An idea I came up with this Season because practice time wasn’t easy to come by was to rate my golf game. In order to be as brutally honest as possible I decided to divide the aspects of an individuals golf game into 5 categories. Then assign a score from 1 to 5 for each category, but no two categories can have the same score. This will force you to rank your abilities from best to worst.
Here is how I ranked each category for myself.
Driving -4
Putting -1
Irons -5
Woods\Hybrids -3
Wedges -2
What is particularly great about this system is that it doesn’t matter how good your overall game is. A 1 in putting doesn’t mean I can putt like a tour pro. It just means that it’s the most reliable part of my game. The next thing I did was make a quick note of one thing I would most like to improve in each category.
These were the primary goals I chose for each category.
Driving -4 -increase average distance by 15 yards
Putting -1 -improve proximity to hole on downhill putts
Irons -5 -lower launch angle to increase distance
Woods\Hybrids -3 -be more consistent with the distance
Wedges -2 -improve bunker accuracy
So now what am I supposed to do with that information. This is where having an understanding of where you are able to effectively cut strokes really helps. I use a Shot Scope V2 to track my golf game. I also use the 18birdies app to take notes, and get a quick analysis of my game at the end of each Round while it’s fresh in my mind. This combination has enabled me to really understand what I need to improve in order to quickly lower my scores.
The goals that would have the least affect are adding 15 yards to my Driving distance, and improving bunker accuracy. An extra 15 yards off the Tee would allow me to take 1 less club into Greens. Unfortunately my Irons are the worst category in my game so 1 less club makes little to know difference. On average I only hit 1 or 2 bunkers per Round so having improved accuracy on those shots would improve my scores minimally.
The goals that could significantly lower my scores dramatically are a lower launch angle with my Irons to increase distance, and better distance control with my Hybrids. First of all distance, and distance control are key to scoring with the majority of your clubs. Hitting it short off the Tee with my Driver won’t punish me as much if I’m accurate, and relatively long with my Irons and Hybrids. Instead of hitting pop ups with my Irons that are difficult to control, and heavily affected by the wind. I could hit a shorter Iron delofted with more control, and lower so the wind doesn’t affect it as much. On long approaches into Greens I could take hazards out of play if my distance control with my hybrids was predictable.
Now that I have identified which improvements will have the greatest impact. It is easy to optimize my practice sessions to get the absolute most out of them. If I go out to the Range I know exactly which clubs to bring with me. I know exactly what to work on. I can bring along the correct devices in order to measure my results, and determine if the swing changes are working. For these particular goals I would only need my Swing Caddie SC200 at the Range, or I could get the exact numbers by booking time in a Simulator. I wouldn’t have to spend any time on a Putting Green, or Short Game Practice area. Not a second of my time spent practicing would be wasted.
If it wasn’t for the time constraints Covid-19 has caused I would have never developed this system. Having actually put it to use, and seeing the results first hand. I will be prioritizing my practice sessions this way for the foreseeable future. I would strongly suggest that if you are serious about improving your golf game you try it as well.
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The world is both separated and unified in the fight against a common enemy. Covid-19 has forced us to rethink our priorities. This year has completely changed everything I had planned. Some things have been put on hold. A few things I had planned may never happen. Not all is lost though. The Lock Down forced me to improvise, and I found new avenues to explore. Nobody knows how long this situation will last. When it does finally subside, and things return to something that loosely resembles normal. I will be ready to provide my faithful followers with a wealth of information.
I apologize for the lengthy hiatus. For a while discussing golf or fantasy football just felt so trivial compared to what’s going on in the world. It took me going out on the course completely alone to play 18 Holes to realize how necessary these trivial distractions are. So I won’t let a week pass without a post. During my absence I’ve studied Golf club fitting, and now offer a casual Driver Fitting for Beginners looking to improve their game off the Tee. If you haven’t seen it yet I encourage you to watch the highlight video on my welcome page. It will go into further detail about the Fitting process. I have also noticed that my reviews of products specifically aimed at Beginner Golfers have been well received. I plan on doing many more in the near future.
For awhile it was unknown if the NFL would have a 2020 season. Now that it is underway I will begin to provide short term Fantasy Football advice. Things can change so much week to week that long term advice seems foolhardy. My first piece of advice for 2020 is to stockpile Running Back depth. Players are still trying to get into game shape, and as a result injuries are far more likely. Running Backs get injured at a greater rate than the other skill positions so make sure you have a couple extras on your bench.
Hopefully I haven’t let things slide for too long, and this post finds those of you that have been loyal from the beginning. There are some great things to come, and I don’t want any of you to miss out!
Let me know if there are any things you would like me to cover in the upcoming posts. Remember this Blog isn’t for me. It is really for you. So let me know what you are most interested in right now.
Take care, and stay safe during these troubling times.
The less you have to think about before, and during the Swing the better. I wish I could just select a club, get in position and swing away with no thought at all but that’s never going to happen. The best Players in the world still have one or more Swing thoughts in order to execute their golf swing. Your goal is to find the fewest number of Swing thoughts you require to execute your most consistent golf swing. Most people begin with many more than necessary, and have a very difficult time reducing it. The reason it’s so difficult to whittle down is because we don’t pay close enough attention to which thoughts actually make a considerable difference. In the beginning you will get Swing thought advice from everyone, including total strangers. I’m sure some of you have heard some or all of these.
