In your opinion what is the BEST way to improve your score?

[kippjr23]

Hello,

 

Looking for various opinions on the absolute best way to

improve your score. Ranged from Lessons, Range sessions, playing more, swing, short game literally whatever.

 

Ive been a stagnant 84-90 golfer for 3 years and I am really

putting some time in to improve but I feel like im not receiving any results.

 

Would love to hear what has worked best for you.

[Cmart050]

Greens in reg + chipping. Find why you aren’t doing more of the former and work on that. Work on 40 yards and in every chance you get. 

[kippjr23]

4 minutes ago, Cmart050 said:

Greens in reg + chipping. Find why you aren’t doing more of the former and work on that. Work on 40 yards and in every chance you get. 

 Greens in Reg and chipping is 1000% my problem.

 

 

[95124hacker]

Really being honest about your game (scoring gaps), time & commitment to improve , is the best way. No universal, “one size fits all” answer.

 

For me, it’s “tee to green consistency.”  My short game is good enough. But I can go from FW & green on one hole, to wild drive & poor iron shot the very next hole. I guess how to limit my bad shots is really the key for me & 100% of all amateurs.

Edited April 27, 2021 by 95124hacker

[b.mattay]

For anyone that isn't a deep plus handicap, most of the time it is 2 things: 

1.) Hit it better (contact, distance, reduce curvature)

2.) Learn good course management fundamentals (e.g. pick realistic targets)

 

Short game helps too, but generally 1.) can bleed into that a lot of times. 

Edited April 27, 2021 by b.mattay

[MonteScheinblum]

Eliminate ego driven stupidity.  
 

As harsh as that sounds, there is no better way to do it.

 

Thinking you need to work the ball both ways, when virtually no tour players do it.

Trying to be a hero on shots around the green, that Phil or Tiger couldn’t get close.

Aiming for pins pros would play away from.

Thinking your yardages are longer than they are.

Hitting short irons 1-2 clubs farther than you should.

Trying to make a swing change after every bad shot.

Being aggressive from distances that are 1 out of 20 on tour and 3 putting as a result.

Trying to layup to your perfect wedge distance, when being closer to the hole is statistically better and most don’t know their distances anyway.

 

Again, harsh reality, but scores are lowered more by avoiding 3 putts and DFO’s versus making more putts and more birdies.

 

 

Worldwide handicaps would go down 25% with just the above eliminated.

 

[hoselpalooza]

for me it's driver accuracy and dialing in partial wedges. better accuracy with driver will allow me to take advantage of my length without introducing big numbers. and dialing in partial wedges will help me capitalize on the resulting shorter approach shots. 

[Zitlow]

Develop a knack for turning 3 shots into 2 shots. 

[tucson5190]

Short game, short game, short game.  Practice starts at 24 inches from the hole out to about 80 yards.  Short game.

[MelloYello]

1 hour ago, kippjr23 said:

Hello,

 

Looking for various opinions on the absolute best way to

improve your score. Ranged from Lessons, Range sessions, playing more, swing, short game literally whatever.

 

Ive been a stagnant 84-90 golfer for 3 years and I am really

putting some time in to improve but I feel like im not receiving any results.

 

Would love to hear what has worked best for you.

 

If you're putting in the time and nothing's happening you're probably not working on real stuff. Going to the range and beating balls or putting randomly around the practice green isn't always very efficient. In fact, sometimes it doesn't help at all. 

 

There's nothing wrong with going to the range to get loose and work on your contact. I often make a point of visiting the range the day before I am scheduled to play. It's a big benefit showing up to the first tee knowing you aren't just "hoping" to hit it well but actually polished things up the day before. 

 

But if you want to improve your mechanics and understand how to be better then get lessons. Find someone who's good and drop $500 on a package. It'll be worth it. Make sure they have video and can lay out precisely what you're doing right/wrong and where to go from there. You don't really know what you don't know until you get into the lesson room with a qualified instructor who's been a professional and spent their life swinging the club surrounded by other professionals. 

 

Short game is icing on the cake. It's important, but if you're shooting 85, then why aren't you shooting 75? Why not 65? There's plenty of room for short game but it's not the sole reason you're shooting 85-90. 

 

There's nothing bad about shooting in the 80s. But there's still loads of room there for improvement. You're probably well off from someone who's routinely shooting in the 70s and even that is still over par. You probably need to figure out what your misses are and what those misses stem from. 

