(If you haven’t read my previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)
Hopefully some of my suggestions have already helped you improve. By this time you should be on your way to developing a repeatable Iron swing. You should have a Putter that suits your swing. If you have begun playing courses, you’ll know which parts of your game are lacking.
Now it’s time to improve. Develop Practice routines that will truly make a difference. I have two practice routines that have made the greatest difference for my game. The first form of practice requires having a putting mat. I was given an old one by a friend. I usually take it out, and set it up in front of my TV screen. During commercials, or while watching the Golf channel I will occasionally sink a few putts. Over the length of a PGA broadcast I’ll easily hit 50 putts. The majority of my putts are from around seven feet. I will mimic distances I see pros attempt during a PGA event though. So if Sergio Garcia needs to sink a short five footer to save Par. Well so will I. This type of practice helps me accomplish two things. First of all it really helps me dial in my putting stroke. Secondly I get so used to seeing my putts roll in from seven feet. My confidence on the course when hitting putts from ten feet or closer is off the charts. Five feet or closer starts to feel like a gimme. Before I had the putting mat to practice on. Any putt outside of three feet had me nervous.
The second form of practice that has seriously lowered my scores is Chipping. Specifically short chips from about thirty feet or closer. Lets be honest as Beginners. No matter how perfect your angle to the Green may look. More often than not your approach shot isn’t going to end up on the Green. Being able to successfully chip one close to the PIN will make a huge difference in your final score. If you are able to get it close enough to give yourself a decent opportunity to one putt. You can turn a missed Green in Regulation to a solid Par. A lot of driving ranges will have a practice area for Chipping. If you don’t have a location that’s close, then just do what I do. Grab a couple of Wedges, and a few balls. Find a secluded spot in a nearby park. I live in midtown Toronto, and I’ve found parks within walking distance that had enough space for 50 yard Wedge shots. Granted I had to go early in the morning to hit 50 yards. I have practiced hitting flop shots over a park bench in the middle of the day. I even had my own little gallery of onlookers cheering me on. For the most part people aren’t offended by someone practicing their golf game. In most cases they’re interested. I even had a passerby help me with my ball position when hitting Flop shots. Just remember to be respectful of the space. Don’t risk hitting anyone or anything, and repair any divots you take.
Here is a bit of advice I wish someone had given me when I first started testing my ability on actual Golf courses.
KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SCORE AND STATISTICS!
The key statistics being the total number of Fairways hit per round, and your success percentage. The total number of Greens in Regulation per round, and your success percentage. The total number of Putts taken per round, and the average number of Putts per hole. Figuring these statistics out is easy. You’d be amazed how few Golfers actually bother to do it though.
In case you aren’t familiar with these terms I’ll go over them with you. A Fairway hit is any tee shot on a Par 4 or Par 5 that ends up in the Fairway. So if you play a course with eight Par 3s, eight Par 4s, and two Par 5s. Then you could have a maximum of 10 Fairways hit. If you only hit 5 of them, your success percentage would be 50%. A Green in Regulation is any shot that lands on the Green, and leaves you at least two Putts for Par. So your tee shot would have to land on the Green to count as a Green in Regulation on a Par 3. Your first, or second shot would have to land on the Green to count as a Green in Regulation on a Par 4. Your first, second, or third shot would have to land on the Green to count as a Green in Regulation on a Par 5. Every hole provides a potential Green in Regulation, so if you got 6 Greens in Regulation on an eighteen hole Golf course. Your success percentage would be 33.3%. In order to figure out your putting proficiency. Just count the total number of Putts you made in the round. Then divide that by the number of holes you played. That will give you your Putts per hole average.
