Playing shit golf and still being a fun person to play with, i.e. regardless of your bad day, you don't carry on like a twat and make friends/others feel awkward. It's a skill.
Nothing like having your vibe completely ruined because your cart partner loses their mental before we even get to the first green. Amen to this. Iām here to have fun first, a low score second. Iām outside with my boys on a beautiful day. How could you possibly be so salty?
Ability to be able to play a really solid shot after a bad drive.
Even if it's just a punch to safety, I really struggle after hitting a bad drive or approach.
I remember Sir Nick saying ādonāt follow a bad shot with a bad decision. Make a solid shot youāre sure of after a bad shot. You canāt get it all back in one hero shotā I do not listen to that advice as often as I should
I did this yesterday and saved par. Hit my drive into the rough on a long par 5 with a hard dogleg right at the end. My instinct was to try and cut the corner through a tree to reach the rough to the right side of the green and hope to get up and down for birdie. I would have needed to hit a very small window between the trees for that to happen. Instead I played out to the middle of the fairway with a 9 iron and then hit another one from there onto the green. Two putt for par and walked away happy.
Oh yes. This weekend I hit a nice 3 wood about 260 that got gobbled up in the wind (shoulda went 2i) and ended up in the left rough under a buncha trees. There was quite a bit of room to try and thread a pitching wedge to the front pin location, but instead I took my 5i and did a nice little punch that rolled up a foot off of the green. I had a nice chip in for birdie.Ā
Ya Iām just happy when I have one complete hole where I donāt hate myself after one of the shots.
Thereās also a part of me that thinks I canāt play when Iām too happy. I didnāt realize I was playing a par 5 the other day and was really bummed when I missed a putt for my fourth shot and then hit the 5, when I realized I just parred the hole I was so excited my next drive went right into the water.
I learned the game playing with my dad. The way he did punch shots always looked like he was trying to swing hard on a really short backswing and follow through, so thatās how I did it for a long time. Both of us were terrible.
Didnāt occur to me until I was like 30 that you can just choke up on a low iron and act like youāre chipping and get all the distance and control you need out of a punch shot. Felt like such an idiot for doing it the way I had for so long.
To me those are still two different shots, you can sort of pitch out and generally like 10 yards or so is the distance, or you can actually punch and for me that's more like 30-40 yards with a lot more zip just really low, both are important.
Definitely. The mentality of compounding errors with 100-1 hero escape vs. knowing that a shot over ānetā is just fine.
It takes a wise/humbled mind to fight the hubris. Definitely guilty of trying for glory and totalling my round.
What helped me is thinking about it as an opportunity to hit a good shot or making a challenge to myself āno I can make par from hereā has helped me so many times
I think this is huge. To be able to bring ball back to safety with a low punch rather than hitting over trees. Could potentially make par/bogey instead of double/triple bogey
My last round was a blow up round. After 3 rounds in the mid-80s, and striking the ball well, I was pretty excited about the round. Dispersion was no different than previous rounds, which means I had pretty much all playable second shots, though I had a number that were stuck behind trees from an unlucky bounce.
My punch shots were terrible. Had a few that I chunked, a few that flew to the other rough and left me a difficult lie. It got into my head and I was then playing too safe.
Didnāt break 100. My buddy I played with must think Iām āthat guyā who hits significantly better and ends up hitting for shit during our rounds together.
Largely the mental skill to deal with things that you canāt control:
The 8-sum group playing ahead of you, the shockingly bad tee shot that resulted in a double par in the last par 3, the random gust of wind that took your baby fade out of bounds, the stupid pin positions due to the club tournament that took place yesterday, the fucking pond in the bunker, the crippling diarrhea from Taco Bell that your wife really wanted to get last night for no reason, etc.
You play the cards youāre dealt. Donāt get caught up in things that you donāt have.
Very stoic of you! We get wrapped up in what's in front of us and it can be challenging to take a step back and assess the situation. Put it all in perspective.
Playing your percentage misses rather than going at the pin every time. And picking a spot just in front of the ball on your line and setting up to that.
I dropped to single figures when I stopped being arrogant with approaches. Hitting middle of the green is perfectly fine 90% of the time. And 90% of the time I'm also aiming a little left on top ;)
Knowing miss tendencies (short right for me/most) is probably more valuable for most golfers, than knowing the stock yardage IMO ā especially when navigating hazards/bunker/pins.
getting your ball in play with a good tee shot. you hear a lot of people advocating more chipping/putting practice, but a good tee shot can set you up to take advantage of a hole. if you can hit bombs all day, it makes your round more about chasing birdies than battling to avoid bogeys.
it's worth pointing out that if you haven't got a short game at all, you need to spend some time practicing. I'm just saying it pays to practice hitting it over the highway!
Yeah Iāve said same for years.
The old adage, ādrives for show, putts for doughāā¦ is fine and all, but if your putt is for a triple aināt going to be much dough involved.
All of my best rounds were a combination of no lost balls and scrambling pars/bogeys, amongst the relatively good holes. Minimising the misses = gold.
If you three putted 100% more of the time, and could drop the ball at 275 yards in the middle of the fairway, every single golfer would drop 3-4 strokes off their handicap.
People do not three putt that often, but they do hit driver OB or 30 yards in front of them.
Driver is the most important club in the bag for scoring improvement
You should track it. Youāre wrong. Every single person that has done a statistical study has shown that driver is significantly more important. One awful driver swing adds 2-3 strokes to one hole, one three putt typically adds 1. A 25 HCP only three putts at most 4-6 times a round. Thatās only 4-6 strokes.
I think the adage is (or was) applicable to tour players who all had similar ability to drive the ball well. The putter is what often set them apart. They certainly werenāt topping drives and blowing them into the trees very often.
You could also say that the putter isnāt what āwinsā tournaments, but is probably the deciding factor in making cuts and staying relevant on a leaderboardā¦..which is what leads to the ādoughā.
When I'm having a bad day off the tee I'm not having fun. Getting that first shot in play makes you feel like you're actually playing the game and not just pretending. Might as well play Par 3 if every second shot is a drop.
Yeah the mental aspect is huge. If you're regularly losing balls off the tee it's frustrating/embarrassing to play with a decent group. If you can get near the green in regulation then 3 putt (or worse lol) at least you're in the mix.