Top 8 Swing Thought advice
1- Keep your head in the same position during the swing
2- Keep your eyes on the ball and don’t look to see where it’s going until your Follow through naturally lifts your head
3- Keep your forward arm straight
4- Swing with your body, not your arms
5- Transfer your weight into your back foot during the back swing, then shift your weight on to your front foot during the forward swing
6- Hit down on to the ball and take a divot just after ball first contact
7- Allow your hands to turn over through impact to close the face
8- Begin the forward swing by rotating your hips first to create lag
There are many more, and at some point I’ve tried them all. In the end my Swing Thoughts have been reduced to (a) maintaining a slow controlled back swing utilizing my two anchor points, and (b) completing a full swing through to a proper finish position. Some of you are probably surprised by that, and maybe even doubting it’s all I require. I’ll explain why this works for me. First of all a Slow Back swing prevents me from swaying. It keeps me balanced, and prevents my head from moving. The Anchor points keep my forward arm from bending to far, promote a proper rotation, and keep my Swing Path under control. Everything that happens through impact is determined at set up before I actually swing. As long as I’m set up correctly my strike will be decent. Something I learned to accept a while back is that a golf swing is far too fast to correct a poor set up during the swing. Better to take a little longer during set up, and then just trust you got it right. That way I’m able to just swing freely, and focus on getting to my second Swing thought, that perfect end position. Chances are if I finish the swing smoothly my shot will be what I expected. If things go wrong it can only be a problem at set up, bad Tempo, or poor balance. The icing on the cake is figuring out which thing went wrong is relatively easy. If I end up off balance it’s obvious. If my swing gets out of synch it’s a Tempo issue. If the Strike was really poor then the problem was at the set up. It usually only takes me a maximum of 3 Holes to get things fixed during a Round now. I can remember Rounds of golf where something would go wrong with my Swing, and it could take 6 Holes to figure out what. Sometimes I wouldn’t figure out what was wrong the entire Round. The reason I had no idea was because I had too many Swing Thoughts to work through. Was my head steady? Was I transferring my weight too soon, or too late? Had I gotten too armsy? Were my hands forward at impact? If just one thing was wrong I could potentially figure it out. But what if two or more things weren’t quite right? Good luck finding the right combination to fix things in time.
Just because these two Swing thoughts work for me doesn’t necessarily mean they will work for you. My Swing thoughts include a front and rear arm anchoring against my abdomen. Unless you do that as well it won’t make sense for you. I rarely take much of a divot, and don’t compress the ball all that much. As a result of that I don’t hit the ball particularly long. Right now distance isn’t all that important to me. I hit long enough to get around a shorter course, and shoot my target score provided I’m accurate. At some point in order to improve my Handicap I’ll have to learn to hit the ball a bit longer. At that time my Swing thoughts might change, or I might require one more in order to account for compressing the ball at impact.
I’m not going to get into choosing the right equipment, or how much time you should spend at the Range. I’m not going to tell you what part of your game you should focus on in the beginning, or how to develop a repeatable swing. I’m not going to tell you these things because I have written previous articles, and have a whole series of videos dedicated to those things already on my Cobe Life YouTube channel. What I’m actually going to do is provide you with a flowchart of sorts. A step by step guide that should help you progress as a Golfer, and minimize the number of setbacks most Beginner Golfers experience. So lets assume that you have purchased your first set of clubs, have a halfway decent swing, and can get through 18 holes on a course without losing your mind and a case of balls. Now what…
Time to get Fit? NOPE!
Practice Putting until sinking 5 footers becomes so easy that it’s boring
Notice the emphasis on short putts. Trust me, there’s nothing worse when you start golfing at actual courses, and feel like you are 3 putting every hole. Putting is like Running. First you need to know how to crawl, then learn to walk, before you can run. It won’t help you to hit a long lag putt to within 5 feet, or chip it close from off the green, If it then takes you two putts to sink it. Lag putting will become easier over time. It takes a lot of actual playing time to become decent at reading greens and getting a feel for the speed required to cover assorted distances. Once you have learned to control your putts. Knowing that you can drain anything that gets remotely close really helps your confidence, and frees you up to try and sink long putts more often.
Fall in love with your Hybrid
If you have read my previous posts on assembling your first golf set, or seen my YouTube videos on buying golf clubs. You will already know that I’m a huge fan of Hybrid clubs. Recently popular YouTuber Rick Shiels posted a video on 5 different ways to use your Hybrid clubs. That alone should tell you how versatile they are. The versatility isn’t why I believe you should quickly make your Hybrid clubs your favourites. What makes Hybrid clubs so important for the majority of Beginner Golfers is the ability to hit them a relatively long distance out of any lie. It doesn’t matter if it’s off a Tee, from the fairway, in a bunker, or out of the rough. Hybrid clubs seem to have no problem hitting a golf ball from anywhere. Once you’ve realized this, you’ll have the confidence to take a full swing off the Tee, or attack greens from a distance. If you happen to miss the Fairway or Green so be it. The Hybrid club is there to help get you out of trouble.
Pick your Favourite Wedge
As a Beginner Golfer you are going to miss a lot of Greens. If you want to continue to lower your scores you will have to get good at Chipping. The first step is finding a Wedge you feel confident with. Any Wedge will do. Actually it doesn’t even have to be a Wedge. It could be your 9 Iron if that’s what suits you. What’s most important is that you choose one club and stick to it! Sure PGA professionals have around four different Wedges in their bag, and they use all of them. The thing is, and I’m sorry to be the one telling you this but. You are not a PGA professional. Practice chipping out of trouble with one club from around 30 yards and in. Get in the habit of using the same exact stroke for every chip. Just control the distance by limiting your backswing. If you stick to it, then eventually chipping will feel as natural as putting. Once you’ve reached that level of confidence you will take dead aim at greens with very little worry. If you end up 5 to 10 yards off the green. Your goal will be to get up and down for Par, not to hopefully make Bogey.
