Question for the 2 - 8 handicappers out there....

[Obee]

How many of you are truly committed to getting better at golf?

 

I'd be interested to know. And when I'm talking about "getting better," I mean truly committed and with a plan.

 

Personally, I love the challenge of the 4-handicapper trying to get to scratch. I can tell you one thing for sure: You absolutely, positively, can do it. Over the last 15 years, I've helped several guys do just that. One of my good buddies came to California from Minnesota fifteen years ago as a 9 handicap. He's a good athlete, but he just didn't play much in Minnesota. He joined Canyon Crest Country Club, started playing with a group of scratch and below golfers, and within two years was a 2 - 4 index.

 

Since then, he's steadily improved his game and is now a 0 to +2. He's currently 42 years old.

 

He's just one example.

 

You CAN get there, but you will most likely need help if you've been stuck in the 4 handicap range for a while. You probably have some pretty big holes in your game, and to get to scratch or below, you can usually only have one big hole (or none if you do everything fairly well, but nothing exceptionally). If you do nothing exceptionally well and everything average, then you're going to need to figure out a way to do one or two things exceptionally.

 

Does that make sense?

 

As an example: For me, I could never hit the ball high (so that was the one hole in my game), but I could work the ball left to right and right to left pretty easily, so that mitigated my inability to hit the ball high.

 

A good place to start is: What are your weakest points? Better yet, ask some low-handicap friends to tell you what part of your game SUCKS (usually they're more than forthcoming about that! LOL!). Then get to work on those parts!

 

Thoughts? Comments? Discussion? :-)

[teeitlow]

I have a couple of friends that are low handicaps...practice like crazy.

Friend 1) Is just dying to get to scratch, and he'll probably make it. He gave me this putting mat thing that I gotta pull out of the closet every time he visits, so "we" can putt while drinking beer and BS'ing also when the weathers nice I got a smoker/grill on a carved in flat and I built a platform for a driving mat and he just hits balls...hits balls...hits...yeah balls. I also keep the grass real tight which allows for chipping/pitching...which he does. Takes me about 8+ hours to smoke ribs and he's doing something with a ball for about 90% of that time. I put the driving area in a place where you need to hit a draw in between two bull pines to hit the log deck down the hill a fade will put the ball in the woods off to the right or "oak brush hell." You also need to get the ball up quick with a long iron because the trees are intertwined for about 20'-25' (maybe more) and the opening is only 30 something wide. His stock shot is a fade so he's here quite a bit working on it.

Friend 2) is more than forthcoming about why my game SUCKS without any prompting from me...great guy to have beers with, but a "no joy" to have around my practice area.
-D

[Obee]

[quote name='teeitlow' timestamp='1358457619' post='6248167']
I have a couple of friends that are low handicaps...practice like crazy.

Friend 1) Is just dying to get to scratch, and he'll probably make it. He gave me this putting mat thing that I gotta pull out of the closet every time he visits, so "we" can putt while drinking beer and BS'ing also when the weathers nice I got a smoker/grill on a carved in flat and I built a platform for a driving mat and he just hits balls...hits balls...hits...yeah balls. I also keep the grass real tight which allows for chipping/pitching...which he does. Takes me about 8+ hours to smoke ribs and he's doing something with a ball for about 90% of that time. I put the driving area in a place where you need to hit a draw in between two bull pines to hit the log deck down the hill a fade will put the ball in the woods off to the right or "oak brush hell." You also need to get the ball up quick with a long iron because the trees are intertwined for about 20'-25' (maybe more) and the opening is only 30 something wide. His stock shot is a fade so he's here quite a bit working on it.

Friend 2) is more than forthcoming about why my game SUCKS without any prompting from me...great guy to have beers with, but a "no joy" to have around my practice area.
-D
[/quote]

So what's you game like? Are you committed to getting better?

