tournaments and that takes shooing anywhere from 74-78,not shooting 72 or lower.

[Lihu]

What is the most important aspect of golf that you think can improve your score?

Full swing mechanics, it's not even a close call.

So true. . .

That's kind of a sweeping statement, though.

Have you give specific thoughts to how you are planning these changes? I know you have your priorities given to you by Erik and company, but are there particular "demons" you are trying to quench?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

The hole after hole comment was aimed at the older gentlemen and some of the ladies I have played rounds with.

I just don't feel like forcing yourself into a scrambling situation is all that good even on one or two holes. At my handicap, it probably makes almost no difference, but I have played easier setups like 5800 yards or even ~5000 yards and can come a few strokes of shooting par (scratch golfers usually shoot 10-12 under). On those courses, it is really nice to be "over-powering" the course rather than "catching up".

Ok at the present time my handicap is around 9.5 and has been as low as 8 and never goes over 10.5 and I have shot even par 3 times so I know wht I have to do to shoot low scores.You are at 12-13 currently and that's not too much different from mine.I have to ask you what are you trying to accomplish in golf.Im sure everyone would like to shoot par or better most of the time but unless you are going to practice a lot and hit balls about every day it is very tough to do that.We have to be realistic.Except for winter I play most of the time 2 times a week and maybe and that's a big maybe 1 time at the range a week but unfortunately that's not going to get me to shooting par a lot.My goal is winning tournaments and that takes shooing anywhere from 74-78,not shooting 72 or lower.

We are not even close to the same. You have a lot more experience and knowledge, and most likely more consistent swing mechanics.

You have the ability to get close to the hole and know exactly what to do. I stand there like a dummy and just think that I can kind chip it near the hump so it can roll down to the hole. I still use aimpoint super express as best as I can. It helps a lot, but I think I need more formal training.

[drifterdon]

For me it is getting a good consistent swing where I can make good contact with the ball. Once i can hit it in the sweet spot then I can work on other aspects.

I intend to get some professional help this year.

[Aflighter]

For me it is getting a good consistent swing where I can make good contact with the ball. Once i can hit it in the sweet spot then I can work on other aspects.

I intend to get some professional help this year.

Proffessional help as in golf or ??????????? haa sorry just had to.

[Lihu]

For me it is getting a good consistent swing where I can make good contact with the ball. Once i can hit it in the sweet spot then I can work on other aspects.

I intend to get some professional help this year.

What's the first thing you're going to ask the instructor to fix?

[drifterdon]

Proffessional help as in golf or ??????????? haa sorry just had to.

Yes, that too.

What's the first thing you're going to ask the instructor to fix?

I will leave that up to him or her once they see what all needs work.

[golf-noob-bruce]

Easiest question ever. I need to learn how to hit a driver/woods off the tee. I'm getting pretty confident with even my 5 iron, but put a driver in my hands and I turn into one of these:

[David in FL]

What actions did you take to improve your ball striking? I am hoping to start working on this sometime this upcoming year, and that information could come in handy? :-)

For me, keys one and two primarily. I tend to move around a LOT in my swing. I compensate pretty well with good hand/eye coordination, but I know that I have a lot of opportunity to gain consistency if I just calm down my happy feet.

[Aflighter]

So true. . .

That's kind of a sweeping statement, though.

Have you give specific thoughts to how you are planning these changes? I know you have your priorities given to you by Erik and company, but are there particular "demons" you are trying to quench?

We are not even close to the same. You have a lot more experience and knowledge, and most likely more consistent swing mechanics.

You have the ability to get close to the hole and know exactly what to do. I stand there like a dummy and just think that I can kind chip it near the hump so it can roll down to the hole. I still use aimpoint super express as best as I can. It helps a lot, but I think I need more formal training.

Hey in our tournaments you would be a pretty good bet with your HCP to win in the C flight tournaments and they usually shoot around 82-83 to win ,sometimes higher.The experience I do have ill give you some advice and that is to Learn everytime you go out and play.You can get lessons and read books and all that stuff but nothing beats on the course learning.At 13 Hcp im pretty sure your not being a dummy playing golf because I imagine you shoot anywhere from 80-95.I do agree that you have to have a pretty consistent swing to play this game but that just comes from hitting range and hitting ball after ball trying different things till you find out what works best for you.I don't know how old you are but when I was starting the game I hit the range a lot hitting buckets of balls just working on making contact then work on accuracy then push the distance.Every golfer is going to have mishits because nobody is perfect but you just gotta swing within yourself and play smart.My problem is ometimes ive tried to hits shots I didn't need to and it blows up the hole when a bogey shouldve been the worst score.A friend of my friend that ive played with few times can really hit a nice long draw atleast 20-40 yards past me but isn't consistent and says he doesn't understand how he hits ball good 1 shot then bad next.I tell him because you don't practice and play once a week,that isn't going to make you good.

