Single digit golfers?

[mont86]

What is the most important change you made to your swing to improve it?

[MIKE1218]

I usually get around in less than 10 over.

Why? Hogan's Five Lessons. His grip is too weak for me though.

[LyleG]

For me it was developing a "go to" shot shape. When everything is on the line and you need to hit the ball where you want to this is a must. It also allows you to manage your misses far better. I use to play a big draw, I really started to improve when I began to play a cut. Its just such an easy shot to control, and I know I wont hook it.

[mont86]

I'm still hitting a lot of slices and once in awhile a fat shot then a couple of good ones, then thinning it....How do I overcome those mistakes? Is it more mental? I suppose its tough to say without seeing my swing, but different faults creep in at different times..

Like today I hit a couple decent shots then I thinned a couple looking up to soon..The guy with me noticed right away. And my tempo gets out of whack. And then there are days when I should have a 15 handicap instead of a 30...

[MIKE1218]

Forgot to add this: you need a solid short game to be a single digit. This past week on vacation, I got paired with these two old guys. They had solid club choices, so I was thinking it would be all right. But when I first saw them swing, I was worried. Neither could hit over 220, but with a wedge or a putter in their hands, they were deadly. One shot a 74 and the other 76 to my 77.

[Sandpiper3]

When I made my swing anti left. I can release as hard as I can and I am 100% confident the ball isnt going left, so I can aim down the left side of the fw and swing away for the most part.

Go to shot is SOOOO important, for me its a punch cut.

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by mont86

I'm still hitting a lot of slices and once in awhile a fat shot then a couple of good ones, then thinning it....How do I overcome those mistakes? Is it more mental? I suppose its tough to say without seeing my swing, but different faults creep in at different times..

Like today I hit a couple decent shots then I thinned a couple looking up to soon..The guy with me noticed right away. And my tempo gets out of whack. And then there are days when I should have a 15 handicap instead of a 30...

You just to hit more balls until you groove a swing. It doesnt haver to be perfect, but it does have to be consistent. This is the key, repeatability.

[zaphod]

Developing a solid preshot routine accompanied with good posture at address. And as Mike said a short game. The wedge and putter are the main tools of my hobby. Many hours of practice here. Probably 3 to 1 ratio in time with wedge to long club on range.

[mont86]

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?

[Sandpiper3]

preshot routine is little things you do to always align yourself the same way, make sure your grip and setup are the same etc.

preshot routine is 10x more important than the actual swing imo.

[JEFF4i]

Lower body focus, instead of arms.

Swinging mostly with the arms is usually rather indicative of an amateur.

Also, reptition of swing and pre-shot routine.

[JasonMacIsaac]

I was basicly caught on very quick and have very good hands for golfing. I never had a problem releasing or powering through shots. The biggest change for playing better golf? Making my swing more repeatable and more simple.

[gwlee7]

First to me is being very good at cleaning up around the green so that I can make pars instead bogeys. This involves being able to chip, putt, and play bunker shots. Also, I had to learn what the number 1 rule of scoring was. Never follow a bad shot with a worse shot.

As for actual swing changes, first it was to be able to hit a draw instead of a slice so that I could get enough distance to hit more GIRs. Over time, the draw had become a hook so like Sandpiper, I have been working lately to take "left" out of the equation. I am in much better shape now (both in terms of strength and flexibility) than I was six months ago and distance is not a problem for me. I want to be able to swing away off the tee and know for sure that the ball will not go left. That will take me to even lower scores.

[Eracer]

So many good thoughts in this thread. I'm not a single-digit golfer, so maybe I shouldn't speak. But...I've never been one to stay out of any good conversation, whether I belong there or not!

When I start hitting thin shots followed by fat shots follwed by pulls followed by slices, it usually means I'm trying too hard. I'm in my on-course "fix-it" mode, and that's usually a recipe for even worse results.

So I'll tell myself to "quit effing around and play golf!" Then I simplify. Get balanced and relaxed over the ball. Lighten my grip a bit, shorten my backswing, pause at the top (just a bit,) and keep my damn head still!

It usually works for me.

[acarty]

I would agree with the short game, the repeating swing, the pre-shot routine, and the stock shot.

Case in point, I played on Sunday morning in very high winds and little patches of rain. I live right on the coast. I went thru 7 at -1. I hit 4 greens. I chipped from around the green like an absolute demon. Everything was in range for a tap in or a short 2' putt. But I also had the putter going crazy. It took me to 6 to actually 2 putt.

That's where you save so many shots.