Best front 9 EVER, Handicap lowered and a Different Challenge

[njrose51]

I had my best ever front 9 at the weekend! I was 4 over, which for me is amazing and unheard of! Driving was great - my trusty 4 iron Ping Crossover - as I hit 8 out of the 13 fairways. My scrabbling was great as was my putting - I ended up with 1.9 putts average and my longest drive was 237!

I collapsed a bit on the back 9 though! Pressure of a good round I suppose! But I ended with 6 pars and 8 bogeys so I am very happy about that, and my last two rounds have really shown my game coming together.

Since February, my handicap has dropped from 25.1 to 19.8 which I am very pleased about!

But now I face a different challenge...

I don't have the comfort of those extra shots
I need to maintain my current standard of play - actually, I need to keep improving my current standard of play
I need to hit more greens in regulation - I only hit 3 out of 18 greens in regulation!
I need to be putting more for birdies rather than pars

So I suppose the question I am asking is does anyone have any good advice on how to take it up a level?

Is it a question of more practise or more time on the course?
How do I become more accurate with my shots to the green?
How can I get better at those important birdie putts?

I am having lessons and practise as much as I can with a young family and moaning wife!

Thanks,

Nick

 

[ManinBlack]

. My scrabbling was great

Fit in a few long words, did you?

 

[patricks148]

Fit in a few long words, did you?

a treble word score is worth a cut in anyone's book

 

[njrose51]

well, I did try to fit in pedantic, but couldn't quite manage it!

 

[jammag]

One thing I have noticed from your post is that you say about more accurate iron shots. What I would say back to you is the shots you took on was it the correct shot or was you trying to flag hunt where you shouldn't be?

Course management can play a huge factor in getting better scores and it could be extra bit of thought gets your down lower rather than being able to stick an iron shot to 3ft.

 

[njrose51]

One thing I have noticed from your post is that you say about more accurate iron shots. What I would say back to you is the shots you took on was it the correct shot or was you trying to flag hunt where you shouldn't be? Course management can play a huge factor in getting better scores and it could be extra bit of thought gets your down lower rather than being able to stick an iron shot to 3ft.

I understand what you are saying about course management. I think I am being realistic with my approach play, but when I have say a 7, 8, 9 iron to the green, I really want to be hunting for the flag rather than just getting it onto the green. Normally when I miss the green, if I am on the right line, I come up short, but if I am the right distance I'll be left or right of the green. Just need to tidy these shots up a bit.

Also, I'm not expecting to hit 100% of greens, 5ft from the pin every time. I just want to be a bit more accurate to give myself a better chance of making/saving par or bogey, with the possible birdie opportunity as and when they arrive.

 

[virtuocity]

I just want to be a bit more accurate to give myself a better chance of making/saving par or bogey, with the possible birdie opportunity as and when they arrive.

Think it's fine to be a bit more aggressive with a wedge or 9 iron in hand, but anything below that then I'm thinking about the easiest place to leave me with two putts for par or bogey. For example, if there's a pin at the front of the green, chances are that's where the bunkers will be. From 135 yards or more, I'm clubbing up to hit the back of the green.

 

[srixon 1]

I understand what you are saying about course management. I think I am being realistic with my approach play, but when I have say a 7, 8, 9 iron to the green, I really want to be hunting for the flag rather than just getting it onto the green. Normally when I miss the green, if I am on the right line, I come up short, but if I am the right distance I'll be left or right of the green. Just need to tidy these shots up a bit.

Also, I'm not expecting to hit 100% of greens, 5ft from the pin every time. I just want to be a bit more accurate to give myself a better chance of making/saving par or bogey, with the possible birdie opportunity as and when they arrive.

Well done on your handicap cut, and hope you keep coming down. However, with reference to the bold type above you need to be writing this in the delusional post. Depending on where the flag is you cannot always go flag hunting with a short iron in your hands. Hit the green take 2 putts and move on.

 

[jammag]

Work out with each club your margin of error. Say for example with a pitching wedge you have a 5 yard buffer from your aim point. So if you are aiming for the flag your margin of error could be 5 yards long short left or right.

Suddenly thats quite a big area that your shot may end up in.If you then work this back for each club your margin is going to increase for each club as to where a decent shot could end up.This should give you an idea of what club to flag hunt and what clubs not to as such.

 

[njrose51]

Well done on your handicap cut, and hope you keep coming down. However, with reference to the bold type above you need to be writing this in the delusional post. Depending on where the flag is you cannot always go flag hunting with a short iron in your hands. Hit the green take 2 putts and move on.

Thanks re the handicap coming down but not sure I understand the 'delusional post' comment?

In relation to the bold/blue type above - my response is why not? Why shouldn't I go for the flag if I feel confident? If I miss, then I miss but I'd rather go for it and give myself a chance. I've already mentioned that my course management is improving, so I'll judge it on the day, but just because there is a bunker near the flag or water, that is not going to put me off. I think i've been playing it safe for so long - I was at 25 handicap for a long time - I need to get better.

 

[Region3]

I'm probably not the most aggressive player, but there are flags at ours I won't go after even with a wedge. Sometimes it just isn't worth the risk.
Off 20 I'd say anything outside 100yds should be middle of the green, and inside 100 still needs a decision based on the potential downside of getting it wrong.
Might not be as much fun but it will help scoring.

Other than that, I think the way forward is making the right shot choices and eliminating duffed shots.