Nothing worse than being the guy off by himself in the bushes looking for your drives all round while the rest of the group is 100yds ahead waiting on you, can confirm.
>feel like you're actually playing the game
This is exactly how I felt on a recent golf trip. I hadn't played in \~2 years, and after the first 4 holes of my driver going everywhere but straight, I just left it in the bag and teed off with my 4i. Obviously wasn't going as far, but I was absolutely ripping that thing off the tee, and hit almost everywhere fairway. It felt like I was actually "playing the game," or "playing the course," rather than playing in the shrubs off to the side. Didn't really score, but it was a lot of fun (definitely more fun then looking for errant drives).
I kept my driver in the bag the whole trip.
Jesus, I feel attacked. This is 100% accurate and a summary of my first year or so of golf. I learned the game backwards (putting then chipping then irons, etc) but have struggled off the tee box and it only recently changed and turned it into an actual game, vs dropping the ball next to friendās real shots.
Mentally I would have much more fun fumbling every hole for triple bogey after a great drive than I would playing amazing short game but slicing every drive into the shit, even if I end up scoring better
Just got back from a golf trip to Turkey, where we played some amazing but tricky courses.
One in particular (Carya) was fantastic, but *very* tight in places, with lots of water and lots of ways to screw up from the tee.
Honestly out of the 12 of us that went, I'd say I'm the weakest golfer. Lots of Long Boys in the group, some people with incredible approach play, some stunning putters.
But on that one day I came in first out of the 12. ...and the only reason was because the big dog was behaving itself and I found the fairway off every tee. There was nothing else remarkable about my game that day, so I put it all down to starting each hole right.
My HC varies between 13-15. My best scoring days are the ones where Iām hitting fairways. Itās gonna take a few holed putts and good chips to break 85, but I have no chance if Iām missing fairways all day.
Ability to remember the names of the two or three randos youāre playing with. Sometimes I still panic and write them down on the scorecard.
I would consider it a golf skill because it relieves just a modicum of tension and stress, and that can make all the difference.
I have trouble remembering names, I just write their names on my scorecard at the beginning of the match, something like "John Red Shirt" so I can reference it easier.
I think my handicap has dropped because of my ability to not have a single good shot on a hole but still walk away with bogey. It probably comes with not having catastrophic misses, good course management, and solid chipping and putting.
Hitting with ā80%ā power. I watch my friends do the perfect practice swing and when they step up to the ball it looks like they are trying to hit it 500 yards - they try to hit it much harder than the practice swing. Of course I do this on occasions but I have taught myself to hold back when hitting the ball and it always goes as far if not further than when I absolutely rip into it because I strike it much cleaner. Itās completely mental to hold back especially on a long hole but makes a huge difference. My friends always hit the ball further than me, but it goes off into the woods way more often and I always beat them over a round.
There's definitely a balance to be struck between swing speed and finding the sweet spot ā rarely does max speed align with that illusive pinhead speck of clubface .
Problem being it's relatively easy to find that illusive speck once or twice on the driving range during practice and that becomes their "stock" shot, even though they hit a jumbo bucket of shite before it (guilty as charged).
Ha very true! By hitting it with 80% power I also mean more: Donāt try to hit it with 120% power - rather than actively reduce your standard swing power, it just seems that once the ball is there we try to hit it extra hard
It's also funny because the difference between "80%" power and 110% power for me is like...101 mph driver and 106 mph driver. It feels like so much and it's sooo marginal.
Ability to mentally continue playing after a blowup hole. As soon as a snowman shows up on my scorecard Iām done playing seriously, which is something I wish I can improve on
This is a top skill in golf. Being able to divorce a bad score from your thoughts and going into a new hole with a clean slate is very difficult for even the top golfers!
I've been known to break clubs!. I keep a few from Goodwill on hand so I can chuck them or break them and throw them in the pond. It keeps others in the foursome guessing too!
I wish I had that skill...
I would say the ability to laugh at yourself when it all goes to shit. The only thing that gets me a bit riled up is people not yelling fore, or super slow groups taking multiple practice swings only to top it, and people crouching to read the green when they got there in 6 shots, you're going to three put it anyway save your knees!
Edit to add, when I take newby friends out I say the most important thing to learn is you can play bad golf, but you gotta play bad golf fast. And for christ sakes yell fore if you're even slightly uncertain!
I've mastered playing bad golf fast. I love being out on the course, but I'm also not trying to turn a Tuesday morning round into a six hour chore. I like to get in, and get out with a quick 9 hole 50.
4 to 8 feet is a huge difference in fairness.
A 2019 golf.com article I found showed Pro golfers are putting 52% from 8 feet and 91% from 4 feet. Massive difference.
Donāt beat yourself up for missing 8 footers, if pros are only sinking about half of those.
Was listening to a podcast with Bones a while back and when asked what is the number one thing amateurs can do to improve their putting he said āalways read your putt from behind the hole.ā Amateurs tend to think itās going to take a lot of time and most donāt want to be slow, but in practice you can do this 95% of the time while youāre waiting to putt.
I started doing this end of last year and all this year and my green reading, and thus confidence in my line have improved a ton.
Someone that is insanely consistent with their woods. Even pros struggle with consistency on a 3W and 5W and when you play with someone that hits them dead straight and can control yardages itās an insane skill.
Finding errant balls in the woods has literally helped my perception for other lost things in daily life. I've been playing for 25 years now, since I was about 10. I'm very good at finding lost things like pens, keys, or random things at work. I attritube most of it to searching for balls for basically my whole life.
Chipping.
Go practice in your yard or park. Scoring is how youāll save the most strokes in a round. And letās admit it, weāre not hitting GIRās, so the average golfer is chipping on every hole.
I do better when random people are watching me. My best shot Iāve had was a 160 yard par three at a scramble. It was the pot of gold hole, so there was two girls watching who were collecting the tickets. The course was backed up, so there was a foursome behind me who watched my shot as well.
All my partners folded under the pressure and missed the green. I dropped my ball right by the pin leaving me us a 2 footer for birdie
Bar none the most underrated skill a golfer can learn is course management. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses can become a strength all around. It is extremely helpful at ALL skill levels and truly allows a golfer to improve their ability to get around a course as efficiently as possible. What is golf if it's not an attempt to be as efficient as possible?