[Graymulligan]

Ten years ago, I played a lot and had my index down to around a 9. Then my daughter was born, and my wife and I haven't been able to really play as much as we'd like. My index moved up toward a 13 or 14, playing once a week. Last year, my daughter took up dance pretty heavily, and I found that I had more time to play. Near the end of the year, she's decided she wants to play golf with mom and dad a lot this coming summer, so I expect I'll be able to continue on playing a lot. I got my index into the 8's last year, and was steady there.

This year, I've set a goal of getting down to 5.0. I realize I'm going to have to be on the range more, and I need to work on a few specific things that I think will help me drop a stroke or two here and there. I'm also planning on taking a lesson or two for the first time, because I'm probably about as low as I can go without a second set of eyes taking a peek at what bad habits I think aren't impacting my swing.

[Big Ben]

I feel like you just discribed me, strange! I'm finally starting to trend below my "stuck" 4 cap over the past 5yrs. I've been working really hard with a very close friend who plays the Mini tours, it's amazing to actually learn again. I've always had a pretty solid game but my putting and thought process when working my way around the course was desperately in need of improvements. He really has opened my eyes to sutle decisions while playing which negatively effected my scoring, sounds bad but club selection is one big key for me now. I'm taking the time to work through a decision making process which includes factors such as actual pin position, etc. my putting on the other had needed an overhaul, and we worked hard on the putting green practicing. I've shaved 2/3 strokes easily based on practice and little sweat, the game is challenging me again and my scoring is reflecting it. I've said this in other threads, these guys who are trying to make a living playing golf are REALLY GOOD, and they play a different game. For one they know how to choose the the right shot and clubs and can seriously putt your eyes out...BB

[teeitlow]

Well I don't really fit the criteria since I personally don't carry a 2-8 handicap, but seeing as you asked...
I suffer from lack of direction...off the tee. j/k...no seriously.
I'm a good wedge player when I'm on and I've always been a decent putter...
I dont really shape the ball a whole lot on the course.
Driver and woods seem to be my weak point and I'll usually show up at the course with only irons
Rarely do I even keep score...unless I'm playing with one of the buddies mentioned above

I do try to practice and get better, but for me practice is more just trying to spend time with my family. I pretty much commit to that and if the practice shows itself on the course that's a plus!
I get more excited about my son's high floating draw than I do mine...when I pull one off that is.
I love the game good or bad.
.
-D

[italianstallion]

I was scratch for a few years when I use to play nearly everyday. However since starting work in August, and playing once a week if I'm lucky, I feel I safely fit into this 2 - 8 HC range. My swing is still the same, but when I do get out things feel a little bit "off" for the first few holes. Additionally, I'll have one or two "oops" holes, the only issue is I don't make as many birdies as I use to to offset the big numbers. I'm not saying I can't be as good as I once was, but that its an uphill battle when you're not playing as often as you use to.

[borgore23]

my journey is quite odd. i played a ton when i was younger. <12 years old my grandma lived down the road to a small course (mostly par 3's and i think 5 shorter par 4's, longest being 330yds). i played anywhere from 18-54 holes a day. from 12-18 i would play about 15 times a year and then when i was 15-16 i broke 80 for the first time. from 18-22 (my current age) i would shoot in the 70's regularly.. 72 being my best (par 71) and I'm currently at a 3.6 index. I joined a golf club last year and can really tell i am starting to get better. played about 50-60 times last year with a ton of range time. I've never really had a plan i just go to the course and play or go to the range and hit balls. i think if i had goals and went to the range for a purpose i would definitely begin to get better. i mean i do have a goal to shoot par or better but i don't have a set plan on how i want to get there. before 2 years ago i never had a registered handicap, i would just play so i really can't say how i got from a 12 to an 8 to a 4 and below because it just happened.

[cardoustie]

My index was anywhere from 2.2 to 6.4 last year. Peaked at the end of the year due to 9 days in Scotland in heavy winds

I was scratch 20 yrs ago and I just don't think I can get back there. Family, work etc

Putting and pitching are not strong enough. I think I drive it as well now as I used to and the 4-PW is just as good. My sand play is better than it was

Other weakness is a fwy wood off the deck

I did manage to play 80 games last year in a 6 month season and hit the range a fair bit .... but the athletic prowess and youthful confidence I had in my early 20's are sliding away

I still love golf and will likely be a 2 to 4 cap most of next year but lack the motivation to be 0 again ... at age 45 with a wonky back.

