What's the one shot you need to take your game to the next level?

[golfpramparo]

I think having a consistent (and longer) drive will help me lower my scores to the mid 70s. A high draw would do that, which I can't hit it currently...

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And of course holing more putts. 🙂

 

[phizzy30]

If I can hit a baby fade off the tee on command, I think that would propel my game to the next level.  My stock draw can turn into an ugly hook real quick especially when my timing is off.  Also, I'm tired of aiming out towards the trouble to the right and hoping the ball will curve back in play.

[SlothofDespond]

15 hours ago, jbrunk said:

Definitely +20y off the tee with tighter dispersion, would help approaches immensely.

 

Yea, I read OP and my first thought was... I don't need "a shot" just more distance. Distance > skill. +20 yards with my driver with all else the same and I'm immediately a MUCH better player.

[sailfishchris]

Trusting my putter stroke. I trust my swing with every other club. But my putter is ……different. I have big moss putting green to put in the time. It just doesn’t translate. If I play a familiar course I’m good -knowing speeds and brakes. It just doesn’t travel well. It gets defensive. So yeah, my putting stroke. 

[TheDominator273]

5.4 index, it's without a doubt driver that holds me back.  Have enough distance, but it's a struggle to give myself solid second shots

[RCGA]

Avoiding the three-way miss with the driver. 

 

My natural shot is a fade. But I can hit a block cut. And a pull. And a off-the-toe-gear-effect snap hook. 

 

It's maddening. I could go from a 3 to a 1 just by fixing that. 

[Blaiser]

For me it's probably chipping with a lower lofted club. I'm 100% guilty of grabbing my 60 for everything around the green.

 

I've done it for years, so just don't feel comfortable grabbing and 8/9 iron to hit a low runner.

 

The whole practicing thing might solve my problem, but let's be realistic here 😉

[Sethglanowski]

Hitting wedge shots to 15 feet or less is key. 

[larrybud]

Add 20 yards to the driver (average 225, but in the cool and wet lately, more like 215). Shot 71 @ Flint Golf Club a month ago. Only 2 bogies, both on par 4's which are ~ 450 yards. Just couldn't reach them.

Hit a ton of greens otherwise.

 

Edited October 24, 2021 by larrybud

[otto6457]

Consistent 300 yard carry driving with a dispersion pattern of under 60 yds.

 

The only other shot that would make a bigger difference would a be a "Fountain of Youth" shot that would get me back to being 22 years old again.

[Tax77]

Driver, I can hit irons off a fairway all day if I actually hit one.

[hammersia]

High 2 iron out of the bunker is stumping me a little

[PracticeSwinger]

It is fair to say that we can generalize the concept from abilities / where you are at in your game?

• Beginners / highcappers would benefit the most from consistent distances - no duffs / tops / chunks... making sure they are getting some GIR opportunities;
• Midcappers / high-single that have reach the first step tend to focus on short game - since they obviously lose direct shots with skulls, sand and all other lovely strokes around the green and can't get consistent U&D%
• Mid-low-single focussing on better ball striking since they don't miss much with the first two categories (the occasional outlier) but can see the correlation with their scores and GIR - especially from longer distances with their approach to the green
• Low-single / scratch / + talking about the big stick since they play the tips (while others can 'hide' that aspect a bit playing shorter tees) and can see that a relatively accurate and long drive has the ripple effect on all other parts of their game
• (and everybody wanting to putt better obviously)

[pantsparty7]

+0.9.  A go-to shot off the tee with driver. My 2-iron's pretty good, but if I ever wanted to play more competitively, I'd need to have a more predictable miss with driver.

[Tupperwolf]

On 10/22/2021 at 10:33 AM, vbb said:

For me, it is the ability to have a reliable, go-to chip shot from within about 15-20yds. Something that is guaranteed to hit the green and give me a look. I NEED that to get to my next level.

You need this shot.  It's becoming my go-to shot.  The key, and it blew my mind, was to aim to hit the ground 1/2 inch behind the ball.  Try it, it works.

 

 

[vbb]

19 minutes ago, Tupperwolf said:

You need this shot.  It's becoming my go-to shot.  The key, and it blew my mind, was to aim to hit the ground 1/2 inch behind the ball.  Try it, it works.

 

 

YES. That's exactly the shot that I need. Thanks for the video. I will try this.

[mikpga]

My first thought was, ask a better question…

 

My second thought, it will vary depending on skill level…

 

- Reliable Stock Shot

 

[Precis1on]

Driver for me. I'm pretty confident in my ability to get up and down in 3 strokes or less inside 220 yards. Making that easier would be golden. 

