Learn to shoot lower scores

How many of you take the time to dissect your round after you have played?
How many putts did I have today? How many fairways did I hit off the tee? How many times did I hit the green in regulation (this one would apply mostly to lower handicap players who can consistently expect to hit the green)?
How many penalty strokes did I take today? Where did I give up all of my shots today?
Find out the answers to these types of questions and you will get a good understanding of your strengths, your weaknesses, and where you may want to focus your practice.

Here is a good place to start:

Think about how many shots it should take you (be realistic) to get the ball in the hole from 50 m, on average.
Keep an extra score where you count only shots that happen inside 50 m.

Give yourself a course par based on what you think is realistic from 50 m.
High HDCP golfers might average 4 shots from 50 m. 18 hole par = 72 shots on the 50 m scorecard.
Mid HDCP golfers might expect to average 3 shots from 50 m. 18 hole par = 54 shots on the 50 m scorecard.
Expert golfers should have the mind set of up and down (2 shots) on average from 50 m and in. 18 hole par = 36 shots on the 50 m scorecard.

You might hit a long approach from 100 m and one putt. Score = 1
You might chip 2 times and putt 3 times. Score = 5
Over the course of a round the scores will likely average out to a true reflection of your true short game abilities.

I am certain that your very best rounds of golf will come on the days when your 50 m score is low.

If you find yourself with 50 m scores that are consistently lower than your goal, then it's time to challenge yourself a little more. Change your 50 m par from 4 to 3.5, or 3, or what ever is realistic.

Try the same thing from 75 m, or 100 m.

Lower your score and your HDCP by learning to get the ball in the hole sooner.

enjoy

nice.... thanks for the advice.

I want to shoot below par how?

Yes, indeed.

A good short game, especially chipping & putting are essential requirements for a good round of golf.

But it seems that most amateur golfers spend more time practicing their tee-shots & iron-shots than their short game.

darenlim wrote:

I want to shoot below par how?

Put it closer and sink more putts!

PinkPanther is not darenlim???

left hand talking to right hand

i was hoping PinkPanther is one of those 2 girls in the background...

shouldn't the nick then be PinkPanties?

punkrockpga wrote:

... or 100 m.

Lower your score and your HDCP by learning to get the ball in the hole sooner.

enjoy

punkrockpga,

Thank you for the advise, sir. I am still struggling with my game. My mind set was to +1 all 18 holes to get a score of 90. I usually can get par, on par 3 holes, if I can hit a good tee shots with another 2 putts ( IF ? but sometime .. screw up with +2 over). I avg hit about 70 % fairway with my tee shot but distance is my problem, not far enough for any long par 4 to even think of par. If I can +1 for par 4, I am very happry.

Avg putt of 1.8 ( help by when I can pitch or chip close enough especially on par 5 ). At this moment, my short game really help me alot but I know I need professional help.

Btw, did you get my pm sir regarding advise on lesson ?

i am one of them that tracks GIRs, number of putts, number of fairway hits and also direction of my tee shot just to know if I pull or slice and number of balls I lost.

i will even go thru the sequence of play to recall where did I play badly.

Then I will try to work out those weak shots at the range before the next game.

if possible, i will also do some homework before my game, i.e. to have a scorecard or even course layout so that I can have a gameplan.

currently, my weakness is Driver so I try to use my fairway woods whenever possible, in low index holes, narrow fairways with OB n hazards or for long par 4 where I have no chance to go for GIR.

agreed tat most golfers tend to practice only irons and tee shots but spend little time on short game.

maybe the reason is there are not many places who allow non-members to practise short game.

LAst of all, to have good scores, u need to be composed on the course.

You most certainly need to learn to be composed on the course.

See my post "Great Books" from yesterday to learn more about that.

botak wrote:

PinkPanther is not darenlim???

He got sunstroke liao. Asking question and answering it himself .. I thought the forum don't allow 2 different nicks??

titu

problem here in SG, no much place to practice the short game leh.... the rough around the greens are never flat like the driving range mat.....

also where to find free putting greens that is decent enough (the free ones i tried, the ball will die early = ball all near or in hole, mostly due to poorer conditions and lots of sand...but on some course, the ball can go forever and off the green)

I started to keep track of my stats 1-2 mths ago after pinkpanther's advice.
It was a good move as I know that my weakness is currently in my drives and long irons as low in GIRs.

I average 30-36 putts per 18 holes? Can be better....will work on putting too.