I'm trying to learn to accept that golf can also be fun with the friends and not always just be about the competition. Though I have to say when I have one of my "old" low rounds it gets the juices flowing

[cybertigerman]

This is absolutely me. I'm a 3.5 and have come down from 5 in 2012 which is the first year in years i've played regular golf (more than once every few weeks). I played a lot at school and uni, but this was always scratch - in fact i didn't have an official handicap from 1999 to 2006 as i never played any qualifying competitions.

This year is going to be different; I almost always take a break from December through til March not playing at all, but this year i've made a decision to stick playing winter competitions and when the weather is ok, hitting the range (so probably play a round a week and range once a week).

My goals this year are to win our club championship and order of merit titles, and to get down to 2. All achievable if tough goals! I can 'only' dedicate time for one round (almost always a competition) and 4-5 hours practice on the range/short game a week, but i can/do putt at home every day now. I say 'only' as for me this will be at serious risk of feeling overgolfed in 2013!

My weakness is absolutely my putting (av.34+ putts a round..) and sometimes i have bad hole where i'll make double from a poor tee shot and three putt to compound it. As i don't make many birdies (av.2 a round) and the course i play is tough (7000yds ss73 (+2 over par)) this is an ever present possibility and i need to keep my focus and make better decisions. Most of the time my bad shots are a lack of concentration/focus, either trying to hit a 'showy' shot (like a low punched 2 iron (wtf!)) or just not going through my proper routine and being lazy.

So, the objectives of my 2013 plan is to:
- Take 2/3 putts a round less (eliminating 3 putts will solve 2 of these)
- Eliminate all double bogeys with better concentration and routine

I won't bore you with the details of the plan, but suffice to say i have a spreadsheet (geek alert!) to lay it out...!
What i will say is it primarily revolves around putting pressure on myself to perform. I LOVE the challenge of playing competition golf with a card in my hand or against an opponent in a match. 90% of my on course golf is not 'practice' and i plan on keeping it that way.

Wish me luck!

[Obee]

Awesome! Tell us more!

How old are you? What's your low round? Long hitter? Great wedge player? How's the short game?

This is a golf board, so let it all hang out!! :-)

[quote name='cybertigerman' timestamp='1358469635' post='6249257']
This is absolutely me. I'm a 3.5 and have come down from 5 in 2012 which is the first year in years i've played regular golf (more than once every few weeks). I played a lot at school and uni, but this was always scratch - in fact i didn't have an official handicap from 1999 to 2006 as i never played any qualifying competitions.

This year is going to be different; I almost always take a break from December through til March not playing at all, but this year i've made a decision to stick playing winter competitions and when the weather is ok, hitting the range (so probably play a round a week and range once a week).

My goals this year are to win our club championship and order of merit titles, and to get down to 2. All achievable if tough goals! I can 'only' dedicate time for one round (almost always a competition) and 4-5 hours practice on the range/short game a week, but i can/do putt at home every day now. I say 'only' as for me this will be at serious risk of feeling overgolfed in 2013!

My weakness is absolutely my putting (av.34+ putts a round..) and sometimes i have bad hole where i'll make double from a poor tee shot and three putt to compound it. As i don't make many birdies (av.2 a round) and the course i play is tough (7000yds ss73 (+2 over par)) this is an ever present possibility and i need to keep my focus and make better decisions. Most of the time my bad shots are a lack of concentration/focus, either trying to hit a 'showy' shot (like a low punched 2 iron (wtf!)) or just not going through my proper routine and being lazy.

