Sub 5 instruction

[m00se]

Hi all, this is my first post on here so be gentle with me, if the post is in the wrong place sorry but this kind of crosses the instruction, comment and story boarder.

I am a 5 handicap golfer, almost 30 (started playing ar about 12), who has basically hit a brick wall, I have been to 4 but spent most of my career at this level. I take lessons regularly (in my opinion a very good coach and mentor who helped me make my swing a lot more consistant about 6 years ago), play and practice lots and in short am a bit obsessed. Always had this massive dream to play off scratch (or close).

What I have found fustrating (apart from working full time getting in the way of golf) is the lack of instruction aimed at people like myself, so I hit the Bob Rotella books (which has helped) and just generally work really hard, but seem to be stuck shooting anything from 74 to 79, nothing more or less.

Has anyone done what im trying to do? or does anyone know someone who has done this? I keep meaning to read the book about the chap who wanted to shoot level in a year, but have not got round to it.

I dont know if im looking for advice or hope really, I just find it a really interesting subject?

 

[Hobbit]

Hi and welcome aboard. If you find the answer to your question, please post it up. I started at 9yrs of age, have been off single figures since the late 70's and have been off 4/5/6 for the last 30 yrs. The difference for me is I don't practice and have only had, maybe, 6 lessons in 45yrs.

 

[Mattyboy]

I am another. Been around the upper cat 1 region for 30 years now.

I believe I have a sub concious comfort zone, somewhere between 75 and 79 in which I am a happy bunny. No pressure and no disappointment. I am looking at ways of getting out of this as like you, I still want to be lower.

 

[m00se]

Mattyboy, i think you are spot on, but its so hard to break.

There is a lad at my club regular knocks it round in 60 something, im sure its to do with comfort zones or mental scars.

Now if I can find the answer and bottle it!!!!

 

[Imurg]

We all could have simply reached the pinnacle of our Golfing careers.
everyone has a point in time that they peak at this game...

Maybe we've reached ours.....

 

[m00se]

We all could have simply reached the pinnacle of our Golfing careers.
everyone has a point in time that they peak at this game...

Maybe we've reached ours.....

Now thats the bit that is scary!!

 

[Mattyboy]

A couple of books that I have read recently (and fairly often mentioned on here) by Patrick Cohn could help. As I see it we do not get a look in county wise so do not get all the perks that delivers such as advice re exercise, fitness, diet etc - not to mention free coaching. These books look at that and quite a bit more. No instruction, just everything else (mental, exercise, pre round warm up diet etc etc).

These are worth a look IMO and I picked them up on Ebay very cheaply:

Going Low Patrick Cohn ISBN 0-07-138557-6
Peak Performance Golf Patrick Cohn ISBN 0-8092-23420-1

 

[JustOne]

No offence but I know a lot of 5 h/cappers with rubbish swings.

You also have to be able to hit the ball far enough to play the course, and manage your round well (knowing when to go for it and when not to).

 

[bobmac]

What causes the dropped shots?
Missed fairways?
missed greens?
3 putts?
Is there a pattern ?

Here's one thought...
You go out in 2 or 3 over and you think 'that's ok'. and on the back 9 you do the same.
You're subconsciously content playing to your handicap.

Try this
On every tee, think 'how can I birdie this hole'?
If the tee shot isn't brilliant, change the plan to 'how can I par this hole'
ON NO ACCOUNT settle for a bogey 'because I get a shot here'
Good luck

 

[m00se]

No offence but I know a lot of 5 h/cappers with rubbish swings.

You also have to be able to hit the ball far enough to play the course, and manage your round well (knowing when to go for it and when not to).

Interesting point, in my case I was one of those kids who could hit a ball really well but couldnt putt, when I got my head around it (about 16yo) and worked really hard on it thats when i flew down to 4 and 5. Then the brick wall came.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Where do you aim at when approaching a green?

Do you try and get on?
Do you aim for the right tier, the correct side?
Do you always aim for the pin?

 

[Ian_S]

Like others have said, you need to know where you are dropping shots. Being of quite an analytical mind I've been looking at the sample data the PGA released and trying to work out how it's possible to extend the strokes-gained putting stat out to every shot. If you fancy helping me out with a bit of non-PGA data that'd be great, but it would involve a lot of logging data (basically for a really detailed breakdown you'd need distances to pin to go for every stroke, including putts, plus some info on lie and club used).

If you're interested give me a PM because although I might not be a scratch golfer myself (so certainly can't give you swing tips) I'd love to know if my ideas could help anyone target their practice sessions better.

 

[patricks148]

I used to work with a guy in a sim situation, he was stuck at 5 for 5 years i think.