The ability to lob it directly over a bunker onto the green. To me there no scarier shot than being on one side of the bunker and need to just get over it. If you chunk it, in the bunker. Too little power, in the bunker. Too much power, you sail the green. Very underrated shot to be able to perform
I believe it is a good skill to be able to filter out negative thoughts and allow your self to stay in your own game, for when you play in a tournament and have an obnoxious prig in your flight.
Iron play. Driver isn't necessary off the tee box. I grew up playing 5 iron off the tee and could play much simpler bogey golf. The trick to it is, while it doesn't go as far, it doesn't go as far sideways either (typically).
Wanna go for a round some time? I'm so bad at finding my balls I'm about to buy one with a tracker in it just so I don't lose them anymore.
I once spent 3-4 minutes looking for my ball, gave up and dropped a new one where I thought the first one would be. Once I shot the new one I turned around and my OG ball was about 3 feet behind me.
You need to visualise, imbue, imaginate. Close your eyes. Think. Foresee. You gotta harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Listen for the wind. The birds. Your ancestors.
I got the Arccos last year to get some stats on my game. I liked it, but it didnāt tell me anything I didnāt already know.
I kept it this year for one reason: it gives me the yardage from my last shot. So now when I hit a shot off line, I know my yardage with each club where to start looking for my ball. Iāve played 5 rounds this year and havenāt lost a ball.
I really like your answer, because itās not really a golf skill but it can easily save you several strokes a round. Along the same lines, knowing the rules. I once saw a guy try to play a ball that was a few inches behind a hazard stake. He hit the stake and duffed his ball into the pond, just because he didnāt know he could move the stake before his shot.Ā
There is one hole at my local course that has terrible drainage in the landing area. My friends and I played there for years before realizing you get a free relief from temporary water. Hit so many bad second shots on that hole because my feet or the ball were in a swamp.
So yeah sometimes the rules screw you, but sometimes they are your friend.
Staying present and focusing on the shot at-hand. Whether youāre playing one of your best rounds or one of your worst, itās so easy to get caught up in the bad hole you just had or the score you might end the round with, etc. Expectations and hypotheticals can ruin a round quick.
Repairing extra ball marks, picking up the occasional piece of litter, empty beer can, etc. Basically, showing the course some love. My golf game is shit.
Managing expectations. I donāt know what it is about golf, we all think we should play like a tour pro even though the majority of the game consists of *recreational* golfers. Iāve been playing a little over 2 years, and was struggling mightily. I started playing much better and consistently lowering my scores by managing expectations and stop trying to play what I like to call āhero golf.ā
So you sliced your ball into the right rough under some trees. Manage expectations. Scottie Scheffler might have a shot from under there. You arenāt Scottie. You do not have a shot. Just take your medicine and pitch the ball back into the fairway.
I really wish I were better at triangulating. I'm terrible at tracking my ball, even worse when it's a blind shot or into the (in bounds) forest. I've tried to focus on picking out the line, like a specific tree, and walk in that direction, but I'm still pretty terrible at finding my ball.
As a frequent single player that gets added to other groups: I'm a style chameleon. I can play fast quiet ready golf with course regulars, slow chatty golf with a group of old ladies, follow all rules and etiquette with stuffy country club guys, or belch drink and curse with some college frat boys. As long as you're not bothering anyone else on the course, I can play your game with you.
Not focusing on score during the round. I found when I focus on my score, the round falls apart. When I put the scorecard away and just enjoy the surroundings and conversation, I play way better.
Just tap in the numbers to 18Birdies real quick and move on.
Yeah. Not sure Iād call it a skill, but definitely a frustration. Our course takes a battering over the weekend with society/corporate golfers coming in. Feel like a damn greens keeper following those guys.
Iāve noticed that in match play at my level (5-10 handicap) the biggest āgame changerā is being really good out of the sand. Itās such a momentum shift. You go into the sand and must people basically think theyāve won the hole. Then you hit one close from the sand it it really puts pressure bs k on them.
In my experience the better players are also better at finding balls. I think itās also a mental thing where they arenāt as distracted/disappointed by the errant shot that they didnāt follow the ball trajectory closely enough
Easier than you think. Requires skill, talent, lots of money, harvesting of a kidney and willingness to sell at least part of your soul to the devil.
(And clean/sharp grooves).
Easy...grab a 60 degree wedge...hands forward of the ball...don't break the wrists and hit LITERALLY the very back of the ball and the ground at once. Swing harder than you think and use a soft golf ball and you'll be hitting spinners everywhere.
My weakest skill is finding my ball in the fairway. Most of the balls I've lost in first 4 rounds this season went straight down the pipe, never to be seen again.
I've now switched to bright red balls.
Hit random yardages with odd clubs.
Iāve been golfing since I was 8, Iāve gone through waves of being near scratch and being over 25 handicap. I spent the majority of my summers from 10-21 at the golf course playing rounds, hitting balls and working on my game. I have a weird knack for hitting clubs like 4i 60 yards when itās needed. Last night played in the rain and hit a 55 yard 7i because I was partially blocked out. Ended up pin high. With 10 feet
I think itās staying positive mentally. I see people toss clubs, or have really negative body language all over the course. But moving on from a bad shot immediately is an under rated skill. Personally, I donāt care about my score which ironically probably contributes to my good scores.
Consistent pre-shot routine and simply keeping the ball in play off the tee.
I believe those should be the main foci for anyone with a handicap over 10.
The ability to hit a reasonably accurate, hard low punch that runs a ways.
It's honestly one of the easiest shots to hit in my opinion, but for some reason golfers are reluctant to practice it. I'll take a mid/long iron (depending how low I need to keep it), put the ball back in my stance with a slightly shut clubface, and basically just take a partial swing with a low finish.
Once you start playing competitively, especially, it's a shot that you honestly need to have. Too many hackers just give up the moment they are in the woods; they'll take the "smart" play and chip out sideways, but that's effectively a stroke penalty. If you have a reasonable window, you are way better off being able to knock a 4-iron 150 yards up the fairway and still have a shot at a GIR, even.
It's not a "hero" shot if you practice it and can hit a window pretty consistently. Sure the space is too tight you still might need to take your medicine once in a while, but it should be reserved for times where there are really no other options. And like I said it's honestly pretty easy to get good at these punches.
