By Chris J H
Like you I can drive the ball down the fairway, chip it reasonably well (I can get it on the green most of the time), but I have trouble finishing the hole often taking two putts or sometime three. This often inflates my score and leaves me very frustrated. I have had a number of occasions where the putter almost went into the woods or pond. I'm guessing you're in the same boat, heck, that's why you clicked on the article in the first place. Well I'm here to tell you that there is hope for us and I will tell you how. No fancy gimmicks, you don't have to buy anything all you have to do is follow these simple rules.
The first thing is to keep your head down. I often watch most golfers out there and they will strike the ball and immediately look up to see where their ball is going. STOP! Try keeping your head down that few extra second after you strike the ball. What you will find is that keeping your head down will keep your ball on line with the hole and if you lined up your ball correctly you should look up (after keeping your head down for a few extra seconds) and see your ball rolling into the hole. Don't forget to make sure you take the time to line up your ball properly; otherwise this first step will not be of any use to you.
Next, make sure you practice. The magic number for this is 80%. Once you are making 4 out of 5 shots during practice you know you are ready to move on and try a different length. Think about the professionals you see on TV making millions of dollars a year. These guys and girls are very good, sure they may have natural athletic ability, but they still practice. You will find most athletes train six days a week and rest one day a week. I know for most of us this may not be practical as we all work the 9 to 5, but try to get out twice a week on the putting green and practice your technique. If you expect to just walk out there and sink your putts automatically, well you have another thing coming.
The third and final thing is to relax your hands while gripping the putter. Believe it or not this will help keep your club in more control and will allow the sweet spot on the putter to be struck. There is not much more I can write about this, relax your hands and your putting will improve. Think about when you're eating you don't have tight rigid group on your knife or fork, for one it would be uncomfortable and two your hands and arms would start to fatigue. You can apply these principles to your golf game.
Using these tips will not only improve your score, but also contribute to you having more enjoyment out on the course. So remember keep your head down, and relax your group.
Come visit me at http://www.teewrite.com.
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Showing posts with label Short Game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Short Game. Show all posts
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Putt Your Way to Lower Scores - 05/27/11
by Jonathan Prentiss
Golf is a game that requires skill, mental discipline, the desire to have fun, and a little luck. The purpose of this article is to focus on a key skill - Putting Percentage - that will allow you to better your game, have more fun, and more importantly knock a few strokes off your total score. You don't have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to improve; you just need to understand where your game needs improvement and how to improve it.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they over prepare their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not spend enough time on having fun and the improving specific areas of their game. We all spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet how many of us know how to apply what we’ve learned on the course?
Putts Per Round
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, sinking the ball in less putts is a way to significantly improve your overall game. How many times have you had a great drive, amazing approach shot, then "poof"; all is lost on your short game....you add 3 more strokes on the green?
For a point of reference, at the time of writing this article, the top 5 PGA TOUR pro's averaged 27.50 putts per round. The TOUR average was 29.30. That is less than 2 putts/strokes per hole on the green.
How can I lower my Putts/Round - Set Goals
During your next round, keep track of the putts by writing the number of putts on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of putts by the total number of holes played to obtain putts/hole. Use these figures to set a baseline putts/round/hole goal.
For example, during a recent 18 hole round you had 48 putts. You then have 2.6 putts per hole and 48 putts per round. Use these numbers as your initial goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently achieved or beaten it over several (3-5) rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal.
Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only one or two less putts per round, leads to an immediate improvement in your scores.
This article may be used on your site as long as this resource box is included.
Jonathan Prentiss writes articles about golf and how to better your game. Articles focus on strategies to help apply what you practice, give you specific skills to practice, and how to identify goals that will help better your game. To learn more about how you can better your game, calculate your handicap, receive additional instruction, and learn how to keep track of the statistics discussed please visit us online or on your iphone at http://www.pasturepool.com
For additional information please visit http://www.pasturepool.com
Golf is a game that requires skill, mental discipline, the desire to have fun, and a little luck. The purpose of this article is to focus on a key skill - Putting Percentage - that will allow you to better your game, have more fun, and more importantly knock a few strokes off your total score. You don't have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to improve; you just need to understand where your game needs improvement and how to improve it.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they over prepare their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not spend enough time on having fun and the improving specific areas of their game. We all spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet how many of us know how to apply what we’ve learned on the course?
Putts Per Round
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, sinking the ball in less putts is a way to significantly improve your overall game. How many times have you had a great drive, amazing approach shot, then "poof"; all is lost on your short game....you add 3 more strokes on the green?
For a point of reference, at the time of writing this article, the top 5 PGA TOUR pro's averaged 27.50 putts per round. The TOUR average was 29.30. That is less than 2 putts/strokes per hole on the green.
How can I lower my Putts/Round - Set Goals
During your next round, keep track of the putts by writing the number of putts on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of putts by the total number of holes played to obtain putts/hole. Use these figures to set a baseline putts/round/hole goal.
