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Hi, I'm in high school and I am struggling to make JV meets. I'm wondering what i can do to lower my scores. I'm averaging around 90's and around 40-50's through nine. I'm golfing at one of the tougher courses for my area and struggled at first. I'd say 3/4 of my shots are great but i struggle keeping my drives straight. I'm driving the ball on average 170-200 yards, however my drive will slice to the left. I'm a left handed golfer and i find it hard to find golf clubs. I also dont have money. Does anyone have tips on how i can improve my game?

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As a high school student I would say to talk to an area pro. There are a lot of junior days at places so if you can catch one of those or maybe your local pro would cut you a deal to help you with your game. It's extremely hard to diagnose issues by talking to someone. Trust me...you won't regret getting a lesson!

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Practice and play as much as possible. Of course taking lessons is the best option but if that is not possible at least try to get video of your swing to be looked at. Growing up myself and a few friends had no local instruction but played and practiced nearly everyday we could and ended up with one of the top small school golf teams in the state. That was many years ago, but today with the availability of video and the web it is fairly simple to get some good suggestions on areas of improvement.

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Where do you live? I may be able to suggest an instructor that is willing to work with you and maybe lower their lesson costs to help you out.

 

 

 

 

 

3JACK

Author of Pro Golf Synopsis. The Moneyball approach to golf strategy and analysis.Driver: Wishon 919THI, 10° loft, UST Mamiya VTS Red 7x, 44-3/8” long, 2,825 kg/cm^2 MOIGONZO WOOD: confidential2-Hybrid: Mizuno Fli-HiCLK, 17° loft, 40-7/8" KBS Tour Hybrid shaft (stiff)3-Hybrid: Mizuno Fli-HiCLK, 20° loft, 40" KBS Tour Hybrid shaft (stiff)4-6 iron: Wishon 575MMC (CB)7-PW: Wishon 575MMC (MB)SW: Edel Golf driver grind, 52° loft, 16° bounce, Nippon WV 125 shaft.LW: Edel Golf Digger Grind, 60° loft, 27° bounce, Nippon WV 125 ShaftPutter: Edel Golf Columbia Custom Made, 35" long, 72° lie angle, 3° loft. Ball: Titleist Pro V1xGrips: PURE Grips P2 Wrap (red)Shoes: FootJoy Dry-Joy (black, size 14)3Jack's Golf Blog - http://3jack.blogspot.com

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I cant afford lessons. I live in Iowa. I'm great at my approach and putting. I like the idea of taking videos for help. I cant golf right now do to snow and i'm injured (leg). I hate not golfing in the winter, and baseball starts soon. I'd like to get a membership at a local airport golf course (its a lot cheaper). I've been told my swing looks good, is it possible when i swing that im opening my club face?

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I grew up in a small Iowa town and fortunately the local course had an affordable student rate. We had no local instructors and my family could not afford lessons. I only wish we would have had the video technology of today, lol. Even though I figured out a swing that allowed me to score well, I also unknowingly ingrained some bad habits that prevented me from continuing to improve. It's taken me years to fight those habits out and is still a work in progress.

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I cant afford lessons. I live in Iowa. I'm great at my approach and putting. I like the idea of taking videos for help. I cant golf right now do to snow and i'm injured (leg). I hate not golfing in the winter, and baseball starts soon. I'd like to get a membership at a local airport golf course (its a lot cheaper). I've been told my swing looks good, is it possible when i swing that im opening my club face?

 

Well, I wouldn't think your face would be too open at impact if you are pulling the ball to the left (a hook). If that is the case then I would think your club face could be more closed than anything, but it could also be your swing path and nothing to do with your face at impact.

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What were your bad habits? -this way i can avoid them.

I also goof around sometimes (probably not good for my golf game) especially doing happy gilmore swings. When I do that for some reason my drives are a lot straighter, doesnt make sense; also there quite a bit longer:)

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What were your bad habits? -this way i can avoid them.

I also goof around sometimes (probably not good for my golf game) especially doing happy gilmore swings. When I do that for some reason my drives are a lot straighter, doesnt make sense; also there quite a bit longer:)

 

I would say the reason you hit it fairly straight is when you are goofing around you don't care what the result is, you are just hitting the ball to hit it.

 

I know my main fault is casting at times and not turning completely with my hips through the ball, but I tend to lose my shots to the right.

 

Just get up to the tee and try to not over think things. I find that the more I am thinking up there the worse off I am.

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I would say the reason you hit it fairly straight is when you are goofing around you don't care what the result is, you are just hitting the ball to hit it.