Edited April 27, 2021 by MelloYello

[GLF4EVR]

First...love Monte's answer.  You could just plug that in to many of the topics in question out there.

 

My answer is the old saying a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.  What ate the kind of shots that you have the most trouble with?  What are the shots that you try to avoid at all costs?  Putting, chipping, aproach, tee shot.  What ever it is, work on those shots.  Besides boosting the confidence level when they do not bother you anymore....most likely your ball striking will also have improved.

 

Plus, refer back to Monte's post.  Many things in there will save you strokes.

[MonteScheinblum]

1 minute ago, tucson5190 said:

Short game, short game, short game.  Practice starts at 24 inches from the hole out to about 80 yards.  Short game.

 

3 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

If you're putting in the time and nothing's happening you're probably not working on real stuff. Going to the range and beating balls or putting randomly around the practice green isn't always very efficient. In fact, sometimes it doesn't help at all. 

 

There's nothing wrong with going to the range to get loose and work on your contact. I often make a point of visiting the range the day before I am scheduled to play. It's a big benefit showing up to the first tee knowing you aren't just "hoping" to hit it well but actually polished things up the day before. 

 

But if you want to improve your mechanics and understand how to be better then get lessons. Find someone who's good and drop $500 on a package. It'll be worth it. Make sure they have video and can lay out precisely what you're doing right/wrong and where to go from there. You don't really know what you don't know until you get into the lesson room with a qualified instructor who's been a professional and spent their life swinging the club surrounded by other professionals. 

 

Short game is icing on the cake. It's important, but if you're shooting 85, then why aren't you shooting 75? Why not 65? There's plenty of room for short game but it's not the sole reason you're shooting 85-90. 

Your last paragraph is so true.  I’ll never be the guy that says short game isn’t important, it is, but every measurable shows hitting it better is the major difference.

 

A simple illustration.  If from 30 yards your average distance to the hole is 20 feet and you improve that to 10 feet, your scores don’t really go down that much because make rate barley improves.

 

However, if you GIR from 150 improved by half that much, your scores go way down.

 

At almost every level, how well you do from 150-200 is the best measure.

 

Having a good short game saves bad rounds, but long term, you need to hit it better to improve.

[Geoff T]

Have you tried an eraser?!😉

[Santiago Golf]

21 minutes ago, MonteScheinblum said:

 

Your last paragraph is so true.  I’ll never be the guy that says short game isn’t important, it is, but every measurable shows hitting it better is the major difference.

 

A simple illustration.  If from 30 yards your average distance to the hole is 20 feet and you improve that to 10 feet, your scores don’t really go down that much because make rate barley improves.

 

However, if you GIR from 150 improved by half that much, your scores go way down.

 

At almost every level, how well you do from 150-200 is the best measure.

 

Having a good short game saves bad rounds, but long term, you need to hit it better to improve.

 

This is so true!!!

 

For a 90s shooter, the only thing they need to be good at around the green is hitting solid, distance control doesn't need to be that precise

 

If a 90s shooter wants to become an 80s shooter they need to start missing the majority of their iron shots beyond the front of the green ... most ams shooting in the 90s are leaving their ball 20 to 40 yards short of the green (This is bringing a 3 putt into play)

 

 

 

[Pepperturbo]

Good golf has a number of contributors, but how a person thinks is often the culprit that holds them back.  Missing GIR is maybe more common than missing FIR, so you need to have the forethought and game self-control to pull the best club that can improve your chances to score.

 

The other day I was standing on the elevated tee of 350yr Par 4, slight dog leg left near the green, big bunker on the fairways right side, and creek all the way down the left side to large pond fronting the left side of green.  I could have got 260+ with driver, and a little flip wedge of 75-90yd leave, but because of fairway undulation and mound next to right side bunker, chances of hitting that mound were good and bringing left side water into play didn't set well with me.  So I hit 2i down the middle 225yds and had a 9i to the middle of the green, 2-putt for par.  There was nothing special or rah-rah about par.  There's a time and place to be aggressive; that wasn't the time or place. 

 

My buddy, however, hit driver and found the right-side bunker, 2nd shot didn't reach the green, pitched long of pin, and 2 putt for 5.  He could have hit 3wd and not dealt with the bunker, but his thinking said there was a better chance with driver.  He paid the piper a bogie or more rather often that day.  He could have improved his scoring had he thought differently.

[ChipNRun]

52 minutes ago, tucson5190 said:

Short game, short game, short game.  Practice starts at 24 inches from the hole out to about 80 yards.  Short game.