For example, during a recent 18 hole round you had 48 putts. You then have 2.6 putts per hole and 48 putts per round. Use these numbers as your initial goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently achieved or beaten it over several (3-5) rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal.
Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only one or two less putts per round, leads to an immediate improvement in your scores.
This article may be used on your site as long as this resource box is included.
Jonathan Prentiss writes articles about golf and how to better your game. Articles focus on strategies to help apply what you practice, give you specific skills to practice, and how to identify goals that will help better your game. To learn more about how you can better your game, calculate your handicap, receive additional instruction, and learn how to keep track of the statistics discussed please visit us online or on your iphone at http://www.pasturepool.com
For additional information please visit http://www.pasturepool.com
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The importance of greens in regulation
Golf is a game that requires skill, mental discipline, the desire to have fun, and a little luck. The purpose of this article is to focus on a key skill - Greens in Regulation - that will allow you to better your game, have more fun, and more importantly knock a few strokes off your total. You don't have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to improve; you just need to understand where your game needs improvement and how to improve it.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they focus too much on their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not enough focus on having fun and improving specific key areas of their game. We spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet we don’t always know how to apply what we’ve practiced on the course. A key assumption I make in my articles is that you play golf somewhat consistently and practice your fundamentals at the range when you can.
Greens in Regulation
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, when you consistently hit greens in regulation, you are almost guaranteed to eliminate golf strokes from your game. For beginning golfers and even bogey golfers, I truly believe it is not always how far you hit the ball, but how accurate you are in hitting the fairway and then setting yourself up to hit the green in regulation. When you learn this skill, you will also begin to see all your range practice begin to pay off. Remember, focus on the specific skill and your fundamentals will follow.
Hitting a green in regulation means that your ball is touching any part of the green and the number of strokes you took to get there were 2 less than par. For example, on a par 4 you must hit the green in 2 strokes. Yes, that means on a par 3, you must hit the green in 1. Can you now see how you have a better than average chance of instantly improving your game? Unless you average 3 putts or more per hole, you have a high probability of par or birdie every time you can hit a green in regulation.
What to do
During your next round, simply keep track of the greens you hit by writing an "g" on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of greens hit by the total number of holes played. Use this percentage as a baseline to set your "greens in regulation" goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently beaten it over several rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal. For example, if after 17 holes you hit 4 greens in regulation, your baseline percentage will be 23%. You could set a goal of 30% fairways hit or 6/18 holes. Just two more greens.
Once you consistently hit 30% of greens it's time to change your goal. Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only two additional greens per round can lead to an immediate 2 stroke improvement in your overall skill set. Ultimately, you should strive to hit 100% of possible greens during the course of a round and even hitting just two or three more over 18 holes will help improve your total strokes and better your game.
I believe the trouble most bogey golfers have is that they focus too much on their swing, their setup, their delivery, their "mental game" and not enough focus on having fun and improving specific key areas of their game. We spend countless hours working on our swing, chip, and putt at the driving range yet we don’t always know how to apply what we’ve practiced on the course. A key assumption I make in my articles is that you play golf somewhat consistently and practice your fundamentals at the range when you can.
Greens in Regulation
While it may sound like a simple and obvious skill, when you consistently hit greens in regulation, you are almost guaranteed to eliminate golf strokes from your game. For beginning golfers and even bogey golfers, I truly believe it is not always how far you hit the ball, but how accurate you are in hitting the fairway and then setting yourself up to hit the green in regulation. When you learn this skill, you will also begin to see all your range practice begin to pay off. Remember, focus on the specific skill and your fundamentals will follow.
Hitting a green in regulation means that your ball is touching any part of the green and the number of strokes you took to get there were 2 less than par. For example, on a par 4 you must hit the green in 2 strokes. Yes, that means on a par 3, you must hit the green in 1. Can you now see how you have a better than average chance of instantly improving your game? Unless you average 3 putts or more per hole, you have a high probability of par or birdie every time you can hit a green in regulation.
What to do
During your next round, simply keep track of the greens you hit by writing an "g" on your scorecard next to the hole played. Divide the total number of greens hit by the total number of holes played. Use this percentage as a baseline to set your "greens in regulation" goal. Keep this goal until you have consistently beaten it over several rounds. At that time, you are ready to set a new goal. For example, if after 17 holes you hit 4 greens in regulation, your baseline percentage will be 23%. You could set a goal of 30% fairways hit or 6/18 holes. Just two more greens.
Once you consistently hit 30% of greens it's time to change your goal. Before you know it, you will be on your way to a lower score. Only two additional greens per round can lead to an immediate 2 stroke improvement in your overall skill set. Ultimately, you should strive to hit 100% of possible greens during the course of a round and even hitting just two or three more over 18 holes will help improve your total strokes and better your game.
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