Goal for 2015: Break 80 by February (three weeks of short game work)

[Golfingdad]

So my goal for the year is to break 80 by the time the year is only a month old.   While I shoot sub-40 9 hole rounds every couple of weeks, I'm yet to put it together for 18 holes.  My ball striking has been good for months now, but my damn putting, chipping, short wedge, etc. is holding me back.  Just an example, Saturday I played a pretty easy muni (at least compared to my club).  Shot 83, with 13 fairways and 10 greens hit.  I was on in two on two of four par 5's...both of which I three putted.  I must have had at least 5 three putts, a few wedges from <110 that wound up 30' or more from the pin, and so on and so forth.

I have two questions:

1.  Is this a reachable goal in the very short time frame I've set?

2.  How would you do it?  How much time between putting, chipping, wedges from 40-120?  What type of drills? I'd love to hear it all.  Full disclosure: my chipping/pitching isn't atrocious.  I rarely chunk or thin a chip or pitch or anything, I just leave myself 5+ feet instead of 2 or 3 (at which point my crappy putting leads to bogey).

Looking forward to everyone's thoughts/ideas.

Based on your example, it seems pretty clear that putting is your bugaboo.  30' away from the pin from 110 is not that bad for us amateurs.  Hitting the green from 110 is really the goal, so that doesn't sound like a problem.  And your pitching/chipping is also pretty decent too.

Further, based on your follow-up post about your first putts being left several feet from the hole, leading to your 3-putts, I'm going to make a guess and pinpoint your main putting problem as distance control.  I highly, HIGHLY, recommend you read this post (http://thesandtrap.com/t/74295/putting-do-not-accelerate-through-the-ball/0_30) and this post (http://thesandtrap.com/t/74295/putting-do-not-accelerate-through-the-ball/150_30#post_1040098).

If you can grasp the concept, it'll likely do wonders for your putting.  You may not see a drastic increase in putts made, but you will see a drastic increase in tap-in second putts and a drastic decrease in 3-putts.  You're already so close that that alone will likely get you over the 80 hump.

Good luck.

P.S.   After you fix your putting, you need to wrap your head around the fact that you're actually NOT that good of a ball-striker and focus your practice attention there.  (No offense meant, BTW, just trying to help.  My short game sounds similar to yours - except the putting - and I know it's the long game holding me back)

[golfbarefoot]

Good question.  I'd like to say most were probably 5' - 7' away.  I don't think my reads are terrible, but of course they could be improved.  Mostly it was leaving them way short or way long.  It's all sort of tied together of course: the 2 three putts on par 5's I reached in two aside, I leave my 100 and in shots way too far away.  Usually on the green (but definitely not all the time, which is another issue), but often 20, 30 feet away.

I personally think that...

you are thinking too much about 3 putting... and its causing it to happen and kill your score. 5 three putts in a round is unacceptable, especially for someone with your ball striking ability.  You need to pay really close attention to the way the ball is rolling towards the cup on your first putt, so regardless if it goes in or not, you understand the break and speed even better for the next.  Forget the results for a while.  Work on your proximity to the hole on your approach of course, but honestly focus on trying to make the first putt, not leaving it short.. practice practice practice it until you can consistently:

A) make sure you are executing a comfortable, consistent routine each and every putt

B) give the putt a chance to go in by not leaving it short, and worse way short...causing a difficult and stressful second putt that causes players to think about the 3 wiggle...

C) if you do miss, the putt goes no more than 3ft by the cup (and remember to pay close attention to the read on the previous putt)

[Sidehatch]

On 1/5/2015 at 2:46 PM, SoundandFury said:

So my goal for the year is to break 80 by the time the year is only a month old.   While I shoot sub-40 9 hole rounds every couple of weeks, I'm yet to put it together for 18 holes.  My ball striking has been good for months now, but my damn putting, chipping, short wedge, etc. is holding me back.  Just an example, Saturday I played a pretty easy muni (at least compared to my club).  Shot 83, with 13 fairways and 10 greens hit.  I was on in two on two of four par 5's...both of which I three putted.  I must have had at least 5 three putts, a few wedges from <110 that wound up 30' or more from the pin, and so on and so forth.

 

I have two questions:

 

1.  Is this a reachable goal in the very short time frame I've set?

 

2.  How would you do it?  How much time between putting, chipping, wedges from 40-120?  What type of drills? I'd love to hear it all.  Full disclosure: my chipping/pitching isn't atrocious.  I rarely chunk or thin a chip or pitch or anything, I just leave myself 5+ feet instead of 2 or 3 (at which point my crappy putting leads to bogey).

 

Looking forward to everyone's thoughts/ideas.

So did you ever break 80? If so, where?

I shot an 82 at Woodley a month after your OG post and realized I should be trying to break 80. Best I did was 84 in a chaotic year where I didn't play much after September. Things have calmed down now and put up an 85 with some 3 putts a few days ago. I think I can break 80 this year. I am decent at scrambling and driving, whereas my approach shots are usually on the fringe.