Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. You can get your body working in unison so much easier and in turn, your slow swings are actually faster since everything is working together.
Facts, and with impact improving I lost no yardage and dispersion is cut in half. Also, the big miss is way smaller. I’ll miss a fairway of course but I’m not on the next fairway…
I hit it farther and its the additional lag from actually letting a transition happen.
Hit two yesterday that ended +300, by no means do I regularly do this, but particularly on those drives, it was a deliberate *body-arms-body-arms* sequence and felt different. That *arms* after I rotate in backswing gets the club to fall naturally with gravity, whereas before, and amplified by having a HZRDUS, I could get away with an aggressive transition. Switched to an Evenflow for the feel and kick and it does something excellent, but it’s a work in progress to get myself to stop wanting to rush that transition portion.
I was wondering if I might start to see distance increase as the “new” swing gets more efficient. I can swing into the 110’s but contact was always terrible, cruise swing is 103ish but I think once I get more comfortable with the proper sequence I might able to build a bit more speed and see results.
You need something to measure your speed and you can do the “3-strikes” drill. Once warmed up, you swing and set the baseline, then every swing after that has to be faster or you get a strike, once you get 3, you go back to your “cruising swing”—you notice an increase in speed. So 103. Next is 105, then 105, strike 1, then 106, next is 106, strike two, etc. It works.
Okay, but how do you actually do this?? It may just be muscle memory at this point, but my swings seem to be all or nothing. I can usually shorten my backswing, but I still tend to come down with everything I’ve got. How do I dial it down?
>I can usually shorten my backswing, but I still tend to come down with everything I’ve got.
I’m a 12, so please take this with a grain of salt, but I’ve come from being a 20 a few years ago and not being able to hit a FIR with DW to save my life.
I don’t believe in shortening anything, actually opposite, I have “widened” and “elongated” my backswing, upon instruction. I have said this above, but is *body-arms-body-arms* and you actually can sort of say this in your head as you swing. Hips and lower body takes the club away in a controlled fashion and then I bring my arms up. As my arms are coming up I start moving my lower body into the downswing (transition) and then let my arms fall and torso rotate.
Generally, you have to think about slowly swinging through the ball—believe me, it won’t actually be slow, but instead you’re syncing your lower and upper body together. Your lower body doesn’t go as fast as your arms, so you start it first so your arms “catchup”. Literally do not swing hard. Take swings without a ball and on the downswing try to be wide and make a deep woosh sound.
I have taken lessons and my instructor encourages me to take a fill back swing, usually by a better shoulder turn, and I have better results that way. If I shorten it I get quick with worse results.
The “Body-arms-body-arms” is the perfect way to put it for me. Starting the swing with a shoulder turn puts me in a good position and from there its much easier. Has to start with the body turn though, starting with the arms or hands kills the swing before it starts.
I literally practice the one piece takeaway like 50 times a day. It’s monotonous but its been a game changer.
This\^\^\^\^
I finally realized I need to concentrate on slowing down my tempo, rotating, keeping my head down , making a nice easy swing with good flush contact and striking the ball before the ground vs just trying to swing as fast as I can It's absolutely amazing how much further and better I'm striking the ball. Like I can literally hear and feel the difference even when I can't see the ball flight. I practiced and practiced for like 2.5 years and improved SOOOOO slowly....since I've slowed down and started working on good contact I'm improving exponentially quicker.
Same. I was stuck shooting 108 (as high as 114) for almost a year. Realized I was rushing everything from a random YouTube video and was like man I need to chill out. Focused on that and two days later, with no swing mechanic changes, shot a 97.
🤨
I heard someone out there say you should swing your club and the ball just happens to get in the way. I had an epiphany about my golf swing after my last range visit in mid May. Then got a grade 3 ankle sprain with torn ligaments at work before the end of May just when we started to have awesome as fuck weather. Probably can't golf until like September and I'm so annoyed about it. Gonna use up all my vacation days golfing at the end of the year
Just swing the club like there’s no ball. When I was stuck trying to hit the ball, I would often swing much harder than I needed and it throws the whole swing sequence off, like I would rush to impact because hitting the ball was the intent, not creating a good swing. Focusing on rotating keeps me from swinging “at” the ball I guess is a better way to put it.
It's amazing the difference, or I should say lack of difference, in yardage between a muscled shot and a smooth pured shot. I had always been a "swing out of my shoes" type, but while dealing with minor back injury I had no choice but to slow my swing down a bit and I was hitting some of the most beautiful shots I ever have. As my back began feeling better in following rounds I started swinging harder again and I started blowing shots again. Half way through one of those rounds, it was like a light bulb lit up in my brain, realizing what I was doing that was working so well in those rounds with my hurt back. I'm not the best ball striker by any means, but it's so much more consistent when I'm not trying to murder the ball.
The center of the face is a magical thing.
I actually drive the ball 300+ and people are always amazed how I don’t swing very hard to do it…..because the center of the face has a balloon effect that the rest of the face just doesn’t have.
Exactly, makes it harder to make positive changes as well. IMO, I will add, putting, chipping, even pitching, you need the reps because it is very feel-based and you can go about those three parts of the game in a lot of different ways. My chipping and pitching improved a ton with two things:
1. Figuring out and repping a “bump n run” or a low rollout with my lowest lofted wedge (50° for me) and then engraining that same process for the higher ones (56° and 60°)—high and soft is great but it’s much harder to repeat; and,
2. Starting every practice session with pitching and having a simple method—feet shoulder width apart, ball center, light forward pressure, upper body turn, same downswing length as backswing.
This! I have read alot of the feedback and there some good nuggets but this above is key. Improving your short game will save you from the inconsistencies of your longer clubs.
Same "downswing length as back swing" for chipping and you now have 3 chipping distances.
Add a putting stroke to chipping for short shots.
Practice the bump and run with an iron and a hybrid. When you are under trees the hybrid bump and run is a solid tool.
Driver is all about tempo.
Couldn't agree more. Good short game prqcrice is key. I've just gotten back into playing more, after barely playing in the last 15 years. Broke 100 for the first time again but had 40 puts and 17 chip shots. Dreadful short game.
Practice, we talking 'bout practice.
The thing I've found for myself too--I've been practicing chipping a lot, and I've got 3 styles of chip shots. Usually, only one works on a given day/course, and part of the first couple of holes is figuring out which one.
Yeah it is. I haven’t had a lesson and have gone from a 40+ hcp to a 20 in my first year of playing . It’s ridiculous to say basically “Playing golf won’t make you better at golf, without a lesson you’ll never improve”
Jay Cutler is right tho. Sure you can go from a 40 to a 20 by practicing even if the habits are bad, but to go to the next level, you gotta address the fundamentals and know what to properly practice. I learned that the hard way
I will also add practicing at a driving range or practice hole. Not practicing during a round. Work on one specific part of your game at a time and get it to where it feels right and just do it over and over and over. Muscle memory is key. For me it doesn’t ever get boring because I see results in real time.
I live on a course and am lucky enough to be able to hop on when I can. I meet my buddies out and they are those ragey golfers who suck and don’t know why. Meanwhile theyve never spent a second at the practice facilities and I spend more 3 times the amount of time at the chipping green and driving range then I do on the actual course. Honestly Im almost to the point where I can’t meet them out because I end up getting so frustrated with their lack of etiquette my wheels end up falling off and it hurts my game. Im just getting to a different point in my game then they are. Mind you Im not good. Im a low 80’s from the yellows on my best day but typically sit around the high 80’s.