 

It goes in phases. If you're shooting in the 90s, you need to learn to put your tee shots in the fairway, and avoid short-game errors.

 

But, research shows that short game is overrated for non-beginners. Basically, a poor short game can cause you to score badly. But, to really score well and get into the 70s you need to work on your approach shots. If you're finally getting into the fairway off the tee, you need to increase GIR to really take the next step.

 

If you increase your GIR, you're having more birdie putts or mid-length putts to salvage par. Also, more of your misses will be inside 20 yards, which greatly increases your chances of an up-and-down.

 

IF you put your tee shots into the trees and chop out to within 50 yards all day, you simply won't make very many pars and, probably get a couple of double-Bs along the way. A short-game exception would be when you have a one-in-ten super wedge day... but the other nine wild days will really suck!

Edited April 27, 2021 by ChipNRun

[kippjr23]

I am absolutely loving all of the feedback on this post.

 

In my mind my biggest struggle is GIR and Chipping. I dont hit many greens and even tho I may not miss horribly, I can chip and 2 putt for bogey, maybe sometimes a mistake in there for double.

 

What ive learned so far:

1. Find something for the range and continuously work on it. (Im not good at this today I try too many things) I just need to get a diagnosis on my swing and do one thing at a time.

 

2. Eliminate Ego and stupidity, I already hit the ball plenty far (174-179 7I) I just need to be smarter and more conservative.

[Pepperturbo]

I will go with @MonteScheinblum's comment about 2nd shots "GIR from 150 improved by half that much, your scores go way down."  

 

I have said it many times, having the 2nd shot is more important than an unpracticed short game or 4th wedge.  Everybody talks about short game, but overlooks the fact it only saves the score moving forward, it doesn't position you to improve scoring, except maybe on Par 5's. 

 

It's true, during my last two rounds, my GIR stunk to high heaven, so my short game saved my finishing score.  But if I were wishing for one or the other I'd go with working on the GIR 2nd shot as it reigns superior regarding scoring, IMO.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Pepperturbo

[ChipNRun]

2 minutes ago, kippjr23 said:

In my mind my biggest struggle is GIR and Chipping.

 

As far as chipping goes, learn how execute a chip and run. Take a 7i or maybe a PW, and learn how to drop the ball onto the green and get it rolling. A lot more reliable than a high-lofted wedge shot.

 

One thing that worries me about my fellow American golfers is that too many are addicted to the LW. It is a difficult club to master, and once mastered it is still not the best club for all shots.

 

I saw this on the women's side in the 2014 Curtis Cup. I served as a crowd marshal for these matches between the American and UK/Irish amateurs. Several times the Americans would be just off the green, facing a short shot into a false-front green. The American would take a LW, and a la Phil Mickelson drop a spinner five feet short of the pin, and watch it spin all the way back to their feet. The UK players, on the other hand, would beat the false front with a low runner and have a tap-in for a par.

 

But, in keeping with themes in this thread, the Americans won by having more GIR, especially iron approaches that held within 10 feet of the cup. 

[Luv2kruz]

You need to take a step back and analyze your game. Where are you losing strokes? Without this understanding, everything else is just a shot in the dark. As others have mentioned above, the answer to your question of the best way to improve your score is different for each person. Collect stats, if you don't already, and then benchmark each part of your game against the next level better than you. Address the biggest gaps with lessons, practice, equipment or whatever. The main point is put together a plan based on data, not speculation and hunches. Once I dug fairly deep into my stats, for example, I realized I was putting improvement effort into parts of my game that would yield little return. Now, I'm focused on my biggest gaps in a very specific way. My practice time is more effecient and I am getting faster and more sustainable results. 

 

Just my 2 cents.

[betarhoalphadelta]

2 hours ago, kippjr23 said:

Hello,

 

Looking for various opinions on the absolute best way to improve your score.

 

I find taking fewer strokes to get the ball from the tee into the hole helps a lot. My scores are a lot lower when I do that well 😉

 

[naval2006]

1 hour ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Eliminate ego driven stupidity.  
 

As harsh as that sounds, there is no better way to do it.

 

Thinking you need to work the ball both ways, when virtually no tour players do it.

Trying to be a hero on shots around the green, that Phil or Tiger couldn’t get close.

Aiming for pins pros would play away from.

Thinking your yardages are longer than they are.

Hitting short irons 1-2 clubs farther than you should.

Trying to make a swing change after every bad shot.