So, the objectives of my 2013 plan is to:
- Take 2/3 putts a round less (eliminating 3 putts will solve 2 of these)
- Eliminate all double bogeys with better concentration and routine

I won't bore you with the details of the plan, but suffice to say i have a spreadsheet (geek alert!) to lay it out...!
What i will say is it primarily revolves around putting pressure on myself to perform. I LOVE the challenge of playing competition golf with a card in my hand or against an opponent in a match. 90% of my on course golf is not 'practice' and i plan on keeping it that way.

Wish me luck!
[/quote]

[Mulligan26]

I'm a 7, wanting to get to scratch/PGA apprentice card in '13... I do have a plan to get better this year. Working seriously hard on my driving and putting. For a 7 I putt like a hack so I should see great improvement overall once I start making more putts

[cybertigerman]

[quote name='Obee' timestamp='1358469886' post='6249283']
Awesome! Tell us more!

How old are you? What's your low round? Long hitter? Great wedge player? How's the short game?

This is a golf board, so let it all hang out!! :-)

[quote name='cybertigerman' timestamp='1358469635' post='6249257']
This is absolutely me. I'm a 3.5 and have come down from 5 in 2012 which is the first year in years i've played regular golf (more than once every few weeks). I played a lot at school and uni, but this was always scratch - in fact i didn't have an official handicap from 1999 to 2006 as i never played any qualifying competitions.

This year is going to be different; ...
Wish me luck!
[/quote]
[/quote]

Thanks for the interest!
Well as much as it pains me i'm not far from reaching 30.. been playing on and off since 14, got to mid single figures by 17 (a guess because as i previously mentioned i didn't have a 'proper' handicap at the time - we just played matchplay scratch matches).

I'm not a long hitter by WRX'ers bold yet surely truthful standards (ahem).. but i can carry it 280 in the summer with a good one, and 150 is a nice smooth 8iron all day long, so long enough for it not to be an issue on pretty much any course. I'm not straight straight but i averaged 9/14 fairways and 11 GIR in 2012, so usually it's not too bad. BUT, as i mentioned above.. if i lose focus i do have a big wide in the bag (usually Captain Hook..).

I'm average from 50 to 120 yards - compared to most similar index guys i play (distance control the issue), but i'm usually pretty tight from there on in. I grew up playing a lot of links golf (still do) so i know how to pitch and chip around the greens.

If only i could get the bloody putter up to scratch..
I am working a lot on grooving a stroke indoors over the winter, but my issue with putting is mostly distance control. So i know that really the solution is going to be spending a lot of time putting on the practice green doing distance drills. My fear is getting too technical though, the rest of my game is very point and shoot, not swing mechanics led..

[cybertigerman]

[quote name='Mulligan26' timestamp='1358470743' post='6249371']
I'm a 7, wanting to get to scratch/PGA apprentice card in '13... I do have a plan to get better this year. Working seriously hard on my driving and putting. For a 7 I putt like a hack so I should see great improvement overall once I start making more putts
[/quote]

It's funny. It may just be me, but i've never ever met or played with a 4 to 8 handicapper who putts like a god but is average elsewhere..
Always seems to be the other way round..?

[Obee]

[quote name='cybertigerman' timestamp='1358471402' post='6249445']
[quote name='Mulligan26' timestamp='1358470743' post='6249371']
I'm a 7, wanting to get to scratch/PGA apprentice card in '13... I do have a plan to get better this year. Working seriously hard on my driving and putting. For a 7 I putt like a hack so I should see great improvement overall once I start making more putts
[/quote]

It's funny. It may just be me, but i've never ever met or played with a 4 to 8 handicapper who putts like a god but is average elsewhere..
Always seems to be the other way round..?
[/quote]

They're out there, it's just that they're usually 65 to 80 years old. LOL!

[Obee]

If you're hitting 11 greens a round, reliably, then it's definitely your putting and short game that are holding you back.

I'm guessing that your short game could use some significant work. Have you ever kept stats on yourself for an significant length of time?

[quote name='cybertigerman' timestamp='1358471281' post='6249425']
[quote name='Obee' timestamp='1358469886' post='6249283']
Awesome! Tell us more!

How old are you? What's your low round? Long hitter? Great wedge player? How's the short game?

