Following are proven strategies for attaining a Lower Golf Score.
These game improvement strategies taken in sequence, will drop your golf
handicap dramatically, but you have to be willing to work hard and
expend the time required, and practice!
Analyze your existing game
You must know at what level you are playing currently, in order
to plan for improvement. Set a goal for the number of strokes you plan
to drop, along with a date in the future to accomplish the goal, which is a Lower
Golf Score!
Play five 18-Hole rounds of golf, keeping detailed data on the following statistics for each hole:
Note: To determine "First Putt Distance", quickly walk from your ball to the hole taking large steps. Count the number of steps. Multiply the number of steps times the length of step you take.
If you are an average male, your "large" stride will equal one yard or 3 feet. If you are an average female, your "large" stride will equal about 30 inches or 2.5 feet.
At the end of the five rounds, evaluate your data along with obtaining the appropriate totals and averages: You are on your way to Lower Golf Scores!
I have developed my own Golf Score Card for this purpose, along with an Excel Charting technique with trend lines to monitor my performance over time.
See below, the Custom Golf Score Card and the sample Golf Stat Tracking Graph.
(See Golf Score Card - Custom ...... For Complete Info and Details)
Select one 18-Hole Custom Score Card at a time, and calculate the following:
Now, calculate the averages for all five (5) cards for each statistic.
Make a list in priority of the items which cause the highest gain of strokes during all five rounds.
This becomes your “Flub-Stroke” priority list. (If you want a second opinion for the game improvement strategy, send your resulting data to me and I will make a recommendation, no charge)
It takes time and hard work to achieve a Lower Golf Score, there is no magic pill you can take.
Locate a registered PGA or LPGA Pro near you. Usually, that will be the Club Pro at your home course.
Take Professional Lessons
Select the top two items on your “Flub-Stroke” priority list, and have the Pro help you with those two items only. Then practice your newly learned skills until they are on “Autopilot”.
This could take two to three months, depending upon how much time you practice getting control of these new skills. (During this time don’t neglect practicing those good things you already have on “Autopilot”).
This will be money well spent for this specific lesson (designed
by you), and will solve problems that might take months for you to
resolve on your own.
When you feel you have the first two “Flub-Strokes” under
control, and have them on “Autopilot”, return to the Pro for another
lesson.
Practice Diligently!
Any golfer who wants to lower their handicap must practice diligently. This usually means spending more time on your putting and short game than you do on your fairway woods and Driver.
“Practice today - Lower score tomorrow”
Within this website we provide many Golf Practice Tips and Golf Practice Games! (See Putting Practice)
In general, distribute the following approximate percentages of your practice time as follows:
Concentrate on practicing your new skills for the top two “Flub-Strokes” from your priority list for which you took your first lesson. Let's get some Lower Golf Scores!
Set up a practice program. This program should include the areas and percentages as listed above. Practice with a purpose!
I have developed golf practice routines for a variety of situations and time constraints (Even during off season and winter months)
Lower Golf Scores are attainable!
Determine Club Distances
Determine your average golf club distance for each club using a full swing:
Remember, this is all for a good cause - Lower Golf Scores!
See Golf Club Distance Chart Developed For This Purpose
Be sure to date the chart, because as you get better you will want to perform this task again in about 3 months. (Six month intervals from then on)
Prepare a typed 3 x 5 card listing the clubs with their average golf club distances, have it laminated, punch a hole in an upper corner and hang it on your golf bag! You are on your way to Lower Golf Scores!
Driving Location (Tee Box)
Hit from the proper Golf Tee Box!
Mid to higher handicap players usually hit from the wrong Tee Box
(too long for their drive). You can drop 8 to 10 strokes by just making
this one change. Would you rather have overall Lower Golf Scores, or hit from the “macho” Tees resulting in a higher golf handicap?
How do you know for sure which tee box to drive from? Following is the method to determine this:
Using a golf score card from your home golf course, write down the total yardages for 18 holes according to each color of Golf Tee Marker.
Examples:
Red Tees – 5466 yards
Green Tees – 5767 yards
White Tees – 6140 yards
Blue Tees – 6484 yards
Let’s say you hit your 5-iron (on average) 160 yards. Multiply that number times 36. Hence, the calculated distance would be 160 x 36 = 5760 yards. You should be driving from the Green Tees!
Hitting from a shorter Tee Box will probably drop your handicap by 8 to 10 strokes right away without changing anything else. You will find the game much more fun if you get a few pars and even a birdie now and then, resulting in a Lower Golf Score!
However, if you find that you are driving from the correct Tee Box, then you should be able to hit the "Green" on a Par 3 in one shot, a Par 4 in two shots, and a Par 5 in three shots.
This of course will mean you hit the GIR (Green in Regulation!) This is assuming a straight shot to the green or in other words “Pin-High” distance.
Golf Club Selection
If you are a higher handicap player, say over 25 handicap, you may be hurting your score by using your driver.
If after analyzing your game as outlined above, and you are
hitting too few fairways with 220 to 230 yard drives (in the deep rough,
among the trees and out of bounds--- then leave your Driver at home for
a while. Let's start getting a Lower Golf Score!
For example: Try hitting your 3-Wood instead. You can save considerable strokes by hitting your drives with a 3W straight up the middle at only 200 yards!
Then hit a decent fairway shot followed by a chip close to the hole on the green for a good “Scramble” (Up & Down). (1-putt for a par)
I have also used an 18 degree and 22 degree hybrid golf club off
the Tee (Tee it lower) for 200 to 220 yards straight up the middle. I
found them easier to hit the drive straighter than with my 3W.
Bogey golf will be in the neighborhood of about an 18 to 20 handicap.
I know, we all like to hit that one drive out of 14 on an 18-Hole
day that goes a mile straight up the middle with just a “click” on the Sweet Spot with very little effort!
But the rest of the drives get us into big trouble. It’s that one great drive that keeps us coming back!
Use your 3-Wood or hybrid and see if that helps!
YOU CAN HAVE A LOWER GOLF SCORE!
Have fun lowering your golf handicap.
Thanks again for Visiting Us!
Jim
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