Thanks a lot, Practice.
Your game is where I am at. Average 88.8 on GHIN and low is 81. Practice is practice, play is play. Just go out and play your game and don’t try to start something brand new unless you have “felt it before”.
This is the key. I'm not a great golfer but I am better than most. Understanding what makes a golf ball go where you want it is key.
Most people have zero clue what they did, or what caused what. I spent years just hitting and hoping, getting through on being a competent athlete alone. Learning about club face, face to path, compressing the golf ball, hitting the golf ball first, all key to moving the ball towards the hole.
And when you practice like this guy said, record some shots, change something. Going to the range to hit 200 balls the same way you currently are struggling doesn't help anything. Lessons too.
Not a game! We're talking about practice. Not a game; not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last, not the game, we're talking about practice, man.
I have a bunch of buddies who are somewhat new to the game. They were shocked when I tallied up my scores. I shot like high 80s, and they thought I shot in the 70s. They say they shoot around 90, and I’m like, that’s because you guys have no idea how to play by the rules or keep an accurate score
I've encountered a theory that having kids cost you about 3-4 strokes on your index. I've had kids for 5 years and it seems to be holding true, if I could ever play enough to get a true adjustment.
Had a kid as a 9 when I was playing 4 times a week. That went to playing once a month to about twice a month once she turned 18 months. Highest was around a 12 or so. Down to an 8.5.
Looked into full swings that take less practice and I’m honestly ballstriking better than ever. You’ll be fine.
Wait until they’re old enough and then you see them hit their first ever 130 yard drive and the smile that goes with it, pays it all back in full with interest.
I had my first kid before the season started and still get out 1-2x a week. Communicate with your spouse and don’t slack when available. Both parents need their “me” time to destress
This is good advice but also really subjective. I’m living in a place where realistically weekend rounds are 6+ hours once you factor in commutes, even though my wife would be cool with it, I don’t feel good about sacrificing that much family time.
Too bad there's absolutely no middle ground.
Bruh, just go play 9. Hit the range. Practice putting. Spend time chipping on the chipping green. Play a par 3 or executive 9.
People act like not having time to play 18 is going to destroy their game. Itll actually make you better, because now you can prioritize quality practice.
1-2x a week?? Please tell me how you convinced your spouse to have "you" time for 5-6 hour+ straight blocks (inc travel) multiple times a week when there's a newborn at play lmao
I play a 6am tee time, at a course that is about 15 mins from my house. I wake up at 5am, leave the house by 5:20, and am home by about 10:45 the absolute latest. On top of that, my wife gets time during the week to do what she likes to do to decompress. I also communicate with my wife, and she knows how I enjoy playing golf and how it helps my mental health by being outside, walking, and getting away from daily stressors.
I have 3 kids, 2 3 and 4. I'm the "stay at home dad" (quotes because I still work, just part time now because child care is a joke for 3 kids) so I get to golf pretty regularly and have a ton of time with my kids. They are a killer. There's days where they mentally drain me so when I hit the course I'm so exhausted I'll stop keeping score after like the 5th hole and just enjoy my time out there. It's not always but there's definitely days. I brought my 4 year old out with me last week because he loves coming, I told him he could only stay for the first 9 and his mom was coming to get him to get him ready for bed. I shot a 54 on the front and a 41 on the back.. I love and cherish the memories we're making, but I know I'm not out there to improve my handicap..
Much love and congrats! It's well worth it but you'll be making a lot of sacrifices, including your golf score.
2,3,4. Damn! So basically for 6 years the only thing your kids mom has known is being pregnant and nursing taking care of newborns. Hopefully you take great care of her!
I quit my job to watch these little bastards lol. It's a weird chapter but I love having a "big" family. I didn't want kids but she wanted 3 kids, so here we are. We've been together for 17 years now, nothing is by accident. Life went on pause but we know it's temporary and totally worth it, just enjoying every day for what it is.
We just had our first in October and I just can't imagine this going on for 6 years haha. Nobody truly tells you how hard it is. We've been saying only 1, but who knows if in a couple of years. She had a pretty traumatic birth though. Our daughter is incredible. Best thing ever, but 3 so close together, we might go insane. You guys are built different lol. Congrats on a great big family!
Happened here from mid-pregnancy to a couple years old.
On the flip side, my kid loves being outside and taking long walks, so he sometimes walks 9 with me (started at 2yo, now 5yo). I've always been super distractible but now that I have to keep one eye on him (and one on the ball) I'm **unflappable** on the course.
I’m on like year 3 of going probably 6 times a year. Had a kid last year and it actually made better. I focus on fundamentals and just enjoying the outdoors. Also quit drinking so i actually try
Hitting anything inside 3 foot with pace, and making those putts 90 percenters. Makes approaching a two putt much less daunting, and rewarding yourself with pars and comfy bogeys.
Did this for my drives and has been a giant game changer for me, used to get maybe 230 off the tee with a big slice and now I regularly hit it 280 with a bit of a draw or straight (had one go 330 last weekend which was a personal record for me)
Adding some turf to the backyard to chip from. I’m so much more comfortable around greens now that I can go out and chip 50 balls almost every day. And a putting mat inside for 4-5 footers. Missing those less often now. I can’t always get to the range so having stuff at home has helped big time.
I have a 2’x3’ mat of turf that I bought and lay down on the driveway to hit off of. Bought about 50 nitro balls super cheap and just hit those all over the backyard. That’s my cost effective way of doing it. I get to chip like 200 balls a day.
Hello there. I just ordered some basic turf off Amazon, a 3x5 strip, then dug up that same space in the yard and stapled it down. Had to pull it up once and put more dirt under as the first time all I did was create a puddle. It’s not perfect but allows me to hit without digging up the grass, both to chip (lined it up with the long side of the fence) but also I’ve got a cheap net I can put up to hit irons into to work on contact/etc.
This is my go to for improvement on the scorecard. When you have confidence in your ability to get up and down, it takes a lot of stress out of hitting your approach shots, which for me, yields better approach shots.
I think chipping is the easiest area to save strokes and improve scores for 90% of people. I gave my buddy a chipping lesson on a tee box for 2 min, and he went from shooting 90s to shooting 80s every round since. It’s by far the easiest part of the game to get relatively good at
Mannn I know this is it. I put in a lot of range time hitting off mats, and then I get on the course and the ball is below my feet or in the rough or what have you and it's just a completely different game. The more rounds I'm able to play, the better I play.
This is an under rated point. You can't practice uneven lies, shots from the rough, club selection, or course management on the range. 90% of golf has nothing to do with the swing or impact with the ball...the chess match with the planet earth does not exist on the range.
besides hours of practice, i think the best thing for your score is being mentally tough with no short term memory. It doesn't matter how you got where you are, you can only hit the next shot and go from there
>being mentally tough with no short term memory
I've always had this and still suck half the time. I basically play with a single hole mindset and move onto the next one hopeful even after completely blowing up right before.
My scorecards look so funny sometimes though with birdies/pars and 8/9s scatterd on there. The other week I won a couple skins in a 24 person outing while shooting terribly overall. I just happened to birdie or par 3 of the hardest holes on the course
Became a member at the worse par 3 course nearby that no one else wanted to play. Would play 2 balls and walk the course in less than 1 hour after work.