Somewhere near the green in reg and never take more than 3 from there is +18. Start to make a few up and downs and you're in the 80's without doing anything special.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

https://course.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/course/course/eastsussexngrsw/detailedscorecard.htm

Is this the card for the course that you play, off the blues for comps I assume ?

Its a long course, you are going to miss greens. You need to get a red hot short game (ie your chipping and putting needs to improve alot, for example from the above 1.9 putts is not great given you only hit 3 greens in reg[assuming you missed the green say within 20 yards]).

Also even if I hit driver on this course, in pre summer conditions I would be hitting a lot of 7 irons or even 9 or 7 or 5 wood, me personally I would to struggle to hit a lot of the greens in regulation as a result. Once harder conditions arrive then slightly different, if driver is working well.

Have never played the course, but I would have thought on a course that long you need to hit a driver to get closer to the green thus taking a shorter club to get on the green and get a better short game.

 

[J5MBF]

Please don't take any of this the wrong way, just my view. First of all, hats off to you for the recent form however, a couple of things I've picked up on;

You allude to having been off 25 for a long time & have recently come down. More recently shot your best ever front 9. Well done. But we all go through a purple patch & one one swallow etc etc. You need to find a middle ground imo, hunting every pin & being confident is a great attitude but be realistic. You are off 20, hitting every green in close just isn't feasible. If it is, then surely you need to look elsewhere at your game? Scoring well consistently is as much about minimising bad shots as it maximising good shots. Safe is not always a negative way to play.

Just my views.

 

[HampshireHog]

I worry less about about birdies and think more about pars.

I try and judge my performance on number of par puts from inside 12ft. I'm getting enough shots that GIR is not an important stat for me.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Bogey golf should be your target at this stage I would say.

A period of consolidating your improvement by being able to play steady, boring, bogey golf.

Tee shot into fairway, second shot somewhere on around the green, a chip and a couple of putts.

Then identify where in that mix you are losing shots and work on improving it. The answer might be everywhere, or there might be one obvious area, or it might be in course management.

 

[jamielaing]

Bogey golf should be your target at this stage I would say.

A period of consolidating your improvement by being able to play steady, boring, bogey golf.

Tee shot into fairway, second shot somewhere on around the green, a chip and a couple of putts.

Then identify where in that mix you are losing shots and work on improving it. The answer might be everywhere, or there might be one obvious area, or it might be in course management.

This all day long. If you are playing off 20, 18 bogeys is still a cut. Throw in a few pars from single putting and you will get cut a full shot, maybe more.

 

[njrose51]

https://course.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/course/course/eastsussexngrsw/detailedscorecard.htm

Is this the card for the course that you play, off the blues for comps I assume ? Its a long course, you are going to miss greens. You need to get a red hot short game (ie your chipping and putting needs to improve alot, for example from the above 1.9 putts is not great given you only hit 3 greens in reg[assuming you missed the green say within 20 yards]). Also even if I hit driver on this course, in pre summer conditions I would be hitting a lot of 7 irons or even 9 or 7 or 5 wood, me personally I would to struggle to hit a lot of the greens in regulation as a result. Once harder conditions arrive then slightly different, if driver is working well. Have never played the course, but I would have thought on a course that long you need to hit a driver to get closer to the green thus taking a shorter club to get on the green and get a better short game.

Hey Darren, I've been playing a few different courses recently through a monthly comp, so not just ESN which as you say is quite long at times. The Gold Tees are even longer! I had a bit of a collapse on the back 9, hence the higher putt average. My short game is getting better and I'm practising with a variety of clubs and shots now as well.

 

[turkish]

Re the flag hunting I fall into the trap of going straight for flags too much without evaluating the risk... a good video I seen recently was grading the flags in relation to danger. IE red is a no go zone (maybe close to a bunker, protected by water etc), amber would be a more cautious one- maybe still a danger but suits your shot shape, or tight to the back of the green with a run off or something, then green would be one you could attack without too much fear of something going wrong.

 

[njrose51]

This all day long. If you are playing off 20, 18 bogeys is still a cut. Throw in a few pars from single putting and you will get cut a full shot, maybe more.

I understand and appreciate the comments, but why should I aim for bogey golf? I've kind of been doing that which I think is why i've stuck at 25 for so long. If I walk of with a bogey, or worse, so be it, but I'd rather test myself and go for par where I can. I plan each round and if I get to a hole which I know I have no chance of reaching the green in regulation - say a very long par 4 - then I will use my shots and go for bogey. I also look at the best sides to miss the green, sometimes knowingly taking a shorter club so I don't go anywhere near the hazards. But I certainly don't want to achieve that on every hole. Is this a immature/in-experienced/novice attitude or outlook, maybe. But, personally, for me, I don't think I will improve if I am not aiming for par or even thinking I can birdie this hole. That's not really how I like to play now. If there are par 5s I think/know can reach in two - 2nd on the East at ESN for example - should I be thinking bogey on those holes?

Its an interesting time for me and my game. Played it safe for so long, but now i've seen where my game can go, I really am keen to get better in all areas including course management and the mental aspect of playing.

 

[turkish]

I agree Bogey golf is not the way to go... bogey golf assumes the 3rd shot you play is going to be good but I bet there's times you've played safe then thinned the pitch shot through the green or miles away etc.....

which brings me onto the real way to get your (mine also) handicap down is becoming better 90 yards and in... it's something I've known for a while yet I still work on Driver and Irons