Knowing these statistics will enable you to set reasonable goals. Beginning with something attainable like 3 Fairways hit, 3 Greens in Regulation, and 45 total Putts will help build confidence. These goals aren’t as simple as you might think. Depending on the course it could be extremely difficult to hit the Fairway, or have your approach shots hold the Green. Greens with a lot of break can turn into four Putts. Setting goals will help you develop one of the most underrated aspects of Golf. The mental Game. Before I began keeping track of my Statistics. My Club selection on the Tee became a simple process of which club can I hit furthest towards the hole without going past it? More often than not I was pulling my Driver out of the bag for every Par 4, and Par 5. There’s a reason why PGA tour Pros don’t do that. It isn’t because they hit it so much further than we do. It’s because they take into account the locations of hazards. I’m not just talking about Bunkers, and Water. A narrow Fairway is a hazard. A poor angle to the Green is a hazard. Before I began tracking Fairways hit. Missing the Fairway was less important to me than getting as close to the Green as possible. Which more often than not meant landing in the rough. Being 50 yards away from the Pin in deep rough seemed better than being 100 yards away from the Pin on the Fairway. I was completely wrong. You know what to expect from a good lie. You’ve hit so many shots from a perfect lie at the Range. You can practically predict what will happen when you strike that ball. I know that I hit my Pitching Wedge around 100 yards from a nice lie. I couldn’t give you an educated guess how far I hit it, or any club for that matter out of the deep rough. So being half the distance to the PIN but in the rough leaves me with a total gamble of an approach shot. I don’t know how far it’s going to go. If it’s going to come out straight, or if it’s going to come out at all. The amount of stress that single shot can put you through isn’t worth the extra 50 yards. This takes me to the next statistic you should be tracking. Your Greens in Regulation. Taking aim at the Green from the Fairway provides you with a reasonable chance for success. Trying to get there from the rough, a bunker, or through some trees is a snowballs chance in hell unlikely. Consequently this will adversely effect your putting. For example you are playing a Par 4. You reach the Green in 4 after a series of poor shot selections. How desperately do you want to sink that first putt? Get away with a Bogey on what was a brutally frustrating hole. You’d want to sink that first putt really bad. Try to imagine how rattled you would already be just having reached the Green in 4. Then add the additional stress to one putt. In this situation it wouldn’t surprise me if you finished that hole with a triple bogey. The mental focus and skill required to make that putt can be too much for a beginner to handle. Now what happens if you played that same hole cautiously, and chipped up on to the Green in 3? You still didn’t get yourself the Green in Regulation, but you reached the Green stress free. Your first putt is relatively stress free. If you make it you save Par, and a miss will probably leave you a tap in Bogey. As a Beginner a Par is awesome, and I’ll gladly take tap in Bogeys all day. In this situation I would consider a double Bogey highly unlikely, and your chances for Par pretty good. That’s what happens when you concentrate on reaching the Fairway safely off the Tee. It then provides you with a decent chance of reaching the Green in Regulation. Which in turn gives you an opportunity to two putt for Par, or Bogey.
As a Beginner I play a lot of shorter courses. I might only pull out the Driver once, or twice in a round. In some cases not at all. The result is that my scores have greatly improved.
Green in Regulation
There is a hole on one of the courses I play often where I used to pull Driver every time. I averaged a double Bogey on that hole teeing off with the Driver. Now on that same hole I tee off with a 6 hybrid instead. I give up around 75 yards on average off the Tee. I now average just a little over Par. I play it almost a full two strokes better. Simply because I rarely miss the Fairway, and reach the Green in Regulation half the time. If that doesn’t make you a believer in hitting the Fairway, and reaching the Green in Regulation. Then I don’t know what else will.
The right Putter can mean the difference between a good day on the course, or a frustrating one. You don’t think so? Here’s two actual examples of the difference having the correct Putter can make.
