The key to improving at Golf
I’m in my second full Season as a Golf enthusiast. It was August of 2015 that I played my first full Round of Golf at Centennial Golf course in Etobicoke. To say that I sucked would be a gross understatement. I probably shot 140 that day and went through about 7 Golf Balls. What I will remember most about that day was the great Putt I made on the 12th Hole, and the amazing Drive I made on the final Hole. As much as I would like to score well each and every time I go out. Golf is also a game of amazing moments. Do you think I’d be disappointed if I shot 40 over, but made a Hole in one that day? It would probably go down as one of the most memorable Rounds of Golf I’ve ever played. The final score wouldn’t bother me at all. This article is about scoring though. In only two full Seasons of Canadian Golf I’ve gone from a total hack to a Bogey Golfer. In other words I have earned myself through a lot of work an eighteen handicap. To clarify, because a lot of Amateur Golfers are unclear of what a handicap actually means. An eighteen handicap means that on my best day I should finish a Round of Golf 18 strokes over par. On a Par 70 course I realistically average between 26, and 36 strokes over par. I have a tendency to really blow it on a couple of Holes and that’s why my score ends up being that high. Playing a solid mistake free Round has become my current goal.
How to play mistake free?
The key to reducing your handicap is the same for you, as it is for me. You need to focus on the things that are totally in your control. I’m sure a few of you are thinking wait a minute it’s Golf. There’s nobody tackling you, or checking you. You don’t even have an opponent really. Everything is totally under your control. Well you would be wrong.
You can attempt to make center face contact with the ball every swing but it won’t happen. You can attempt to hit a power draw, or a baby fade whenever the situation calls for it but it won’t always happen. You can attempt to hit every approach shot with enough backspin to have it hold the Green but there’s no guarantee that you will even hit the Green. Here’s the good news though. You can control how you grip each club every time. You can set yourself up with the ball a specific distance away from you, and further forward or back in your stance every time. You can duplicate how far, and how fast you make your backswing with every club. You can find the ball that feels right for you, and play only that ball so every putt feels the same.
Small things add up to becoming a better Golfer.
It would probably surprise you how much a consistent grip will improve your game. Your grip helps determine how your swing will feel throughout rotation around your body. Swing plane is partially determined by your grip. Resistance at the top of your backswing is partially determined by your grip. Club face release through contact is also affected by your grip. I would slice every shot to some degree in the beginning. It wasn’t until I developed a consistent grip that I was able to control it. Any corrections you make before you’ve settled on a particular grip are only temporary. So first things first, find your grip. Knowing the correct distance to stand from the ball at set up takes time. It took me about 12 months of playing to really figure it out. It’s natural to want to stand far enough away that simply swinging your arms back around you, and then forward through the target makes contact. Most Beginners, myself included start this way. Standing that far away will cause a number of swing faults. Making neutral face (not open or closed) contact with the ball becomes almost impossible. The amount of sidespin generated at impact is greatly increased. It becomes far more difficult to hit out of rough lies. Standing closer to the ball creates a more vertical swing plane. Essentially correcting all of the issues I just listed. It will feel uncomfortable at first because a proper swing will require far more body rotation the closer you are to the ball. Begin practicing at the Range standing a little closer to the ball. It won’t take long before you begin to see a significant improvement in ball flight, and target consistency. If you were to break down a Golf swing into two parts. It would be the backswing, and forward swing. Of the two, the backswing is obviously the easiest. When I first got into Golf I’d attempt to generate power through the backswing. My backswing was about 75% as fast as my forward swing. Nowadays my backswing is about 15% as fast as my forward swing. My accuracy, and quality of contact is probably 5 times better than it used to be. The faster your backswing, the more likely you are to become unbalanced, or make poor contact with the ball. I’d rather hit my 7 Iron 140 yards straight 90% of the time. Instead of hitting my 7 Iron 155 yards straight 25% of the time. The only thing you really lose by hitting the ball straight, but 10 to 15 yards shorter is distance. Really though the only distance you are sacrificing is off your longest clubs. If your target is 150 yards away then just use your 6 Iron instead. Maybe your playing partner can hit their 4 Iron 200 yards. Well good for them. Doesn’t bother me to pull my 3 Wood out of the bag to achieve the same. Always use the same ball!
I can’t stress this enough. The difference it will make when putting is reason enough. If you haven’t selected a ball yet read my Golf Ball selection Starting from Scratch SS-10
Play within your ability
This is probably the most difficult aspect of the game of Golf for me. It’s actually the one thing that we are all able to control from day one. Resisting the urge to attempt shots that I have no business trying is one of the most difficult things for me to do. Everybody wants to make that hero shot. If you actually want your scores to improve? Don’t waste your time trying to hit draws out of the rough around trees to hopefully make the Green. Do the smart thing and just punch out on to the Fairway. Playing within your limits isn’t just about trying to make hero shots. It’s also about knowing what you are capable of from the very start. I used to attempt to make a Green in Regulation on every Hole. Even if it meant having to make potentially dangerous shots to do it. For instance on a 390 yard Par 4 with a tight Fairway. I would consider using Driver strictly based on distance. If the landing area seemed too small I would take one club less and go with the 3 Wood off the Tee. Landing in a Tight Fairway with my 3 Wood is a very low percentage play for me. Even if I hit a perfect Drive. I’d still leave myself with about 180 yards to the Pin. Most Greens are protected by Hazards. Bunkers at best, water or thick Woods at worst. Expecting to land on the Green, and stick it close from 180 yards out is ludicrous. Trying to play a Hole like that would usually go something like this. Tee off with the 3 Wood, and miss the Fairway left by around 20 feet. Second shot out of the rough at a terrible angle to the Green with the 3 Hybrid. Hit it about 170 yards, and land about 30 yards right of the Green. Third shot out of the deep rough with the 56 degree Wedge. Hit a flyer that clears the Green, and lands in the bunker on the opposite side. Shots four and five to successfully exit the bunker. Shot six is a short chip on to the Green with my 52 degree Wedge. So much for the Green in Regulation right. Finally on the Green I end up two putting for quadruple bogey. Definitely not the score you are looking for on a Par 4! It’s taken me a long time but I have finally learned to play within my ability. The way I play that same Hole goes something like this now. Tee off with my 5 Hybrid landing on the left side of the Fairway 165 yards out. Instead of trying to hit a hero shot on or close to the Green. For my second shot I’d choose to hit my 7 Iron 135 yards down the Fairway. This leaves an easy 90 yard shot with my 52 degree Wedge on to the Green. Sure I never had a chance at getting that Green in Regulation. What I have done is avoid any real danger. I land my Wedge shot on the front edge of the Green. Then two putt for bogey. A difference of three strokes! Sure my chances at Birdie are close to null. So what. I’ve actually one putted for Par many times in similar situations because the approach shot from within 100 yards is so easy.
Do yourself a favor, and focus on the few things within your control the next time you are out at the course, or on the Range. Your handicap, and your enjoyment of the game will definitely improve.
Beginner’s guide to Golf