[billchao]

What types of things would you do to improve your ball striking? I ask this because it seems like your ball striking is pretty good already. I would think contact is not a problem.

You would think that, but no, because if my ballstriking was good, I'd be better. The swing looks good, but I'm still doing something wrong in there somewhere. I have an idea as to what I think I do wrong: overswing and too much throw, but we want to get some high speed video of my swing to confirm there isn't anything else going on that we can't see with my current videos.

I have some serious Key #4 & #5 issues that lead to pull-draws and push-fades. I can't hit a pull-fade and my stock shot is a push-draw, so when I set up for that flight and hit a pull or a fade, it's bad.

I also top the ball on occasion, or hit it fat. My driver is the worst of all. I hit it all over the face.

Maybe just course strategy and short game?

The only thing I can think of with course strategy is that I have a tendency to aim farther to the right than I think I am, so I'll hit some big pushes (that actually are pretty straight shots) that get me in trouble. Then again, I don't know what I don't know. It's hard for me to judge my course strategy because I think I'm doing it right. I have been pretty good lately about trying to hit stupid shots from stupid lies, but I still catch myself remembering not to do things after I already tried to do it.

My short game is actually better than my handicap group. Need to putt better, but the short game is fine where it is.

[Ernest Jones]

I think the thread is about what you personally think is the most important aspect to improve your own score, but I doubt your answer would change.

No, I realize this thread is about specifics and not generalities, but in my case I fit the generalization to a tee, my full swing is the key to my scores. I score badly because I hook approach shots into the woods/water/OB and I push tee shots into the woods/water/OB. Short game and putting are a piece of cake. My rounds are certainly not ruined by poor putting and duffed chips. Can I improve my putting and greenside play? Sure, but it's not even on the radar when discussing what is holding me back. For me, it's all about the full swing. Once I get this hook/push worked out I will be a force to reckon with!

So true. . .

That's kind of a sweeping statement, though.

Have you give specific thoughts to how you are planning these changes? I know you have your priorities given to you by Erik and company, but are there particular "demons" you are trying to quench?

All about key#5 right now. My path is fairly solid. Face is another story...Square to slightly closed at impact = hook or pull hook. Too open at impact = deep push. Just the "right" amount of open at impact = beautiful and, dare I say, majestic push draws.

My "demons" are just a lack of trust. Hard to get comfy with an open face when you're coming from a decade of massive push slices. Plan is to just keep setting up with an open face and hitting balls until I'm comfortable with that look. Gotta learn to embrace the pushes that can result from this set-up, after all, currently I'm hitting a high % of hooks and pull hooks from a square set-up and the hooks are killing me, so setting up open MAY cause a higher % of pushes but I'll take my chances with the pushes and I'm pretty confident that as I hone in the right amount of "openness" I'll see that % of pushes drop.

[Spitfisher]

For me its feel and ball striking, or maybe its ball striking and feel. Either way I have an entire vocabulary of shots. I generally hit a long towering shot. But with feel lets say I have a 150 yard shot, I can hit that distance ( carry and roll) with 4 different irons and with several different swings. So on each 150 yard shot, uphill, down hill side hill, fade , draw, punch, spin or release, over a tree, obstacle or just pure carry I have many options that work.

[Lihu]

You would think that, but no, because if my ballstriking was good, I'd be better. The swing looks good, but I'm still doing something wrong in there somewhere. I have an idea as to what I think I do wrong: overswing and too much throw, but we want to get some high speed video of my swing to confirm there isn't anything else going on that we can't see with my current videos.

I have some serious Key #4 & #5 issues that lead to pull-draws and push-fades. I can't hit a pull-fade and my stock shot is a push-draw, so when I set up for that flight and hit a pull or a fade, it's bad.

I also top the ball on occasion, or hit it fat. My driver is the worst of all. I hit it all over the face.

So, if you hit your 170 yard club multiple times while playing on the course, what is the dispersion of radial distances and separately what is your tangential (left to right) dispersion?

[Hammer 4]

3 wood, and hybrids, I would hazard a guess that keys 1 and 2 need work there.. Driver, I can get it in play most of the time, while I still need work on the driver, it's by far not my worst club. Irons, getting much better, my good strikes are increasing for sure.

Now for my nemesis, the Putter. Not sure what it is, but speed is my main problem, then reading the green (could be my old eyes) out of 18 greens, I might read 10 correctly..which is not good, and that's what drives my scores up..

[mchepp]

@Lihu think this answer comes from reading Lowest Score Wins? Isn't your question exactly what the book was trying to answer? I feel the separation value concept identifies where are the most valuable areas for your to work on to improve your score.

Do you not feel that way?