Now it’s time to get Fit right? NOPE!
Let the Big Dog eat
Now that you can putt like Jason Day, hit your Hybrids from anywhere like Jordan Spieth, and chip to within inches of the hole like Phil Mickelson. It’s time to learn how to bomb it down the Fairway like Dustin Johnson. If you can’t achieve both distance and accuracy, well at least develop accuracy. Not everyone is going to be able to hit their Driver 250 yards or more, but we can all learn to develop some accuracy. As a Beginner Golfer 2 out of every 3 Fairways hit is a pretty good average. The Driver can be the most difficult club to control for a lot of new golfers. If you are really struggling then it may be time to enlist some outside help.
So this is when we get Fit! NOPE!
Find a Coach and get some lessons
Coaches come in many forms. Could be your local Course Pro, the Golf Trainer at your local golf store, or a friend who has been playing a lot longer than you have. Whoever it may be you might find yourself pleasantly surprised what a couple of golf lessons can do for your game. Golf is a game of minor adjustments, but it can be difficult to assess what adjustments you require. A good coach should be able to recognize simple setup or swing faults rather quickly. For some Beginners it only takes one or two lessons to see a major improvement. Once you’ve spent enough time with your coach to eliminate your bad habits, and get everything in order. There’s just one last thing to do.
GET FIT!
Finally it’s time to get properly fit. This doesn’t mean that you need to go out, and buy a whole new set of clubs. Getting fit can simply be about getting your current set adjusted for Length, Lie Angle, and Loft. When it comes to your Driver, and Fairway Woods you might opt for a Shaft Change. Whatever you decide that fits your budget will help at this point. Some of you are probably wondering why getting Fit was left till last? These steps aren’t meant to be taken until you begin playing Golf Courses and actually keeping score. For most Beginners that’s around the six month mark. At this point your swing is far from polished, and quite honestly will probably change drastically over the next six months to a year. Getting Fit too early will in some cases benefit you for a short amount of time, and then become a hindrance to your progress. If I had gotten Fit after six months the Lie Angle on my Irons would have been way off the mark they are at now. It is my opinion that most Beginner Golfers shouldn’t add a Driver to their bag until they have played a full Season. It is also been my experience that the Driver is the most important club in the bag to get Fit. There are benefits to being Fit for every club in your bag, but some are negligible. Putter and Wedge fittings can help improve your game but most true Beginners won’t see a difference. The Lie Angle on a Hybrid isn’t nearly as important as the Lie Angle on an Iron so getting used to one off the rack is far easier. That’s why I suggest mastering those clubs first. By the time you feel confident in those areas of your game. The benefits of a Fitting will be far greater.
Good Luck, and hopefully you won’t be Beginner Golfers much longer!
For those of you that follow my blog. First of all Thank you. I know it’s been a bit since my last post, and I apologize for making you wait. Things have been a bit hectic lately. On top of all the usual things life burdens you with, there have been a few extra issues to deal with as well as a new edition to the Cobe Life family. Before some of you get too excited, no we didn’t have a baby. We did however bring a puppy home. I don’t know how many of you have raised a puppy before but for those of you that haven’t it means getting up around four times a night to take him out to do his business. Sleep has become a distant memory. I look like an extra on the Walking Dead these days.
So it probably wouldn’t surprise you when I say that I haven’t done anything of particular note lately. Instead I will take this opportunity to evaluate how my season went. What goals I managed to achieve, and where I fell short. Plus a few moments that really stood out to me.
Why goals are important in golf
Unlike many other sports, setting goals in golf is critical to improving your game. Having said that I’m sure a number of you are already thinking that goals are important in all sports. Of course they are. It’s just that in golf there are so many different aspects to the game, that without setting specific goals you won’t actually know how you are improving. If you still think what I’m saying is nonsense. It might help you understand what my goals were.
Average less than 2 putts per hole.
GOAL ACHIEVED! I finished the season with an average of 1.7 putts per hole. This is actually better than I had hoped. Essentially what this means is that I rarely 3 putt, and quite often I require only one putt to hole out. What it doesn’t tell you is how long my average putt was. This brings up an important aspect of understanding your progress in Golf. Quite a number of your statistics can be affected by other aspects of your game. Which brings me to my next goal.
Average less than 1 chip per hole.
GOAL FAILED! I finished the season with an average of 1.3 chips per hole. This tells me two things. First of all I’m not hitting too many greens on approach shots so my accuracy is off with my Irons. Secondly if I’m forced to chip that often, and I know that my chipping ability is quite good. Then I’m probably leaving myself a lot of easy putts. That’s partially why my putting numbers are so good. Which leads me to my next goal.
33% or better Green in Regulation average.
GOAL FAILED! Verifying what I safely assumed was the case. I didn’t hit too many greens with my approach shots this season. My average was a paltry 13.3%. Obviously my accuracy with my Irons needs major improvement. Of course that might not be the only concern. It’s possible to be deadly accurate at the Golf Range, then trouble taking aim on the course. Hitting your targets becomes a lot more difficult when you aren’t hitting off a perfect surface. Which brings me to my next goal.
50% or better in Fairways Hit.
