Dr. Griefo

I am fairly convinced the bad hole is what seperates better from ok golfers. I can play like a 5 or 6 handicap then I'll have one or two bad holes (i.e. 7,8 or even a 9) which brings my handicap back to where it belongs for the day. Oddly, when I am shooting bogey, bogey, bogey, double bogey I never have a 7,8, or the dreaded 9 but I will end strong and shoot just above my handicap. Can't blame the hole because I birdied almost everyone of them on my home course this year, mentally I am never in a panic and I do not track my score during the round so I am guessing it skills, I simply am not skilled enough to sustain a high level of play for 18 holes but it's getting better.

I have the same problem, I am playing great, handicap is coming down and then all the wheels come off the cart and I have no idea why. This year I shot my best (84) then went out and shot a 100 the next day. I use a tip from Raymond Floyds book, 'The elements of scoring' where he writes about going to a go to shot whenever you are having issues. Basically it's just using that shot you can do everytime that will safely advance the ball down the fairway and he suggests using it until you get your confidence back on the course. He says it can be that chunk or flop or anything. I use a light punch with my hybrid. I always can get it 125 yards and it's straight. It really seems to get me back into my comfort zone when I am playing badly and I pull it off 2-4 times on the fairway. Then I move to my 7 and it it goes well, I manage to salvage the game. My score isn't so great (because I wait too long to go to my go to shot) and the go to shot holes are ussually a double bogey but once the confidence comes back, I have a decent rest of the round and can take that away from the day. I did beat my 84, I shot an 83 and the next day, I was shooting 37 after 6 holes. I used my hybrid punch on the seventh hole (a long par four) and got a 6 but felt better and went on to par the next 5 holes. I salvaged a 93 at the end of the day.

I've been trying to figure out how to lay off a bit all summer. Bizarre things have happpened, I may chunk it cause I'm going too slow, get a weak shot that is well short or hit the sweet spot and fire it way over the green. I would like to bottle that sweet spot swing but I can only repeat bad shots, not good ones... Any tips on laying up a bit?

Statistically you are putting 2.2 putts per hole and managed 1.8 on the 7 that you did not 3 & 4 putt. 3 putts happpen so I would guesstimate you average 2 putts per hole in a normal game? The 4 putt in front of your coach suggests nerves, in a qualifier with the coach watching would make most people nervous and put a lot of pressure on those putts. I would talk to my coach about strategies to reduce nerves if this was the problem. If you can't talk to your coach (hey, there are bad coaches out there, some are unapproachable, some may take this the wrong way, lable you as a choker, etc) play some betting game with your friends on the greens. It adds more pressure than regular play and helps gain some experience with pressure. Other pressure simulators are lag putting 10 putts into a two foot area or making 10 2 or three foot putts in a row. You can't leave the practice area until you do these. How far away from the pin do you average when you hit the green in regulation? This can increase the # of putts you take as well. If you normally putt better than 2 putts per green I'd chalk it up to nerves or, if you did not particularly feel any nervous energy than it might just be golf, stuff happens sometimes and ussually at the wrong time so it's best to forget about it.

I use the "Sam Snead" method where, from what I read, he said "Sam" on the upswing and "Snead" on the downswing but I say my own name. I found this really helps me swing easy when I finally figure out that I have sped up too much. I never say this out loud though, the other golfers would think I was nuts.

I'm going to try this as well. Personally, I started with the baseball grip then switched to the interlocking and then to the vardon. I went back to the interlocking because the vardon slipped on me every now and then so I developed a death grip on the club and horrendous hooks. The interlocking feels right for me so I'll use it.

I was there three years ago then one day I shot an 87. I had, and still have a similar problem, lot's of trouble hitting the greens from 100+ yards. What I did was practice my short game, get the ball close to the front of the green and chip close for a one putt. If the pin is at the front, even better. Two easy putts. You can practice chipping at targets in your yard or one the practice green so it is accessible and easy to get better. I got the ball close by using an 8 or 9 rather than a 6 or 7. Better accuracy and never in any trouble. Then one chip, one putt for par. The other thing I did was went to the course one evening when it was quiet and hit from 140 in with my 8 until I was better at getting the greens, then 150 in with my 7. I'm about 40% with my 8 now and 25% with my 7. I need to go do this more often. You'll break 90 soon with your scores

I use the fly/role ratio when deciding what club to use. Then I go by feel for the back stroke but the ratios would be good to know on days when things just are not goin well. I like the chart and will probably fill out one where my chips fit in.

Thank you so much for this thread and all the pics. My backyard looks awful from all the divots but I shot my best game ever today. I was really struggling with my irons this year but hopefully they stay resolved. The pics of Nick Faldo and analysis really brought home the proper hip swing and where my head should be. THanks again!

Same thing happened to me last week. I won a sleeve of Nike one tours at men's night and on the weekend, on the third hole I hit into the rough that joins two fairways. I saw the guy hit my ball and I said I think that was mine, he said it wasn't and walked away fast. Did find (what I assume was his) Topflite in a tree well in the same area. And that was that. No point getting in a scrap on the course. No point letting this idiot wreck my game. The only suggestion I can come up with is writing something so stupid, crude or embarrassing on the ball that no one would ever pick it up.

Iacas's thread on the biggest secret the hip swing. I always seemed to hit the ball better when my swing accidently felt like those pics looked like but I thought it was a reverse pivot so stayed away from it. Since seeing that I have been the range grass a nice buzz cut and hitting the ball fairly well during a game. Once I get it ingrained to where I no longer have to think about it I should probably be ready to win at Q school..on the Wii. The real course will get me in some other way.

Thanks for this thread, I am really interested in 10 - 14 handicappers and how they manage their game as that is where I am aspiring to be as a golfer. The pro's course management tips have not worked for me because, like others said, I can have a really bad shot that get's me into as much trouble with a 3 wood or iron as a driver. I have been laying up on a few problem holes on my home course recently but took an 8 when gripping and ripping and taking an 8 when I did a 3 wood drive, pitch shot to 100, shanked my gap wedge into the rough, two pitches out and three putted. Since trying course management (lay ups top safe spots, etc) and shooting 91-93 everytime I went to setting goals for a game: Two double bogeys, 13 bogeys and 5 pars for a score of 86. I find these reasonable and it doesn't put a lot of pressure on me. The other course management I do is set a goal for 5 GIR's. According to some stats guy, 5 GIR's should average a score of 85. I am not sure if this is course managemetn or goal setting but it does make me think, if I'm in trouble, how do I get a bogey (or the bonus double) out of it? How do I get to this pin in regulation? I did write out the stat guys GIR scale and found it to be a pretty good predictor of what my final score was. I'll type it below for anyone who is interested: 1-93, 2-91, 3-89, 4-87, 5-85, 7-81, 9-79, 9-77, 10-75, 11-73, 12-7

I went from a 15 handicap to an 18 handicap after lessons. After a year of trying to implement the new swing (had me taking the club back to a full swing rather than my 3/4 swing) I gave up and have been working towards regaining my old swing on the range. Problem was the full swing never felt natural and I went from having a slight fade to shooting straight, or a draw, or a hook or a fade or a slice. I started aiming straight at the pin and hoped for the best. The great part of the lesson, which I am keeping is the alignment, which I play for my slight natural fade (or draw which I can do 6/10 now with my 3/4 swing) and proper wrist hinge. My handicap is coming back down and I am hoping to be a 14 by the end of the year.