When I play with people worse than me (probably 90% of the time) I sometimes turn into them if they’re really bad. With better players, you see good swings and can put more focus into your own swing…Instead of hunting for playing partners’ balls and watching their cringeworthy swings.
This is so true. My two regularly playing partners are both not great, consistently shooting 110-120 (no offense to the high handicappers out there, I’ve been there).
When I play with my coworker who is a 7-8 handicap, I play way better. It is literally the difference in me shooting a 95 or an 82.
It’s mentally draining watching people hit horrible shot after horrible shot, and can make it hard to get into a rhythm.
I went from low 90’s/high 80’s to low 80’s/high 70’s by just making it clear to myself that I was playing to score better since that is how I enjoy the game. This helped eliminate a lot of lost balls and lower my double bogey and up scores.
By focusing on score. This meant eliminating hero shots. Being ok with bogey instead of going for an impossible shot and ending up with triple or worse.
No alcohol, walking, being my best own teammate, mental imagery, more layups (less hero shots).
Being upset over a duffed shot is fine, but within like a 5s reaction you should be back to hyping yourself out (internally that is).
Imagine the shot you want to execute.
Play the smart plays and don't go for hero shots, especially when trying to recover from poor position.
R10, a mat and a 10x10 net/spornia is a good lower cost way of getting started for ~1k
It's like 10 weekend rounds at good courses for the ability to practice a little everyday you want to
Understanding why the ball goes right or left.
And knowing how to make it do the opposite.
Hacking the same ball right for 30 shots on the driving range or course doesn’t do anything to fix your game. That is just practicing a bad shot.
If i start slicing the ball trying to hit it straight, I will immediately go to a “draw” set up and work on getting it to turn over.
“Effortless swing” - this thought alone has helped me out tremendously. Don’t swing too hard, don’t swing too fast, don’t rotate too fast, just let the club fall into the ball and let the club do all the work.
Swinging everything at 90% yet still committing to the shot. In the past I didn’t know how to lay off a little while still committing. I’ve dropped 3 strokes this year
Practice and a mindset shift. Several years ago I was a 16 cap, trying to consistently break 90.
I was told by a friend to break each hole into 5 stroke segments (18\*5=90), and to pretty much give yourself that many strokes to finish a hole. You can double bogey par 3s, which are notoriously where amateur golfers lose strokes, you can bogey par 4s, and you need to par the par 5s. This completely changed my course management. Bad tee shot on a par 3, get up and 2-putt? That's a "birdie". Play a par-4 clinically and par it? That's a "birdie". It really helped me to not attempt as many hero shots while chasing pars, forced me to be alot more patient, and allowed myself to not blow up.
This mindset, combined with practice has whittled me down to a 9 and now consistently shooting low-mid 80s. I have now only shot over 90 twice in the last 2 years, on particular days where nothing was working. Don't know if it would work for everyone, but it worked wonders for me.
I lived the past 5 years bouncing between a 6-2 but really could not get better. I had major swing flaws that all my coaches just wouldn’t touch because it was such a pain to fix until I moved to NC and got a new coach there that was like you have to fix it to get better.
The last 6 months I’ve been working on it so much and I’m to the point where I can hit consistently again. I would say going through and fixing the major issues than trying to play around them. That and then practicing 8-20 ft putts
2 things
Keeping the driver in play, which I’ve kinda cheated by just playing my fade. So i just aim left of the fairway cause I know its gonna cut 20-40 yards lol.
Being confident in shots 150 and in, giving myself at worst a chip and hopefully 2 putts at best from there.
For very bad golfers, i think the key thing is to develop a consistent swing. I’ll play with guys who shoot 100+ and they’re good for at least 6-10 of those shots that go about 20/40 yards and barely get off the ground.
Separating practice from play, and redefining practice.
Play - have fun, stay in a good place mentally, no swing thoughts, no negativity, etc.
Practice - Half of the time spent on putting and chipping, the other half split between remaining clubs evenly. In both sessions I’m hitting shots identically to how I hit them on the course. Routine, no swing thoughts, etc. If I am working on a specific aspect of my swing then I am dedicated to working on that and I view it as a separate session.
In the past I would think about my swing throughout practice and play, get frustrated or mopey, defeatist, etc. I would rarely allow myself to feel good and just swing with a clear head. I would also devote all of my practice to thinking about swing mechanics and/or mashing balls on rapid fire (mostly driver and long irons with very little putting).
Short game. Currently at a -.9, the lowest I’ve ever been, because of putting and chipping. My ball striking has been struggling, too. I’ve been consistently putting 27-30 times per round. I’ve been getting up and down about 65% of the time when inside 40-45 yards. Of course, this is assuming your drives stay in play - you have to be in play off the tee if you want to score. But once you do that short game is most important.
Baseball to overlap grip change. Baseball grip is a killer. Overlap or interlock will get the right fingers in the right place to allow the correct pressure on the club. Almost quit in the process but the game dropped 10 strokes over a few years
< 100: Leaving the driver in the bag and simple iron play
< 90: Chipping and putting
85 - 80: Learned how to keep driver off the tee playable
< 80: Being able to read and adjust to bad lies, wedges < 100yds
EDIT: Formatting, mobile :/
Generate Power from pushing the right arm infront of the ball, saw a video about taking divot and the guy recommended that. I still cant take divots but hit like 50 yard further and elevated my long game by a lot.
nelly korda says her swing thought is "swing with the big muscles", and that's fantastic advice at literally every level.
these days i don't even feel like i use my arms to swing, they're just a whip attached to my torso.
Had a stranger give me advice to follow for chipping and pitching years ago when I was really terrible around the greens. It immediately dropped 10-15 strokes off my scores and that coupled with some corrections to other awe full shit that I did was able to start breaking 100 within the year. The advice for the chipping still sticks with me to this day.
Keeping my feet together , keeping my head down and learn to chipping with a 8 iron. Once you get comfortable with the 8 move to a 9 and so on till you can chip constantly with a lob wedge. I thought it was hilarious that I would ever be able to chip with a lob wedge at the time but I followed the advice. It took about 3 years of playing consistently and practicing regularly before I went to the lob and have since gotten pretty good with it also decent at the flop shot. Now I only use a lower lofted club when I’m chipping from a longer distance.
Learning to come down on plane, and use the torso and how to clear the hips (really having issues with clearing the hips but a recent small improvement massively helped in my first full range session working on it, both distance and consistency improved)
I changed up my pre-shot routine and how I address the ball, and now I'm making fairly consistent contact across the bag where previously I couldn't hit anything above a 7 with any sort of consistency.
Building a simulator. At first it was great. I practiced every day, and my handicap dropped to an all time low. Then I got obsessed with the numbers and kept trying to tweak my swing to get the perfect ball flight with speed and accuracy. It started to fall apart, and my index went up by 4 strokes. Anyways, I'm an idiot.
Rebuilt my swing. After many years of hacking, and about a decade away from golf, I got back into it with the goal of figuring out how to hit a golf ball better. YouTube helped a lot in terms of fundamentals. I grew up playing sports, so I have an athletic background that helped me translate all that random foundational swing data to my own physiology. It’s been fun actually hitting the ball straighter than I ever have. I still shank and fat and top the ball, but those numbers are getting smaller.
Remembering my pre-shot routine. Picking a target in the distance, then a spot 1-2 feet in front of the ball in line with the target. Lining my club face up with the target infront of the ball, getting into position then swinging away. I do that with every single shot even putts and I'm much more consistent now.