 

I know my main fault is casting at times and not turning completely with my hips through the ball, but I tend to lose my shots to the right.

 

Just get up to the tee and try to not over think things. I find that the more I am thinking up there the worse off I am.

 

 

What do you mean when you say casting? I know for me if i'm struggling i tend to over think and it starts a snowball effect. I've been working on that and have narrowed my thoughts to "see the tee, see the ball, see the whole, hey your thinking to much, swing".

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What do you mean when you say casting? I know for me if i'm struggling i tend to over think and it starts a snowball effect. I've been working on that and have narrowed my thoughts to "see the tee, see the ball, see the whole, hey your thinking to much, swing".

 

When I say casting I am referring to on my downswing I tend to cast the club...similar to how a person fishing cast a rod. I throw the club out instead of keeping it tight which causes me to lose some of my shots to the right and lose a lot of club head speed.

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As a former (and future) high school golf coach, I'll pitch in my two cents:

 

1) Listen to your coach. Many players in many sports think their coach is a dope (and some are right), but most coaches know something. I found that lots of golf coaches don't really coach that much because they feel like their players don't want the help. Your coach may not be a PGA pro, but he/she can probably help you with some basic fundamentals.

 

2) Forget about the driver and focus on course management. If you're shooting 50+, that means you're making doubles. Doubles (and triples, quads, and circle 10's) are the result of hitting it in the trees off the tee. Focus on scoring a 45, bogey golf. You don't need a driver to play bogey golf. Take a 400 yard par 4. If you can hit your 7I 150 yards, do that twice, hit a wedge on to the green, and two putt. If you one putt, you just saved a stroke and you can aim for a 44. On short par 4's, hit your 7I off the tee, then go for the green. Make par on the par 3's, and now you're looking at low 40's. Don't worry about the kids who laugh at you for teeing off with 7I, you can laugh at them when your score is better at the end.

 

Good luck-

 

-Matt

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

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As a former (and future) high school golf coach, I'll pitch in my two cents:

 

1) Listen to your coach. Many players in many sports think their coach is a dope (and some are right), but most coaches know something. I found that lots of golf coaches don't really coach that much because they feel like their players don't want the help. Your coach may not be a PGA pro, but he/she can probably help you with some basic fundamentals.

 

2) Forget about the driver and focus on course management. If you're shooting 50+, that means you're making doubles. Doubles (and triples, quads, and circle 10's) are the result of hitting it in the trees off the tee. Focus on scoring a 45, bogey golf. You don't need a driver to play bogey golf. Take a 400 yard par 4. If you can hit your 7I 150 yards, do that twice, hit a wedge on to the green, and two putt. If you one putt, you just saved a stroke and you can aim for a 44. On short par 4's, hit your 7I off the tee, then go for the green. Make par on the par 3's, and now you're looking at low 40's. Don't worry about the kids who laugh at you for teeing off with 7I, you can laugh at them when your score is better at the end.

 

Good luck-

 

-Matt

 

I actually look up to my golf coach, he's a winner!

He wins some big time local tournaments.

I do not know how far i hit my 7I, but i do know i can hit my pitching wedge 85-100 yards on a full swing.

How do i fix over shooting the green if theres a pond in front of the green?

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First of all, kudos for overshooting the green when there is water in front. I hated seeing water in front of a green because I knew all my players would end up in it ("But coach, I swear, 9I was the right club from 160"). What that comes down to is distance control, and it feeds into my next point: you need to know your distances a bit better than "85-100 yards with a pitching wedge." If you meant that 85 was a 3/4 swing and 100 was a full swing, then I misunderstood and I apologize. No offense meant regardless, but you do need to know your distances within a couple of yards. That can be a tough thing to do, particularly if you have a range that's not well marked. If that's the case, I would suggest trying to figure it out on the course if you're out there practicing or when you're playing and it's really open. Go to the 150 yard marker and hit 5 balls with your 7I. Then walk up and see how far they went, on average. If all 5 are in the center of the green, you know you hit your 7I 150. If they're all 10 yards short of the center, then it's 140, and so on. Knowing your distances is something that can be a bit time consuming if you're starting from scratch, but it is absolutely time well spent. Best-

 

-Matt

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

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First of all, kudos for overshooting the green when there is water in front. I hated seeing water in front of a green because I knew all my players would end up in it ("But coach, I swear, 9I was the right club from 160"). What that comes down to is distance control, and it feeds into my next point: you need to know your distances a bit better than "85-100 yards with a pitching wedge." If you meant that 85 was a 3/4 swing and 100 was a full swing, then I misunderstood and I apologize. No offense meant regardless, but you do need to know your distances within a couple of yards. That can be a tough thing to do, particularly if you have a range that's not well marked. If that's the case, I would suggest trying to figure it out on the course if you're out there practicing or when you're playing and it's really open. Go to the 150 yard marker and hit 5 balls with your 7I. Then walk up and see how far they went, on average. If all 5 are in the center of the green, you know you hit your 7I 150. If they're all 10 yards short of the center, then it's 140, and so on. Knowing your distances is something that can be a bit time consuming if you're starting from scratch, but it is absolutely time well spent. Best-

 

-Matt

 

Up until now i didnt know that your supposed to know your distances, thank you for the tip.

