Your Approach to Get Better By Playing?

[jda]

I don't really have the desire to practice too much anymore.  For those who are similar, what do you do while playing to get better?  Of course, playing more, but other stuff.  I want to add some thing to my approach which is some rounds with the blades, shooting at every pin, hitting the right shot even if I am uncomfortable and playing some rounds with 3i being the longest club (when I feel that my long irons are not tuned well.)

[naj959]

Play with a half set or less. Forces you to be creative when you don't have a perfect yardage. Hit two balls and Play the worst to improve scrambling. Take one ball to the course and go home if you lose it. Haven't tried the last option but seems like a great way to work on keeping the ball in play and course management.

[caniac6]

I used to play a lot of 9 hole rounds by myself. The course I used to belong to allowed me to play the back 9 early. I found hitting a variety of shots towards a specific target was a lot more helpful than pounding balls on the range.

[Birdman03]

23 hours ago, jda said:

I don't really have the desire to practice too much anymore.  For those who are similar, what do you do while playing to get better?  Of course, playing more, but other stuff.  I want to add some thing to my approach which is some rounds with the blades, shooting at every pin, hitting the right shot even if I am uncomfortable and playing some rounds with 3i being the longest club (when I feel that my long irons are not tuned well.)

I am assuming you are going to be playing rounds with groups behind you.  Given that there are several things you can do to get better.

 

Overall you need to track key stats to reveal what you are actually doing in order to identify areas for improvement.  Fairways and greens hit, up and down percentage, penalties/punch outs, and length of first putt are all very revealing.

 

Changing things up by moving to different tee boxes, teeing off with irons only, and pulling back putts left short by 3 ft are good.  Hitting center or even back of green distances on approaches can be revealing.  Another one is chipping with lower lofted clubs than the ones you normally use.  I also scope all partial wedge shots to build a feel for distance control. Use powder or tape to check for center contact with your driver.

Edited November 4, 2024 by Birdman03

[jholz]

Seems like course management would be an obvious thing to focus on. 

 

This seems to play into the advice you've received about playing a half-set, or just learning how to execute a variety of shots with a single club. This is wise advice. 

 

For the most part, every decent golfer I've met had some period in their life where they simply spent a lot of time on the golf course. It might have been during HS golf, or college, mid-20's before marriage/kids, or after the divorce...

 

Regardless of when in life it happened, these folks got to the point where being on the golf course was routine. They had hit so many shots in play that they learned to play a course in a variety of ways. 

 

These are the players that can pull a shot from wherever the ball might end up. Given that, they have the confidence to not freak out over a bad shot. They also tend to knock one to three feet from a terrible lie to beat you on the final hole. 

 

If you really want to work on something while you play, I'd say this is the thing to work on. 

[5underdouble]

When I am on the course and want to improve, I’ll usually drop a few balls around the green and practice getting up and down from different spots. Being able to get up and down helps my score more than anything else. I only do this if I’m not going to hold up anyone playing behind me. 

[jda]

Thanks all.  Course management is usually the opposite of what I am doing.  I am not trying to score, so I try and fade or draw every dogleg, shoot at every pin and carry all water.  No laying up unless there is no chance of making it.

 

Even when playing one ball, I try and hit shots that good players will hit... so no chips with a 8 iron from in front of the green and use a trap/check shot or a precise flop... even if they are harder.

Edited November 4, 2024 by jda

[nvr3putt]

Give everyone in your group a $20 every time you score a bogey.

[bladehunter]

Depends on what you need to work on.  If it’s swing/ fundamentals….Playing is really never going to do it.  Course management?  Planning before hand and then understanding what to do with each miss will get you closer. But again. That’s not playing. That’s pre playing. If you aren’t good enough to plan the misses. Then practice of the right thing/s is still the answer.  
 

or just play and enjoy.  But playing to get better never seems to work.  Unless you can afford to play 4-7 days a week. Then it probably will to a point , then you’ll have to go back to instruction and practice.  
 

Sounds like course management would net lower scores.  Make a plan.  See if you can work it.  All I got. 

[st1800e]

Rarely practiced ever , 50 years in.  Given the choice I’d rather spend my time playing. Get bored with practice and lose focus after a few minutes.  Got to a 1 cap a couple times.  In my ‘70s now at 8.  

 Wish I had a buck for every time I heard someone say “ I hit it so good on the range” 😉

 

Occasionally after some poor shots on the course I will hit the range after a round to “find it” again. Only for a few shots, sometimes it only takes one, as 99% of the time I do find it. 
 

Have had a few lessons in recent years, I just try to take that to the course.  

 

Nothing against those who like to practice. 

 

 

[Ghostwedge]

6 minutes ago, st1800e said:

Rarely practiced ever , 50 years in.  Given the choice I’d rather spend my time playing. Get bored with practice and lose focus after a few minutes.  Got to a 1 cap a couple times.  In my ‘70s now at 8.  