Learning driver, actually learning it (lessons, practice, etc). Instead of what I did early on, which was go to range and basically try the same thing over and over but altering it slightly thinking something was going to change.
Consistent distance with certain clubs. Knowing your distance with your clubs is so crucial.
Practicing short putts. I’m talking 1-4’. I practice these more than anything.
Lag putts. 2 putting knocks so many strokes off your game.
Chipping and wedges. Short game is is king. Can’t tell you the amount of saves I’ve had knowing what I can do with my wedges and putter.
Playing smarter. Not taking hero shots. Get back on the fairway.
Still trash though. Just better than when I started.
Bought a putting mat, the one Dustin Johnson was peddling…. Spent the first winter with it and just constantly drilling 4-8 foot putts. And it has absolutely transformed my putting. Everything from set up, to the stroke is so consistent. I can pick a starting point and I will roll the ball online consistently. Don’t alway make putts cause of pace and green reading but the ones I read correctly go in
Stop being scared to make good shots or score low. Stop worrying about reining a low round. Play the course, win the hole, score low.
I used to have a few good holes then start playing too safe.
Better bunker play, playing smarter shots, taking the medicine when needed.
Staying playing 7 years ago, couldn't break 100. Now generally shoot upper 70s - mid 80s. To get into the mid 70s consistently I need to putt better inside 6-10ft and avoid all penalties. Right now I'm still averaging 2-3 penalty a round.
Lessons. Practice. Setup. Thinking about playing golf rather than hitting and hoping (strategy, which is mostly thinking about dispersion and giving myself a lot of room for error)
Bought a golf simulator.
We only get to play 6 months/year in Canada.
Practicing all year long, with ball and club data and slow motion video replay brought me from a 15 to a 3.
Alignment sticks at the range.
Spending an inordinate amount of time at chipping area
Getting new and fitted clubs
Knowing your yardages. Not a guestimate. Getting them down to 5 -10 yd differentials
Knowing elements before hitting. Where's the wind really going. What's this lie going to do. Where can I not miss. What short of swing does this shot require. Before I would basically just aim and shoot.
Playing in a simulator league over the winter. Im not sure if just eliminating the offseason was the key or being on a launch monitor for a few months to work on things. I typically stayed after to work on the swing when i can see data behind minor tweaks. Went from the 10-12 range down to 7-8
Reading most of the way down and surprised to not see anyone say "understanding course management," as that was the true "unlock" for me. Reading a couple of books really helped me to understand course strategy and how to (attempt to) minimize the impact of your misses. You don't need to be perfect to score low, you just have to avoid multiple blow-up holes.
Over exaggerating a feeling, such as closing the club face. I realized that to me, it feels like Im going to just hit the ball straight into the ground when I close the club face. But, it doesnt. It goes up into the air in a relatively straight line.
Getting a package of lessons. Teacher is great and so effective.
In just 30 mins he shows me my bad swing on video side by side with a pro and draws the lines of difference in the setup and then helps me find those positions and I start lacing it. He films this. Shows me old/ugly me next to new/sexy me and draws the lines again and talks about what we worked on. Saves that audio and video onto my flash drive for my reference and practice.
Watched Dalton McCrary’s instructional video set on how to hit the ball straight when I was 16 years old. Changed my game forever. 21 years later, I still think of fundamentals he taught.
Handicap is at 4.9 but was around 9-10 for the longest of time. One of the key reasons for me was being able to to chip and pitch with confidence . Left so many shots out on the course bc of bad chips. That being said I didnt practice my short game but was able to play more often like 2-3 times a week and that helped tremendously. Second is putting. Have to get consistent meaning just 2 putt and get off the green. And a close third is the driver. Have to keep it in play and usually a big score is harder to manufacture. Everyone is different but this was absolutely key for me
After a bad tee shot or even approach shot having the mindset “how can I make an easy bogey” rather than “how can I still save par”
Hit a bad tee shot? Instead of trying to hit a hero shot to find the green, play so you have an easy pitch with plenty of green to work with…hit a bad approach shot? Play to 20 feet from the pin rather than hit the heroic flip over the bunker…
Virtually eliminates doubles, and if you sink the 20 footer or get up and down from 30 yards with an easy pitch you can still make your par
Tempo and course management. Slow smooth swing and letting the club do the work. And then being realistic about how to play the course with my game. Just because I can hit a 4 iron as my second shot on a par five and get within 40 yards of the green doesn’t mean I should. My 100 yard shot is way more reliable than a half swing wedge so why wouldn’t I play to my 100 yard shot? Things like that
Stopped focusing on how my body moves and placed 95% of intention on external ‘tasks,’ eg brush the grass in front of the ball or clip the tee just under the ball etc.
Stopped trying to hit the ball hard and worked on purely rotation based swings and hitting the center of the face.
This. I went from averaging 108 to mid 90’s by just rotating instead of trying to hit the ball.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. You can get your body working in unison so much easier and in turn, your slow swings are actually faster since everything is working together.
Facts, and with impact improving I lost no yardage and dispersion is cut in half. Also, the big miss is way smaller. I’ll miss a fairway of course but I’m not on the next fairway…
I hit it farther and its the additional lag from actually letting a transition happen. Hit two yesterday that ended +300, by no means do I regularly do this, but particularly on those drives, it was a deliberate *body-arms-body-arms* sequence and felt different. That *arms* after I rotate in backswing gets the club to fall naturally with gravity, whereas before, and amplified by having a HZRDUS, I could get away with an aggressive transition. Switched to an Evenflow for the feel and kick and it does something excellent, but it’s a work in progress to get myself to stop wanting to rush that transition portion.
I was wondering if I might start to see distance increase as the “new” swing gets more efficient. I can swing into the 110’s but contact was always terrible, cruise swing is 103ish but I think once I get more comfortable with the proper sequence I might able to build a bit more speed and see results.
You need something to measure your speed and you can do the “3-strikes” drill. Once warmed up, you swing and set the baseline, then every swing after that has to be faster or you get a strike, once you get 3, you go back to your “cruising swing”—you notice an increase in speed. So 103. Next is 105, then 105, strike 1, then 106, next is 106, strike two, etc. It works.
I’ll try this on the GCQuad next time I go.
> BODY, ARMS, BODY, ARMS, YEEEEEEEES MAROOCHAY!!! Speedgolf Rob absolutely beat that into my head lol
Okay, but how do you actually do this?? It may just be muscle memory at this point, but my swings seem to be all or nothing. I can usually shorten my backswing, but I still tend to come down with everything I’ve got. How do I dial it down?
>I can usually shorten my backswing, but I still tend to come down with everything I’ve got. I’m a 12, so please take this with a grain of salt, but I’ve come from being a 20 a few years ago and not being able to hit a FIR with DW to save my life. I don’t believe in shortening anything, actually opposite, I have “widened” and “elongated” my backswing, upon instruction. I have said this above, but is *body-arms-body-arms* and you actually can sort of say this in your head as you swing. Hips and lower body takes the club away in a controlled fashion and then I bring my arms up. As my arms are coming up I start moving my lower body into the downswing (transition) and then let my arms fall and torso rotate. Generally, you have to think about slowly swinging through the ball—believe me, it won’t actually be slow, but instead you’re syncing your lower and upper body together. Your lower body doesn’t go as fast as your arms, so you start it first so your arms “catchup”. Literally do not swing hard. Take swings without a ball and on the downswing try to be wide and make a deep woosh sound.