I really like my coaches, but the varsity coach spends the majority of his time with the varsity only. What is a normal distance for a golfer using a 7I as a sophmore? also would hitting the gym be worth while once my leg heals and would that increase my distance and control significantly?

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You're certainly welcome.

 

I can understand the problem if your coach is spending most of his time with the varsity. Perhaps you could try to talk to him after practice and ask him to give you a few things to work on, then talk to him again after you feel like you've really got those points mastered.

 

I wouldn't have the slightest idea what an "average" sophomore hits a 7I, and, while I'm not trying to be dismissive of your question, I don't think it matters. The only thing that matters is how far you can comfortably hit your 7I. Comparing distances is just ego, and if you can get that out of your game, you will be much ahead of your competition. It's not easy to do; my dad is 59 and he's still trying to figure out how to not compare distances with me.

 

Hitting the gym is definitely a good thing for golf. If you look at the young players on the PGA Tour, they're almost all very fit. There's a good thread going here about golf fitness, you should check that out.

 

Best-

 

-Matt

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

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Learn 'The Golfing Machine' by going thru free YouTube videos. You can also check out my blog at http://3jack.blogspot.com and my forum at http://richie3jack.proboards.com/ for help on the swing and translating 'The Golfing Machine' for you. I don't make a penny on either site, but I have a good following there and I have a set of TGM translations free of charge.

 

I don't think 'The Golfing Machine' is the be all end all of golf instruction, but it's the most complete book on golf swing instruction and actually breaks the swing down easily. Problem is the book is very difficult to understand, that's why I translated it.

 

I think what 'The Golfing Machine' does, once you understand it, is give you a much better solid foundation than your typical golf magazine instruction and 'clears the fog' very well.

 

I would also google up 'the new ball flight laws' to understand how the ball flies and to further clear up some confusion.

 

I would also take a look at this free Web site, written by a friend of mine at http://perfectgolfswingreview.net. This has a lot of The Golfing Machine stuff and is a solid reference guide.

 

You can also PM me with questions. I'll try to help out when I can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3JACK

Author of Pro Golf Synopsis. The Moneyball approach to golf strategy and analysis.Driver: Wishon 919THI, 10° loft, UST Mamiya VTS Red 7x, 44-3/8” long, 2,825 kg/cm^2 MOIGONZO WOOD: confidential2-Hybrid: Mizuno Fli-HiCLK, 17° loft, 40-7/8" KBS Tour Hybrid shaft (stiff)3-Hybrid: Mizuno Fli-HiCLK, 20° loft, 40" KBS Tour Hybrid shaft (stiff)4-6 iron: Wishon 575MMC (CB)7-PW: Wishon 575MMC (MB)SW: Edel Golf driver grind, 52° loft, 16° bounce, Nippon WV 125 shaft.LW: Edel Golf Digger Grind, 60° loft, 27° bounce, Nippon WV 125 ShaftPutter: Edel Golf Columbia Custom Made, 35" long, 72° lie angle, 3° loft. Ball: Titleist Pro V1xGrips: PURE Grips P2 Wrap (red)Shoes: FootJoy Dry-Joy (black, size 14)3Jack's Golf Blog - http://3jack.blogspot.com

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i would start with a good book with pictures to see the fundamentals. Im a believer in the fundamentals and building from there. Have you checked your grip if you are hitting a slice? It could be something as simple as that. ONe of the greatest books i ever read was Harvey Penicks little red book and also the fundamentals of Hogan by ledbetter. Check out your library to see what they have.

 

Good Luck!

People Sleep Peacibly in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. -- George Orwell

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You're certainly welcome.

 

I can understand the problem if your coach is spending most of his time with the varsity. Perhaps you could try to talk to him after practice and ask him to give you a few things to work on, then talk to him again after you feel like you've really got those points mastered.