GOAL ACHIEVED! Coming into this season my fairways hit percentage was around 50%. I was hoping to maintain that average while choosing to play more aggressively off the tee. I finished the season with a 65.5% average. Far better than what I had hoped for, and proof that all the practice I put in with my Driver is working. What this also tells me is that my accuracy with my Irons are an issue because the majority of my approach shots are from the Fairway. Which brings me to my final goal.
Lower my handicap to 18 or better.
GOAL FAILED! I was really hoping to finish the season as a bogey golfer but unfortunately that didn’t happen. My current handicap is 21.9. Close but no celebratory cigar. My handicap did go down by 7 strokes so that should be seen as a success. More importantly I have a good understanding of what I need to work on to lower my handicap next Season. First and foremost is my Iron accuracy. A few trips to the Simulator practicing in closest to the pin mode should help. With that goal in mind I should probably work on my longer putts because I should hit more greens. In order to make my approach shots easier I should probably work on my Driver distance as well.
Possible goals for next season
Less than 1.9 putts per hole
Less than 1 chip per hole
33% or better Greens in Regulation
66% Fairways Hit
16 or better handicap
Understanding where my game is at, and what specifically needs improvement makes those goals realistic. Most other sports aren’t like that. For the most part you just practice in order to get better. You don’t necessarily isolate one particular part of your game that will end up improving your overall performance.
I’m already excited for next year, and hope you continue to enjoy the journey right along with me.
By now most golfers are familiar with Launch Monitors. The majority of golf equipment stores have a high end simulator bay for customers to test clubs, or take swing lessons. The Launch Monitors those simulator bays use cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $20,000.00
For most of us a simulator bay in the basement or den is far from realistic. What if there was a product that could provide you with the same capabilities for a fraction of the cost, and is as portable as a cellular phone? Every golfer would just have to have one right! Well unfortunately there isn’t a product on the market that can do everything a high end launch monitor can. The Swing Caddie SC200 is about as close as you can get, but is close good enough?
SC200 Capabilities
The Swing Caddie SC200 uses Doppler Radar to read your swing speed, ball speed, and approximate trajectory. With these measurements it can provide you with your smash factor, and carry distance. It also keeps track of the amount of time you were using it and the number of balls you’ve hit. At first I wasn’t interested in how long I had used it or how many balls I had hit, but after a week of use those numbers began to take on an increased importance. Is Smash factor important to me? It never used to be. Well that isn’t entirely true. I’ve looked at what my smash factor was before when testing Drivers at Golf Town. After my first week of using the Swing Caddie SC200 I now pay close attention to my smash factor when working on improving my club face contact point. At first glance you might think that your Swing Speed, and Carry Distance are the only important measurements. That’s what I thought, and it only took a week for me to realize that I was wrong.
A few additional things you should know about the Swing Caddie SC200 that add to it’s appeal are the Voice capability, Remote Control, and battery life. The Swing Caddie SC200 has a very good screen that I found easy to read in most lighting conditions. There are times that reading the screen could be difficult. Thankfully the Swing Caddie SC200 has an audible announcement after each swing that informs you of the distance hit. You will still have to look at the screen if you are interested in knowing your Swing Speed or Smash Factor. I found the distance announcement quite useful. It takes a moment before it informs you so you have just long enough to make your own guess before the SC200 provides you with the answer. This feature has helped me identify what perfect contact actually feels like and sounds like. In some cases I’ve learned that louder isn’t necessarily better. The included Remote is such a welcome addition. It’s about as simple as can be. There’s a button for each club, and it’s a breeze to switch between modes. I like to switch from club to club when practicing at the Range. Quite often I’ll play a mock Par 4. I imagine a 350 yard Par 4 then tee off. I then estimate the distance left, and choose the appropriate club. The Swing Caddie SC200 removes the guess work, and is a snap to switch between clubs with the included remote. The SC200 is powered by four AAA batteries. For me that’s far better than an included rechargeable battery. I have devices that require constant charging. I’m thankful to not have another one. According to the manual you should expect around 20 hours of use. If your average Range session is around an hour that’s 20 times out! More than enough in my opinion.
First Impressions
By the time you read this the Swing Caddie SC200 has been out for over a year. Chances are you’ve already read other reviews, or seen unboxing videos of the product. What you probably haven’t come across till now is a Golf Beginner’s opinion of the Swing Caddie SC200. Unlike the majority of reviewers out there I’m not a professional golfer. I’m not affiliated with a recognized Golf publication, or Association. The Swing Caddie wasn’t supplied to me by the company for review purposes. I actually had to buy it! So I guess the real question is; for a beginner golfer like me, is the Swing Caddie SC200 actually worth it?
For me that’s a resounding YES! I’ve read some mixed reviews about the Swing Caddie SC200, from essential practice tool to novelty Range tech. The reviews were so mixed that it took quite the sale price for me to even consider the purchase. Having spent a considerable amount of time with the product the wide spectrum of conclusions I’ve come across make total sense. The Swing Caddie SC200’s usefulness is directly related to the user’s golfing ability. For a high handicapper like me, the Swing Caddie SC200 has already improved my game after one week of use. Now if I was somebody with a single digit handicap the Swing Caddie SC200 would only confirm what I already know. In fact it might even read some of my more intricate shots incorrectly because it’s configured for swings made with the club face in a neutral position. This is definitely not a product for a wedge wizard like Phil Mickelson. In fact the most lofted Wedge a Swing Caddie SC200 can read is a 59 degree. My Lob Wedge is 60 degrees so when I use it with the SC200 I have to accept a little bit of distance discrepancy, and the occasional missed swing. I mentioned earlier that the shot count feature became more important to me. What I realized is that it takes about 15 swings for me to loosen up. I also found out that I start to be affected by fatigue at around 85 swings. The difference between my optimum swings made while warmed up or fatigued is 10 to 15 yards depending on the club. This means that depending on how my Round of Golf is going I should be using a stronger club than I would expect towards the end of a Round. I’ve also learned that I should use a stronger club for the first 3 or 4 holes in a Round if I’m unable to warm up first. I also know that I only need 15 to 20 balls to hit before stepping up to the first tee. I’m sure veteran golfers have figured these things out over time. Well I’m in my third Season and I hadn’t figured it out until I practiced with the Swing Caddie SC200. Do you know your approximate distance with each club? You probably think you do. I know that I did. Well I was wrong about half the clubs in my bag. Not way wrong mind you, but wrong enough that my low Green in Regulation percentage makes total sense now. I’m certain that by the time the first set of batteries are dead in my Swing Caddie SC200; I’ll have such a good understanding of my game that hoping to break 100 will become a thing of the past. I should expect to break 100 every time out. Now will continued use help me to consistently break 90? Only time will tell. When that time comes I’ll definitely let you know.
