Coming down from 18 h/cap

jp5

jp5

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Hi all,

Hoping for some advice...

For a very long time getting an official handicap and getting down to 18 was my goal. Now I seem to have stalled and whilst my consistency has improved greatly, my potential for low scoring is not improving. I can't beat my PB of +18 at my current club which I set the first time I played it 3 months ago!

Here are some stats from my round yesterday:

Score: 90 (+21)
Tee shots: 18
Fairway shots: 14
Chips: 17
Bunker: 4
Putts: 37 (33 on green, 4 off)

FIR: 11/14
GIR: 2/18

I'm aware that GIR is very low but the greens at my place are small targets and rock hard, so I'm not too concerned about the GIR stat in these conditions.

Tallying the stats it was apparent that the short game rapidly gobbles up the shots: 58 shots out of 90 on or around the green. Is bringing my handicap down just a matter of short game practice? Or does the long game need to be more accurate to give me better looks at birdies - instead of scrambling to save par?

Hoping to hear from anyone who has been in a similar position and any advice would be gladly received!

Cheers
 
On the face of it that's a lot of putts relative to how often you're chipping onto greens. Are you failing to chip it close enough, missing short putts or a bit of both?

Improving your success rate at getting up and down from around the green should help you score lower, I'd guess, especially if the low GIR is genuinely down to the current hard ground conditions.
 
You can read all sorts into stats. What I would say is you FIR is fantastic I'd be happy with those stats, you GIR is poor which is leaving lots of chips. With 17 chips and 33 putts, I'd say your not chipping close enough to sink putts....................or your putting could be rubbish ........... as I said, you can read lots into stats.
 
FairwayDodger said:
On the face of it that's a lot of putts relative to how often you're chipping onto greens. Are you failing to chip it close enough, missing short putts or a bit of both?

Improving your success rate at getting up and down from around the green should help you score lower, I'd guess, especially if the low GIR is genuinely down to the current hard ground conditions.
Click to expand...

I can't do it, but the advise from FD is exactly what I've been told! My aim going forward is that if I'm chipping from off the green, to get it within 1 putt country. If I can do that 50% of the time, and get next to the green "in reg" (ie be next to the green after 2 on a par 4) then that isn't far off a 9 handicap. Easier said than done mind!
 
You seem to chip on every hole. That would be fine if you putted 18-25 times.

Although, this is just stats and can be manipulated to suggest a number of things, however I reckon you're chipping is poor, leaving you with 2 putts every time.

A wise(ish) :ears: forum member once told me that it's absolutely FINE to get on to the green in 3 shots (par4). With 2 putts on each of those, that's bogey golf- i.e. what you're playing at the moment.

It seems that your 3rd shot (par 4) is letting you down.

Unless of course, you 3 putt constantly.
 
Seems to me you can get the ball around the course, ie you are covering the distances if not as accurately as you like so if I were you I would spend more time than you do(whatever that may be) on 100 yards and in. Full 100 yard shots, pitches from all lies, chips with rough or sand in the way, tight chips and putting, control that club head.

I need to take my own advice more too!

Dont leave the long game as GIR is really the way forward but in the mean time its lovely to feel confident over a range of short shorts. I did what you have done a few months ago and was shocked how many shots are taken up once the drive and second shot have been played. GL.
 
Deffo short game. You've got 17 chips and 4 putts from off the green there so that's 21 shots from just off the green on 16 holes so theres 4/5 easy shots to get rid of with a bit of practice.
 
Twire said:
You can read all sorts into stats. What I would say is you FIR is fantastic I'd be happy with those stats, you GIR is poor which is leaving lots of chips. With 17 chips and 33 putts, I'd say your not chipping close enough to sink putts....................or your putting could be rubbish ........... as I said, you can read lots into stats.
Click to expand...

sums it up - somewhere between the chips and putts needs sorting; with 17 chips and 4 putts from off the green the inference is it's the chipping consistency!

bluntly, the move to 12 should be really really easy to achieve with professional short game advice, and from there to about 8 won't take much either as approach shots get easier to strike well with improved short game confidence.

get a course of lessons structured around pitching, chipping and putting - expect to treble your outlay in competition winnings within 1 year!
 
