what do I need to do...

[titleistnutter]

...to break par?

im 15 and play regularly off 9 (UK) and would regard myself as a sporty person with good hand/eye co-ordination etc. I have been playing seriously for 3 years and my lowest round is +3, tho i regularly play to 5 or 6. So, my question for all you pros, scratch golfers and the like out there is, what do I need to do to break par and become a scratch golfer? obviously there is no single answer to this but there might be something in it. For example, I've had 3 lessons in my life, having more would presumably help...

THANKS GUYS!

[MTM]

A short game and putting can never be too good.

I'd start there.

Do you drive the ball straight?

Do you hit 75% GIR?

Do you 3 putt?

Where are you losing strokes?

[titleistnutter]

1) sometimes

2) no

3) no

4)often

 

short game needs some attention...

[pitch]

Hit balls as often as possible. Especially irons. If driving is good spend a lot more time on the irons. And spend as much or more time with your wedges and putters as you do hitting full shots. Lower scores are achieved by hitting greens in reg, getting up and down and making "makeable" putts.

 

I used to be a +2 when younger and I hit balls and practiced the short game 3-4 times a week and played a couple of times. Builds confidence and helps improve your misses.

[DavidR]

Improving your short game is the only way to get to par.

[SadTrombone]

One shot at a time and become a master with the Driver, Wedges and Putter.

 

-mini

[inkoo4]

Ive noticed that all great rounds (of mine at least) can be credited to the short game. If i am putting well and getting up and down, ill put up some good numbers.

[tchilds]

Every other response has spoken to what you need to work on...SHORT GAME, SHORT GAME, SHORT GAME. If you are a 9, then your ballstriking could likely stand a little improvement, but is probably good enough to get you around, BUT pitching, chipping and putting is the key to low scores. Having said that, what I like to do whenever possible is practice this out on the course. I will play however many holes I can and at each green I pick one or two different shots and drop 6 or 8 balls and go through maybe 4-5 rounds of balls and then do it again with another shot, whatever that may be. I have found that my short game improved tremendously doing just this since you can't usually duplicate alot of the shots you will get on the course at the practice green. As a rule, for me anyway, playing as much as possible is the way to lower scores, not standing on the range beating balls...just my 2 cents.

[ERuhling]

1. Put the ball in the fairway

2. Hit 14+ GIR

3. Have less than 30 putts

4. HAVE A GREAT SHORT GAME

 

It sounds so much easier than it really is. Now if I could only do it.