I wanna know where most HIGH HANDICAPPERS are missing it

[Mr_Theoo]

There is definitely something to this of course and very well stated BTW...

 

2-rounds ago, I had a just terrible outing, I mean BAD. During that round I just wanted to get it over with, so I sped up a bit and stopped taking practice swings. Next thing you know, things started to improve a bit.

 

Last 2-rounds I've consciously dropped the practice gig from my routine on almost all shots, but especially off of the tee where I dropped them all together and...Whamo! Less-thinking and more playing = a better round overall.

I don't take any practice swings. Mainly because I'll be swinging enough during the round lol but to also not over think like you said. I just go play and react to what happens after the shot. If it was bad I'll ask myself why and make a mental note. That way before the next shot I can kinda I know what I need to do to be successful

[Gg Owen]

Anyone over a 5 handicap should focus on lessons.There is no quick fixes to getting better

[SeeMore Putts]

Great thread so far. For me it's lost balls and hero shots. Lost balls from not having a set miss off the tee (I've been working on that, my first round this season is this weekend so we'll see if it works) and hero shots. In the moment I justify it by saying "It's more fun this way", but at the end of the day it's more fun shooting lower.

 

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[HeathS16]

I was very similar to you last year. Off the tee and in trouble. I worked on the driver almost constantly until I had a good idea of where my ball would go. This year I am focusing on GIR in order to score better. I want to be making more birdies and not having to scramble as much to save par.

 

 

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[tommc23]

My driver sucks and my 3 wood only gets me into the fairway but still leaves me longer approach shots. That's my issue if I could drive it better I'd be able to hit shorter shots into the green

 

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[GeekingGolf]

I would say most high handicappers probably don't realize how important lessons are. Actually most lessons are really cheap considering. Also I would say play the most forward tees and play from the fairway doesn't matter which club gets you there dang hit a 7 iron off the tee. There was an old guy when I was growing up he took a 7 iron a wedge and a putter and he shot good scores. 7 iron 7 iron wedge two putt boom bogey golf on a lot of par 4s.

 

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[josmi15]

My driver is my only club I can't hit with any confidence. I hit 3Wood off tee but that's 200 -215 for me. So I'm depending on nailing a mid Iron into the green

 

 

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[tony@CIC]

Anyone over a 5 handicap should focus on lessons.There is no quick fixes to getting better

I agree on the lessons. However lessons without extensive practice after is a waste of money. I know someone that takes regular lessons and then just goes an plays - and doesn't get better.

 

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

Anyone over a 5 handicap should focus on lessons.There is no quick fixes to getting better

I disagree, I am at 5.7 right now, i fluctuate between 4 - 6 and I've never taken a lesson in my life, I know my swing and what I want the ball to do, so that's what I focus on. You are correct though, there are no quick fixes, but there things that high handicappers can work on that don't involve lessons. Such as focusing on a club off the tee that puts you in play, spending time on the putting green and focus on the speed of the greens to help in 3 putt avoidance. Chipping, learn to chip, use different clubs for different situations, most courses allow for bump and run, find a club that you can do that with and use it. We all miss greens, figuring out where to miss can save strokes as well. Is it better to miss short or long or better left or right. Figure out where the trouble is on he course and play your shots away from it when possible. You can do all this without a lesson. If you want to have a better more consistent full swing (will also help lower scores) take a lesson. There are many ways for high handicappers to lower there score. Most of them involve time, whether it be lessons or just focused practicing.

[Kor.A.Door]

My driver is my only club I can't hit with any confidence. I hit 3Wood off tee but that's 200 -215 for me. So I'm depending on nailing a mid Iron into the green

 

 

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I don't know what your HCP is, but if nailing a mid/long iron into the green is where you are having trouble, then use a 2 short irons instead. What good is Driver, long iron, penalty drop, 4 th to the green. When you can do Driver, short iron, short iron to the green, that saves you 1 shot already. If you are taking penalty strokes on 5 holes this saves you 5 strokes, takes a 95 to a 90, 92 to 87 consistently. This is the approach I would say if your index is 18 or higher. Practice the long irons on the range until you are more comfortable hitting them, then take it to the course, and try to save another 4-5 strokes

[Big money]

This thread makes me feel like I'm not alone in the struggle

[OHIOgolf]

So course management seems to be key to lowering scores playing to ones strength

 

Like manufacturing runs in baseball

 

 

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[OHIOgolf]

This thread makes me feel like I'm not alone in the struggle

I'll take that as a compliment for starting this thread.

