Low teens to single figures

[golfdub]

I'm determined to get single figures this year and I already think I may be there but as my course is pretty much unplayable it's a tough task to get around but I'm still playing to my handicap or at worst 2 over it, so I'm thinking when it's summer I should be able to shoot consistently good scores BUT of the people who played of 11-12-13-14 but now play to 9 and under what was the main influence for you to achieve this ?

 

[cookelad]

Lessons!

Was playing off 12 and hadn't had a lesson since I was a junior, new teaching pro started at Aldersey (Stuart) and it all kicked off from there!

 

[SimonC]

For me originally it was the short game I got down to 7 & I did not have a good swing. It was flat, with a huge overswing, was way inside & I swayed off the ball massively. However I could get up & down from almost anywhere and I putted really well. This was back in my early years of playing the game.

Now I'm down to 5 & I'm more about greens in regulation. I had a series of lessons for approx 2 years and it's made me a much better ball striker so I didn't have to rely on my short game so much. The problem is I never practice my short game or puting anymore and this shows in my game, if I'm having an off day ball striking wise I tend to struggle.

So in a way I've done it both ways relying on my short game & long game. I prefer the game I have now but I long to have that short game back that I used to have. Shame I don't have the drive or time to practice like I used to.

Where do ou feel your game falls short?

 

[User20205]

I'm determined to get single figures this year and I already think I may be there but as my course is pretty much unplayable it's a tough task to get around but I'm still playing to my handicap or at worst 2 over it, so I'm thinking when it's summer I should be able to shoot consistently good scores BUT of the people who played of 11-12-13-14 but now play to 9 and under what was the main influence for you to achieve this ?

sounds like a clique but short game and especially putting. it's just 3 less putts a round in your case.

I'm not sure I'm qualified though as I've snuck back up to 10 (9.5) but will be down to 8 this summer :thup:

 

[Curls]

Good question Dub, a transition I'm hoping to make myself this year. How long ago was this Cookelad, and what kind of progression did it take? i.e. did lessons negatively affect at first, sporadic improvement or was it a steady fall to 5?

 

[duncan mackie]

sounds like a clique but short game and especially putting. it's just 3 less putts a round in your case.

I'm not sure I'm qualified though as I've snuck back up to 10 (9.5) but will be down to 8 this summer :thup:

can't get away from it - this was the solution for me. Joined a club with short game practice area and used it a lot - came down from 13 to 8 in 6 months, then injury and a major swing change have meant 9.6; but it's temporary

 

[cookelad]

Good question Dub, a transition I'm hoping to make myself this year. How long ago was this Cookelad, and what kind of progression did it take? i.e. did lessons negatively affect at first, sporadic improvement or was it a steady fall to 5?

In the years I think I came down 3,2,1,1 last year I didn't come down lack of playing time/lessons etc but can hopefully pick up again and lose another shot+ this year! There's always going to be a time when what you're working on has a negative effect but for me the 1st port of call for anybody who wants to get better is to go and see their local pro!

 

[Curls]

go and see their local pro!

Thanks chap I think its going that way all right.

 

[Curls]

Where do you feel your game falls short?

Hi Simon, I'm completely hijacking Golfdubs thread here - sorry chap!!! Its just you asked this question as I was thinking it!

Sounds like Im in a similar place to you, even with a sort of similar swing! (I posted it in the Experts section yesterday). I too rely on pitching/chipping to save missed greens which are certainly too regular. I guess my game now is good enough to get to single figures if I have a hot day driving/putting but theres a ceiling all right, I'm just wondering how long I leave the inevitable as I've only had a few lessons in 2011 and they resulted in the hideous golf that I really didn't enjoy at all. Tough call but sounds like it needs to be made...

 

[patricks148]

Putting was my main drawback, still is.

I went from 12.4 to 9 in a few months in 2010. cut out most of the stupid 3 puts per round. I played a lot of away opens that year as well and there were a few good results at courses i'd never played before, or since for that matter.

Got stuck at 9 for a couple of years though, due to a major swing fault, way too flat which caused long spells of Shermans, so much so that i have hardly swung on a range since. Got more upright and hit my irons pretty straight and acord to all the guys at the club i'm more that capble of 5-6.

Just started lessons to gain some of the power lost on the downswing.

Anyway what i'm saying is, its always a work in prog, just go out and enjoy the game and the course and the cuts will come most of the time.

 

[Captainron]

Course management made a big difference to me in the first instance. At low teens you have the ability to hit good shots consistently. Then you need to get your putting up to scratch. 4 less putts a round will see your handicap tumble.

 

[SimonC]

Hi Simon, I'm completely hijacking Golfdubs thread here - sorry chap!!! Its just you asked this question as I was thinking it!