I have taken lessons and my instructor encourages me to take a fill back swing, usually by a better shoulder turn, and I have better results that way. If I shorten it I get quick with worse results.
The “Body-arms-body-arms” is the perfect way to put it for me. Starting the swing with a shoulder turn puts me in a good position and from there its much easier. Has to start with the body turn though, starting with the arms or hands kills the swing before it starts. I literally practice the one piece takeaway like 50 times a day. It’s monotonous but its been a game changer.
When I focus on hitting center face (using tees as gates) it forces me to swing a bit smoother / slower. Try changing your focus / goal.
You're right. Freddie couples and ernie ells perfect example of smooth.
This\^\^\^\^ I finally realized I need to concentrate on slowing down my tempo, rotating, keeping my head down , making a nice easy swing with good flush contact and striking the ball before the ground vs just trying to swing as fast as I can It's absolutely amazing how much further and better I'm striking the ball. Like I can literally hear and feel the difference even when I can't see the ball flight. I practiced and practiced for like 2.5 years and improved SOOOOO slowly....since I've slowed down and started working on good contact I'm improving exponentially quicker.
Same. I was stuck shooting 108 (as high as 114) for almost a year. Realized I was rushing everything from a random YouTube video and was like man I need to chill out. Focused on that and two days later, with no swing mechanic changes, shot a 97. 🤨
I heard someone out there say you should swing your club and the ball just happens to get in the way. I had an epiphany about my golf swing after my last range visit in mid May. Then got a grade 3 ankle sprain with torn ligaments at work before the end of May just when we started to have awesome as fuck weather. Probably can't golf until like September and I'm so annoyed about it. Gonna use up all my vacation days golfing at the end of the year
what do you mean?
Just swing the club like there’s no ball. When I was stuck trying to hit the ball, I would often swing much harder than I needed and it throws the whole swing sequence off, like I would rush to impact because hitting the ball was the intent, not creating a good swing. Focusing on rotating keeps me from swinging “at” the ball I guess is a better way to put it.
It's amazing the difference, or I should say lack of difference, in yardage between a muscled shot and a smooth pured shot. I had always been a "swing out of my shoes" type, but while dealing with minor back injury I had no choice but to slow my swing down a bit and I was hitting some of the most beautiful shots I ever have. As my back began feeling better in following rounds I started swinging harder again and I started blowing shots again. Half way through one of those rounds, it was like a light bulb lit up in my brain, realizing what I was doing that was working so well in those rounds with my hurt back. I'm not the best ball striker by any means, but it's so much more consistent when I'm not trying to murder the ball.
The center of the face is a magical thing. I actually drive the ball 300+ and people are always amazed how I don’t swing very hard to do it…..because the center of the face has a balloon effect that the rest of the face just doesn’t have.
I've been taking an extra club with a 3/4 swing.
Why is it so hard not to try so hard? FUCK. ME.
Practice.
Exactly. I will add, you should invest in some instruction first so you have an idea of what you should actually practice.
This. Practicing a bad habit is not going to help.
Exactly, makes it harder to make positive changes as well. IMO, I will add, putting, chipping, even pitching, you need the reps because it is very feel-based and you can go about those three parts of the game in a lot of different ways. My chipping and pitching improved a ton with two things: 1. Figuring out and repping a “bump n run” or a low rollout with my lowest lofted wedge (50° for me) and then engraining that same process for the higher ones (56° and 60°)—high and soft is great but it’s much harder to repeat; and, 2. Starting every practice session with pitching and having a simple method—feet shoulder width apart, ball center, light forward pressure, upper body turn, same downswing length as backswing.
This! I have read alot of the feedback and there some good nuggets but this above is key. Improving your short game will save you from the inconsistencies of your longer clubs. Same "downswing length as back swing" for chipping and you now have 3 chipping distances. Add a putting stroke to chipping for short shots. Practice the bump and run with an iron and a hybrid. When you are under trees the hybrid bump and run is a solid tool. Driver is all about tempo.
>Driver is all about tempo. Truth. Everyone has a different one and finding that out will immediately solve a lot of driver issues.
Couldn't agree more. Good short game prqcrice is key. I've just gotten back into playing more, after barely playing in the last 15 years. Broke 100 for the first time again but had 40 puts and 17 chip shots. Dreadful short game. Practice, we talking 'bout practice.
The thing I've found for myself too--I've been practicing chipping a lot, and I've got 3 styles of chip shots. Usually, only one works on a given day/course, and part of the first couple of holes is figuring out which one.
When you say pitching, what sort of distances are you talking about?
Is the grip normal?
Yep, "practice makes permanent not perfect" - Dave Pelz.
Yeah it is. I haven’t had a lesson and have gone from a 40+ hcp to a 20 in my first year of playing . It’s ridiculous to say basically “Playing golf won’t make you better at golf, without a lesson you’ll never improve”
Jay Cutler is right tho. Sure you can go from a 40 to a 20 by practicing even if the habits are bad, but to go to the next level, you gotta address the fundamentals and know what to properly practice. I learned that the hard way
I will also add practicing at a driving range or practice hole. Not practicing during a round. Work on one specific part of your game at a time and get it to where it feels right and just do it over and over and over. Muscle memory is key. For me it doesn’t ever get boring because I see results in real time. I live on a course and am lucky enough to be able to hop on when I can. I meet my buddies out and they are those ragey golfers who suck and don’t know why. Meanwhile theyve never spent a second at the practice facilities and I spend more 3 times the amount of time at the chipping green and driving range then I do on the actual course. Honestly Im almost to the point where I can’t meet them out because I end up getting so frustrated with their lack of etiquette my wheels end up falling off and it hurts my game. Im just getting to a different point in my game then they are. Mind you Im not good. Im a low 80’s from the yellows on my best day but typically sit around the high 80’s. Thanks a lot, Practice.
Your game is where I am at. Average 88.8 on GHIN and low is 81. Practice is practice, play is play. Just go out and play your game and don’t try to start something brand new unless you have “felt it before”.
It depends on the level you're trying to get to. Being a mid-single, even a low single is possible without spending a ton on lessons IMO
Yep. I would add *quality* and **intentional** practice.
This is the key. I'm not a great golfer but I am better than most. Understanding what makes a golf ball go where you want it is key. Most people have zero clue what they did, or what caused what. I spent years just hitting and hoping, getting through on being a competent athlete alone. Learning about club face, face to path, compressing the golf ball, hitting the golf ball first, all key to moving the ball towards the hole. And when you practice like this guy said, record some shots, change something. Going to the range to hit 200 balls the same way you currently are struggling doesn't help anything. Lessons too.
Yes. Don’t be the guy who hits 100 drivers at the range and considers that “practice”.
“Don’t practice and call it practice”
I feel attacked.
Easy there, Iverson.
Not a game! We're talking about practice. Not a game; not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last, not the game, we're talking about practice, man.
Practice with purpose, small changes, not just endless hitting with no real direction.
…w/ purpose
Knowing when to not take the hero shot and knowing it's okay to take a bogey.
I'd kill to make bogey every hole 😩
How about a several bogeys? But on one hole
The quickest way to shoot lower is to just lie about your scores like half the people on the course.
Use a pencil with an eraser.
Ohhh that’s why the pencils in the cart never have an eraser
They do at my handful of locals. They know their customer base, lots of old snowbirds.
