Plateau...have you made a step change

[Scott W]

Those blow outs are the ones that kill you (or at least were the ones that killed me). At 19 hcp you need to really minimise the double bogey and worse scores that will wreck your card. Even if this means you sacrifice a few opportunities for par. I think you'll be surprised how often you make par when you lay up for a safe bogey. Think about where a miss will leave you before you play the shot. Often a nicely placed lay up in the right place is just as good as being on the green and in the wrong place.

Also make sure you take enough club, often being over the green is actually quite benign as the bunkers etc are at the front so being a bit too long if you hit a super sweet strike is no great punishment. Especially compared to a knee-trembler over the bunker to a tight pin.

Good insight, I look at my game golf stats and I am low single % long and thinking about my course, bunkers are mainly protecting the front

 

[the_coach]

work 'with' the PGA pro - time spent in lesson time alone doesn't improve games - regular sequenced lesson time with practice between - providing the 'lesson knowledge' is being applied during practice will improve games - to that, understanding 'lesson knowledge' most times first off with means moving away from repeating comfortable habit

stuff I often times see with folks who are ... stuck somewhere on the improvement of their games

good bunch of times what plays into plateau-ing out from the get-go without the club even going into motion is issues with set-up from putter thrugh the bag to driver including part pitch shots

- the hold on the handle
- posture and weight distribution
- aim and alignment
- ball position

going to practice but then not doing 'good' practice
not monitoring what practice is done through video
relying a ways too much on 'feel' alone tends to be around what's comfortable in a habit - being 'stuck' at a level usually has a whole bunch to do with repeating comfortable habits

all folks could shoot better scores at whatever level through better course management - don't 'run' mentally ahead by 'fixing' a number to a hole and what that would mean to a finished score expectations of the future are no use they distract attention - but mentally engage with the shot to be played, stay in the present, and make shot selection (from behind every ball) thru decision making to the actual current playing skill level, visual a successful outcome then take set-up and execute - helps stop the repeat card wrecker hole scores
in general - full shots approach take 1 more club, swing in balance at 80%

spend 70/75% of practice time from 100 yards in

learn what putting stroke sends the ball 6', 12', 20', 30' on a flat fairly straight putt - find the rhythm that gives reliable 'pace'
can't read putts if there's no handle on pace

learn what length of backswing (if the through swing is a similar length) pitches the ball (carry) with (PW,GW,SW,LW) 20', 40', 60', 80' 100' - then learn the in-betweens - sure weather etc will often times change this but if there's no sound base level of knowledge to begin with taken from a 'normal' calm day, level ground

know the 'real' average carry distances thru the bag

 

[GB72]

I have been stuck around the 14/15/16 mark for an age now but I am realistic. I do not have the chance to practice much, if at all, and I only get to play once a week, twice at most and recently I have played only 18 holes in 3 months. That is not conducive to cutting my handicap and so, given the circumstance, I play with what I have and accept that improvement is unlikely based on the time I have to devote to golf.

 

[Scott W]

work 'with' the PGA pro - time spent in lesson time alone doesn't improve games - regular sequenced lesson time with practice between - providing the 'lesson knowledge' is being applied during practice will improve games - to that, understanding 'lesson knowledge' most times first off with means moving away from repeating comfortable habit

Plan is to work on "lesson content" at the range 2-3 times PW

stuff I often times see with folks who are ... stuck somewhere on the improvement of their games

good bunch of times what plays into plateau-ing out from the get-go without the club even going into motion is issues with set-up from putter thrugh the bag to driver including part pitch shots

- the hold on the handle
- posture and weight distribution
- aim and alignment
- ball position

Based on feedback from the pro my "basics" are pretty good though I need to remind myself on posture and right hand grip regularly as I "get lazy"

going to practice but then not doing 'good' practice focus on fewer balls (not just beating them out there) and specific drills with multiple clubs - challenges to add pressure
not monitoring what practice is done through video I need to do this
relying a ways too much on 'feel' alone tends to be around what's comfortable in a habit - being 'stuck' at a level usually has a whole bunch to do with repeating comfortable habits

all folks could shoot better scores at whatever level through better course management acknowledge this as a weakness - on course lesson time is in the plan - don't 'run' mentally ahead by 'fixing' a number to a hole and what that would mean to a finished score expectations of the future are no use they distract attention - but mentally engage with the shot to be played, stay in the present, and make shot selection (from behind every ball) thru decision making to the actual current playing skill level just because I can make the shot doesnt mean I will this time...got it, visual a successful outcome then take set-up and execute - helps stop the repeat card wrecker hole scores
in general - full shots approach take 1 more club, swing in balance at 80% plan to do this as my game golf stats show I am >50% time short on approaches

spend 70/75% of practice time from 100 yards in

learn what putting stroke sends the ball 6', 12', 20', 30' on a flat fairly straight putt - find the rhythm that gives reliable 'pace'
can't read putts if there's no handle on pace

learn what length of backswing (if the through swing is a similar length) pitches the ball (carry) with (PW,GW,SW,LW) 20', 40', 60', 80' 100' - then learn the in-betweens - sure weather etc will often times change this but if there's no sound base level of knowledge to begin with taken from a 'normal' calm day, level ground

know the 'real' average carry distances thru the bag gapping session planned once conditions improve

Thanks Coach

 

[Scott W]

Anyone else had a "breakthrough"? I am determined this is going to be the year!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Anyone else had a "breakthrough"? I am determined this is going to be the year!

Just come back from an Aimpoint Express lesson with Jamie Donaldson the European Senior instructor. Much clearer and hopefully will be making better reads and holing more. That and dug the Rotella and NGT books out to re-read to get the head empty and thinking better.