I’ve come across many Guides for Beginner Golfers. The majority will include ways to begin lowering your score. They will go into detail about how to develop a one way miss, play to your skills, and spend a lot of time working on your putting. I agree with all of these but they don’t address the real requirements necessary to lowering your score. There are three keys to lowering your score that will work for every Beginner Golfer.
Hazard Avoidance
This seems quite obvious right! Well think about how many times on the course that you have found yourself in hazards. How many times have you failed to clear a pond, found yourself in a sand trap, or had to hit a difficult pitch out of the woods? Some of you are going to blame these situations on poor strikes. That’s a poor excuse. I recently played a course with a friend of mine. On the way there he mentioned how difficult the sand traps were at this course. I told him that ssnd traps wouldn’t be a problem for me. He had a puzzled look on his face, and asked why? I told him that I rarely land in sand traps. Most Rounds I don’t land in a single one. He asked how is that possible? My answer was straight and to the point, I avoid them. My game out of the sand is weak. I know that if I land in a bunker it’s going to cost me a stroke. It could take me two strokes to get out of the bunker, or even if I get out with my first swing, it’s going to take another stroke to get back into position. The smart play for me is to hit away from the bunker, or short of it. In order to do this effectively you need to know your average distance with each club, and even more importantly the maximum distance with each club. This is a statistic that you should be aware of that none of the “experts” talk about. As an “expert” they never need to worry about hitting their clubs exceptionally long. For example my average distance with my 7 Iron is 138 yards. I have on occasion caught it a little thin and hit it close to 150 yards. Both of these numbers come into play during a Round. If I’m attacking a Green that’s 134 yards away with a Bunker on the left. I will choose 7 Iron and aim for the right side of the Green. In case you were wondering where the Pin is placed. Well it doesn’t matter. I would prefer to attempt a long putt than having to potentially hit out of a bunker. Now lets add one additional feature to that same situation. Along with the left side bunker there’s also thick woods and fescue at the back. The distance to the back of the green is 146 yards. Now the maximum distance also comes into play. If I catch my 7 Iron too thin I could skip out the back and into the woods where losing the ball is definitely a possibility. In this case I would club down to my 8 Iron. On average I hit my 8 Iron around 125 yards. I have hit it as long as 135 yards at times though. This would give me a slim chance to get my shot as far as the pin, and a decent chance to find the front fringe. It totally takes both hazards out of play though. Once again I would prefer a long putt, or short chip than end up in a hazard. I probably save 5 strokes a Round by playing this way.
Just because it’s a Par 4 doesn’t mean you have to play it like one!
Something I realized after a full Season of playing courses, is that some Par 4s are specifically designed to challenge low handicappers. As a Beginner these holes can totally obliterate what could have been a great Round of Golf. The reason for this is how we are mentally conditioned to play a long Par 4. Hit it as long as possible off the Tee, and then use whichever club is necessary to reach the Green. Recently I played a 448 yard Par 4 dogleg right. I chose Driver off the Tee. Recently I’ve been hitting my Driver with great consistency. You should choose whichever club you can hit long and find the Fairway consistently, after taking Hazard Avoidance into consideration first. I was left with 210 yards to the Pin. Now I could potentially get there with my 3 Wood. In my first couple of Seasons playing golf, that’s exactly what I would have tried. Now what I chose to do instead was treat this long Par 4 like a Par 5. I chose 5 Hybrid which totally took any of the Hazards around the Green out of play. It left me only 50 yards to the Pin which is a very easy distance for me. Choosing to play long Par 4s this way makes Birdie almost impossible, Par difficult, and Bogey very easy. This may sound counterproductive to lowering your scores but in actuality it isn’t. My Par 5 average score has gone from almost 8 to 6 strokes. If the course I’m playing has 4 Par 5s that’s 8 strokes saved on average! The reason for the dramatic change in scoring is because the longer you hit a club, the greater the possibility for error if you hit it poorly. A sliced 3 Wood could put me in brutal trouble. A sliced 5 Hybrid isn’t anywhere close to as bad. Even if I hit the 3 Wood well in the aforementioned situation. I could end up in a greenside bunker, or roll through the back into fescue. A well struck 5 Hybrid can only end up in the Fairway. So I can’t get a birdie. Well so what! As a Beginner Golfer I only aversge 1 birdie per Round anyways.