Put me down for a 5.
If you become Vice President you can get your handicap down to a 6!
Hahahah
I have a bunch of buddies who are somewhat new to the game. They were shocked when I tallied up my scores. I shot like high 80s, and they thought I shot in the 70s. They say they shoot around 90, and I’m like, that’s because you guys have no idea how to play by the rules or keep an accurate score
Yes this! 1000%
Having kids 📉
As someone who had their first kid this year and is playing worse than ever I agree.
I've encountered a theory that having kids cost you about 3-4 strokes on your index. I've had kids for 5 years and it seems to be holding true, if I could ever play enough to get a true adjustment.
Had a kid as a 9 when I was playing 4 times a week. That went to playing once a month to about twice a month once she turned 18 months. Highest was around a 12 or so. Down to an 8.5. Looked into full swings that take less practice and I’m honestly ballstriking better than ever. You’ll be fine.
Wait until they’re old enough and then you see them hit their first ever 130 yard drive and the smile that goes with it, pays it all back in full with interest.
Well that sucks ! My first child is coming in less than a month.
I had my first kid before the season started and still get out 1-2x a week. Communicate with your spouse and don’t slack when available. Both parents need their “me” time to destress
This is good advice but also really subjective. I’m living in a place where realistically weekend rounds are 6+ hours once you factor in commutes, even though my wife would be cool with it, I don’t feel good about sacrificing that much family time.
Not if you play at 6 AM…
That's why you get divorced! Then half the time you have all the time you want!!!! 🥲
Too bad there's absolutely no middle ground. Bruh, just go play 9. Hit the range. Practice putting. Spend time chipping on the chipping green. Play a par 3 or executive 9. People act like not having time to play 18 is going to destroy their game. Itll actually make you better, because now you can prioritize quality practice.
1-2x a week?? Please tell me how you convinced your spouse to have "you" time for 5-6 hour+ straight blocks (inc travel) multiple times a week when there's a newborn at play lmao
I play a 6am tee time, at a course that is about 15 mins from my house. I wake up at 5am, leave the house by 5:20, and am home by about 10:45 the absolute latest. On top of that, my wife gets time during the week to do what she likes to do to decompress. I also communicate with my wife, and she knows how I enjoy playing golf and how it helps my mental health by being outside, walking, and getting away from daily stressors.
just get used to playing 9 instead of 18 for a while
I have 3 kids, 2 3 and 4. I'm the "stay at home dad" (quotes because I still work, just part time now because child care is a joke for 3 kids) so I get to golf pretty regularly and have a ton of time with my kids. They are a killer. There's days where they mentally drain me so when I hit the course I'm so exhausted I'll stop keeping score after like the 5th hole and just enjoy my time out there. It's not always but there's definitely days. I brought my 4 year old out with me last week because he loves coming, I told him he could only stay for the first 9 and his mom was coming to get him to get him ready for bed. I shot a 54 on the front and a 41 on the back.. I love and cherish the memories we're making, but I know I'm not out there to improve my handicap.. Much love and congrats! It's well worth it but you'll be making a lot of sacrifices, including your golf score.
2,3,4. Damn! So basically for 6 years the only thing your kids mom has known is being pregnant and nursing taking care of newborns. Hopefully you take great care of her!
I quit my job to watch these little bastards lol. It's a weird chapter but I love having a "big" family. I didn't want kids but she wanted 3 kids, so here we are. We've been together for 17 years now, nothing is by accident. Life went on pause but we know it's temporary and totally worth it, just enjoying every day for what it is.
We just had our first in October and I just can't imagine this going on for 6 years haha. Nobody truly tells you how hard it is. We've been saying only 1, but who knows if in a couple of years. She had a pretty traumatic birth though. Our daughter is incredible. Best thing ever, but 3 so close together, we might go insane. You guys are built different lol. Congrats on a great big family!
Happened here from mid-pregnancy to a couple years old. On the flip side, my kid loves being outside and taking long walks, so he sometimes walks 9 with me (started at 2yo, now 5yo). I've always been super distractible but now that I have to keep one eye on him (and one on the ball) I'm **unflappable** on the course.
I’m on like year 3 of going probably 6 times a year. Had a kid last year and it actually made better. I focus on fundamentals and just enjoying the outdoors. Also quit drinking so i actually try
Hitting anything inside 3 foot with pace, and making those putts 90 percenters. Makes approaching a two putt much less daunting, and rewarding yourself with pars and comfy bogeys.
Was about to say this. I've been working on short putts a lot lately. Any putt within 6 feet used to be the scariest golf shot on the course for me.
Strong left hand grip
Did this for my drives and has been a giant game changer for me, used to get maybe 230 off the tee with a big slice and now I regularly hit it 280 with a bit of a draw or straight (had one go 330 last weekend which was a personal record for me)
Focusing on short game. Down from a 15 to a 10 in one year largely because I don't hemorrhage strokes on and around the green anymore.
Adding some turf to the backyard to chip from. I’m so much more comfortable around greens now that I can go out and chip 50 balls almost every day. And a putting mat inside for 4-5 footers. Missing those less often now. I can’t always get to the range so having stuff at home has helped big time.
Question: can you describe how you “added turf to the backyard”? I have been weighing this lately. Could you describe your setup in a bit more detail
I have a 2’x3’ mat of turf that I bought and lay down on the driveway to hit off of. Bought about 50 nitro balls super cheap and just hit those all over the backyard. That’s my cost effective way of doing it. I get to chip like 200 balls a day.
Hello there. I just ordered some basic turf off Amazon, a 3x5 strip, then dug up that same space in the yard and stapled it down. Had to pull it up once and put more dirt under as the first time all I did was create a puddle. It’s not perfect but allows me to hit without digging up the grass, both to chip (lined it up with the long side of the fence) but also I’ve got a cheap net I can put up to hit irons into to work on contact/etc.
This is my go to for improvement on the scorecard. When you have confidence in your ability to get up and down, it takes a lot of stress out of hitting your approach shots, which for me, yields better approach shots.
I think chipping is the easiest area to save strokes and improve scores for 90% of people. I gave my buddy a chipping lesson on a tee box for 2 min, and he went from shooting 90s to shooting 80s every round since. It’s by far the easiest part of the game to get relatively good at
Less time at range, more time on course
Mannn I know this is it. I put in a lot of range time hitting off mats, and then I get on the course and the ball is below my feet or in the rough or what have you and it's just a completely different game. The more rounds I'm able to play, the better I play.
I never go to the range lol. When I have time to golf, I golf.
This is an under rated point. You can't practice uneven lies, shots from the rough, club selection, or course management on the range. 90% of golf has nothing to do with the swing or impact with the ball...the chess match with the planet earth does not exist on the range.
besides hours of practice, i think the best thing for your score is being mentally tough with no short term memory. It doesn't matter how you got where you are, you can only hit the next shot and go from there
>being mentally tough with no short term memory I've always had this and still suck half the time. I basically play with a single hole mindset and move onto the next one hopeful even after completely blowing up right before. My scorecards look so funny sometimes though with birdies/pars and 8/9s scatterd on there. The other week I won a couple skins in a 24 person outing while shooting terribly overall. I just happened to birdie or par 3 of the hardest holes on the course
Buying a Vokey, here’s your excuse
Me with a vokey in my bag i haven't had the chance to use yet 👀
Became a member at the worse par 3 course nearby that no one else wanted to play. Would play 2 balls and walk the course in less than 1 hour after work.