Being aggressive from distances that are 1 out of 20 on tour and 3 putting as a result.

Trying to layup to your perfect wedge distance, when being closer to the hole is statistically better and most don’t know their distances anyway.

 

Again, harsh reality, but scores are lowered more by avoiding 3 putts and DFO’s versus making more putts and more birdies.

 

 

Worldwide handicaps would go down 25% with just the above eliminated.

 

This is pretty much the commandments of conservative golf. You seldom go wrong this way even though it may look unattractive at times. But you start putting the good scores together and you’ll love it.  Especially when you spend rounds and rounds without a tragedy hole. 

[The Pearl]

1 hour ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Eliminate ego driven stupidity.  
 

As harsh as that sounds, there is no better way to do it.

 

Thinking you need to work the ball both ways, when virtually no tour players do it.

Trying to be a hero on shots around the green, that Phil or Tiger couldn’t get close.

Aiming for pins pros would play away from.

Thinking your yardages are longer than they are.

Hitting short irons 1-2 clubs farther than you should.

Trying to make a swing change after every bad shot.

Being aggressive from distances that are 1 out of 20 on tour and 3 putting as a result.

Trying to layup to your perfect wedge distance, when being closer to the hole is statistically better and most don’t know their distances anyway.

 

Again, harsh reality, but scores are lowered more by avoiding 3 putts and DFO’s versus making more putts and more birdies.

 

 

Worldwide handicaps would go down 25% with just the above eliminated.

 

Have you been following my foursome around the course?

[Golfah]

When my driving range closed due to COVID, instead of going the range, all I did was chip and pitch in my backyard committing to finding reproducible technique and it transformed my game.  It's not just "practicing" - it's a process of trial and error to find the feels and technique that work best for you to maximize your consistency.  

 

I would constantly hit 10 balls and make little changes and adjustments, figuring what technique/feels gave me the best % out of 10 until I hit on my current method.
 

[Pepperturbo]

I agree with @ChipNRun regarding LW.  It's one of the most difficult clubs to master.  I practice with LW, SW and PW 4-5 days per week, been doing that for 30+years.  It may be each day I only hit ten ProV1 balls 2-3 times at the net down the hall, but it keeps short shots, feel and choice in club ingrained in my vision and hands.

 

He's also right regarding events and the Curtis Cup.  Euros are comfortable making different green side shots, American's clearly are not.  Over the last few PGA events, we've watched tour guys hit shots that came back to their feet, because they chose the wrong club and shot. This is where having the #15 club, "judgment" in the bag makes the difference.  The other contributing factor, knowing how your ball behaves under diverse green and turf conditions.

[Cmart050]

38 minutes ago, kippjr23 said:

I am absolutely loving all of the feedback on this post.

 

In my mind my biggest struggle is GIR and Chipping. I dont hit many greens and even tho I may not miss horribly, I can chip and 2 putt for bogey, maybe sometimes a mistake in there for double.

 

What ive learned so far:

1. Find something for the range and continuously work on it. (Im not good at this today I try too many things) I just need to get a diagnosis on my swing and do one thing at a time.

 

2. Eliminate Ego and stupidity, I already hit the ball plenty far (174-179 7I) I just need to be smarter and more conservative.

Pride in how far you hit your 7i tells me you likely have serious swing faults. Get a video lesson. 

[acekun]

In my opinion, short game can help but it won't get you to next level where you're shooting in the 70s. If you want to take next step from 84-90, you have to improve your swing.

 

I saw the most improvement when I could start hitting driver with decent length and also got my wedges dialed in. 

 

 

[kippjr23]

32 minutes ago, Cmart050 said:

Pride in how far you hit your 7i tells me you likely have serious swing faults. Get a video lesson. 

Its not pride im just sharing, Id much rather shoot in the 70s, im just saying its not like im going out there struggling to get to the green because of distance I just am not playing well and hitting well.

 

Thanks for making the assumption and appreciate your input.

[Zitlow]

Get good with your foot wedge. 

[el h0zel]

If you're not tracking stats it'll be hard to objectively quantify where you need to improve. How far offline are you missing tee shots or the 150 yard approach shots mentioned above? 

 

My improvement from a 13 --> 8 was pretty much entirely down to catching a higher percentage of shots flush and therefor shrinking the misses.

 

Next step, for me, is higher up/down percentage. My last round I was only 2/11 on up and downs from inside 50 yards...the majority of which starting well within 50.