Golf - How to practice

[widgeon13]

When I play tight water riddled courses in FL i sort of follow that philosophy. I usually hit my 3 iron off the tee on par fours and depending on the tees I'm playing can usually hit or get close to the green and then hope for a chip and a put. But at least the ball isn't in a water hazard. Keep it in play.

[t-tom]

Originally Posted by cmccuist

Distance is not my problem - it's direction. I'm long off the tee, but can't control it.

Do I try and hit different shots to all different pins with different clubs?

Yep hit lots of different shots. I go out the course in the evening and will play 6 or 7 holes but on each hole I will 8 to 10 different shots into and around the green. I just make sure not to hold anyone up.

I can work on the full swing with the pro and am making some good progress with that, but those lower handicap guys are really good at getting up and down.

I'm not a great putter - average about 2 putts per hole. I know it should be lower, but I think that's a function of not getting it close on the chipping and pitching.


The clubs I'm playing with are the NIke Victory irons. They're forgings, but not the blades. They're the ones for 10-20 handicap players. I noticed that my divot is deeper at the toe than at the heel. So maybe the lie is not right for me. We have a guy here who can adjust that. I'll look into that.

The consensus seems to be that the most effective use of my time is to work on the short game. That makes a lot of sense, because even the best players don't hit every green. So maybe I hit 2-5 GIR, I could really help myself by working on my wedges and putting.

You need to learn to control the ball. Thats the hardest part of golf. I'm going to guess you are right handed and the ball starts straight and then turns straight right right into the trees? Without looking I would say you have and outside to in swing path. That means the club face cuts across the ball from the outside and puts right handed spin on the ball. When you practice hitting your driver at the range take the ball and line up the lines so they are pointed straight then line you feet up on the same line, move the ball back in your stance till it is about even with your left eye (this will feel weird) then try to hit the ball on the left side of the line on the ball. Don't worry about where the ball is going, hit 25-30 like this making sure you are hitting the "inside" of the ball. Once you start hitting the ball on the inside and solid the ball should start out right and then hook back to the left.


Do I try and hit different shots to all different pins with different clubs?

Yep hit lots of different shots. I go out the course in the evening and will play 6 or 7 holes but on each hole I will 8 to 10 different shots into and around the green. I just make sure not to hold anyone up.


I'm not a great putter - average about 2 putts per hole. I know it should be lower, but I think that's a function of not getting it close on the chipping and pitching.

2 putts a hole is not bad. Once you start playing from the fairway and getting more GIR's the putts will go down

As far as clubs go, they can only do so much. I have a friend named Cliff who bounces between the Nationwide tour and The PGA Tour. He showed up for a friend of ours batchlor golf outing using rental clubs that he had never seen before he shot 3 under, of course he's a great player. I would work on getting your handicap to 10-12 then have your clubs fitted. Having the clubs fitted to a bad swing really does not help.

[widgeon13]

"When you practice hitting your driver at the range take the ball and line up the lines so they are pointed straight then line you feet up on the same line, move the ball back in your stance till it is about even with your left eye (this will feel weird) then try to hit the ball on the left side of the line on the ball. Don't worry about where the ball is going, hit 25-30 like this making sure you are hitting the "inside" of the ball. Once you start hitting the ball on the inside and solid the ball should start out right and then hook back to the left."

All that can be accomplished by keeping the RIGHT (for right handed folks) elbow tucked into the side of the body. A good exercise for this is placing a head cover under you right armpit and keeping it there throughout the swing.

[Seahawk]

Damn the below is good advice, Seahawk.

To the point, on message. The OP will love it

(I hate getting page blocked.)

Originally Posted by Seahawk

All good stuff above.

Full disclosure: My low handicap was a 9 many years ago. Flight school, actually. Most days I was done flying by 10am, studied two hours for the next day hop and then went to play a sport of some kind.

I had played a lot in college but got stuck at around a 12/15 handicap. What changed things for me was meeting another flight student who was a scratch golfer. We ended up friends, played a lot of golf and eventually went to the same fleet squadron and cruised together. Great stories of playing golf in India and the Philippines.

Anyway. Some tips he gave me that really helped (assuming a reasonable swing and knowledge of the basics):

- Establish a routine for hitting every shot and use the same exact methodology on the practice tee. Take your time. He would take at least a minute between shots.

- Play a round of golf off the practice tee. Take the score card from a golf course and play it. Be honest. You can use the pictures of each hole that virtually all cards have. Pounding driver after driver is stupid.

- Drop every range ball and play it for where it lays. Too many guys virtually tee up every practice shot and then wonder why they can't hit from lesser lies.

- Short game. Work it to death.

- Learn to LOOK at the golf course when you are playing...slope, wind, bend in the grass. Pay attention.

- Never move a ball, ever, even in a friendly game when no one is keeping score.

- Always keep score.

- Walk as much as you can...get a pull cart.

A nine is as low as I could get, mainly because I mentally drift off on the back nine.

What separated Mike (my golfing Buddy) from most golfers is not only did he practice in the manner described above, but he practiced getting out of trouble and all other manner of shot selection. I could never get to his level of commitment, and even then it is doubtful I'd have gone much lower than a 9.

I play about three times a year now and always hit the P tees a few days in advance. I generally will shot, 90 to 93 depending on the course. I have learned tempo and don't try and out drive anyone.

[J P Stein]

I played the best golf (scoring wise) of my life when I left the woods in my car.
Sure, when I was young I could hit the driver 300 yards and it actually went where I wanted...... about half the time.

My back went to hell ( a mis-spent youth in the ship yards) & my swing changed. I got down to a 6 (temporarily) just using a 2 iron off the tee. 200-220 yds like clockwork and in the fairway just by shorting up the swing.

Then my back said ENOUGH when I was about 40 years old. When your sciatic nerve starts talking to you listen...eventually.