Practice short game. And always play with people who are better than you. You’d be surprised
When I play with people worse than me (probably 90% of the time) I sometimes turn into them if they’re really bad. With better players, you see good swings and can put more focus into your own swing…Instead of hunting for playing partners’ balls and watching their cringeworthy swings.
This is so true. My two regularly playing partners are both not great, consistently shooting 110-120 (no offense to the high handicappers out there, I’ve been there). When I play with my coworker who is a 7-8 handicap, I play way better. It is literally the difference in me shooting a 95 or an 82. It’s mentally draining watching people hit horrible shot after horrible shot, and can make it hard to get into a rhythm.
Lessons
Practice. Practice. Practice. You have to get a feel for each club and your swing. Chip in your back yard…
I went from low 90’s/high 80’s to low 80’s/high 70’s by just making it clear to myself that I was playing to score better since that is how I enjoy the game. This helped eliminate a lot of lost balls and lower my double bogey and up scores.
You shaved 10+ strokes by just telling yourself to score better?
By focusing on score. This meant eliminating hero shots. Being ok with bogey instead of going for an impossible shot and ending up with triple or worse.
Makes sense.
I think he’s trying to say course management
Finding the right coach.
This is a big one.
Turn and tempo
After 3.5 years I am finally understanding the importance of these two things. Countless swing changes and this is what’s helped the most.
Yep. Slow it all down and find a good tempo. You’re more likely to hit the ball in/near the sweet spot & the ball will fly!
Huge.
No alcohol, walking, being my best own teammate, mental imagery, more layups (less hero shots). Being upset over a duffed shot is fine, but within like a 5s reaction you should be back to hyping yourself out (internally that is). Imagine the shot you want to execute. Play the smart plays and don't go for hero shots, especially when trying to recover from poor position.
Golf simulators
Did you buy one? It's the dream, but not that accessible in terms of space and price
R10, a mat and a 10x10 net/spornia is a good lower cost way of getting started for ~1k It's like 10 weekend rounds at good courses for the ability to practice a little everyday you want to
Making my wedges the most confident clubs in my hands (short game practice)
Understanding why the ball goes right or left. And knowing how to make it do the opposite. Hacking the same ball right for 30 shots on the driving range or course doesn’t do anything to fix your game. That is just practicing a bad shot. If i start slicing the ball trying to hit it straight, I will immediately go to a “draw” set up and work on getting it to turn over.
The idea that the weight shifting forward is the end of the back swing, not the start of the down swing.
100% lessons
“Effortless swing” - this thought alone has helped me out tremendously. Don’t swing too hard, don’t swing too fast, don’t rotate too fast, just let the club fall into the ball and let the club do all the work.
Swinging everything at 90% yet still committing to the shot. In the past I didn’t know how to lay off a little while still committing. I’ve dropped 3 strokes this year
Stopped caring so much and lowered my expectations.
Practice and a mindset shift. Several years ago I was a 16 cap, trying to consistently break 90. I was told by a friend to break each hole into 5 stroke segments (18\*5=90), and to pretty much give yourself that many strokes to finish a hole. You can double bogey par 3s, which are notoriously where amateur golfers lose strokes, you can bogey par 4s, and you need to par the par 5s. This completely changed my course management. Bad tee shot on a par 3, get up and 2-putt? That's a "birdie". Play a par-4 clinically and par it? That's a "birdie". It really helped me to not attempt as many hero shots while chasing pars, forced me to be alot more patient, and allowed myself to not blow up. This mindset, combined with practice has whittled me down to a 9 and now consistently shooting low-mid 80s. I have now only shot over 90 twice in the last 2 years, on particular days where nothing was working. Don't know if it would work for everyone, but it worked wonders for me.
That's a great way to break it down!
Keeping 70% of my weight over my front foot when using irons and full wedge shots to compress the ball better and stop hitting it fat.
I lived the past 5 years bouncing between a 6-2 but really could not get better. I had major swing flaws that all my coaches just wouldn’t touch because it was such a pain to fix until I moved to NC and got a new coach there that was like you have to fix it to get better. The last 6 months I’ve been working on it so much and I’m to the point where I can hit consistently again. I would say going through and fixing the major issues than trying to play around them. That and then practicing 8-20 ft putts
Course management
2 things Keeping the driver in play, which I’ve kinda cheated by just playing my fade. So i just aim left of the fairway cause I know its gonna cut 20-40 yards lol. Being confident in shots 150 and in, giving myself at worst a chip and hopefully 2 putts at best from there. For very bad golfers, i think the key thing is to develop a consistent swing. I’ll play with guys who shoot 100+ and they’re good for at least 6-10 of those shots that go about 20/40 yards and barely get off the ground.
Course management. Playing to avoid trouble. Not following a bad shot with a stupid shot.
Playing 4+ times a week
Separating practice from play, and redefining practice. Play - have fun, stay in a good place mentally, no swing thoughts, no negativity, etc. Practice - Half of the time spent on putting and chipping, the other half split between remaining clubs evenly. In both sessions I’m hitting shots identically to how I hit them on the course. Routine, no swing thoughts, etc. If I am working on a specific aspect of my swing then I am dedicated to working on that and I view it as a separate session. In the past I would think about my swing throughout practice and play, get frustrated or mopey, defeatist, etc. I would rarely allow myself to feel good and just swing with a clear head. I would also devote all of my practice to thinking about swing mechanics and/or mashing balls on rapid fire (mostly driver and long irons with very little putting).
Short game. Currently at a -.9, the lowest I’ve ever been, because of putting and chipping. My ball striking has been struggling, too. I’ve been consistently putting 27-30 times per round. I’ve been getting up and down about 65% of the time when inside 40-45 yards. Of course, this is assuming your drives stay in play - you have to be in play off the tee if you want to score. But once you do that short game is most important.
Baseball to overlap grip change. Baseball grip is a killer. Overlap or interlock will get the right fingers in the right place to allow the correct pressure on the club. Almost quit in the process but the game dropped 10 strokes over a few years
< 100: Leaving the driver in the bag and simple iron play < 90: Chipping and putting 85 - 80: Learned how to keep driver off the tee playable < 80: Being able to read and adjust to bad lies, wedges < 100yds EDIT: Formatting, mobile :/
Generate Power from pushing the right arm infront of the ball, saw a video about taking divot and the guy recommended that. I still cant take divots but hit like 50 yard further and elevated my long game by a lot.
nelly korda says her swing thought is "swing with the big muscles", and that's fantastic advice at literally every level. these days i don't even feel like i use my arms to swing, they're just a whip attached to my torso.
Playing a lot of golf.
Had a stranger give me advice to follow for chipping and pitching years ago when I was really terrible around the greens. It immediately dropped 10-15 strokes off my scores and that coupled with some corrections to other awe full shit that I did was able to start breaking 100 within the year. The advice for the chipping still sticks with me to this day.
asking for a good friend. what was this advice?
Don't fuck it up
Keeping my feet together , keeping my head down and learn to chipping with a 8 iron. Once you get comfortable with the 8 move to a 9 and so on till you can chip constantly with a lob wedge. I thought it was hilarious that I would ever be able to chip with a lob wedge at the time but I followed the advice. It took about 3 years of playing consistently and practicing regularly before I went to the lob and have since gotten pretty good with it also decent at the flop shot. Now I only use a lower lofted club when I’m chipping from a longer distance.
