How I Became a Single Figure Golfer in 2 Years!

[Sairamtim]

So firstly I think the golf range isnt a great practice environment unless you are very disciplined. The vast majority just get a bucket of balls and hit them. There are so many ways this could be improved. A very quick, simple example. Chnge clubs every shot and change target every shot. So every shot you have to set up and work out your alignment etc. Most hit the 7 iron for a few balls then the driver for 10 balls, all at the same target mindlessly. I would suggest hit less balls but with more purpose.
On the ranges I frequent, i very rarely see people doing specific drills.
One range near me has amazing short game facilities. A USPGA quality putting green, and 3 different chipping areas with bunkers, holes etc. If there are 5 people across the whole 4 sections it is rare. Sometimes I go there and there is no one practicing in the short game area. Yet all 28 bays are taken on the range.
Lastly and this is a little bit controversial. I think you can vastly improve without even a ball. There are loads of drills you could work on in the garden to improve your swing, ground contact, ability to control the club head etc. I suspect very few people do them when they could make vast improvements just with a couple of ground contact drills.

 

[ScienceBoy]

You start your post with the word "agreed", but then the rest of your post completely disagrees with it

No, I agree, time constraints and poor practice approach are the limitations. My post was all about agreeing with that.

 

[Sairamtim]

Lots of other sports involve training without the ‘ball’ eg boxing. A big component of training is shadow boxing working on your technique. Golf could learn from other sports imo.

 

[pendodave]

So firstly I think the golf range isnt a great practice environment unless you are very disciplined. The vast majority just get a bucket of balls and hit them. There are so many ways this could be improved. A very quick, simple example. Chnge clubs every shot and change target every shot. So every shot you have to set up and work out your alignment etc. Most hit the 7 iron for a few balls then the driver for 10 balls, all at the same target mindlessly. I would suggest hit less balls but with more purpose.
On the ranges I frequent, i very rarely see people doing specific drills.
One range near me has amazing short game facilities. A USPGA quality putting green, and 3 different chipping areas with bunkers, holes etc. If there are 5 people across the whole 4 sections it is rare. Sometimes I go there and there is no one practicing in the short game area. Yet all 28 bays are taken on the range.
Lastly and this is a little bit controversial. I think you can vastly improve without even a ball. There are loads of drills you could work on in the garden to improve your swing, ground contact, ability to control the club head etc. I suspect very few people do them when they could make vast improvements just with a couple of ground contact drills.

I'm sure that what you write is correct, and yet at the same time it is irrelevant to many golfers. Many (most) are content to enjoy themselves, not to be as efficient as possible. They know that they aren't, but they don't care.
I have some spare time, I am reasonably fit and healthy, I am gently interested in improving my 11hcp game....
But... I play golf for fun, for the joy of being with my mates, for the pleasure of the exercise and the scenery. I really don't think I could be a****d to take the game sufficiently seriously to go down this route. It would be pointless and add literally nothing to my time spent.
YMMV, as indeed does everyone else's.

 

[harpo_72]

its not an impossible feat, but having no family makes it a damn sight easier.

 

[mitchynew]

I thought the video was good. And some of the criticism totally uncalled for.

He doesn't just say 'avoid double bogies'. He explains that first you need good ball striking. Then if you hit a bad shot knock it back into play rather than going for hero shots. Which makes total sense. Sometimes i get greedy - but I try and do the same. If I am off the fairway in trees I can try and emulate Bubba Watson - or I can punch it out with a 4 iron and get it in play.

The bloke has plenty of passion for the game. And he clearly has committed himself to it. And his 5 tips are useful. Especially the play by yourself. I find the best way to practise and get better is to do that. Get stuck behind a 4 ball and you can use the course as a driving range - just better. Drop 4 or 5 balls and try different shots. Try chipping rather than a flop shot onto the green etc. Technically this isn't allowed at my club - but if I find myself behind a 4 ball I'll do it anyway.

He clearly has talent. But he has invested the time and the money to get better. I hope he keeps posting and adding videos. Will be interesting to see how low he will go. The progress will be slower - but I feel most of us have a scratch golfer inside ourselves. I've never played a hole I didn't think was possible to shoot par on. It's just doing it enough times correctly that you can't get it wrong.

Edit - you should do a video on gapping. And how you work it out. And should have added 'buy a rangefinder' to your top 5 tips. I'd rather play without my driver than without my rangefinder. Saves me so many strokes and gets me into scoring positions.

Thanks for the positive feedback! Nice idea about gapping I will look into making a video about that in the future ?? Massive shout on the range finder to be fair! I am too tight to fork out for a laser rangefinder, but i use the 18 birdies app which gives you the GPS yardages on your phone (which i do prefer to be honest)... and its free ?

 

[mitchynew]

Congratulations, fantastic to get down to that level. Wish I could.
Out of interest what sports did you play before golf, and how good were you ?

Thanks pal ?? I have played footy since i was a kid, gave it up to start to golf age 32. Not sure if you mean golf or football... I was half decent at footy, always aimed to break 100 at golf

 

[ScienceBoy]

Lots of other sports involve training without the ‘ball’ eg boxing. A big component of training is shadow boxing working on your technique. Golf could learn from other sports imo.

You mean you don’t do practice swings in the mirror when you step out the shower?