Play to the Front of Par 3s
I’m guessing that nobody has ever suggested this before. Whenever you are in doubt of how to play a Par 3, just aim for the front of the Green. The only time that I would suggest against this is if you have to clear a hazard. In that case I would suggest aiming for the back. Aiming for the front is all about being logical. Many Beginners know their average total distance, but aren’t aware of their carry distances. Balls that land on the Green will usually roll out further than usual because of the firmness of the surface. But what about Spin, you ask? You are a Beginner (news flash) you don’t really have any. As a result your total average distance is actually increased. Another reason to aim for the front is that you aren’t punished for hitting it thin. You might actually end up on the Green, or roll through the back. At least you won’t be so far out the back that getting back onto the Green will be easy. Last but not least, you generally take hazards on the left, right, or back mostly out of play.
If you take these three tips into consideration the next time you play. I promise you that your final score will be lower than if you didn’t. Good luck, and keep working to improve your game. I’ll see you on the course.
For about a year now I’ve been trying to figure out which ball is right for me. As a High Handicapper cost is always a concern because it’s a rare occasion when I finish a Round of Golf with the Ball I began with. On average I go through a sleeve of balls each Round I play. I try to keep the majority of Rounds I play to under $50. If the balls I’m playing are $5 each that can seriously add to the cost of a Round. The second thing I take into consideration is how easy I find a Ball to be controllable around the Greens. I don’t necessarily need the ball with the most Spin. I just need a Ball to stop where I intend it to. I don’t need the smoothest rolling Ball off the Putter. I just need a Ball that I can feel come off the Putter face, and be able to control the distance it rolls. Lastly I would like a Ball that’s long enough off the Tee, and doesn’t roll out too much on full shots 160 yards and in. Ideally I’d like to find a Ball that meets all of those criteria for less than $30/dozen.
I have tried many different balls over the last three years. The majority of them were simple 2 piece balls because of the price. It wasn’t until Nike decided to get out of the Golf equipment game that I got my first real taste of what was possible with a 3 piece ball. Stores that carried Nike Golf equipment quickly put the RZN series balls on clearance. I was able to buy four dozen Nike RZN Reds at $20/dozen. It didn’t take long before I noticed two discernable differences. My putting improved from an average of 2.4 putts per hole down to 2. That’s an average of 7 less putts per Round! Was a 3 piece ball that much easier to Putt? Actually it isn’t. The Ball felt good off the Putter but that wasn’t the reason I was sinking more Putts. The real reason was that for the first time I was able to generate enough Spin on short approach shots to hold the Greens, and leave myself a lot more Putts from within 10 feet. Now before everyone reading this rushes out to buy five boxes of 3 piece balls. Let me first say that there are some very good 2 piece balls on the market. Three of the final six balls I tested were 2 piece balls in fact. Again price plays a very important role in my selection process and most 3 piece balls just cost too much. In the end there was a clear winner, with two others that I may end up playing because of the difference in price. Before I give my opinions of the final six balls I tested, you should probably know a little bit about me. My Driver swing speed is just a little north of 90mph. I hit my 7 Iron around 140 yards with a full swing. My current handicap is 30, and the lowest it’s been is 27. All in all I tested 15 different balls, plus a few others that are no longer available. I specifically chose these six to demonstrate what works, and what doesn’t work for me. One of the balls not covered in this test that I would recommend was the Srixon Soft Feel. It is in my opinion the best Budget ball by far. I found them for as low as $1.33/ball.
3 Golf Balls that didn’t suit me
Q Star
– putts slow, medium feel
– A lot of Spin off the Wedges
– short Driver distance
– low durability
Going into this comparison test I had high hopes for the Srixon Q-Star. Although it is a 2 piece ball, it also has an additional coating they call Spin skin on the outer shell that’s designed to increase Spin. Essentially Srixon’s goal was to create a 2 piece ball for a 2 piece price that performs like a 3 piece ball. Around the Greens the Spin I was able to create with my Wedges was excellent. Even better than two of the 3 piece balls that I tested. Unfortunately the performance across the other categories was poor. Putting was a challenge because it requires more force than I’m used to to get the ball rolling. I just kept coming up short which anyone will tell you is the worst way to miss a putt. Approach shots held the Greens from about 130 yards and in which isn’t bad, but far from optimal for me. What made matters worse was Driving distance on average was the shortest of all the balls tested. Only on the shortest Par 4s would I be within 130 yards after my Tee shot.
Aeroburner Soft
– putts fast, light feel
– very little spin on half swings
– long Driver distance
The Aeroburner Soft isn’t the newest ball on the market but I’ve seen them for sale in many different locations so I figured I would give them a try. First of all everything I’ve tested from Taylormade with the Aeroburner moniker has been long on distance. The Aeroburner Soft Golf Ball is no exception. Off the Tee it was the absolute longest of all the balls I tested. It actually had decent stopping power on full swing approach shots as well. Unfortunately once you get near, or on the Green the trouble begins. This Ball practically explodes off the Wedge, or Putter face which made it extremely difficult to control for me. Any strokes gained off the Tee were quickly lost when I reached the Green. A full Round with this Ball would probably test my nerves severely.
DT Trusoft
– putts fast, medium feel
– very little spin off half swings
– medium Driver distance
You don’t see too many Golf Ball Comparisons that don’t include the Titleist Pro V1. Well at $5/ball they definitely weren’t making the cut. Instead I gave their DT Trusoft a try. The Trusoft wasn’t terribly bad at anything, but it wasn’t especially good either. I was able to get decent distance with the Driver, generate decent Spin on full shots, hit long runners with the Wedges, and control my Putts relatively well. So why didn’t it make my Top 3? The answer to that is Price. Although it’s only a 2 piece ball, it’s the same price as one of the 3 piece balls tested, and even more expensive than another. It proved to be significantly more durable than two of the balls I tested but when you rarely finish a full Round with one ball, durability is of little concern.
