What Drills does everyone recommend?

[Mr Golf Addict]

Hi everyone im new to the site and ive recently made the decision to start playing golf everyday, have stuck to it for 2 weeks and plan to carry on. I really want to improve my game alot so came here to see what drills everyone recommends which will dramaticly improve a specific thing in my game rather than me just going round everyday not improving too much. For example, the drill where you place two tees either side of your ball on the putting green, i was wondering if someone could clarify that one up for a start so i know what it improves and how to do the drill talked about. If everyone can let me know some drills like this in that format, it would really improve my game and i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks. 🙂

[iacas]

Depends on what you want to improve.

Check that out.

[Patch]

I only use two drills myself. The "step through drill" which helps with forward weight shift, and taking divots after the ball. The other one is the "pump drill" which helps with down swing, and holding the lag part.  Both of these can be found on You Tube if not on this site. 

I use these two sparingly. Most of my current drills are practicing specific shots, and situations I might find when playing for a score.

[sheepdog]

Wear the putting green out. Think of a game you can play on it. Play every hole with two as par per hole. Don't leave until you can go around it at even par or better.

[Piz]

It's hard to go wrong with a Makita; although I've had good service from DeWalt, Bosch, and Ryobi.  For heavy work...It really doesn't matter...Milwaukee, Hilti, etc...  Porter Cable makes some pretty good stuff as well.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Piz

[saevel25]

11 minutes ago, Piz said:

It's hard to go wrong with a Makita; although I've had good service from DeWalt, Bosch, and Ryobi.  For heavy work...It really doesn't matter...Milwaukee, Hilti, etc...  Porter Cable makes some pretty good stuff as well.

I see what you did there 😜

 

[Vinsk]

On 7/8/2018 at 4:23 PM, Mr Golf Addict said:

Hi everyone im new to the site and ive recently made the decision to start playing golf everyday, have stuck to it for 2 weeks and plan to carry on. I really want to improve my game alot so came here to see what drills everyone recommends which will dramaticly improve a specific thing in my game rather than me just going round everyday not improving too much. For example, the drill where you place two tees either side of your ball on the putting green, i was wondering if someone could clarify that one up for a start so i know what it improves and how to do the drill talked about. If everyone can let me know some drills like this in that format, it would really improve my game and i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks. 🙂

The thread sent to you by @iacas is the best place to look. My only suggestion is you put the putter on the back burner for now and focus on improving your ball striking. There’s even a ‘My Swing’ thread where you can post your swing vids and get excellent advice. Welcome!

[sheepdog]

Different strokes for different folks, just remember you play more shots per round with your putter than any other club. Three lousy shots and one fine putt has made par on quite a few parts fours.

Then again the old adage, you drive for show and putt for dough.

[MrGolfguy67]

5 hours ago, sheepdog said:

Wear the putting green out. Think of a game you can play on it. Play every hole with two as par per hole. Don't leave until you can go around it at even par or better.

I agree with this advice. Confidence with putting is huge i.e. knowing you can 2 putt from anywhere. Short game is also very important (50 yds and in around the green), become a short game & putting wizard and your scores will fall while your enjoyment rises. Good luck!

[billchao]

10 hours ago, sheepdog said:

Different strokes for different folks, just remember you play more shots per round with your putter than any other club. Three lousy shots and one fine putt has made par on quite a few parts fours.

Then again the old adage, you drive for show and putt for dough.

Not going to turn this into a putting versus long game thread, but this advice is terrible.

You can lose more strokes with a single swing of the driver than you can with a putter.

7 hours ago, MrGolfguy67 said:

I agree with this advice. Confidence with putting is huge i.e. knowing you can 2 putt from anywhere. Short game is also very important (50 yds and in around the green), become a short game & putting wizard and your scores will fall while your enjoyment rises. Good luck!

I'd argue that chipping on and two-putting isn't all that enjoyable after hitting one OB or topping/chunking all over the hole.

[iacas]

10 hours ago, sheepdog said:

Different strokes for different folks, just remember you play more shots per round with your putter than any other club. Three lousy shots and one fine putt has made par on quite a few parts fours.

Then again the old adage, you drive for show and putt for dough.

The old adage is wrong.

That’s a fact these days.

[klineka]

7 hours ago, MrGolfguy67 said:

I agree with this advice. Confidence with putting is huge i.e. knowing you can 2 putt from anywhere. Short game is also very important (50 yds and in around the green), become a short game & putting wizard and your scores will fall while your enjoyment rises. Good luck!

I disagree with this advice.

Short game isnt as important as you make it seem.

Would you shoot lower scores with your current short game (50 yds and in around the green) and Dustin Johnson's long game (or any tour player for that matter) or Dustin Johnson's short game and your current long game?

 

In terms of drills that will help the OP, I highly recommend video recording your swing from face on and down the line angles so you have an idea of what aspects of your swing you need to improve the most. It doesnt make sense for you to work on a drill to stop flipping your wrists at impact if you already have a flat left wrist at impact. You need to find what your weaknesses are and do drills that target those weaknesses.

Edited July 13, 2018 by klineka

[Jeremie Boop]

Honestly, I wouldn't feel comfortable offering any drills because drill are usually specific to whatever key/issue currently being worked on. Without knowing what you are currently focusing on, I'd be afraid any drill I offered would at best be pointless at worst be harmful. The one thing I would echo is, especially just starting out, you really need to focus on your full swing/long game.