Learning to come down on plane, and use the torso and how to clear the hips (really having issues with clearing the hips but a recent small improvement massively helped in my first full range session working on it, both distance and consistency improved)
I changed up my pre-shot routine and how I address the ball, and now I'm making fairly consistent contact across the bag where previously I couldn't hit anything above a 7 with any sort of consistency.
Building a simulator. At first it was great. I practiced every day, and my handicap dropped to an all time low. Then I got obsessed with the numbers and kept trying to tweak my swing to get the perfect ball flight with speed and accuracy. It started to fall apart, and my index went up by 4 strokes. Anyways, I'm an idiot.
How much did that cost you to build?
Rebuilt my swing. After many years of hacking, and about a decade away from golf, I got back into it with the goal of figuring out how to hit a golf ball better. YouTube helped a lot in terms of fundamentals. I grew up playing sports, so I have an athletic background that helped me translate all that random foundational swing data to my own physiology. It’s been fun actually hitting the ball straighter than I ever have. I still shank and fat and top the ball, but those numbers are getting smaller.
Neutral grip
Refusal of lessons and just fully accepting my disgusting slice. Its really paying off.
Finding and getting into a set up & takeaway that allows me to feel like I can swing as hard as I can comfortably
Staying in the moment and realizing the 18th hole is as important as the first. This lets you not get too high in great shots and too low on bad shots
Learning to hit the ball well enough that I could start to learn the game of golf. Now most bad shots are actually bad decisions.
Remembering my pre-shot routine. Picking a target in the distance, then a spot 1-2 feet in front of the ball in line with the target. Lining my club face up with the target infront of the ball, getting into position then swinging away. I do that with every single shot even putts and I'm much more consistent now.
Learning driver, actually learning it (lessons, practice, etc). Instead of what I did early on, which was go to range and basically try the same thing over and over but altering it slightly thinking something was going to change.
Consistent distance with certain clubs. Knowing your distance with your clubs is so crucial. Practicing short putts. I’m talking 1-4’. I practice these more than anything. Lag putts. 2 putting knocks so many strokes off your game. Chipping and wedges. Short game is is king. Can’t tell you the amount of saves I’ve had knowing what I can do with my wedges and putter. Playing smarter. Not taking hero shots. Get back on the fairway. Still trash though. Just better than when I started.
Lessons. Without a doubt
Bought a putting mat, the one Dustin Johnson was peddling…. Spent the first winter with it and just constantly drilling 4-8 foot putts. And it has absolutely transformed my putting. Everything from set up, to the stroke is so consistent. I can pick a starting point and I will roll the ball online consistently. Don’t alway make putts cause of pace and green reading but the ones I read correctly go in
Stop being scared to make good shots or score low. Stop worrying about reining a low round. Play the course, win the hole, score low. I used to have a few good holes then start playing too safe.
Better bunker play, playing smarter shots, taking the medicine when needed. Staying playing 7 years ago, couldn't break 100. Now generally shoot upper 70s - mid 80s. To get into the mid 70s consistently I need to putt better inside 6-10ft and avoid all penalties. Right now I'm still averaging 2-3 penalty a round.
Lessons. Practice. Setup. Thinking about playing golf rather than hitting and hoping (strategy, which is mostly thinking about dispersion and giving myself a lot of room for error)
Lessons
Bought a golf simulator. We only get to play 6 months/year in Canada. Practicing all year long, with ball and club data and slow motion video replay brought me from a 15 to a 3.
I am a 20, with not a lot of time to practice. I’ve tried to have smarter shots and try to have better course MGMT
Alignment sticks at the range. Spending an inordinate amount of time at chipping area Getting new and fitted clubs Knowing your yardages. Not a guestimate. Getting them down to 5 -10 yd differentials Knowing elements before hitting. Where's the wind really going. What's this lie going to do. Where can I not miss. What short of swing does this shot require. Before I would basically just aim and shoot.
Lessons and practice… that’s two things but I tie them together as 1
Playing in a simulator league over the winter. Im not sure if just eliminating the offseason was the key or being on a launch monitor for a few months to work on things. I typically stayed after to work on the swing when i can see data behind minor tweaks. Went from the 10-12 range down to 7-8
Playing more
Starting when I was 3
Reading most of the way down and surprised to not see anyone say "understanding course management," as that was the true "unlock" for me. Reading a couple of books really helped me to understand course strategy and how to (attempt to) minimize the impact of your misses. You don't need to be perfect to score low, you just have to avoid multiple blow-up holes.
Over exaggerating a feeling, such as closing the club face. I realized that to me, it feels like Im going to just hit the ball straight into the ground when I close the club face. But, it doesnt. It goes up into the air in a relatively straight line.
Getting a package of lessons. Teacher is great and so effective. In just 30 mins he shows me my bad swing on video side by side with a pro and draws the lines of difference in the setup and then helps me find those positions and I start lacing it. He films this. Shows me old/ugly me next to new/sexy me and draws the lines again and talks about what we worked on. Saves that audio and video onto my flash drive for my reference and practice.
Watched Dalton McCrary’s instructional video set on how to hit the ball straight when I was 16 years old. Changed my game forever. 21 years later, I still think of fundamentals he taught.
Course management. Get back in play take bogie. Avoid doubles.
Course management and taking your medicine instead of playing hero ball
Game from 100 yards in, especially around the greens. Have to get up and down on missed greens to score.
Stop trying to crush the driver. An 80% swing down the middle is better than a 100% swing that's going God knows where, but only 10-15 yards more.
Put the driver back in the bag, practiced 20,40,60,80 yard wedge shots and putting speed control.
Handicap is at 4.9 but was around 9-10 for the longest of time. One of the key reasons for me was being able to to chip and pitch with confidence . Left so many shots out on the course bc of bad chips. That being said I didnt practice my short game but was able to play more often like 2-3 times a week and that helped tremendously. Second is putting. Have to get consistent meaning just 2 putt and get off the green. And a close third is the driver. Have to keep it in play and usually a big score is harder to manufacture. Everyone is different but this was absolutely key for me
After a bad tee shot or even approach shot having the mindset “how can I make an easy bogey” rather than “how can I still save par” Hit a bad tee shot? Instead of trying to hit a hero shot to find the green, play so you have an easy pitch with plenty of green to work with…hit a bad approach shot? Play to 20 feet from the pin rather than hit the heroic flip over the bunker… Virtually eliminates doubles, and if you sink the 20 footer or get up and down from 30 yards with an easy pitch you can still make your par
Shorter backswing.
Tempo and course management. Slow smooth swing and letting the club do the work. And then being realistic about how to play the course with my game. Just because I can hit a 4 iron as my second shot on a par five and get within 40 yards of the green doesn’t mean I should. My 100 yard shot is way more reliable than a half swing wedge so why wouldn’t I play to my 100 yard shot? Things like that
This is the easiest and most not profound thing ever. Lessons. Take a lesson…
Keeping my elbow in tight and my weight forward
Stopped focusing on how my body moves and placed 95% of intention on external ‘tasks,’ eg brush the grass in front of the ball or clip the tee just under the ball etc.
Getting fit for my clubs
Working on proper grip / club alignment which led to an actual pre-shot routine I stick to.
buying a 7 wood and a 5 wood.
Shorter backswing
Practicing fundamentals
Lesson. Practice lesson advice.