This is a golf board, so let it all hang out!! :-)

[quote name='cybertigerman' timestamp='1358469635' post='6249257']
This is absolutely me. I'm a 3.5 and have come down from 5 in 2012 which is the first year in years i've played regular golf (more than once every few weeks). I played a lot at school and uni, but this was always scratch - in fact i didn't have an official handicap from 1999 to 2006 as i never played any qualifying competitions.

This year is going to be different; ...
Wish me luck!
[/quote]
[/quote]

Thanks for the interest!
Well as much as it pains me i'm not far from reaching 30.. been playing on and off since 14, got to mid single figures by 17 (a guess because as i previously mentioned i didn't have a 'proper' handicap at the time - we just played matchplay scratch matches).

I'm not a long hitter by WRX'ers bold yet surely truthful standards (ahem).. but i can carry it 280 in the summer with a good one, and 150 is a nice smooth 8iron all day long, so long enough for it not to be an issue on pretty much any course. I'm not straight straight but i averaged 9/14 fairways and 11 GIR in 2012, so usually it's not too bad. BUT, as i mentioned above.. if i lose focus i do have a big wide in the bag (usually Captain Hook..).

I'm average from 50 to 120 yards - compared to most similar index guys i play (distance control the issue), but i'm usually pretty tight from there on in. I grew up playing a lot of links golf (still do) so i know how to pitch and chip around the greens.

If only i could get the bloody putter up to scratch..
I am working a lot on grooving a stroke indoors over the winter, but my issue with putting is mostly distance control. So i know that really the solution is going to be spending a lot of time putting on the practice green doing distance drills. My fear is getting too technical though, the rest of my game is very point and shoot, not swing mechanics led..
[/quote]

[BTP]

Good topic. I had an equipment overhaul 2 years ago and it shaved a lot of strokes off my handicap (clubs fitted to me with the right feel for me). I've only had an official handicap 1 year and that was 2 years ago and I played to a 5.0 even. Last year I had more lower scores than I did the year before, but I was less consistent with my scores: Anywhere from a 66-84 on any given day; it was frustrating. So my handicap is probably closer to scratch now even with the severe inconsistencies that I had last year.

So in order to be consistent this year and be a legit scratch golfer, I HAVE to be better around the greens. I made 2-3 wedge changes last year and never got a feel for any one. I'm sticking with my wedges this year and am going to get those up-and-downs more often. I am going to play smart golf off the tee. I am longer than most, so 3W or 3iron off the tee are sometimes the better plays. I found myself thinking more about what people thought about me and my game (I think because I joined a new course and started to earn a reputation and put unnecessary pressure on myself). So I need to work on the mental approach and stay focused on only the task at hand.

In Summary, Things To Work On:
1. Green side play: Improve up-and-down percentage and overall wedge play 100yrds and in. Nothing wrong with scrambling. Take advantage of good birdie opportunities.
2. Club Selection off the tee: When to be aggressive, when to play it safe. Avoid the big miss.
3. Mental Approach: It's just a game. Play within your means. No one cares anyway. Just play your game.

[SilverBullets]

I am a 5 index who is not really motivated at all... At one time I was... It's how I got down to a 5... Then I went to college and stopped playing all together... When I graduated college I started golfing again and surprisingly only moved to a 7... By the next season I was down to a 5 and I've been between a 5 and 6 since (I'm 26 now). Since college my thoughts on golf have changed. I look at it as something I do to have fun, be with friends, my father and my wife. I love the game. I play 3 days a week in summers, but, I have a career. And with the little free time I have now I like to spend it playing.... Not practicing, not beating balls, not working on every variation of chip/pitch/lies/etc around then greens. When my game gets out of whack for a couple of rounds I will go hit balls and realign things but ultimately I love to play golf and have accepted the new reality that that's what I like. If it means ill be a 5 handicap for the next 5 years than so be it. I still enjoy playing, I still throw in random sub 74 rounds and an occasional sub par 9... But the consistency isn't there.