Forgetting "I have a bad slice" , "I have a nice fade" , and drilling down to the nuance of why you are putting that spin on the ball, how to fix it, and how to control it, even at 50%-75% swing.
Echoing the person who said attitude. Iād rather play with a shit golfer who was loads of fun to hang out with than a great golfer who sucks to hang out with
For me itās been being able to hit a solid bump-and-run onto the green, and knowing when best to go that route instead of trying to loft it in.
Also Iāve gotten really consistent with hitting super low stingers with my fairway woods, great for getting under branches and other tough spots.
Knowing distance to pin without measuring , itās a learned skill! I often call the number visually and have a friend shoot the target and Iām often spot on or 2-3 yards off!
Bump and run. Be it as a chip, pitch, approach or even a scared as hell driver off the tee.Ā
Just keeping the ball moving forward every time and away from danger is a hard thing to manage.Ā
Following up a good drive with a good second shot. Or just linking 2 good shots in a row. Should be easy, right? For me hitting multiple good shots in a row is very challenging.
Keeping all your shit together the whole round. Iāll struggle with driver but crushing irons. Then my driver will come sound and Iāll thin my irons. Then my irons will come back but I canāt chip. Iām decent at all those things but I just canāt seem to put it all together through a whole single round.
Thatās easy to fix. Few hundred lessons, sports scientist, mental coach and a couple of thousand hours with doppler radar and analytics will sort you right out.
Decision makingā¦choosing to hit a shorter club a bit harder or hitting a longer club a bit softer, to suit the shape of the greens and the hazards. Surprisingly it took me a few years to really internalize these types of decisions
Slicing my driver everytime. Kid you not, itās good to know that my ball is always going to fall one way. So I set myself up by adjusting my body to anticipate the slice so it ends up on the fairway.
My most underrated golf skill I never talk about is my ability to find a gap off a wayward tee shot and hit the smallest of gaps to give myself a chance to get up and down.
Yeah it's something I often tell myself - that I should have made more of a mental note of which tree it was headed towards instead of just quickly noting that tree in a forest of 30. I like your idea of triangulation, makes a lot of sense. Thanks
Ability to stay relaxed. Golf is more mental than physical.
There are two types of play, those that can keep their nerves under control and win championships and those that do not.
I've noticed when I stop caring I play better. I still can't break 150 but I don't have the 3 inch chunk that stops my club behind the ball
Playing shit golf and still being a fun person to play with, i.e. regardless of your bad day, you don't carry on like a twat and make friends/others feel awkward. It's a skill.
Best answer yet. Should be the first thing pros teach. Fast too, for full marks. ***š¶ If you're gonna to be shit, you gotta be fun... š¶***
In a similar vein, "you're not good enough to get mad"
As my dad always said āYou pay to play. You donāt get paid to playā
Playing a round with two good buddies and not really keeping score and making fun of each other is pure heaven
Nothing like having your vibe completely ruined because your cart partner loses their mental before we even get to the first green. Amen to this. Iām here to have fun first, a low score second. Iām outside with my boys on a beautiful day. How could you possibly be so salty?
I tell my friends all the time, weāre not good enough to expect to be good. So stop crying.
Amen to this.
Beautifully put! Additionally, my father always said, you can be shit, but donāt be slow.
Ability to be able to play a really solid shot after a bad drive. Even if it's just a punch to safety, I really struggle after hitting a bad drive or approach.
I remember Sir Nick saying ādonāt follow a bad shot with a bad decision. Make a solid shot youāre sure of after a bad shot. You canāt get it all back in one hero shotā I do not listen to that advice as often as I should
I did this yesterday and saved par. Hit my drive into the rough on a long par 5 with a hard dogleg right at the end. My instinct was to try and cut the corner through a tree to reach the rough to the right side of the green and hope to get up and down for birdie. I would have needed to hit a very small window between the trees for that to happen. Instead I played out to the middle of the fairway with a 9 iron and then hit another one from there onto the green. Two putt for par and walked away happy.
See, the ātwo putt for parā spot is where you lost me. I would get the hero shot and then 5 putt for double.
Why did I read this in my head as sir nicks voice
To me, the hero shot would be holing out from the fairway after a punch out instead getting one close to the green from trouble.
To me the hero shot is āI could punch back out to the 150, but there is a sliver of light up through the trees where I could hit the greenā
Oh yes. This weekend I hit a nice 3 wood about 260 that got gobbled up in the wind (shoulda went 2i) and ended up in the left rough under a buncha trees. There was quite a bit of room to try and thread a pitching wedge to the front pin location, but instead I took my 5i and did a nice little punch that rolled up a foot off of the green. I had a nice chip in for birdie.Ā
I have the fantastic ability of a really terrible shot after a great drive.
It's hard to recover from a great tee shot.
I may have to get this printed on a shirt
Ya Iām just happy when I have one complete hole where I donāt hate myself after one of the shots. Thereās also a part of me that thinks I canāt play when Iām too happy. I didnāt realize I was playing a par 5 the other day and was really bummed when I missed a putt for my fourth shot and then hit the 5, when I realized I just parred the hole I was so excited my next drive went right into the water.
Excuse me while I drive this ball to 20 yards from the pin on a short par 4 then duff the chip, then chip to 30 feet, then 3 putt.
Little known rule of golf. Rule 16a - No good drive goes unpunished.
I learned the game playing with my dad. The way he did punch shots always looked like he was trying to swing hard on a really short backswing and follow through, so thatās how I did it for a long time. Both of us were terrible. Didnāt occur to me until I was like 30 that you can just choke up on a low iron and act like youāre chipping and get all the distance and control you need out of a punch shot. Felt like such an idiot for doing it the way I had for so long.
To me those are still two different shots, you can sort of pitch out and generally like 10 yards or so is the distance, or you can actually punch and for me that's more like 30-40 yards with a lot more zip just really low, both are important.
Definitely. The mentality of compounding errors with 100-1 hero escape vs. knowing that a shot over ānetā is just fine. It takes a wise/humbled mind to fight the hubris. Definitely guilty of trying for glory and totalling my round.
I don't even go for the hero shot lol, just seem to compound my errors with a poorly executed shot.