 

I wouldn't have the slightest idea what an "average" sophomore hits a 7I, and, while I'm not trying to be dismissive of your question, I don't think it matters. The only thing that matters is how far you can comfortably hit your 7I. Comparing distances is just ego, and if you can get that out of your game, you will be much ahead of your competition. It's not easy to do; my dad is 59 and he's still trying to figure out how to not compare distances with me.

 

Hitting the gym is definitely a good thing for golf. If you look at the young players on the PGA Tour, they're almost all very fit. There's a good thread going here about golf fitness, you should check that out.

 

Best-

 

-Matt

the ego bit is from my cousin he likes to cheat a lot so i try to show off with my distance. As far as talking to coach I'll get right on that. Thank you for the help. Good luck with coaching i'm sure your golfer's are well taught:)

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Learn 'The Golfing Machine' by going thru free YouTube videos. You can also check out my blog at http://3jack.blogspot.com and my forum at http://richie3jack.proboards.com/ for help on the swing and translating 'The Golfing Machine' for you. I don't make a penny on either site, but I have a good following there and I have a set of TGM translations free of charge.

 

I don't think 'The Golfing Machine' is the be all end all of golf instruction, but it's the most complete book on golf swing instruction and actually breaks the swing down easily. Problem is the book is very difficult to understand, that's why I translated it.

 

I think what 'The Golfing Machine' does, once you understand it, is give you a much better solid foundation than your typical golf magazine instruction and 'clears the fog' very well.

 

I would also google up 'the new ball flight laws' to understand how the ball flies and to further clear up some confusion.

 

I would also take a look at this free Web site, written by a friend of mine at http://perfectgolfswingreview.net. This has a lot of The Golfing Machine stuff and is a solid reference guide.

 

You can also PM me with questions. I'll try to help out when I can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3JACK

Thank you for telling of about this, i will check it out on youtube. This is a good source.

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I'm in high school right now on varsity and the best thing I did was played. It doesn't matter what your swing is like, as long a you can score. You can't practice scoring on a driving range. Get out on the course at least 3 times a week and hit a second ball if you don't like a result. My handicap has dropped 15 strokes over a year's time not because of instruction, but because i just go out on the course.

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I'm in high school right now on varsity and the best thing I did was played. It doesn't matter what your swing is like, as long a you can score. You can't practice scoring on a driving range. Get out on the course at least 3 times a week and hit a second ball if you don't like a result. My handicap has dropped 15 strokes over a year's time not because of instruction, but because i just go out on the course.

 

I think that's good advice, though the cost might prevent some people from taking it. For high school golfers, you should see what kind of deals local courses will offer you, especially the course that your team plays and practices at.

 

Golf, like many other things, is funny in that what works for some people won't work for others. Some people get better by playing a lot, some get better by practicing. All that really matters is finding out what works for you.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

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I'm in high school right now on varsity and the best thing I did was played. It doesn't matter what your swing is like, as long a you can score. You can't practice scoring on a driving range. Get out on the course at least 3 times a week and hit a second ball if you don't like a result. My handicap has dropped 15 strokes over a year's time not because of instruction, but because i just go out on the course.

 

Good advice. This past season, I did a lot of solo twilight nine hole rounds where I'm not rushed so I can work on my game. That had a lot to do with my improvement last year.

 

I would also become a student of the game. Go to the local library and see what golf books you can check out for free. Focus more on books that address course management and mental aspects.

Callaway FT-9 Driver 10.5* Grafalloy Prolaunch Axis Blue

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Short game short game short game, that is the key to scoring. If you are scoring in the 80s-90s, then you obviously can get the ball around the green in two or three, if you can get up and down half the time after that, you are in the mid 80s. Also, having a picture perfect swing is great, but working with what you've got is even better. I know a lot of scratch golfers that don't have pretty swings, but know how to play around the greens. This will separate you from your peers as most young players hate chipping and putting practice. Get some foam balls online or in a store, and hone that short game while the snow melts! good luck!

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Make sure you can putt and get up and down. That alone can get you out of many bad situations.

 

Your post reminds me of that Bull Durham quote ... Its a simple game...you catch the ball, you throw the ball, you hit the ball, GOT IT!!

Callaway FT-9 Driver 10.5* Grafalloy Prolaunch Axis Blue

Callaway FT-9 Driver 9.0* Grafalloy Prolaunch Platinum

Cobra Baffler Rail F Fairway 15.5* Fujikura Motore

Wilson FYbrid 19* UST Proforce AXIV Core

Cobra Baffler Rail H Hybrid 22* Fujikura Motore

Ping I15 Irons 5-UW AWT

Ping Tour-W 56*,60* DG Spinner

Ping Redwood ZB Putter, WRX Starshot, 35"

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