[WT Door]

I was a wildly inconsistent 10-ish for years. Self taught with only two sets of fairly useless lessons over 30 yrs.

Last year, I had a happy confluence of a slight dip in work demand during some between job assignment training and less immediate family demand. I decided for the first time I would commit to a plan to get better. I took a series of 4 lessons from basically early April through mid July. First lesson helped fix some set-up and backswing issues. Second and third focused primarily on transition and approach to impact. Last we focused on release. I had roughly 3 weeks between lessons I either hit 40-80 balls on the range or played 9 or 18 holes at least 5 times a week during this time.

I committed myself to short game improvement. I bought Utley's short game book after skimming it at Barnes and Noble one day and went in whole hog. There is a course within a 3 minute drive of my house that is an utter goat ranch but has a decent short game practice facility. I spent A LOT of time there. Rather than try to become a complete wizard at all things 'scoring', I decided to really groove a couple of 'bread and butter' shots. To that end, I set a goal of - and focused my practice toward - getting up/down at least 75% of the time from the 'good miss' spots (fairway/apron/light rough with green to work with) and getting out of a standard bunker lie safely into the middle of the green 100% of the time. I figured that the 'trickier' stuff would improve some by default and that I could use course management to minimize the 'bad misses'.

By August, I was a pretty consistent 5. Lots of things were involved but I attribute the drop in scoring primarily to the short game improvement and the increase in consistency primarily to the improved ball striking that came from the lessons and subsequent range work.

I have no illusions that moving from 5 to scratch will be significantly more difficult than going from 10 to 5.

From a ball striking perspective, I need to tighten up my transition a little and continue to improve/make more consistent my release and impact angles. As part of this, I'm taking and reviewing video and just got a Tour Striker Pro 7. I'll have to go it alone on this one as I won't be able to re-visit my instructor until late summer.

From a course management perspective, I've used iTeach's suggestion of playing 'worst ball' for 9 holes. It is amazing how your perspective changes when you ask yourself if you could pull off the low/mid percentage shot your considering not only once but twice.

After reviewing last years stats, I think my last 5 strokes will generally come from the following:

2 from putting. I fail to capitalize on too many make-able birdies and 3 putt too often after poor approaches.
1 to 1.5 from driving the ball more consistently. I'm better but there is still much room for improvement.
1 to 1.5 from continued improvement in my bread and butter short game as well as expanding to trickier situations.

Unfortunately, I don't have quite as much good practice time as last year so I'm trying to be very smart in how I use that time.

[Stampa]

At 34 and after about ten years of playing frequently I hover in the 6-8 range. I can't seem to get any lower because I'm not truly committed. Of course, family and work commitments keep me from practicing often. I don't having any huge weaknesses, but I have no big strengths either. A lot of pars with some bogies thrown in on my cards. If I could improve around the greens I'd save shots for sure, just because those bogies would turn into pars.

And being able to play more than 7 months a year would be nice too, I'M TIRED OF WINTER ALREADY!!

[prsgtrman]

well i was a 9 for all the last half of the summer. i put in mindless hours of practice on the range with no direction or thought process other than trying to "find" a swing. i was a range member and literally hit a couple hundred balls almost every day(very flexible work schedule). for the amount of practice i think i shouldve struck the ball better than i did. i had many rounds on the course where i just couldnt find/feel the swing and i didnt have the toolset to be able to quickly figure out what was wrong with my swing. subsequently i earned the name "ranger rick".

issues
1) carrying game from range to the course
2) practicing with a purpose( not really sure how to practice)
3) shots into the green/gir, more consistent direction and distance control.
4) shots 50-90 yards.
5) long putting, getting it close enough to reliably 2 putt.
6) short bunker play(single handed killed 5-7 rounds this year)

strengths
1) willing to put it lots of time to practice
2) good course management/scoring strategy(dont go for sucker pin placements and know my limits, not afraid to lay up)
3) decent short game
4) decent short putter(3-5 feet)

[Kevie Ray]

48 years old and my index is at 6 right now. Starting playing a lot around 5 years ago when I tore my bicep (curled up like a ribbon) and my softball career ended. I have managed to take two strokes a year off my index and see no reason why I cant continue to do so. I have never had a lesson but am a closet range rat, taking a lot of what I learn here with me to try different things. At the moment I am pretty happy with my ball striking and am committed this year to spending much more time working on my short game. This really is where you score and is my biggest weakness.

