Newbie Intro and Practice Talk

[Kitey]

Hi all. New to the forum. I’ve found myself hunting insights and turning up at this forum many times, so seemed obvious to join the group. I’ve been playing for less than a year and making good improvements. Still miles off where I want to be though. 

 

I was interested to discuss practice and how you break down your game. I’ve started to view my handicap as unique to the phase of the game (with caveats). This mostly considers the shot scope breakdown; teeing off, approach shots, short game and putting. Obviously each phase impacts the other (hence the caveat). For example; Your putting will be harder if your short game leaves you on the fringe with a 30ft putt every time! 
 

Regardless, I was wondering if you think it’s possible to be excellent in one area and weaker in another, and if so, what would be the priority for development (once basic swing abilities have been developed)? I’ve always considered putting to be pretty critical! So should this be a primary focus, then working backwards to driving? Or does short game have the greatest influence on score? In which case, short game becomes a key focus as a priority?

 

One of the reason I ask is that lessons (which I regularly get, and an advocate of) typically focus on irons and driver. Short game and putting may be done, but is less present. I know all parts are important, and we could work on all, but might it be more important to focus on specific elements as priority to others?

 

interested to hear others opinions and inputs. Thanks in advance (and apologies if this is a silly question 🤣)

Edited May 14, 2023 by Kitey

[bcjim]

I'm better at driving and putting than anything else.  I feel like if I drive it well,  I have a chance to score.  My iron game is inconsistent and pounding balls off a mat doesn't seem to help me when I'm on the course. 

 

The few grass ranges around here are no more similar to the course than a mat is. The range turf is usually thin and sandy. 

 

The absolute best way to be a good long iron player is to hit hybrids.  They're a cheat code.

 

I find YT University on full swing instruction to be paralysis by analysis. 

However,  I have really improved my short game by adopting the handle-high, focus on rotating body method that a number of YT gurus seem to agree on. 

[PedronNiall]

You'll probably get more detailed insights in the WRX Academy section and be able to find a few threads discussing this. 

 

I'd say you should keep in mind that you're the one paying your instructor, so if you want more focus on short game that should be what you get. The irony is most new players are difficult to get in the mindset of working up to the full swing, so I'd think an instructor would be chomping at the bit to have someone who has that desire as it makes for a much easier time of developing a solid all-around game. 

 

If you get a competent putting, chipping, and pitching stroke you'll have much better rounds now & forever and you'll likely develop a more fundamentally sound full swing. 

[aenemated]

I would wager that most good-to-great-to-elite players are those who started as kids; whacking the ball around greens and putting. I started playing because on family vacations when I was a little kid; putt-putt was a thing we did and it quickly became my very favorite thing to do. Dad noticed it and started taking me to the golf course with him and letting me putt. I probably did nothing but putt for 3 or 4 years before it even became an option to swing a club. 

 

(Note - I'm not saying I'm good, great nor certainly elite like some of the fine folks around here, but I think I'm a pretty solid player that's posted up some respectable scores over the years) 

 

But adults that pick up the game ... do they wanna do that? Do they wanna spend a year or two or more just putting and chipping? Nah, probably not. They wanna go out and try to hit the longest drive they possibly can. 

 

It's funny, one of my best friends I've known for about 20 years hit me up a week or so ago all "Dude, can you show me how to play golf?" As far as I know, he's never even tried. I sat on it for a good bit and hit him back with "Well, what is it you wanna do exactly? You wanna just go bang it around for sh*ts and giggles or do you wanna play for a score?" "What's the difference?" "The difference is the latter will be a lot more boring than the former." 

 

I haven't heard back. 

 

I suppose I agree with what Tiger's said about learning the game from the green and back. It's certainly how I learned. But I was a kid. Does an adult have that patience to do nothing but putt then chip then pitch and on and on? 

 

If some complete n00b were so unfortunate as to come under my tutelage; I wouldn't let them get more than 40 yards from the green for a long time. 

[Sp4zRX]

In my unprofessional opinion, a beginner should focus on two aspects first. 
 

1. Learn to get the ball off the tee, and in play. That might mean using 3w-7w or hybrid but penalties off the tee are the biggest score killers and spending half the round looking for your ball in the trees takes all the fun out of the game. You must get the ball in play. 
 

2. 1-chip, then 2-putt inside 30 yards. You don’t need a tour level short game to shoot low scores. You have to avoid double and triple bogeys and worse. No 2-chipping and no 3-putting. 
 

Once you can do these things at a reasonable rate, then start working on approaches and hitting greens 90-150 yards and learning how to get the driver in play off the tee. 

[Kitey]

10 hours ago, aenemated said:

I would wager that most good-to-great-to-elite players are those who started as kids; whacking the ball around greens and putting. I started playing because on family vacations when I was a little kid; putt-putt was a thing we did and it quickly became my very favorite thing to do. Dad noticed it and started taking me to the golf course with him and letting me putt. I probably did nothing but putt for 3 or 4 years before it even became an option to swing a club. 

