Roberbober

Thanks for the help Gents, and yes I do hit a good amount of GIR. My irons are hands down my best weapons. Probably because I used to struggle with the driver so much that I would be hitting my second shot that was topped off the tee box 50 yards. Its funny because when I was struggling with my drives I would say " if I could just get this driver down I would shoot a lot better" well that was not the case. I used to have a lot of errant tee shots and probably the #1 thing I learned in all of my lessons was grip/setup position. I am 6'3, 32 and athletic, my problem was trying to crush the ball. One 300 yard bomb down the center of the fairway every 20 drives was just not worth it because the others would be duck hook, topped or OB. So now I am pretty good with my driver average around 220-250 pretty much in play. If I get the smash factor and everything lines up I might squeeze a 270 yarder. But the course I play is short and you could almost use irons off the tee. Day one, yesterday I hit two large buckets pitching from about 50 yards with a SW 10* bounce. Today day two I am going to work on putting. I am going to use your guys advice and work on putts from the 3-5-8 foot range. Thanks a lot guys for your help. I will soon be joining you in the 80s...... Bobby

All, Looking for some assistance. I have been golfing off and on now for six years. The last two years of that I was in Turkey with no golf course or practice facility. And the first two years I was just a hack so , I got some lessons, well a lot of lessons. I was living in England at the time so I though that would be the perfect place to learn. I have taken short game lessons, playing lessons and swing lessons. So my current situation is I am in Italy and work across the golf course I am a member of. I have been playing a lot but cannot bust the 90s. I keep a handicap and turn in every score card. So I am tired of shooting in the 90s I want to break into the 80s I would be happy with a 89! So my irons are solid and my driver is pretty solid as well but my putting, chipping, and pitching suck to the point I turn a GIR birde putt into a bogy. I want to start a training plan, I am going to dedicate 1 hour a day to practice 6 days a week and play one day on the weekend. So my question is what is a good practice routine for only short game?

For me, 100 yards and in are feel shots. But from 100 on the dot I am most comfortable with my PW. From 100 in I almost always use my PW, I just take the club back shorter distance for shorter shots but explode through the ball. I think to many people get hung up on 1/2 or 3/4 swings and swing softer which will always through your tempo off. Shorter swing less room for error. Just my two cents. The thing I see most that people have trouble with from 100 in is staying behind the ball trying to scoop it up which leads to nasty topped balls. Or they try to swing SLOW which screws there tempo off. Bobby

Well first of all welcome to the best and worst game on the planet. Here is a short background. When I was in high school I played a little golf. No lessons. Then I put it down and picked it up last year at age 26. I am a natural athlete and I though I could "teach myself" how wrong was I. A year later of bad rounds on the course I decided to take lessons. I told myself I am going to take this game fore real this time. After 3 months of playing and 4 lessons with a PGA pro I could not be happier. I also got a membership at a course. My past two rounds was a 116 and a 115. Not bad for myself. Also I count "every stroke!" No pocket lies or foot wedges or gimmes. Its a bad feeling when you watch a drive go 300 yards to the right into the woods and have to take a provisional off the tee for three. Then write a 10 down on a hole. But in the long this is my advice. Get lessons they are worth every dime! Do not listen to ANYBODY give you tips on the course! Swing tips or putting tips. Just listen and smile. Everybody can give "tips" but a PGA pro can tell miss hits by sound and ball flight. Believe me they know what they are talking about. Golf as much as you can at the range or on the course. But go to each with a mission. Driving, or putting, just have a goal. Do not cheat, you are only cheating yourself in the long run. If you write 15 down on a par 4 it hurts but its the only way you can track progress. Most important have fun. In a few months you will go to the course and watch a guy hacking a ball three strokes to go 5 feet, and you will feel there pain and smile thinking about your improvement.