[cybertigerman]

[quote name='Obee' timestamp='1358472405' post='6249537']
If you're hitting 11 greens a round, reliably, then it's definitely your putting and short game that are holding you back.

I'm guessing that your short game could use some significant work. Have you ever kept stats on yourself for an significant length of time?

[quote name='cybertigerman' timestamp='1358471281' post='6249425']
[quote name='Obee' timestamp='1358469886' post='6249283']
Awesome! Tell us more!

How old are you? What's your low round? Long hitter? Great wedge player? How's the short game?

This is a golf board, so let it all hang out!! :-)

[quote name='cybertigerman' timestamp='1358469635' post='6249257']
This is absolutely me. I'm a 3.5 and have come down from 5 in 2012 which is the first year in years i've played regular golf (more than once every few weeks). I played a lot at school and uni, but this was always scratch - in fact i didn't have an official handicap from 1999 to 2006 as i never played any qualifying competitions.

This year is going to be different; ...
Wish me luck!
[/quote]
[/quote]

Thanks for the interest!
Well as much as it pains me i'm not far from reaching 30.. been playing on and off since 14, got to mid single figures by 17 (a guess because as i previously mentioned i didn't have a 'proper' handicap at the time - we just played matchplay scratch matches).

...

If only i could get the bloody putter up to scratch..
I am working a lot on grooving a stroke indoors over the winter, but my issue with putting is mostly distance control. So i know that really the solution is going to be spending a lot of time putting on the practice green doing distance drills. My fear is getting too technical though, the rest of my game is very point and shoot, not swing mechanics led..
[/quote]
[/quote]

I've only started keeping stats since summer 2012 (helped because our club now has an online system where you can add info to your card such as where you hit or miss fairways, number of putts, sand shots etc etc), but i haven't kept any detailed stats on short game. What sort of stats do you think are the best to keep and learn from on short game?

[shiney28]

41 years of age. Currently playing to 3.7 (4).
Lowest I've been was 3.2 (3) in 2007, have been 5 and below for 20 years.

Putting is my weak point, more often than not when I play to my handicap I will hit 13/14 GIR and make only 1 of 2 birdies. Also 3 putt quite a lot.
A couple of medal comps last year I played to my handicap or just under and had more putts than shots!
Yes I do practice, yes I've had lessons, yes I've tried different thickness grips, different grip techniques, belly putters, long putters......basically everything!

The other thing that creeps into my game is an occasional full blooded shank, and once I have one my mind goes and it takes weeks to rebuild the confidence.

My goal for 2013 is 2.9 (3), but hell yeah would love to say I played off scratch.

[tngolf22]

I was a 4-5 for several years and I wanted to get to scratch. I tried different swings, beat balls, etc..nothing really worked and then I downloaded "Shot By Shot" or something like that to do an honest assessment of my game. It basically told me my putting stunk compared to the rest of my game. I got a putting lesson and at the same time started reading Encylopedia Texarkana. 4 years later my hcp dropped to a low "1" and now remains a solid "2". Only 2 shots but I'm so much more consistent now and I shot in the 80s only twice last year. Not sure how I'm going to get to the magic "scratch" but I know it will have to be from putting. It really makes the difference between a sub-par round and 2-over round. I thought about trying face-on putting. That may be the next experiment.

[TheCityGame]

I'm about a 6 right now. I'm completely driven to get better. Want to get to sub-4 this year, and shoot par at least once. Working on my game is my hobby. I hit balls and/or putt at least 4 times per week, and play 1-2 times. Tournaments and money games.

I don't know if scratch is realistic, but I'll reevaluate after this year.