The first example is of a hole I played with the second Putter I purchased. It wasn’t the right Putter for me for a number of reasons. I had developed a decent putting stroke by this time though. I wasn’t completely hopeless on the Greens. This happened on the 8th hole at Scarlett Woods Golf course in Toronto, Ontario. A fantastic course for beginners by the way. The Pin was placed back left on the Green, and the hole was playing about 170 yards long. At that time 170 yards was a 4 hybrid distance for me. I wasn’t making particularly good contact that day, and there was a bit of wind to deal with. I clubbed up, and decided to go with my 3 hybrid off the Tee. My Tee shot drifted left of the target. I was left with a difficult pitch over a bunker roughly 20 yards away with very little green to work with. I hit my 56 degree wedge which successfully cleared the bunker. Unfortunately my shot ran through the Green to the opposite side and settled in the fringe. At this point I’m thinking two putts for bogey on a par 3 that I missed the Green is perfectly fine with me. I actually finished that hole with a triple bogey! Now here is how it happened, and it’s all because of the Putter. I had a Taylormade Rossa Daytona blade style Putter. Why this Putter was wrong for me begins with the weight. It was definitely too light for me. A heavier Putter helps me follow through with my pendulum style swing. It also has a specially designed insert in the face of the Putter that reduces weight, and improves the feel at impact. I found the insert to be a bit spongy feeling, but it did get the ball rolling smoothly with perfect contact. The real problem was the combination of a spongy Putter face matched with an extremely soft covered ball. I was strictly using the Wilson Staff Elite 50 balls at the time, and they have a very soft outer layer. This meant that it required a lot of additional force to get the ball rolling when putting. My first putt struck me as requiring a little extra power to get it through the fringe, and on it’s way to the hole. The hole was on a bit of a downslope though, so I didn’t want to hit it too hard. Due to the fringe the bottom of my Putter brushed along the ground during the stroke. It slowed it just enough for the soft insert in the Putter, and the soft outer layer of the ball to come together and my ball travelled a total of 2 feet. It only just made the Green. Well at least I was on the Green now right. So now I’m looking at double bogey. One long lag putt plus a tap in, and I can get on to the next hole. My next putt wasn’t bad by my standards. I left myself a 4 footer with very little break for the double. It should of been an easy putt to make. With a Putter that feels too light in your hands, isn’t balanced right for your type of swing (toe weighted), and takes a fair amount of force to get the ball rolling. A short downhill putt is unnecessarily challenging. Needless to say I left it just short. Triple effing bogey!
Seven months later with a Putter far more suited to me the second example took place. It was on the 11th hole at Dentonia Golf club in Toronto, Ontario. This is also a 170 yard par 3, but it plays significantly downhill. I chose to hit my 6 hybrid which ended up being just a little too much club that day. My line was close to perfect, and I ended up rolling the ball off the Green, through the fringe, and settling in the short rough. The Green slopes downward to the hole from my position. Once again I’m staring down a shot that could potentially get away from me. The distance to the hole was about 25ft. I considered a short chips, but my chipping had been horrendous that day. Instead I chose to go with the Putter. I was using the third Putter I had purchased at this time. A Yes Milly face balanced mallet. It is a completely different design then the previous Putter. First of all it’s quite heavy, so once you begin your swing bailing out isn’t an option. It also has a face insert, but instead of being designed to provide feel. It’s firm not soft, and designed to quickly get the ball rolling. These two features practically eliminated my propensity to leave the ball short on touch shots. I used the same stroke I had used at Scarlett Woods. This time though the ball didn’t come to a complete stop at the edge of the Green. It rolled on through without losing too much speed at all. It tracked well, caught the downslope, and ended up in the hole for birdie! The speed of the ball when it dropped would have probably left me a 5 footer coming back up hill if I missed. A very doable putt for par. Either way a massive improvement over the last Putter.
A quick word about how much you should spend on a Putter. Given it’s importance, price should not be the deciding factor when purchasing a Putter. You still need to be careful with your budget though. While testing Putters I had some very good results with a Scotty Cameron model. It was three times the price of the Yes Milly Putter I eventually picked though. In the end I believe that there are features on the the Yes Milly Putter that actually benefit me more. The true alignment aid on the base of the Milly is one particular advantage. Once you’ve settled on which type and balance of Putter is for you. You should be able to find one that fits your price point as well. For instance Wilson makes quite a few different Putters at great prices. One of my particular favourites is the one available for less than $50 on Amazon as of the publishing of this post.
When I check my scorecards, and count the number of putts per round. I used to average 45 putts per round. Now I average 36 putts per round. That’s an improvement of 9 strokes per round of golf. There are very few clubs in your bag that can make that much of an improvement in your game. All it takes is switching to the model that’s the correct fit for you. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have the right Putter. So don’t take choosing a Putter lightly. Test as many as you can. Visit the putting practice area at your local course, or range. Ask to try a few swings with other Players Putters. Visit your local store and get a Putter fitting done. Once you know which type of Putter suits you. You can then decide which one to purchase.
(if you haven’t read my previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)
Hopefully you have done your homework. If you haven’t read it already. Take a moment to read my Starting from Scratch SS-3 post. It will properly prepare you to begin Assembling your first Golf set.