Haha. Feel that. Topped drive. Topped 4i. Duffed 7ā¦ Itās a test of patience like no other
Are you me?
You go for the hero shot in a scramble and a scramble only š.
This is what I noticed the pros have that amateurs don't. Pros and weekenders both hit bad shits often. But a pro never hits 2 bad shots in a row.
What helped me is thinking about it as an opportunity to hit a good shot or making a challenge to myself āno I can make par from hereā has helped me so many times
I think this is huge. To be able to bring ball back to safety with a low punch rather than hitting over trees. Could potentially make par/bogey instead of double/triple bogey
My last round was a blow up round. After 3 rounds in the mid-80s, and striking the ball well, I was pretty excited about the round. Dispersion was no different than previous rounds, which means I had pretty much all playable second shots, though I had a number that were stuck behind trees from an unlucky bounce. My punch shots were terrible. Had a few that I chunked, a few that flew to the other rough and left me a difficult lie. It got into my head and I was then playing too safe. Didnāt break 100. My buddy I played with must think Iām āthat guyā who hits significantly better and ends up hitting for shit during our rounds together.
Some of my best shots are recovery shots. Probably because I get a lot of practice.
My underrated skill is math. No matter how high my score is I can still count it and add that number to the number already claimed.
I never count the total strokes and only count the over. Itās a lot easier to count +1 0 +2 +1 ect.
Largely the mental skill to deal with things that you canāt control: The 8-sum group playing ahead of you, the shockingly bad tee shot that resulted in a double par in the last par 3, the random gust of wind that took your baby fade out of bounds, the stupid pin positions due to the club tournament that took place yesterday, the fucking pond in the bunker, the crippling diarrhea from Taco Bell that your wife really wanted to get last night for no reason, etc. You play the cards youāre dealt. Donāt get caught up in things that you donāt have.
Very stoic of you! We get wrapped up in what's in front of us and it can be challenging to take a step back and assess the situation. Put it all in perspective.
āGoofstrabaā
Gooooosblabla
Playing your percentage misses rather than going at the pin every time. And picking a spot just in front of the ball on your line and setting up to that.
I dropped to single figures when I stopped being arrogant with approaches. Hitting middle of the green is perfectly fine 90% of the time. And 90% of the time I'm also aiming a little left on top ;) Knowing miss tendencies (short right for me/most) is probably more valuable for most golfers, than knowing the stock yardage IMO ā especially when navigating hazards/bunker/pins.
getting your ball in play with a good tee shot. you hear a lot of people advocating more chipping/putting practice, but a good tee shot can set you up to take advantage of a hole. if you can hit bombs all day, it makes your round more about chasing birdies than battling to avoid bogeys. it's worth pointing out that if you haven't got a short game at all, you need to spend some time practicing. I'm just saying it pays to practice hitting it over the highway!
Yeah Iāve said same for years. The old adage, ādrives for show, putts for doughāā¦ is fine and all, but if your putt is for a triple aināt going to be much dough involved. All of my best rounds were a combination of no lost balls and scrambling pars/bogeys, amongst the relatively good holes. Minimising the misses = gold.
For me as a beginner a good (for my standards) Drive is key for a good hole.
If you three putted 100% more of the time, and could drop the ball at 275 yards in the middle of the fairway, every single golfer would drop 3-4 strokes off their handicap. People do not three putt that often, but they do hit driver OB or 30 yards in front of them. Driver is the most important club in the bag for scoring improvement
>People do not three putt that often Oh my sweet Summer child
You should track it. Youāre wrong. Every single person that has done a statistical study has shown that driver is significantly more important. One awful driver swing adds 2-3 strokes to one hole, one three putt typically adds 1. A 25 HCP only three putts at most 4-6 times a round. Thatās only 4-6 strokes.
Ha 275 Yards i wish. Iām happy when i hit a somewhat straight shot 200 meters (218ish yards)
Agree, also makes it more fun to have a shot at a par than to slice it OB and got no chance
The people that usually quote Bobby Locke usually suck with a driver and forget that he had a far above average percentage of fairways from the tee.
I think the adage is (or was) applicable to tour players who all had similar ability to drive the ball well. The putter is what often set them apart. They certainly werenāt topping drives and blowing them into the trees very often. You could also say that the putter isnāt what āwinsā tournaments, but is probably the deciding factor in making cuts and staying relevant on a leaderboardā¦..which is what leads to the ādoughā.
Agreed. Hell look at Scottie. Right now if his putting is on he's nearly unbeatable.
Short game is important but not as important as getting off the tee. If you canāt get off the tee, you canāt play golf.
When I'm having a bad day off the tee I'm not having fun. Getting that first shot in play makes you feel like you're actually playing the game and not just pretending. Might as well play Par 3 if every second shot is a drop.
Yeah the mental aspect is huge. If you're regularly losing balls off the tee it's frustrating/embarrassing to play with a decent group. If you can get near the green in regulation then 3 putt (or worse lol) at least you're in the mix. Nothing worse than being the guy off by himself in the bushes looking for your drives all round while the rest of the group is 100yds ahead waiting on you, can confirm.
>feel like you're actually playing the game This is exactly how I felt on a recent golf trip. I hadn't played in \~2 years, and after the first 4 holes of my driver going everywhere but straight, I just left it in the bag and teed off with my 4i. Obviously wasn't going as far, but I was absolutely ripping that thing off the tee, and hit almost everywhere fairway. It felt like I was actually "playing the game," or "playing the course," rather than playing in the shrubs off to the side. Didn't really score, but it was a lot of fun (definitely more fun then looking for errant drives). I kept my driver in the bag the whole trip.
Jesus, I feel attacked. This is 100% accurate and a summary of my first year or so of golf. I learned the game backwards (putting then chipping then irons, etc) but have struggled off the tee box and it only recently changed and turned it into an actual game, vs dropping the ball next to friendās real shots.
Mentally I would have much more fun fumbling every hole for triple bogey after a great drive than I would playing amazing short game but slicing every drive into the shit, even if I end up scoring better
Just got back from a golf trip to Turkey, where we played some amazing but tricky courses. One in particular (Carya) was fantastic, but *very* tight in places, with lots of water and lots of ways to screw up from the tee. Honestly out of the 12 of us that went, I'd say I'm the weakest golfer. Lots of Long Boys in the group, some people with incredible approach play, some stunning putters. But on that one day I came in first out of the 12. ...and the only reason was because the big dog was behaving itself and I found the fairway off every tee. There was nothing else remarkable about my game that day, so I put it all down to starting each hole right.