He gave up the game, as he could not take it he could not improve any more and was far to comp to just be a 5 handicap.

I think he took up runnning.

 

[Imurg]

I used to work with a guy in a sim situation, he was stuck at 5 for 5 years i think.

He gave up the game, as he could not take it he could not improve any more and was far to comp to just be a 5 handicap.

I think he took up runnning.

I don't think enough people accept that they're going to get to a point in this game when they're simply not going to get any better regardless of what they do.
It happens in every aspect of life. There comes a point when improvement cannot be made - you perform a task to absolute best of your ability.
Golf is no different. And the sooner people realise this, the sooner they can relax a bit and just play the game and enjoy it.

Is the Guy above going to give up running when he realises he's not going to beat the World Record or win Olympic Gold....?

Everyone has a summit, a brick wall. By all means try to get through it but don't lose heart if you don't.

 

[slicer79]

Last weekend i was off 5 for the first time. Already I can see its going to be a challenge. Having to finish within one shot of CSS just to avoid a .1 completely changes the mindset. Also it's going to be harder to drop when only going down .1 for each shot beating CSS. It's going to take some getting used to!

 

[ScienceBoy]

Everyone has a brick wall. By all means try to get through it but don't lose heart if you don't.

Do you tell your driving pupils this too?

 

[m00se]

Few things here.

A while ago I looked at european tour stats that I thought where of use to me, I looked at the top ranked stat then looked at someone lower down the rankings, say the 144th ranked accurate driver on the european tour. I did this for Fairways, GIR, Putts per GIR, Up and Downs, Birdies per round. Without going into all of the stats there where some figures that did suprise me and give some hope.

In my case i tended to hit fairways and greens, but didnt get up and down enough, when I made the birdies (say 3 to 5 a round) the score came down nicely.

This all seems obvious, get up and down more than half of the time and make a few birdies and your there!! but it also seems there is more to it than just that.

Science Boy - Thats a great shout, because to be honest I cant honestly say, thats made me think, as did the start each hole trying to make a birdie comment from someone earlier.

On a personal level I just love the improvement cycle, thats why im asking the question, if I just plodded around for the next 40 years something tells me I would regret it, but thats what I love about the game, If it was football I would be finished by now!!!

Thanks for the ideas guys, you have got me thinking

 

[ScienceBoy]

Science Boy - Thats a great shout, because to be honest I cant honestly say, thats made me think, as did the start each hole trying to make a birdie comment from someone earlier.

I just remember hearing a better player (3 hdcp) I used to play with a lot say that from 7 iron and upwards he is aiming to find the middle or safest or widest part of the green, if he miss-hits it then half the time its going to drift closer to the flag and the other half its going to end up on or just off the safe bit.

Of course with an 8 iron or under his aim was always to go straight for a pin unless it was clearly a bonkers thing to do.

He was steady at that level but struggling to go lower. I guess to go lower you need to make your "pin aiming" club a 7 or a 6 iron at the least, if not even a 5!

 

[cookelad]

Hi all, this is my first post on here so be gentle with me, if the post is in the wrong place sorry but this kind of crosses the instruction, comment and story boarder.

I am a 5 handicap golfer, almost 30 (started playing ar about 12), who has basically hit a brick wall, I have been to 4 but spent most of my career at this level. I take lessons regularly (in my opinion a very good coach and mentor who helped me make my swing a lot more consistant about 6 years ago), play and practice lots and in short am a bit obsessed. Always had this massive dream to play off scratch (or close).

What I have found fustrating (apart from working full time getting in the way of golf) is the lack of instruction aimed at people like myself, so I hit the Bob Rotella books (which has helped) and just generally work really hard, but seem to be stuck shooting anything from 74 to 79, nothing more or less.

Has anyone done what im trying to do? or does anyone know someone who has done this? I keep meaning to read the book about the chap who wanted to shoot level in a year, but have not got round to it.

I dont know if im looking for advice or hope really, I just find it a really interesting subject?

Are you me???

 

[duncan mackie]

one more thought to work with in terms of improving at this level.

learn how to keep danger areas out of play whilst still being able to function properly

it goes like this - get a stroke saver planner of your course; they will still exist somewhere! Now mark off certain areas on the strokesaver as imaginary water hazards or OOB. Vary whether it's a distance control or direction element you introduce.

now play against that layout - if you hit it 'OOB' it's 3 off the tee etc.

don't mark unplayable areas of rough as water hazards!

if you do it correctly you will add a huge additional capability to your game when it comes to playing anywhere.

like any such exercises it has to matter to work - if you are on the practice green trying to sink 30 in a row from 3' before going home you don't stop because you're hungry!