Birchy said:
Deffo short game. You've got 17 chips and 4 putts from off the green there so that's 21 shots from just off the green on 16 holes so theres 4/5 easy shots to get rid of with a bit of practice.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. and that's without getting the chip close enough to 1-putt.

So Short-Game (both chipping and putting) is the obvious area where improvement can be made!

Don't totally neglect the long game though - the ration 3:1 Short:Long is about right imo.
 
As others have said, the area to concentrate is the finesse game. Don't worry about GIR as you say. You're up and around the green in 2 shots. The key is to be getting close enough from those positions (30 yards and in) when chipping on to 1-putt and walk off with a par as often as possible. At the moment you're chipping on and 2 putting most of the time.
 
Birchy said:
Deffo short game. You've got 17 chips and 4 putts from off the green there so that's 21 shots from just off the green on 16 holes so theres 4/5 easy shots to get rid of with a bit of practice.
Click to expand...


Plus 4 bunker shots that's 25 shots and then still virtually all 2 putts.
You've answered your own question in the OP. short game is where it's at.
 
jp5 said:
Hi all,

Hoping for some advice...

For a very long time getting an official handicap and getting down to 18 was my goal. Now I seem to have stalled and whilst my consistency has improved greatly, my potential for low scoring is not improving. I can't beat my PB of +18 at my current club which I set the first time I played it 3 months ago!

Here are some stats from my round yesterday:

Score: 90 (+21)
Tee shots: 18
Fairway shots: 14
Chips: 17
Bunker: 4
Putts: 37 (33 on green, 4 off)

FIR: 11/14
GIR: 2/18

I'm aware that GIR is very low but the greens at my place are small targets and rock hard, so I'm not too concerned about the GIR stat in these conditions.

Tallying the stats it was apparent that the short game rapidly gobbles up the shots: 58 shots out of 90 on or around the green. Is bringing my handicap down just a matter of short game practice? Or does the long game need to be more accurate to give me better looks at birdies - instead of scrambling to save par?

Hoping to hear from anyone who has been in a similar position and any advice would be gladly received!

Cheers
Click to expand...

Based on those stats alone, I'm surprised you even need to ask.

However, I would also add that saying your greens are small and firm is a mistake. You will start to use it as an excuse when ou should be trying to improve that area.
 
jp5 said:
Hi all,

Hoping for some advice...

For a very long time getting an official handicap and getting down to 18 was my goal. Now I seem to have stalled and whilst my consistency has improved greatly, my potential for low scoring is not improving. I can't beat my PB of +18 at my current club which I set the first time I played it 3 months ago!

Here are some stats from my round yesterday:

Score: 90 (+21)
Tee shots: 18
Fairway shots: 14
Chips: 17
Bunker: 4
Putts: 37 (33 on green, 4 off)

FIR: 11/14
GIR: 2/18

I'm aware that GIR is very low but the greens at my place are small targets and rock hard, so I'm not too concerned about the GIR stat in these conditions.

Tallying the stats it was apparent that the short game rapidly gobbles up the shots: 58 shots out of 90 on or around the green. Is bringing my handicap down just a matter of short game practice? Or does the long game need to be more accurate to give me better looks at birdies - instead of scrambling to save par?

Hoping to hear from anyone who has been in a similar position and any advice would be gladly received!

Cheers
Click to expand...

I now where your coming from,The end of june saw my 2nd full year of golf, got down to 18, cant get past it.
Our course is a great little course, you never hear a bad word from a visitor.
I have to learn to play shorter , stay on the fairway, driver has been sold, G25's delivered today.
My problem is the male ego bit. I can and often do(did) drive it 280+, where it went was a different story.
Shorter and in play ethos at the moment.
 
Homer in shock revelation!!! In the last few weeks I've stopped recording my stats and have started playing more consistently. I have to say the OP does seem to need help on and around the greens although I disagree with his comment about GIR. 2/18 is not good enough even if they are hard
 
17 chips, 4 putts from off the green and 4 bunker shots. That's 25 shots on 16 holes to get from 'near the green' to 'on the green'.

Definitely chipping practice.
 
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