[boogielicious]

On 7/8/2018 at 4:23 PM, Mr Golf Addict said:

Hi everyone im new to the site and ive recently made the decision to start playing golf everyday, have stuck to it for 2 weeks and plan to carry on. I really want to improve my game alot so came here to see what drills everyone recommends which will dramaticly improve a specific thing in my game rather than me just going round everyday not improving too much. For example, the drill where you place two tees either side of your ball on the putting green, i was wondering if someone could clarify that one up for a start so i know what it improves and how to do the drill talked about. If everyone can let me know some drills like this in that format, it would really improve my game and i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks. 🙂

I would start a My Swing thread in the Member Swings section and let us look at your swing. You will save so many more strokes focusing on ball striking in the long run. 

There is a great book, Lowest Score Wins , that outlines what areas are more important to practice than others to lower your scoring. Putting is important, but greens in regulation, GIR, are more important.

[millsan1]

On 7/8/2018 at 4:23 PM, Mr Golf Addict said:

Hi everyone im new to the site and ive recently made the decision to start playing golf everyday, have stuck to it for 2 weeks and plan to carry on. I really want to improve my game alot so came here to see what drills everyone recommends which will dramaticly improve a specific thing in my game rather than me just going round everyday not improving too much. For example, the drill where you place two tees either side of your ball on the putting green, i was wondering if someone could clarify that one up for a start so i know what it improves and how to do the drill talked about. If everyone can let me know some drills like this in that format, it would really improve my game and i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks. 🙂

Anything from Clay Ballard

https://www.youtube.com/user/Clayballardgolf

[Mr Golf Addict]

8 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I would start a My Swing thread in the Member Swings section and let us look at your swing. You will save so many more strokes focusing on ball striking in the long run. 

There is a great book, Lowest Score Wins , that outlines what areas are more important to practice than others to lower your scoring. Putting is important, but greens in regulation, GIR, are more important.

will definitely do that soon

4 hours ago, iacas said:

I would wager that you're wrong, even if we're just talking about your game. If we're talking about everyone's game, I know you're wrong.

It's not an opinion, or my "thoughts." It's wrong information:

Players lose far more strokes with the full swing and driver, in general, than with the short game and putting. They lose about as many with the driver, in fact, than with the short game and putting combined.

This is no longer "new" information. Lowest Score Wins and Every Shot Counts were published within a month of each other in 2014.

I've seen it done once… because the guy hit a tremendous (second) tee shot and a phenomenal hybrid to a par five, and drained the six-footer.

Unless you're talking about a reachable par five or a drivable par four… it's not even possible to putt for par after hitting one OB. What kind of math are you doing?

If I have a lot of six-footers for par, I'm not happy because I'm clearly not playing all that well.

When I'm happiest? I have a lot of birdie putts because my ball-striking is on form that day. The game gets pretty easy when you have 14 birdie putts per round…

Ballstriking.

Awesome. A sample size of one, as told by you, a biased kinda guy. I'll be sure to give that all the weight it deserves…

Conversely, if we weight ALL of the evidence from the last 20 years or so, we see factually that what separates players on the PGA Tour is not the short game and putting. That those account for about 1/3 of the scoring differences between players.

We see that what actually separates players is the full swing: driving and approach shots. That those two areas of the game account for 2/3 of the difference.

PGA Tour pros average 9 tap-ins per round.

That's 12.5% of their shots.

Do you honestly believe that they should spend 12.5% of their practice time - valuable time - practicing tap-ins because it's 12.5% of their shots?

Do you?

Because if you're not a complete stooge, you will say that's preposterous. You'll also realize that you can't ever get so good at putting that you can make every putt you ever have, or even 2x as many as most people. The most you can save, if you're the best putter in the world, is a few shots here or there. But if you became the best driver in the world, you can become Dustin Johnson.

If you become the best iron player the game has ever seen, you can become Tiger Woods.

Finally, yes, putting IS easier, which is another reason why players shouldn't spend as much time practicing it.

Here's what you don't seem to understand: I am not disagreeing with you. You are wrong. The old adage is wrong.

These are facts. This stuff is no longer opinion, but provable, actual fact.

There can still be outliers, yes, but they're just that: outliers.

Now, if you're old and your "full swing game" is what it is, then I would say:

• You can still hit the ball more solidly.
• You can still hit the ball more accurately.
• You can probably still hit the ball a bit farther, though this is the least likely of the three.
• If you cannot do any of the above, then yes, absolutely, spend most of your time on the short game and putting.

But that's not very many people.

Thanks for clarifying and you are right by the way because my putting and short game is very good, the only thing that makes me a 22 handicapper is my driving where i hit it wide into the trees sometimes and then have to waste another shot to get to safety. Today i played 9 holes and went -2 under par, everything was perfect so i can see huge improvements.

[Vinsk]

46 minutes ago, Mr Golf Addict said:

the only thing that makes me a 22 handicapper is my driving 

 

47 minutes ago, Mr Golf Addict said:

Today i played 9 holes and went -2 under par, 

Careful Bertie......

[Shindig]

19 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

 

Careful Bertie......

-2 under par is a double bogey.  I find it very believable that a 22 handicapper could make double bogey on a hole.