My HC varies between 13-15. My best scoring days are the ones where Iām hitting fairways. Itās gonna take a few holed putts and good chips to break 85, but I have no chance if Iām missing fairways all day.
Driver is the most important club and it's not particularly close.
Ability to remember the names of the two or three randos youāre playing with. Sometimes I still panic and write them down on the scorecard. I would consider it a golf skill because it relieves just a modicum of tension and stress, and that can make all the difference.
I have trouble remembering names, I just write their names on my scorecard at the beginning of the match, something like "John Red Shirt" so I can reference it easier.
I think my handicap has dropped because of my ability to not have a single good shot on a hole but still walk away with bogey. It probably comes with not having catastrophic misses, good course management, and solid chipping and putting.
Hitting with ā80%ā power. I watch my friends do the perfect practice swing and when they step up to the ball it looks like they are trying to hit it 500 yards - they try to hit it much harder than the practice swing. Of course I do this on occasions but I have taught myself to hold back when hitting the ball and it always goes as far if not further than when I absolutely rip into it because I strike it much cleaner. Itās completely mental to hold back especially on a long hole but makes a huge difference. My friends always hit the ball further than me, but it goes off into the woods way more often and I always beat them over a round.
There's definitely a balance to be struck between swing speed and finding the sweet spot ā rarely does max speed align with that illusive pinhead speck of clubface . Problem being it's relatively easy to find that illusive speck once or twice on the driving range during practice and that becomes their "stock" shot, even though they hit a jumbo bucket of shite before it (guilty as charged).
Ha very true! By hitting it with 80% power I also mean more: Donāt try to hit it with 120% power - rather than actively reduce your standard swing power, it just seems that once the ball is there we try to hit it extra hard
It's also funny because the difference between "80%" power and 110% power for me is like...101 mph driver and 106 mph driver. It feels like so much and it's sooo marginal.
Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast
Ability to mentally continue playing after a blowup hole. As soon as a snowman shows up on my scorecard Iām done playing seriously, which is something I wish I can improve on
This is a top skill in golf. Being able to divorce a bad score from your thoughts and going into a new hole with a clean slate is very difficult for even the top golfers!
100% man! Idk how to improve upon this, but that has to be my worst enemy, getting in my own head on the course! Thatās when the pints come out š¤£
I've been known to break clubs!. I keep a few from Goodwill on hand so I can chuck them or break them and throw them in the pond. It keeps others in the foursome guessing too!
My partner tells me I lead the league in TIR. That's Trees in Regulation, for the uninitiated.
Uncanny arborist skills. I can tell what kind of tree I hit by the pitch of the strike. Higher notes are pine. Deep, earthy tones are hard woods
āI didnāt see it come out but that sounded like mahoganyā
I wish I had that skill... I would say the ability to laugh at yourself when it all goes to shit. The only thing that gets me a bit riled up is people not yelling fore, or super slow groups taking multiple practice swings only to top it, and people crouching to read the green when they got there in 6 shots, you're going to three put it anyway save your knees! Edit to add, when I take newby friends out I say the most important thing to learn is you can play bad golf, but you gotta play bad golf fast. And for christ sakes yell fore if you're even slightly uncertain!
I've mastered playing bad golf fast. I love being out on the course, but I'm also not trying to turn a Tuesday morning round into a six hour chore. I like to get in, and get out with a quick 9 hole 50.
Tough mental fortitude. Everyone hits bad shots. But not everyone can stay mentally tough and hit a good recovery shot.
Committing to every shot. You get in so much more trouble trying to prevent things going wrong than you do trying to make things happen.
Burying a 12 foot uphill putt after missing a 3 foot downhill putt
Sinking 4-8 foot putts.Ā
But why would I go to the practice green when I can rip 50 driver shots on the range right over there? /s
4 to 8 feet is a huge difference in fairness. A 2019 golf.com article I found showed Pro golfers are putting 52% from 8 feet and 91% from 4 feet. Massive difference. Donāt beat yourself up for missing 8 footers, if pros are only sinking about half of those.
Being kind to yourself when you play a bad shot
Reading the greens
I'm completely illiterate. Greens often embarrass me. Never had a putting lesson (and it shows).
Was listening to a podcast with Bones a while back and when asked what is the number one thing amateurs can do to improve their putting he said āalways read your putt from behind the hole.ā Amateurs tend to think itās going to take a lot of time and most donāt want to be slow, but in practice you can do this 95% of the time while youāre waiting to putt. I started doing this end of last year and all this year and my green reading, and thus confidence in my line have improved a ton.
Someone that is insanely consistent with their woods. Even pros struggle with consistency on a 3W and 5W and when you play with someone that hits them dead straight and can control yardages itās an insane skill.
classic old man skill. heās only driving it 150, but heās never missing a fairway.Ā
Finding errant balls in the woods has literally helped my perception for other lost things in daily life. I've been playing for 25 years now, since I was about 10. I'm very good at finding lost things like pens, keys, or random things at work. I attritube most of it to searching for balls for basically my whole life.
Knowing the perfect moment to pass around the bottle of Fireball
Chipping. Go practice in your yard or park. Scoring is how youāll save the most strokes in a round. And letās admit it, weāre not hitting GIRās, so the average golfer is chipping on every hole.
I do better when random people are watching me. My best shot Iāve had was a 160 yard par three at a scramble. It was the pot of gold hole, so there was two girls watching who were collecting the tickets. The course was backed up, so there was a foursome behind me who watched my shot as well. All my partners folded under the pressure and missed the green. I dropped my ball right by the pin leaving me us a 2 footer for birdie
Bar none the most underrated skill a golfer can learn is course management. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses can become a strength all around. It is extremely helpful at ALL skill levels and truly allows a golfer to improve their ability to get around a course as efficiently as possible. What is golf if it's not an attempt to be as efficient as possible?