The 2 alternate Balls I’d play
Project A
– putts mid pace, maximum feel
– A lot of spin on full or half shots
– long Driver distance
Of the six balls I chose to test the Taylormade Project A was the clear winner overall. I’ve never played a ball that immediately made me feel like I was going to score better. I felt like I could sink every putt, smash it off the Tee, and stick it close to the Pin from anywhere. The only categories it didn’t outright win were Driving distance (Aeroburner Soft) and Price (Q Star). So why didn’t it snag the number 1 spot? Once again the mighty dollar holds me back. Of all the balls tested it was the most expensive. In fact the only time it falls within my budget is when it’s on sale. Believe me when I tell you that every time it goes on sale I’m buying a few dozen though.
Vice Tour
– putts fast, medium feel
– spins well off of the Wedges
– medium Driver distance
– low durability
Vice has been quickly establishing themselves as the tour quality Ball manufacturer, at a discount price. According to their Ball fitting online questionnaire, the Vice Tour is the Ball for me. There was a lot to like about the Vice Tour. Unfortunately it was difficult to stop on anything but full Iron shots into Greens, and like the Q-Star wasn’t very durable. The 2 piece DT Trusoft actually performed a touch better, but as long as you buy five dozen Vice Tour balls the price is hard to beat.
I don’t mind the look.
The Best Ball for me
Project S
– putts mid pace, medium feel
– medium Spin on full or half shots
– medium Driver distance
The Project S does everything great, just not as great as the Project A. It’s that simple. Switching from the Project A to the Project S was quite easy. All I had to do was account for a little extra roll out on Chips, and Approach shots, and be a little less aggressive on lag putts. It was only 3 yards shorter in carry distance with the Driver as well. In fact some of my closest Chips and Pitches to the Pin came with the Project S because I like a little bit of roll out. The Flop shot isn’t my preferred shot. If it’s yours I’d highly recommend the Taylormade Project A. When it comes right down to it the Project S wins because it’s on average $10/dozen less than the Project A. Simply put it’s the best ball for my budget. If you haven’t tried it yet, I suggest that you do.
Let me know which ball you play, and which of my final 6 balls tested is your favourite and you will have a chance to win a sleeve of balls.
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I’m sure every golfer has gone through it. Maybe some of you like me are still going through it. What is it you ask? It’s the inability to have one swing work in a Simulator, at the Range, and on the course. Last Season I got in the habit of visiting the Range a couple days before playing a Round. If the weather turned bad I’d spend an hour in a Simulator. I’d get my swing dialed in. By the time my practice was done I’d leave the Range, or Simulator feeling totally confident. I was going to play the best Round of my life in a couple days. The course isn’t ready for what’s coming. My playing partners will be talking about this Round for the rest of the year. Never have I ever been this focused, ready, and confident. Two days later…
I shit the bed
I battle to make proper contact all day. When I don’t totally chunk it, I catch it thin. When I finally do make decent contact I slice the ball into oblivion. My distances are so inconsistent that club selection becomes a total gamble. Eventually I just choose the club that I happened to get a halfway decent shot with earlier. Long Par 5, think I’ll tee off with my 4 Hybrid because I hit it relatively straight two holes ago. 390 yards left to the hole, 4 Hybrid seems like a good choice. Only hit it 150 yards leaving 240. That’s OK the 4 Hybrid will work. Still 80 yards remaining. Normally that would be a smooth 52 degree Wedge. Unfortunately nothing I’ve hit has been smooth today so I’ll club up to a Pitching Wedge in case I chunk it. End up blading the ball into oblivion. Damn it! I should have just played a bump and run with the 4 Hybrid. Have you ever had those days? Sounds like an exaggeration but it isn’t. I have had those days. What could have happened to my swing between Thursday and Saturday?
Absolutely nothing!
