Single digit golfers?

[twofast2s]

i'm at 9.8 right now, and the thing that changed my game, like most would agree, was short game and putting.

if you suck at putting, then some heck of short game.

you also need consistancy in your swing. doesn't have to be long, doesn't have to have proper swing, if you can swing halfway decent w/ consistancy, you can score low.

[LyleG]

Another important thing popped into my head today (about 3 holes too late unfortunately).

That is don't be tentative when you swing. Always swing aggressively even if playing a conservative shot. You may not always hit a good shot swinging aggressively, but you will almost always hit a bad one swinging tentatively. Aim, commit, and swing. Never doubt it, never be afraid to hit the ball, this is guaranteed failure.

[Sandpiper3]

Yup, this is what so many sport psyc's preach to golfers (this is in Rotella's book).

Great point Lyle, ALWAYS commit and swing aggressively, especially at conservative targets cuz that is where a lot of ppl will lose focus.

[zaphod]

This is good......Is your grip the same way everytime?

I'll catch myself moving my hands on the club, sometimes my grip might not be as strong as the shot before..

Zaphod thats the pre shot routine isn't it?

Yes it is. All part of aiming and setting yourself up for a repeatable swing. That's the key. If you have a repeatable swing and a short game single digit is in your future. Lyle is absolutely right on above comment too. Commit to the shot fully with visualization and TRUST it.

Another issue is BALANCE. If you cannot swing on balance your swing will not be repeatable.

I am reluctant to give grip advice etc for this generalized question as everyone has a different swing. Look at Lee Trevino vs Tom Watson. They are polar opposites yet repeatable. Preshot Posture, Balance including grip etc first then develop your swing. I can not stress enough REPEATABLE.

[mddubya]

Like eracer, I am by no means a single digit player. But I'm beginning to realize I'm a much better teacher than player. I can tell somebody else what to do, or what they are doing wrong. I just can't seem to make myself do it. A ingrained preshot routine is VERY important, to "get your mind right",(Cool Hand Luke reference). And a repeatable swing like everyone else has said. And always be confident you can make the shot facing you. Any negative thoughts that creep into your head, such as, "don't hit it in the water, sand trap, woods, ect.....), is usually exactly what will happen. If I have a negative thought, and make myself step back and begin my pre shot routine again, I can usually make the shot I want, if I don't it's usually, "Houston, we have splash down". And if you think you need a 9 iron, grab an 8,

[Jlaw1987]

The biggest thing for me is to have one swing thought and go from there. Dont over think things and get to much on your mind. Have one swing thought and then after a while that will become grooved into your mind and then you can focus you swing thought else where, on something that needs fixing. I would try to start with coming inside with your driver and hitting the inside of the ball. On you irons try not to have a tight grip. And putting try and see the break and not worry as much about the speed (but dont totally forget about the speed).

[gwlee7]

Another thing related to Lyle's comments. I always play my best when I am only thinking about where I want the ball to go regardless of the shot being a drive, approach, pitch, chip, or putt. As soon as I start thinking about "how" I need to hit it instead of "where" I want to hit, I start messing everything up. Swing mechanics are for the range.

[Jlaw1987]

Thats true swing mechanics is very important. Find what works best for you and stick with it. Dont change your whole swing around to try an improve on one thing. Just try to improve the way you already swing. For example if you feel like you are rushing have a slower takeaway and backswing.

[King Pin]

I big thing for me is when i have my swing thought don't have it too focused on mechanics. If your lifting out of the shot, rather than think 'keep your head down', which will ultimately restrict movement on the back swing as well as follow thru, think 'stay committed.' If you can accomplish a technical movement with a thought that is less technical, better results will be accomplished.
Another thing is be realistic with your limits and play within them. If you have a five iron into a heavily guarded green maybe just hit a 9 iron up in the fairway and chip on and try and sink your putt. This will limit your bigger numbers and take a lot of stress out of your game

[gpo]

Here is my progression to the single digits.

Started early as a kid. Dad taught me the game. He stressed to me chipping and putting. Dad had a slice, but he played it and played it well. He was a low 80s and sneak into the 70s shooter. I developed a slice early on, but played it like Dad did. I had a good short game and shot in the 80s. The key at that time was I knew where the ball was going most of the time and good short game.

I read in GD about how to draw the ball. I just went to the range and worked on things. My slice turned into a controlled fade. I was learning how to work the ball left or right. This was when I graduated HS. I could shoot in the high 70s from time to time.

I did not play too seriously while in college. After college I would hit balls and balls. I learned a repeatable swing real well. I could draw or fade the driver at will. This helped me to know how to fix things quickly. I got real good with the short irons. I started hitting more and more greens. Problem was the short game had left me to some degree. I could shoot in the 70s about half the time.

Fast forward a few years through the birth of a couple of kids to now. I have re-dedicated myself to golf this year. I am hitting tons of balls and chipping and putting a ton. Basically at this point I am refining everything. I do something at the course 6 out of 7 days. Right now I am probably spending about 10-15 hours practicing a week, plus playing twice a week. I am at the point if I shoot in the 80s I am mad.

You guys might get tired of hearing me say this here, but golf is a game of circles. I will let you hit any shot 30 times and there will be a circle of balls out there at the target. The key to golf is making those circles as small as possible. Once you know where the ball is going it is just all up to the aiming.

[mont86]

These are great responses guys..

To narrow this down I ask these questions/

I'm a rh golfer...

1. I'll use a strong grip 2 knuckles showing and that will work for 36 to 72 holes
and then I'll struggle for 18 holes so I'll go to showing three knuckles or one knuckle
And that will work for 18,36 or 72 holes before I start to struggle again.

2. I'll go for awhile using a flatter plane on my swing until I struggle then make it more upright and that will work for awhile.

3. Is ball position. I'll will change it and bam I start hitting again.

These are the 3 main changes I go through and there is no rhyme or reason to when one technique works and one doesn't.

Can anyone else relate.

[JEFF4i]

Two Words: Scotty Cameron.

I switched to that and last 30 strokes.

[gwlee7]

It's hard to do but, pick a set of fundamentals (swing theory if you will) and follow them relgiously. If you keep fidgeting with the things you have mentioned (grip, plane, and ball position) you'll constantly have some sort of compensatory move going on. Decide on how you want to swing the club, then, get the fundamentals of grip, alignment, etc. for that type of swing down.

For example, if you want to swing like Hogan, read 5 fundamentals or his other book and follow it to the exclusion of anything else. If you want to swing the club like John Jacobs suggests, then follow him. In order to start playing consistent golf, you'll have to stop listening to every swing tip that hear or read on the internet, on TGC and all of it. You have to pick one and stay with it. You'll be constantly screwed if you just rely on "swing tips" to improve because they often work against each other.

[LyleG]

So I went out played a quick 9 and have one more thing to add.

Never give up on a hole. Fight till the ball is in the hole.

This evening on 5 I hit a big snap hook (first one in about 20 rounds), up a hill and into the trees separating 5 and 6. I was right behind a giant pine. My only shot was a 50 yard slice to a treeless area between the 2 holes. I hit it nearly perfect and had 105 to the hole into a good wind. I hit a choked up cut 9 into the wind to 10 feet and made the putt for my 4.

Mont, one more thing. Stop making changes every three rounds. Get your fundamentals in order and stick to them. There will ne some short term suffering for sure. However in the long run it will pay dividends.

[JEFF4i]

Also...

Accept bogies, even doubles.