The ability to lob it directly over a bunker onto the green. To me there no scarier shot than being on one side of the bunker and need to just get over it. If you chunk it, in the bunker. Too little power, in the bunker. Too much power, you sail the green. Very underrated shot to be able to perform
Not hitting driver, even when your whole group does because to you, hitting driver isnāt the play. Still developing that skill.
Showing up for your tee time early allowing time for practice.
I believe it is a good skill to be able to filter out negative thoughts and allow your self to stay in your own game, for when you play in a tournament and have an obnoxious prig in your flight.
Driving your Callaway into the woods then hitting your Nike out.Ā
Emotional management.
Iron play. Driver isn't necessary off the tee box. I grew up playing 5 iron off the tee and could play much simpler bogey golf. The trick to it is, while it doesn't go as far, it doesn't go as far sideways either (typically).
This is how I grew up and still mostly play
3 putts then making a par next hole
Nah, not even sure thatās possible tbh.
Wanna go for a round some time? I'm so bad at finding my balls I'm about to buy one with a tracker in it just so I don't lose them anymore. I once spent 3-4 minutes looking for my ball, gave up and dropped a new one where I thought the first one would be. Once I shot the new one I turned around and my OG ball was about 3 feet behind me.
You need to visualise, imbue, imaginate. Close your eyes. Think. Foresee. You gotta harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Listen for the wind. The birds. Your ancestors.
It's a lot easier to find your ball when you are walking. You can get a good "line" on it and just walk straight over it.
I got the Arccos last year to get some stats on my game. I liked it, but it didnāt tell me anything I didnāt already know. I kept it this year for one reason: it gives me the yardage from my last shot. So now when I hit a shot off line, I know my yardage with each club where to start looking for my ball. Iāve played 5 rounds this year and havenāt lost a ball.
I really like your answer, because itās not really a golf skill but it can easily save you several strokes a round. Along the same lines, knowing the rules. I once saw a guy try to play a ball that was a few inches behind a hazard stake. He hit the stake and duffed his ball into the pond, just because he didnāt know he could move the stake before his shot.Ā
There is one hole at my local course that has terrible drainage in the landing area. My friends and I played there for years before realizing you get a free relief from temporary water. Hit so many bad second shots on that hole because my feet or the ball were in a swamp. So yeah sometimes the rules screw you, but sometimes they are your friend.
Exactly right. Play in tournaments where it matters and this is the biggest stroke saber of them all
One Ball Walterā¦I rarely lose balls. A tad short and down the middle.
Understanding the whim of the golf gods. A good shot can get a bad result, a bad shot can get a good result.
Personally? Wedge shots from off the green would probably knock 8 strokes off my game
Staying present and focusing on the shot at-hand. Whether youāre playing one of your best rounds or one of your worst, itās so easy to get caught up in the bad hole you just had or the score you might end the round with, etc. Expectations and hypotheticals can ruin a round quick.
Repairing extra ball marks, picking up the occasional piece of litter, empty beer can, etc. Basically, showing the course some love. My golf game is shit.
Managing expectations. I donāt know what it is about golf, we all think we should play like a tour pro even though the majority of the game consists of *recreational* golfers. Iāve been playing a little over 2 years, and was struggling mightily. I started playing much better and consistently lowering my scores by managing expectations and stop trying to play what I like to call āhero golf.ā So you sliced your ball into the right rough under some trees. Manage expectations. Scottie Scheffler might have a shot from under there. You arenāt Scottie. You do not have a shot. Just take your medicine and pitch the ball back into the fairway.
I really wish I were better at triangulating. I'm terrible at tracking my ball, even worse when it's a blind shot or into the (in bounds) forest. I've tried to focus on picking out the line, like a specific tree, and walk in that direction, but I'm still pretty terrible at finding my ball.
I have buddy thatās good at tracking down the golf ball also. I donāt have the best distance vision so Iām always playing with him lol.
As a frequent single player that gets added to other groups: I'm a style chameleon. I can play fast quiet ready golf with course regulars, slow chatty golf with a group of old ladies, follow all rules and etiquette with stuffy country club guys, or belch drink and curse with some college frat boys. As long as you're not bothering anyone else on the course, I can play your game with you.
Hitting a good second shot after a monster drive
Not focusing on score during the round. I found when I focus on my score, the round falls apart. When I put the scorecard away and just enjoy the surroundings and conversation, I play way better. Just tap in the numbers to 18Birdies real quick and move on.
I can throw my divot repair tool into the ground like a knife and usually miss others feet.
At my home course it's fixing pitch marks. FIX YOUR DAMN PITCH MARK and at least 2x others
Yeah. Not sure Iād call it a skill, but definitely a frustration. Our course takes a battering over the weekend with society/corporate golfers coming in. Feel like a damn greens keeper following those guys.
Long punch on bad positions
It's been said a few times, but keeping your head and hitting a good shot after a bad tee shot.
Marking the card
I almost always hit a good shot after a duff. Almost Edit: Not today, apparently
The "7 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)" is just *chef's kiss*
Iāve noticed that in match play at my level (5-10 handicap) the biggest āgame changerā is being really good out of the sand. Itās such a momentum shift. You go into the sand and must people basically think theyāve won the hole. Then you hit one close from the sand it it really puts pressure bs k on them.
Course management.
In my experience the better players are also better at finding balls. I think itās also a mental thing where they arenāt as distracted/disappointed by the errant shot that they didnāt follow the ball trajectory closely enough
Getting the ball to check on the green. I have never been able to do it
Easier than you think. Requires skill, talent, lots of money, harvesting of a kidney and willingness to sell at least part of your soul to the devil. (And clean/sharp grooves).
Right Iāve done all that AND bought all new clubs and bag. Still no check.
Easy...grab a 60 degree wedge...hands forward of the ball...don't break the wrists and hit LITERALLY the very back of the ball and the ground at once. Swing harder than you think and use a soft golf ball and you'll be hitting spinners everywhere.
Directions unclear, I just skulled it 100 yards over the green into the pool house window of a house I canāt afford to buy toilet paper for.
hmmmmm maybe stick with the chunk and run approach...that'll be $50 for the lesson though.
Course management and knowing when to take your medicine such as Chipping it onto the fairway instead of trying go blast it through the trees.
The ability to forget about a bad shot, missed putt, blow up hole and continue on with a good attitude.