Golf clubs can be separated into 4 categories. Super Game Improvement, Game Improvement, Player Improvement, and Tour clubs in order of easiest to hit to most difficult. If you are only interested in becoming a casual golfer then I would suggest buying a complete Game Improvement set from Canadian Tire, or Walmart. For the most part everything these stores offer are in the Game Improvement category. They generally include a full selection of clubs from Sand Wedge all the way up to Driver. Plus they aren’t going to break the bank. Don’t sleep on the technology that goes into these sets either. The majority of these sets are inspired by the top companies previous designs from a few years back. Keep in mind that a popular set which can be found at big box stores is the Strata set. It’s actually made by Calloway. Wilson has some great entry-level mass market sets. You will probably come across some Dunlop sets as well, and they are made by the same company that makes Srixon. No one is going to judge you for playing any of those. Buy one of these sets and you are ready to go. Just head out to the range and start swinging. As an added bonus the big box stores have excellent return policies. If the set you picked doesn’t feel right. Just take it back to the store and pick another. You really can’t go wrong, or can you?
If you are a serious golfer the mass market sets can work for you as well. In this case I would suggest choosing a set that includes two or more Hybrid clubs, and possibly buying an additional Putter. Now if you are an obsessive golfer like me I would suggest a different route. As an obsessive golfer you should already know your top 3 current irons through simulator testing. If your budget allows. Head back to your local store and swing your top 3 irons a few more times until you’ve reached a winner. Then select the Hybrid/Irons combination set, and get fit for them. The majority of these sets end at Pitching Wedge, so choose a Sand Wedge to buy also. Which Sand Wedge you choose is entirely up to you. I’ve honestly hit about six different Sand Wedges on actual courses, and there wasn’t a considerable difference in performance. The one thing that my friends and I have noticed is that it’s easier to hit a cavity back wedge further with a full swing. If you would like to really simplify things for yourself in the beginning. You might consider buying a specialty Sand Wedge like the Cleveland Smart sole, or Calloway Sure Out Wedge. You could also head over to the Putter section of the store and take some time to select a Putter. I would strongly suggest against purchasing a Putter at this time though. Your first few months of practice should be spent at the Range or in a Simulator where Putters aren’t necessary.
What about Fairway Woods, and a Driver you ask? Forget about those for now as well. The swing required to hit them properly is different than your Iron swing. Learning both swings at the same time will only confuse things, and slow down your progress.
With a lower budget you can essentially begin your Golf set the same way. What you will do differently is once you’ve decided which set is your favourite. First check the clearance section of your local store for previous generations of that model. If they aren’t available then you can definitely find them online. That’s exactly what I did. After testing a few Super Game Improvement, and Game Improvement sets. I decided that the Adams Blue was the set for me. At that time my local retailer was selling the Hybrid/Irons set with Graphite shafts for $899.00. I found an earlier version of the set with the same characteristics online. They were on sale at a store in Ottawa for $199.00. The set included a 3Hybrid, 4Hybrid, 5Hybrid, 6Hybrid, 7Iron, 8Iron, 9Iron, Pitching Wedge, and Gap Wedge. This set was originally released in 2013. Two years previous to the Adams Blues. It didn’t come with a Sand Wedge so I eventually added a Cleveland Rotex 588 2.0 cavity back. I also went through 3 Putters in my first year because I didn’t know what was required in actually picking the right one. I’ll go over proper Putter selection in my next entry.
My first set
During my quest to select the right clubs I’ve tested so many. If any of you have any questions about particular clubs just ask. Also if you have recently made your first club selections. Please feel free to share why you chose the clubs.
(if you haven’t read the previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)
When you first begin developing a swing. It helps if you know someone who already has a set of clubs that you can borrow at the range. Fortunately for me I did. At this point the absolute worst thing that you could do is go out, and buy a random set of clubs. Chances are that you will select a set that isn’t right for you at all.
While you are at the range, practice swinging with a 7 or 8 Iron. Whichever feels more comfortable for you. Why a 7 or 8 Iron instead of something that hits the ball much further you ask? Because it’s far easier to make contact with shorter length clubs. Plus the lofts look far more natural to the eye than Wedges. In my experience the 7 or 8 irons are the best clubs to practice with when developing a swing.
Something I should mention right now. Any recommendations I make are based on personal experience. Additionally I further qualify my findings with friends who utilize the same methods. There are 4 of us who have all taken up golfing within the last 3 years. The hints, and instructions I pass along to you have worked for all of us.