 Wish I had a buck for every time I heard someone say “ I hit it so good on the range” 😉

 

Occasionally after some poor shots on the course I will hit the range after a round to “find it” again. Only for a few shots, sometimes it only takes one, as 99% of the time I do find it. 
 

Have had a few lessons in recent years, I just try to take that to the course.  

 

Nothing against those who like to practice. 

 

 

I'm with you....  early on it was a lot of range time,learning and practice. Once you figure it out and get the handicap pretty low it's just maintenance after that.

A small bucket to warm up is about it. We only have so many good to great shots left, rather use them up on the golf course than the range. 

[Ri_Redneck]

Lot's of good info so far. The key to getting better is knowing where you need to improve. Keep stats on all parameters and see if anything stands out. If one area stands out, work on getting it better. If the problem seems in random areas of your game, odds are your focus was broken in those situations and that should be addressed. For focus problems, I usually look to see what the cause was. Perhaps a loud group on an adjoining hole, dwelling on a previous bad shot or hole, a chatty playing partner or just being tired. I then try to recognize those things when they occur and compensate by being more deliberate with my PSR or just taking a few more seconds to let the distraction pass.

 

BT

[otto6457]

12 hours ago, jda said:

Thanks all.  Course management is usually the opposite of what I am doing.  I am not trying to score, so I try and fade or draw every dogleg, shoot at every pin and carry all water.  No laying up unless there is no chance of making it.

 

Even when playing one ball, I try and hit shots that good players will hit... so no chips with a 8 iron from in front of the green and use a trap/check shot or a precise flop... even if they are harder.

 

Good players hit their stock shot 95% of the time.  If they fade the ball, they hit fades constantly.  If they draw the ball, they just hit draws over and over. They don't work the ball unless it's a recovery shot or absolutely necessary.  That good players work the ball all the time is one of the biggest fallacies in golf.  Spend some time at a PGA Tour stop and watch how the pros actually play a hole.  They almost never work a driver, and seldom work irons unless they have their "A" game in spades.  Working the ball brings the most dangerous shot in golf into play.  The double cross.  That's a bogey/double bogey just waiting to ruin your round.  Never forget that you have a dispersion pattern to every shot that you hit.  You are not using a sniper rifle.  You have a pretty ragged shotgun blast pattern.  From the DECADE app, the average dispersion for a PGA Tour player for all shots from 100 yards is 18'5" .  And that's using their stock shot.  If they hit the green with that shot, their dispersion is still 15'6''.  If they miss the green it's 33'2".  Pros don't fire at every pin.  They aim at the spot on the green that best fits their dispersion pattern in order to hit greens with the least amount of drama.  You can seethe DECADE data attached at the bottom of this post.

 

And the idea that good players don't chip with an 8 iron is nonsense.  A good player recognizes when an 8 iron chip is the best option.  You are just asking to score worse by restricting your "around the green shots" to the most difficult shot you can think of.  Good players look to simplify their games.   They only use difficult, low percentage shots, when it's the only shot that will get them out of trouble.  Keep your shots as easy as possible and with the highest percentage of success.

 

The rule of thumb is that unless you are historically 80% successful with the shot you want to play, then find an easier shot.  That is, if you're trying to write down the best score you can.  If you're out practicing on the course, and there's no score being written down, then go for it.  If your playing for score, boring golf is best golf.  You don't score better chasing birdies.  You score better by avoiding bogeys and especially double bogeys or worse.

 

KISS is the mantra for good golf.

 

 

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Tour dispersion.jfif

Edited November 5, 2024 by otto6457
too wordy

[golferdude54]

13 hours ago, nvr3putt said:

Give everyone in your group a $20 every time you score a bogey.

 

I know there is a bit of sarcasm to that advice but this is actually what Lee Trevino did when he was a local golf pro/gambler in Dallas and El Paso. His record was over 2 weeks playing 18 everyday without paying up.

[jda]

14 hours ago, otto6457 said:

 

Good players hit their stock shot 95% of the time.  If they fade the ball, they hit fades constantly.  If they draw the ball, they just hit draws over and over. They don't work the ball unless it's a recovery shot or absolutely necessary.  That good players work the ball all the time is one of the biggest fallacies in golf.  Spend some time at a PGA Tour stop and watch how the pros actually play a hole.  They almost never work a driver, and seldom work irons unless they have their "A" game in spades.  Working the ball brings the most dangerous shot in golf into play.  The double cross.  That's a bogey/double bogey just waiting to ruin your round.  Never forget that you have a dispersion pattern to every shot that you hit.  You are not using a sniper rifle.  You have a pretty ragged shotgun blast pattern.  From the DECADE app, the average dispersion for a PGA Tour player for all shots from 100 yards is 18'5" .  And that's using their stock shot.  If they hit the green with that shot, their dispersion is still 15'6''.  If they miss the green it's 33'2".  Pros don't fire at every pin.  They aim at the spot on the green that best fits their dispersion pattern in order to hit greens with the least amount of drama.  You can seethe DECADE data attached at the bottom of this post.