 

(Note - I'm not saying I'm good, great nor certainly elite like some of the fine folks around here, but I think I'm a pretty solid player that's posted up some respectable scores over the years) 

 

But adults that pick up the game ... do they wanna do that? Do they wanna spend a year or two or more just putting and chipping? Nah, probably not. They wanna go out and try to hit the longest drive they possibly can. 

 

It's funny, one of my best friends I've known for about 20 years hit me up a week or so ago all "Dude, can you show me how to play golf?" As far as I know, he's never even tried. I sat on it for a good bit and hit him back with "Well, what is it you wanna do exactly? You wanna just go bang it around for sh*ts and giggles or do you wanna play for a score?" "What's the difference?" "The difference is the latter will be a lot more boring than the former." 

 

I haven't heard back. 

 

I suppose I agree with what Tiger's said about learning the game from the green and back. It's certainly how I learned. But I was a kid. Does an adult have that patience to do nothing but putt then chip then pitch and on and on? 

 

If some complete n00b were so unfortunate as to come under my tutelage; I wouldn't let them get more than 40 yards from the green for a long time. 

Great response. It’s interesting because I come from an extensive sporting background of my own, so have developed a good discipline for practice. Additionally, I work in professional sport, so again I know that Rome wasn’t built in a day. 
 

I actualy really enjoy the process of learning. I practice daily, mixing up my shots. It amazes me that others practice so infrequently! Perhaps it’s access, because I’m lucky enough to have access to a sim. But otherwise I’ll just hit some air flow balls in the back yard or putt on my mat. 

[Kitey]

5 hours ago, Sp4zRX said:

In my unprofessional opinion, a beginner should focus on two aspects first. 
 

1. Learn to get the ball off the tee, and in play. That might mean using 3w-7w or hybrid but penalties off the tee are the biggest score killers and spending half the round looking for your ball in the trees takes all the fun out of the game. You must get the ball in play. 
 

2. 1-chip, then 2-putt inside 30 yards. You don’t need a tour level short game to shoot low scores. You have to avoid double and triple bogeys and worse. No 2-chipping and no 3-putting. 
 

Once you can do these things at a reasonable rate, then start working on approaches and hitting greens 90-150 yards and learning how to get the driver in play off the tee. 

Sounds pretty solid advice. I’ve eliminated 3-putts, right up until last round! Think I’ve been a bit relaxed on putting as im confident in hitting putts. So, naturally I’ve been working on this since my last game!

 

Short game is an area I’d like to be better at, as I feel this can be better. Recently it’s been a lot of greens, but still get the short one leaving me just off the fringe! 
 

Who doesn’t love a driver into the bushes 🤣

[Ironzol24]

Agree with the others who have advised just starting around the green. If there is a pitch and putt around you i'd highly recommend. 

 

I started playing two years ago as a part of the covid wave and after getting to a point where I could kind of hit the ball semi-decent I took a lot of the advice to heart on short game. Got a consistent putting set-up and could mostly start the ball on line and spent a majority of my practice just trying to get up and down on the practice green. That's what got me over the line to shooting low 90s and eventually upper 80s. However, I definitely had neglected my longer game and so now that is my primary focus these days for trying to consistently break into the 70s. 

[Kitey]

57 minutes ago, Ironzol24 said:

Agree with the others who have advised just starting around the green. If there is a pitch and putt around you i'd highly recommend. 

 

I started playing two years ago as a part of the covid wave and after getting to a point where I could kind of hit the ball semi-decent I took a lot of the advice to heart on short game. Got a consistent putting set-up and could mostly start the ball on line and spent a majority of my practice just trying to get up and down on the practice green. That's what got me over the line to shooting low 90s and eventually upper 80s. However, I definitely had neglected my longer game and so now that is my primary focus these days for trying to consistently break into the 70s. 

Strange enough, I did start on the par 3 courses, but not since been on them much. Maybe something I need to get back into the practice! Thanks for the input 

[ferrispgm]

Everyone is going to be stronger at certain aspects of golf, the difference is that the better the player, the stronger their weakness is.

 

If you want to get better and shoot lower scores, focus on your swing the most.  Putting and short game will help save rounds from becoming worse but you still need to get the ball in play and on the green to score well. If you are hitting balls in poor spots, getting up and down will be nearly impossible anyway. 

 

I have about 3-4 hours saturday and sunday to practice or play.  If i'm not playing, 2 to 2.5 hours are spent hitting balls and being deliberate about what i'm working on, making sure I take a good 5-10 minute break whenever I'm losing focus.  The last half hour is spent putting or maybe i'll do 10 minutes of pitching and leave early. 

[Barfolomew]

Driver..... have to be able to get off the tee and into play.  Watchin someone suck with driver makes for a struggling round

Wedge..... pitching and chipping.  Got to be able to clean that mess up.  The skill to chip it clean over a bunker or short distance and get it close will develop your touch for all clubs

Putter...... gotta put the ball in hole

 

The Rest.... you can develop later but these will get you round any course