[PracticeSwinger]

57 minutes ago, mikpga said:

My first thought was, ask a better question…

 

My second thought, it will vary depending on skill level…

 

- Reliable Stock Shot

 

Why I wanted to try and point this out... 

 

It is fair to say that we can generalize the concept from abilities / where you are at in your game?

• Beginners / highcappers would benefit the most from consistent distances - no duffs / tops / chunks... making sure they are getting some GIR opportunities;
• Midcappers / high-single that have reach the first step tend to focus on short game - since they obviously lose direct shots with skulls, sand and all other lovely strokes around the green and can't get consistent U&D%
• Mid-low-single focussing on better ball striking since they don't miss much with the first two categories (the occasional outlier) but can see the correlation with their scores and GIR - especially from longer distances with their approach to the green
• Low-single / scratch / + talking about the big stick since they play the tips (while others can 'hide' that aspect a bit playing shorter tees) and can see that a relatively accurate and long drive has the ripple effect on all other parts of their game
• (and everybody wanting to putt better obviously)

[Krt22]

A better question perhaps. What is your core swing flaw and how does it manifest itself on the course? Mine is proper extension in the backswing, contact quality and dispersion is magnitudes better when I do it well, especially driver

[eht8266]

Driving the ball is key. Some days can't miss and other days can't hit it - go through a month without it being a problem and then all of sudden the magic is gone.

 

After that, the 100-115 yd shot is not good enough. If the SW is my 100 yd club, one would think that the GW should be the 110 - but inevitably it's not enough.

[larrybud]

2 minutes ago, eht8266 said:

After that, the 100-115 yd shot is not good enough. If the SW is my 100 yd club, one would think that the GW should be the 110 - but inevitably it's not enough.

Are you saying you hi the SW 100, but can't hit the GW 110? Maybe check your lofts on the wedges?

[eht8266]

2 minutes ago, larrybud said:

Are you saying you hi the SW 100, but can't hit the GW 110? Maybe check your lofts on the wedges?

 

Good point - hopefully the vokeys aren't off by that much but should get that checked. Maybe it's the wind + hit it too high... probably should hit a lower flighted PW in those cases. So perhaps instead of one shot, maybe it's just simple discipline.

[vbb]

34 minutes ago, mikpga said:

My first thought was, ask a better question…

 

My second thought, it will vary depending on skill level…

 

- Reliable Stock Shot

 

?

Not sure I follow. 

 

This is obviously subjective. Everyone feels they need something to improve their play...and I am asking whether others think there is one shot they don't have but need, or if they feel that they have "all the shots" and their issue is just consistency. If there's a better question, you can post a thread.

[larrybud]

5 minutes ago, vbb said:

Everyone feels they need something to improve their play...and I am asking whether others think there is one shot they don't have but need, or if they feel that they have "all the shots" and their issue is just consistency. If there's a better question, you can post a thread.

I think it's a fine question. Most people have one glaring weakness

[vbb]

1 minute ago, larrybud said:

I think it's a fine question. Most people have one glaring weakness

Thanks. I thought it was a pretty good question too, haha. 

 

It came out of playing with a better golfer friend of mine and noticing how similar our games were until we missed a green. He might hit one or two more greens per round than I do, but it isn't that drastic. We are of similar length off the tee, and seem to make a similar number of putts from the same distance. Yet he's a 2 and I'm a 12...and the difference is obvious. He might tug an approach shot a little long and left of the green, and he gets up and down from there routinely. If I am in the same position, I might chunk my first chip, then overcompensate and hit the next one 20ft past the hole, then 2 putt from there. He gets par, I get double. A few of those a round, and he shoots 76 to my 85. Of course there are other differences...he's more consistent off the tee for one...but the main difference is how he turns a missed green into a par and I turn it in to a double. Hence "the one shot I don't have" nature of the post.

[mmakowski]

Stinger with an iron off the tee is a big goal of mine

[z71bcm]

350yd drive

 

[Pworld]

250yd min. Fairway finder drive would knock 2-3 strokes off my handicap. 

[MikeW2]

A consistent driver. Tee game has always held me back. Thanks to COVID work restrictions I spent a good amount of time working on my own hours/time from home. This allowed me to practice daily for first time in many years and actually play over 20 rounds. Grooved a tee ball and all my scores were excellent. Normal work schedule resumed, practice schedule diminished, and had to rehab an injury after a car accident this year and I had my worst year with driver I’ve ever had. Two way miss and it’s debilitating mentally on the tee box. My best score this year was two strokes higher than my worst score from the previous summer. I know that if I can hit driver I can score, the problem is I don’t know if I can hit driver.