 

And the idea that good players don't chip with an 8 iron is nonsense.  A good player recognizes when an 8 iron chip is the best option.  You are just asking to score worse by restricting your "around the green shots" to the most difficult shot you can think of.  Good players look to simplify their games.   They only use difficult, low percentage shots, when it's the only shot that will get them out of trouble.  Keep your shots as easy as possible and with the highest percentage of success.

 

The rule of thumb is that unless you are historically 80% successful with the shot you want to play, then find an easier shot.  That is, if you're trying to write down the best score you can.  If you're out practicing on the course, and there's no score being written down, then go for it.  If your playing for score, boring golf is best golf.  You don't score better chasing birdies.  You score better by avoiding bogeys and especially double bogeys or worse.

 

KISS is the mantra for good golf.

 

 

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Tour dispersion.jfif 1.08 MB · 4 downloads

 

I appreciate all of this, but I think that it misses the point a bit.  Every good player that I have ever met practices all of these shots... I just do it on the course.  I would not intend to play all of them if I was trying to post my best number for the day.  You better believe that I want the ability and confidence to hit a bit old sweeping draw around a tree if I get into trouble even if it is only a few times a year, or the like.

[London424]

Depending on how busy it is I’ll play two balls, but one ball with aggressive shots e.g. driver. The other ball more conservative. E.g get it in play with a hybrid or iron. 
 

Over time I’ll see what typically leads to a better scoring average for a given hole for my game. 
 

I know what strokes gained will say, but it helps me plan what shots I should or shouldn’t be taking on on my home course. 

[Pepperturbo]

On 11/3/2024 at 8:17 AM, jda said:

I don't really have the desire to practice too much anymore.  For those who are similar, what do you do while playing to get better?  Of course, playing more, but other stuff.  I want to add some thing to my approach which is some rounds with the blades, shooting at every pin, hitting the right shot even if I am uncomfortable and playing some rounds with 3i being the longest club (when I feel that my long irons are not tuned well.)

I no longer hit the range, so understand that piece.   

 

But in contrast, can't say my approach contributes to getting better.  What it actually does is keep my ball striking, short game, and handi reasonably consistent.  Nearly every day I hone my chipping skills using PW, SW & LW in my office, hitting real Prov1's at a target net down the hall, and at least twice a month play a 6000+/- yard course using 2i-LW and putter only. 

 

Hitting what is perceived to be the right shot, isn't IMO the correct shot.  IME the correct shot is you choosing the club that you can execute with.  Adding unpractised blades and shooting at pins or using unpractised long irons is more than likely going to negatively impact your handicap, not make you play better.  

[SNIPERBBB]

Put some money on theine. Practicing on the course or range is all well and good but hitting shots with money or pride at stake really shows your weaknesses 

[biker74]

Learn what is your miss.Work hard on 100 yards in.And avoid social media/youtube/golf forums for quick band aid tips 

[Chunkitgood]

The problem with “getting better” by playing is you get better at executing a bad swing, unless you have a fundamentally sound swing to start with.

 

You don’t have much desire to practice?  Think how MacIlroy must feel.

[xabia]

I may be off base here but I think the absolute two most important parts of getting better by playing are - and obviously this depends on your course and how busy it is who you are playing with etc.. but assuming you have flexibility to practice and play at the same time and you are responsible and take care of the course

 

1. Non-stock shots into greens. I Practice all kinds of shots that are not my stock shot. Hit irons or hybrids only off the tee, drop balls way back on holes you would never regularly hit that distance from, hit out of fairway bunkers etc.. The idea being you just get comfortable hitting shots because when we are playing its not like everything goes to plan 🙂 some of my best wins this year came from hitting ridiculous shots because I have practiced hitting all kinds of things from different lies, places and conditions so when I encounter that it doesn't fry my circuits. Additionally from this you can gain confidence in your distance control with different irons

 

2. Getting up and down from anywhere. I spend a lot of time around the greens and grenade a few when I can so I just get very comfortable trying to get up and down from anywhere. The worst feeling is trying to get up and down and looking down at a lie that you just don't know how to handle. Also medium sized pitches and other things 100 and in depending on the hole 

 

I tend not to over practice the tee ball, it is what it is and if I am off anyway it won't matter how much I have practiced it. 

 

This year I have basically abandoned the range and my handicap is as low as its ever been just because I basically practice as many routes as I can that maximize scoring, but as others have said my flaws are real and will never be corrected in this manner.