My weakest skill is finding my ball in the fairway. Most of the balls I've lost in first 4 rounds this season went straight down the pipe, never to be seen again. I've now switched to bright red balls.
Missing a putt long and watching how it rolls past the hole, free look at the line you'll be putting back on.
Nice
Making a birdie right after you make a bogey.
Amnesia.
My Texas wedge skills are great.
Hit random yardages with odd clubs. Iāve been golfing since I was 8, Iāve gone through waves of being near scratch and being over 25 handicap. I spent the majority of my summers from 10-21 at the golf course playing rounds, hitting balls and working on my game. I have a weird knack for hitting clubs like 4i 60 yards when itās needed. Last night played in the rain and hit a 55 yard 7i because I was partially blocked out. Ended up pin high. With 10 feet
I think itās staying positive mentally. I see people toss clubs, or have really negative body language all over the course. But moving on from a bad shot immediately is an under rated skill. Personally, I donāt care about my score which ironically probably contributes to my good scores.
Getting the cart girl to show up on more than the first and 17th holes.
Consistent pre-shot routine and simply keeping the ball in play off the tee. I believe those should be the main foci for anyone with a handicap over 10.
The ability to hit a reasonably accurate, hard low punch that runs a ways. It's honestly one of the easiest shots to hit in my opinion, but for some reason golfers are reluctant to practice it. I'll take a mid/long iron (depending how low I need to keep it), put the ball back in my stance with a slightly shut clubface, and basically just take a partial swing with a low finish. Once you start playing competitively, especially, it's a shot that you honestly need to have. Too many hackers just give up the moment they are in the woods; they'll take the "smart" play and chip out sideways, but that's effectively a stroke penalty. If you have a reasonable window, you are way better off being able to knock a 4-iron 150 yards up the fairway and still have a shot at a GIR, even. It's not a "hero" shot if you practice it and can hit a window pretty consistently. Sure the space is too tight you still might need to take your medicine once in a while, but it should be reserved for times where there are really no other options. And like I said it's honestly pretty easy to get good at these punches.
Playing 3 good shots in a row.
Forgetting "I have a bad slice" , "I have a nice fade" , and drilling down to the nuance of why you are putting that spin on the ball, how to fix it, and how to control it, even at 50%-75% swing.
Oh I see you arenāt familiar with ADHD
Echoing the person who said attitude. Iād rather play with a shit golfer who was loads of fun to hang out with than a great golfer who sucks to hang out with
Reading greens. I have a pal who is good at it. It's an amazing skill.
The ability not to get frustrated and to move on to the next shot with a clear mind.
Mental Fortitude.
Being able to perform the cart driver ball pickup drive by
Being able to take the game in stride. Youāre not a pro and Golf is cruel, donāt think about it too much.
Definitely not the short game
For me itās been being able to hit a solid bump-and-run onto the green, and knowing when best to go that route instead of trying to loft it in. Also Iāve gotten really consistent with hitting super low stingers with my fairway woods, great for getting under branches and other tough spots.
Forgetting the last bad shot in preparation for the next shot.
Being able to bounce the ball on your wedge is very underrated just because it's fun to do when you're bored.
Knowing distance to pin without measuring , itās a learned skill! I often call the number visually and have a friend shoot the target and Iām often spot on or 2-3 yards off!
Scrambling. I can hit 2 fairways and still shoot an 80.
Humility. Knowing that youāre more likely to par from 230 out if you lay up than smack a 3 wood to miss the green entirely.
Bump and run. Be it as a chip, pitch, approach or even a scared as hell driver off the tee.Ā Just keeping the ball moving forward every time and away from danger is a hard thing to manage.Ā
Following up a good drive with a good second shot. Or just linking 2 good shots in a row. Should be easy, right? For me hitting multiple good shots in a row is very challenging.
Keeping all your shit together the whole round. Iāll struggle with driver but crushing irons. Then my driver will come sound and Iāll thin my irons. Then my irons will come back but I canāt chip. Iām decent at all those things but I just canāt seem to put it all together through a whole single round.
Thatās easy to fix. Few hundred lessons, sports scientist, mental coach and a couple of thousand hours with doppler radar and analytics will sort you right out.
Whew, I thought it was going to take a lot to fix that.
knowing you are not good enough to get angry about a bad shot/score, etc.
Decision makingā¦choosing to hit a shorter club a bit harder or hitting a longer club a bit softer, to suit the shape of the greens and the hazards. Surprisingly it took me a few years to really internalize these types of decisions
Ability to nail the bev cart girl.
Reading greens!
The ability to back off of a shot at first thought of, āsomething feels off,ā in the back swing.
Making putts that count.
This isn't a skill. It's other-worldy magic and you can't tell me otherwise.
Mastering the art of bogey golf.
Slicing my driver everytime. Kid you not, itās good to know that my ball is always going to fall one way. So I set myself up by adjusting my body to anticipate the slice so it ends up on the fairway.
Shoutout to Irish Merv at my club, he could find a fucking needle in a haystack.
That ten foot putt. Long enough that you need to be serious about it. Short enough that your buddy will laugh at you for an "easy miss"
The pro at my local club tells my group, you aināt gonna lose a ball if they with me. But you are right people always over/under Index and give up
Same for me. Wanted to write exactly that.
Discipline
The chunk shot, I mean the chip shot.
I definitely need to work on this
My most underrated golf skill I never talk about is my ability to find a gap off a wayward tee shot and hit the smallest of gaps to give myself a chance to get up and down.
Yeah it's something I often tell myself - that I should have made more of a mental note of which tree it was headed towards instead of just quickly noting that tree in a forest of 30. I like your idea of triangulation, makes a lot of sense. Thanks
Never, EVER talk to anyone elseās ball. The āget in the holeā guy reveals himself to be the biggest tool in the box.
Ability to stay relaxed. Golf is more mental than physical. There are two types of play, those that can keep their nerves under control and win championships and those that do not. I've noticed when I stop caring I play better. I still can't break 150 but I don't have the 3 inch chunk that stops my club behind the ball
Buying the first round at the 19th hole is severely underestimated.
Checking your ego and hitting iron off the tee on a tricky hole when your buddies are saying fuck it and letting the big dog eat.
The ability to realize your not hitting 3 on that drop