Sounds like Im in a similar place to you, even with a sort of similar swing! (I posted it in the Experts section yesterday). I too rely on pitching/chipping to save missed greens which are certainly too regular. I guess my game now is good enough to get to single figures if I have a hot day driving/putting but theres a ceiling all right, I'm just wondering how long I leave the inevitable as I've only had a few lessons in 2011 and they resulted in the hideous golf that I really didn't enjoy at all. Tough call but sounds like it needs to be made...

Yes this is why I decided to have the lessons as I knew I had a limit of how low my handicap could get with the swing I used to have & I think I was pretty much there when I was down to 7.

When I was going through my period of lessons, I got worse before I got better. I enjoy the game more now than when I had the good short game. You just have to stick with it and not worry too much about the short term asit can get frustrating until the swing changes become more natural. My lowest since the changes is 4 but that's basically playing once or twice a week with no short game practice at all. Also it's nice when people compliment you on your swing/ball striking which never really used to happen before I made the changes.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

It was easy for me, my first ever handicap was 9

However, I soon found myself back up to 12.5 getting back to 9 was a case of lessons and playing more. I didn't stay there long though but intend to get back there this year with lessons and short game improvement.

 

[golfdub]

For me originally it was the short game I got down to 7 & I did not have a good swing. It was flat, with a huge overswing, was way inside & I swayed off the ball massively. However I could get up & down from almost anywhere and I putted really well. This was back in my early years of playing the game.

Now I'm down to 5 & I'm more about greens in regulation. I had a series of lessons for approx 2 years and it's made me a much better ball striker so I didn't have to rely on my short game so much. The problem is I never practice my short game or puting anymore and this shows in my game, if I'm having an off day ball striking wise I tend to struggle.

So in a way I've done it both ways relying on my short game & long game. I prefer the game I have now but I long to have that short game back that I used to have. Shame I don't have the drive or time to practice like I used to.

Where do ou feel your game falls short?

I seem to fall short off the tee on par 4's and end up with a awkward 2nd shot but iv had two rounds of 77 and 78 on a par 72 course and on both occasion I used a 4 iron to tee off with and managed to place the ball for my 2 nd shot but if I keep doing this I fear it may ruin my game as I might lose all confidence with the driver and obversely I'm losing 50-60 yards doing this but recently iv managed to tame it down a bit so hopefully by the summer it will behave

My short game is to a reasonable standard but its hard to pratice that this time of year with the bad ground conditions and some days my putting is very good and some times average.

I think praticing the long game now while the weather is bad will help and hopefully in early march it will be dry enough to work hard on the short game even though I would say this is the best part of my game. I have a lesson approx once a month due to funds and I pratice down the range or simulator 2-3 times a week but I take pratice swings every night for about 10 minutes in the garden so I think it's fair to say I'm putting in the time and I'm not just smashing balls, I work on drills iv been shown

 

[CMAC]

hitting fairways..........

.....and sinking putts.......especially those key par putts after being in trouble.

 

[Hobbit]

There is no obvious recipe for getting from low teens to single figures for the simple reason that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. You could be a demon tee to green but be a 3 putt champion. Equally, you may have a short game to die for but rarely visit a fairway(me).

Record a number of rounds, including FIR/GIR/scrambling/sand saves/putts per GIR etc, and work on what shows up as your weaknesses.

 

[golfdub]

There is no obvious recipe for getting from low teens to single figures for the simple reason that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. You could be a demon tee to green but be a 3 putt champion. Equally, you may have a short game to die for but rarely visit a fairway(me).

Record a number of rounds, including FIR/GIR/scrambling/sand saves/putts per GIR etc, and work on what shows up as your weaknesses.

Iv actullay I bought a little note pad so I can start recording these stats and find what is actually going on.

 

[Fader]

For me i've never yet been a better than average putter. Still yet to have a sub 30 number of putts in a round.

My good scores all come from hitting fairways and greens in higher numbers. Problem was if I was having inconsistent ball striking during a round I don't sink enough putts to keep it going. Which is what I found when I managed to get to single digits, the bad days weren't countered by putting.

So over the winter i've been changing my swing to make sure the consistency is there and i've been working very hard on my putting. So hopefully this year the the ball striking will remain consistent and the putter will get hot or never be worse than average so I can break cat 1.

 

[Junior]

Im in a similar position golfdub. I agree with most on here regarding it being a shortgame issue, but its important to understand where your frittering shots away in the medals. I've shot below my handicap many times but it tends to be on shorter courses where I don't need to hit driver. Where I play, the wind can be a big factor and I struggle to control the driver.

So this year, for me at least, its about keeping the doubles and triples off the card which are caused by wayward tee shots. I know I make enough pars in a round so just need to stop the silly holes.

 

[mcbroon]

I'm in exactly the same position as you and, in my view, it's down to the short game, and particularly putting. I shot 82 round my place last May, which is bang on my handicap (SSS 70), with 42 putts

So I'm absolutely sure that I can play to single figures if I can become even just an average putter.