I think more than anything, driving is holding me back. It's a difficult problem for me because I can really groove my driver on the range, but when I take it to the course, I'm worse with it. I have made a dedicated effort to ONE THING this off season: NO MORE SNAP HOOKS.

I've been able to achieve that, but I've brought the occasional "push it off the planet" into play. I have had some good driving rounds in my off-season.

But, I still hit a poorly contacted iron shot 1-2 times per round. I might make 1-2 mental errors per round. It's becoming tougher to shave strokes. My handicap didn't drop much last year (8 to 6), but my "anti-handicap" REALLY dropped (10 worse from last 20). I'm much more consistent now.

[Atrayn]

This IS me....

I played recreational golf since I took it up in the service in '87. In 1992, by a mad stroke of luck I started working at a course part time, I wanted some free golf and free range balls. A year later I joined the PGA as an apprentice. The pro gave me one lesson, got rid of my hacker's thumb and showed me how to leverage impact. Long story short, during my time in the PGA the only swing model that was discussed was swinging to right field.

Over the years, what developed was a draw/hook flip swing with a very high ball flight. When I was on I could score very well, however, I was always plagued with errant tee shots and an inability to control my long irons and fairway woods. Playing the draw/hook was frustrating. Hitting a nice high fade into a tucked right pin...yeah right! This swing got me through the PGA playing ability test. Barely...

I left the PGA in 1996 to take a full time job and got married, so my golf had been recreational up until 2008. My honest handicap fluctuated between 9 and 15. In 2008 I decided to try my luck at sanctioned amateur events. Three trips in and three tournaments of complete frustration. Just no consistency. I knew then I had to make some changes.

I started logging all my shots to pinpoint the problem. It all boiled down to hitting greens in regulation. The stats don't lie. I wasn't hitting enough fairways and also not enough greens. My proximity to the hole on approaches was terrible. It seems obvious right?
Needed more chances at birdie....

So what to do? I did know I needed to change my swing. I started researching ball-striking and it eventually led me to this site and the Slicefixer thread in 2009. His whole philosophy made perfect sense. The swing, rotational, and the physics of it resonated in my engineering mind.

Since then, my chronicals are fairly well documented on this site. Last year I finished with a 4 handicap. So far, since I moved to AZ in August, I've gotten down to a 1.6. I'm hoping to have that down to scratch by summer and my goal is to be a + handicap going into 2014 as a 50yo playing in USGA Sr events.

What's the difference? I no longer hit it OB off the tee, I'm generally somewhere in the fairway or just off. I can work the ball both ways and play position golf. My GIR stats jumped up, and I'm making way more birdies per round. That's the key gentlemen....
You can't go low parring every hole. A great short game is definitely a requirement, but getting up and down for par and always leaving yourself 30 footers is no way to score. Birdies are the key!

[Ajlepisto]

I've been playing for a little less than a year and I hover around an 8. I've hit balls and putted/chipped every day since I started, minus about 1 week total. I at least practice with a mirror inside when I don't get out.

Honestly I've probably never been more committed to anything in my entire life. I've completely engrossed myself in this forum, read books, watched video, asked pros questions, etc.

It's been awesome. I can't wait for next summer.

[glcoach]

You have to be 55 to play USGA senior events.

I am currently a 2 but have had flashes of brilliance that has shown me I can play at a decent level. I always make sure I have had some kind of golf club in my hand for at least 30 minutes to an hour every day. Especially in winter. I also visualize good rounds at night before bed and make sure they don't devolve from reality to fantasy. Realistic visualization of what you can do is essential and will make you better.

[bmellisen]

I've gone from a to high to keep cap to a 12 three years ago. A 12 to an 8 two years ago, and an 8 to a 5 this year.

I am working on distance control on short iron and wedges. I am pretty long, so there aren't many courses where I have long irons into greens. And there are to many times where I will be center fairway, 100 yards out, green light flag, and instead of walking off with good birdie looks, i am walking off the green trying to figure out how I made a freaking bogey. I am also working on being smarter at my aim points into greens.