 

This evening I went to the range and in between shots I watched golfers put a ball on the mat hit a shot and repeat without any means of practice but only placing yellow ball on mat and hitting yellow ball to no target.

 

Course management is huge I understand that; which is why I've contemplated the driver in my basement locked away in the wine cellar.

 

But maintaining good practice round and trips to the range can really improve the game

 

 

Titleist 718 ap3 (X-stiff,2 flat)

Cleveland RTX 2.0 wedges

Taylormade Spider Tour Putter RED 35” 1* Flat

Taylormade r1 (x-stiff)

Left Handed

OHIO NORTH

22.4 HC

[HenryCanDrive]

I always putt 3-4 times. It's not uncommon for me to get on the green with 2 shots on a par 4 and and score a 6. I seem to leave it short when I putt over 5 feet but when I putt downhill, I wind up 5 feet past the hole. I think it's a combination of mental impatience, pressure to be fast, and just finding putting practice so boring. I should only play 8” holes.

 

 

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[LemmyFloyd]

For me it is all around the greens. I am a 21 and the odds of me chipping in and leaving myself a 15 ft putt are better than me leaving a 5 ft putt. The ability to get up and down costs me at least 10 shits a round.

 

 

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[Big money]

. The ability to get up and down costs me at least 10 shits a round.

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That is a lot of poops.Watch the fiber,does me in all the time as well

[palvord]

So this year is the first year I've ever considered what is an area of my game I can actually improve with consistent practice. I've begun to focus on the game from 125 yards and in. I'm working to dial in my distance control in this range so that way I'm not taking two shots before putting in this yardage range.

 

I've also begun to practice putting more than just 5 minutes before the round.

 

I may not be able to gain more distance, but I can learn how to get up and down. There are so many Tour players that made a living by owning this short game area despite being terrible off the tee.

 

 

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[pulledabill]

Great subject and no easy answer. I hit fairways I generally score well but not always. I hit GIR I always score well but could make more putts to score better. I chip and putt well doesnt mean I score well as a lot could have gone on before I got to the green.

I think if Im hitting fairways, my end result will be good a majority of the time.

 

My hdcp is falling hard. My practice time in order if time slent is wedges and short irons, driver, putting and chipping.

[pulledabill]

Great subject and no easy answer. I hit fairways I generally score well but not always. I hit GIR I always score well but could make more putts to score better. I chip and putt well doesnt mean I score well as a lot could have gone on before I got to the green.

I think if Im hitting fairways, my end result will be good a majority of the time.

 

My hdcp is falling hard. My practice time in order if time slent is wedges and short irons, driver, putting and chipping.

[JohnnyPenso]

In my experience the answer is everywhere.  Most HH i've known dramatically overestimate their strengths and underestimate their weaknesses.  They think they are a great driver because they got a hold of one that bounced out 260 on the par 5 4th hole ignoring the driver they put into the trees on 7 and into the pond on 9. They sink a 25 foot putt and claim they putted well at the 19th hole while ignoring the fact that they took 40 putts for the round and had a half dozen 3 putts or more.  I'm sure that guy exists, but in nearly 40 years I've never run across a true 8 HDCP putter that had a 40 HDCP iron game, an 8 HDCP driver that was a 35 HDCP putter or any combination of the above. 

 

One thing all high HH should do and something I did when I was in the high teens and low 20's, was to take a shot by shot analysis of each hole after each round and start grading your shots from 1 to 5 or on some other scale.  If your drive goes where you want it's a 1, If it's OB or unplayable or a bad duff it's a 5.  Same with irons, chips, etc.  Putting is different IMO.  A realistic scale for HH in putting would be that 2 feet and in should be made all the time inside 3-5 feet maybe 50% of the time.  10 footers maybe 10% but with a 2 putt.  20 footers and beyond are almost always a 3 putt.  Figure out which shots actually cost you a stroke and which one saved you a stroke.  Don't just focus on the best and worst as most of us tend to do, but every shot, good, bad or otherwise.  Do that for a few rounds and I think you'll get a better, more honest assessment of your overall game.