Your first few times out to the range, you should only be using whichever Iron you selected as your practice Iron. Keep working on your swing until you are able to make decent contact at least 75% of the time. Once you feel confident swinging that club. Make your way over to your local Golf equipment store that has a simulator. Most of them do these days. Ask to try a bunch of Irons in the size you selected. Make sure to inform the Sales Associate that you are new to Golf, and would only like to test Game Improvement Irons. Now this is key, don’t rush anything! Take your time, and don’t feel pressured to purchase anything at this time. I’ve been in simulators for over an hour testing clubs, and the Sales Associate didn’t even bother me. Most of these places offer commissions on equipment Sales, so it’s in an Associate’s best interest to let you figure out what works for you. Swing each club many times, and pay close attention to how it feels throughout the swing. How does it look to you at address? Does it produce a favourable ball flight? Don’t worry too much about the distance at this time. A repeatable flight path, with a consistent launch angle is far more important. Make note of your top 3 performers, and call it a day.
You have now completed the first step to assembling your first set of clubs. Actually your first partial set to be exact. Where your set begins has a lot to do with your budget. Keep in mind though that spending more in the beginning is usually a mistake. Truth be told some of the more expensive golf sets won’t improve your game. In fact they will do the opposite. I recently watched a brand new Player testing Irons. When I say brand new, I mean he routinely sliced his 7 Iron with an average carry of 60 yards brand new. This guy was practically pulling his hair out in frustration trying to hit some shiney new Taylormade P750 tour Irons. That’s like a first time Driver being given a Lamborghini to drive to work. It just doesn’t make any sense at all. Golf is one of the few things in this world where the more expensive product won’t automatically be better. Choosing the right equipment, and in this case Beginner equipment will make the game far more enjoyable, and easier to learn.
(if you haven’t read the previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)
As much as how so many of us love it. Golf just isn’t for everyone. It requires time, money, patience, and practice. Plenty and plenty of practice. How much practice actually depends on which type of golfer you intend to be.
There are three types of Golfers. The first is the Casual golfer. Someone who occasionally goes out to the range with friends, and attempts to hit their Driver a little bit further than last time. They play a round of golf with friends, or attend the company golf tournament just a few times a year. They could really care less about their score, and as a result have no clue what their handicap is. Every round begins in eager anticipation of the 19th hole. If that adequately describes you then lucky you. I wish that was me to be honest. It would make things so much easier. To maintain that level of readiness doesn’t require a lot of practice. Of course a few trips to the range, and maybe a lesson or two until you’ve developed a basic swing is necessary in the beginning. After that though just one or two range sessions per month is all that’s required.
The second type of golfer is the serious golfer. The amount of dedication required to maintain this level of readiness is significantly increased. Now your score actually matters, and obviously that iincludes your handicap. You value consistency over distance. While the casual golfer probably loves their Driver most. The serious golfer is most likely enamoured with their Putter or Wedges. It isn’t enough to be good. You strive to become better. To actually accomplish your goals you will need to practice 3 or 4 times a month, and play at least once each month. You will probably need a group of like minded friends. Together you’re able to judge each other’s progress. When I started playing golf I thought that this was the type of player I would be.
I was totally mistaken!
The third type of golfer is the competitive golfer. Maybe obsessive golfer would be a more appropriate name. Took me about nine months before I realized that I was one. To be fair I’m obsessive about most things, but life has taught me to set realistic goals. I got into golf with the goal of hitting the ball relatively straight so that eventually I would be able to play bogey golf. In my estimation an 18 handicap would qualify me as a serious golfer. Well, my current golf routine includes 1 range session per week, 1 round of golf per week, at least 100 putts per week on my practice mat, 1 hour of chipping and putting practice at a course facility, and I’ve added a stretching routine designed to increase my body rotation. I’d probably do more except my time management, and physical limitations prevent me from doing so. I’ve been maintaining this practice routine for 4 months now. Before that the Canadian weather prevented me from getting out on a course. I did get in as much practice as I could on simulators though.
Last season was my first full season playing golf. I began the season practicing 2 or 3 times a month with the odd round thrown in. I ended the season practicing every week. Golf has a way of doing that. It tends to increase your interest over time. So be sure to consider that when you decide if golf is for you.