The truth is that your swing didn’t suddenly disintegrate. It was as ready as you had imagined. You were ready to have the Round of your life. The problem wasn’t your swing. The problem was where you chose to use it. There are specific differences between each place you practice your swing. Some of these differences are extremely subtle, but can have a profound effect on your game. The first of which is barely noticeable to golf beginners. It wasn’t noticeable to me for a full two seasons. I struggled, and doubted myself every time I played. Wondering if I would ever be able to reproduce the success I was having at the Range on a course. One of the most important Golf Beginner tips I can give you is to always begin your setup by properly setting the…
Lie Angle
I used to believe that the key to Golf was to develop a smooth repeatable swing. I had the right idea, but I missed one necessary ingredient. Golf is a game of minor adjustments. One of the most important of those relates to lie angle. Something I failed to realize when I practiced my swing at the local range, was that the old hitting mats they provide have become significantly worn in the contact zone. So where the ball sits is slightly lower than the area around it. In order to make proper contact you would have to adjust the lie angle of your swing to be slightly toe up. Of course the Beginner Golfer isn’t actually aware that over the course of adjusting their swing ball after ball until they consistently make good contact. That swing is counterproductive to when they step on to a course and the ball is on even ground, or even worse a slight downhill lie. More often than not that’s how thin shots happen. It might sound like I’m suggesting that you stop going to the Range. I’m not. I’m telling you to be very aware of the lie angle of your club when you place it behind the ball at setup. The sole of your club needs to be as flat against the ground as possible. The lie angle determines how far you should be from the ball. I used to believe that my club choice determined that. It does if you take every shot from the exact same spot at the Range, or in a Simulator. On a course things become very different because the ground level is constantly changing. That brings me to the next factor that can cause fits…
Surface hardness
Something that never changes in a Simulator or hitting off a mat at the Range is the surface you are hitting off of. I actually have preferred Simulator Practice locations because the surface you hit off of has a softer underlayer that provides more give. If you are having trouble understanding my meaning. Imagine hitting your longest Iron off of a sidewalk. There’s a very good chance that the fear of contacting the concrete would have you end up blading the ball. Any swing that came in too steep would bounce so hard it would totally sap your strike of distance. A hitting surface with more give or depth to it allows you to come in steep or shallow, and still make decent contact. That felt much better to me. It feels far better to everyone that plays golf no matter what your skill level may be. Does it help you improve your swing though? Of course it does. All practice helps you improve. In this case though the firmer surface helps you even more. The reason for this is because of it’s affect on the proper utilization of each clubs lie Angle. The softer the surface, the more incorrect your lie angle can be, and still allow for decent contact. If the heel, or toe would hit first the surface gives way just enough to limit the affect on the swing. A rigid surface forces you to bring the club head perfectly square through the impact zone or suffer the consequences. Learn to make clean contact in a Simulator, or on a mat at the Range with a hard surface, and your swing will be pure. Sounds like that’s the ticket to improving your swing, and lowering your scores on the course then. I really wish it was. Course conditions can change from very hard surfaces to extremely soft. Especially when you live in Canada like I do. Practicing off of a hard surface can end up creating a swing that’s robotic. It becomes difficult to make those small adjustments that are required during a Round of Golf. What if you have to hit out of the Rough, or out of a bunker? What if the ball is above or below your feet? Once again the most important thing that you can focus on is the lie angle of the club.
Pre-shot Routine
Everyone should develop a pre-shot routine. It gets you prepared to make the shot, settles the nerves, and helps you properly set yourself. Everyone has their own unique way of doing it. Whatever yours is, make sure that it includes aligning the club’s lie angle so that it’s level with the surface you are hitting off of. If your routine doesn’t include this one crucial step yet? Then that could be why you have had those days on the course that made you wonder what happened to my swing?
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There are a number of things that I wish I knew when I first got started golfing. The one that would have most likely saved me the most time, effort, and frustration is getting properly Fit for a Driver. I didn’t completely screw up when it came to selecting a Driver. I waited until after I had developed a somewhat repeatable swing. I selected a Driver with a large, adjustable club head. I didn’t break the bank hoping that the newest technology would make a significant difference. All of these decisions helped, but not getting Fit made them affectively moot.
Industry Tricks
Something you may not be aware of as a Beginner. I know that I wasn’t. The majority of Drivers on display in retail stores, and pro shops have extra long shafts. Chances are good that if you purchase a Driver off the rack. The shaft length will probably be too long for you. Greatly increasing the difficulty of making proper contact with the ball. I mean unless you are six feet five inches tall, a shorter shaft length is probably better. Now you are probably wondering why so many people just walk into stores, try a few Drivers, and then buy one without making any custom adjustments? I did just that, and everyone I usually play with did as well. It’s because the majority of newer players assume that they won’t be able to just hit a perfect drive with a new Driver the first few times they swing it. So what do we do? We have the store rep provide us with a few Drivers to try in the simulator, and swing away until we catch one absolutely perfect. You know what happens then? Well anyone who has researched Driver technology, or understands a little bit of science knows that a longer shaft equals a greater swing speed. Then of course the greater swing speed equals a greater force of impact on the ball. Which then sends the ball that much further. And voila! You are so impressed with the end result you buy the Driver exactly as it was set up at the time. You just assume that after a bit more practice you will be able to repeat the result you achieved with that perfect contact in the simulator. A few of you are lucky enough to be the correct height, or have just the right swing to repeat that result. The reality is though that most of us aren’t. Took me a full two seasons to make that realization. That’s countless numbers of rounds of Golf where my round suffered due to poor Tee shots. All because I didn’t want to pay the additional $50 to get fit.
Night & Day
Recently I have had a simple Driver fitting done. My local Golf Town Rep knows me well enough that after testing numerous clubs made a couple simple suggestions. I didn’t end up purchasing a new Driver. I just purchased a new shaft. Went from a Regular flex to a Stiff. The shaft had a slightly different kick point to help with my launch angle. I had the shaft length reduced to 44.5 inches. It’s now only one inch longer than my 3 Wood. At first I was worried about losing a lot of distance. I’m not a long hitter to begin with. In actuality after testing the new set up I hit it just as long. Truth be told I effectively hit it longer because my trajectory has improved. I used to be nervous on the Tee. Dreading the possibility of hitting a wicked slice, or even worse, catching it thin or popping it up, and it goes no where. My last time testing the new Driver in the simulator I repeatedly made good contact. Sure I hit the occasional slice but I never made such poor contact that I’d be asking my playing partners for a Mulligan. It really made me wonder how low my handicap would be if I spent the last two seasons swinging the Driver with the confidence I now feel. So many tight Fairways i could have taken a shot at, instead of laying up off the Tee and intentionally playing for Bogey.
Don’t be me
One of my main reasons for creating this website is to educate others with what I’ve learned. Hopefully saving you from making the same mistakes that I made. I’m no natural when it comes to Golf, but I have progressed somewhat quicker than most. With the few tips and insights I’m able to share I hope that you will progress even faster with your game, and maybe you’ll be able to give me a tip of two some day.
