That isn't bad, but if you are taking that many lessons i would want it to be getting lower quicker. But some pople just take some more time to get better than others. Look at some of the stopries you hear about pro's only starting in late teens and early 20's and still making it while they beat people who have been playing all their lives.
I started when i was 11 and i am now 14. When i first started i couldn't break 100, then i gradually at the end of the year got to about high 80's, the year after i got to mid to low 80's, last year i shot lower 80's and high 70's and his year i shoot low to high 70's depending oin how i am playing.
It depends on the person.
The reason I asked what the lessons were on is because that has a lot to do with improvement. I had a junior come to me when she was 12 shooting 60-65 for 9 holes and we went out and evaluated her game and determined we would spend the summer learning/fine tuning short game aspects while doing some work on the full swing. By the end of the summer, she was down to 45-50 for 9 holes and the following year (she lives in Cincinnati so I only have her for 2 months a year max plus they are down on some holidays) we worked some more on her full swing but still worked on fine tuning the short game and learning additional pitch shots and distance control and she made the golf team with her lowest match score being 39 and she did have a couple scores at 80-82. Last year she didn't work as hard (discovered boys) and her mind wasn't on the game so her scores elevated. But at the end of this summer, we had her straightened out and she won an event with 75-78. WHAT you practice is much more important than how much you practice.
My game has improved tremendously when I discovered that going to the range and beating balls for hours just doesn't do a whole lot for your game....putting, chipping, pitching, short game in general has lowered my scores
I'm not an instructor, but I firmly believe that practicing short pitching, chipping, and putting, is the fastest way to lower your scores. Having a good, repeatable, full swing is vital to playing the game well, but if you're looking for the fastest way to lower your scores....spend your most practice time on, and around, the greens.
[quote=Bates]..........I've been taking three lessons a week all summer ..........QUOTE]
IMO, 3/week lessons is TOO OFTEN. You need to take a lesson, think of the swing tips, practice/play for a few weeks, then take another lesson. 3x/week is much too often for all the input to be assimilated, practiced, and applied on the golf course.
As others said - short game is important, but do NOT neglect your tee shot. Golf is much easier when you're in the fairway. Be creative on y our short game practice, and work both short game and tee shots.
Your progression is OK - it's hard to bring a handicap down. It's taken me 2 years to drop my handicap by 2 points, and I play/practice a LOT!
Full swing should be focused on 4 main sections. Short Irons, Mid Irons, Long Irons/Fairway Woods and Tee Shots. Once you have "mastered" one, move on to the next with the Tee Shots being the LEAST important of the 4. Why? Because when lowering your score, no matter how much you practice your tee shot you still have to hit 14 (standard Par 72) tee shots in 18 holes. By working on the other shots, especially mid/long irons, you will help to groove a smooth swing which will carry over into your tee shot. Many people make the mistake of going to the range and hitting buckets of drivers and then don't improve. Think about what simply hitting tee shots does for you...gets you swinging with less control. The player that practices smart and hits a few 10-12 tee shots in a practice round will improve faster than the player that gets their 60 ball bucket, hits 10 seven irons, 10 five irons and the rest tee shots.
I hit about 50 % of all my range balls with my six iron. Long enough to shape the shot but not too hard to learn a new drill or technique. Also, I almost always use a club to set up to my target line because it saves A LOT of time but makes sure i am on target. One thing about practice is that when i go to the range I will see 20 people there and only occasionally do i see people using a drill or shafts for allignment. If you are not doing drills you will probably have a hard time progressing. Now I know a lot of people may disagree but I believe that the tee shot is the #1 most important part of golf. If you cant get offf the tee how will you ever score well? If you one putt alot for bogey who cares? Birdies help the score so you must be on the green in regulation in order to have any shot at them. However, since my full swing has gotten better and I make more GIR's this makes me want to practice putting more so I can make birdies! Golf is a balance between short game and long game.
I agree the tee shot is important but your tee shot doesn't get better by hitting driver after driver on the range. Hitting 6-irons and 5-irons grooves a swing and allows one to work on the swing mechanics that allow you to hit the tee shot. However, working on the tee shot only can build in compensations that do not work when going to irons (scooping comes to mind). I tend to focus my students on things that work more than one thing at a time for more efficient practice. A drill I use a lot is having students hit balls with their feet together...works on ball position, tempo, proper turn, posture and footwork all at one time which will carry through the rest of the clubs.
You can't make birdie off of the tee but you sure can make double bogey...lol.
I agree the tee shot is important but your tee shot doesn't get better by hitting driver after driver on the range. Hitting 6-irons and 5-irons grooves a swing and allows one to work on the swing mechanics that allow you to hit the tee shot. However, working on the tee shot only can build in compensations that do not work when going to irons (scooping comes to mind). I tend to focus my students on things that work more than one thing at a time for more efficient practice. A drill I use a lot is having students hit balls with their feet together...works on ball position, tempo, proper turn, posture and footwork all at one time which will carry through the rest of the clubs.
You can't make birdie off of the tee but you sure can make double bogey...lol.
not sure if you noticed where I said that about 50% of my range balls are six irons. Tonight I hit a bucket of 75 and only hit about 5 drivers and the rest with a six iron. I believe if you can hit a six iron well then you should be well on your way to hitting all your clubs. When you start a round the first shot is off a tee, it is possible that this shot can set the tone for the whole round.
I saw that. I wasn't referring to you. Just to the players that place the empasis of their practice on hitting ball after ball with their driver. I like your practice routine, shootin, I use a similar one when I have trouble with my tee shots or fairway woods but will hit my favorite long iron (4), hitting 4-5 smooth shots in a row and then switching to the fw or driver and attempting to make the same swing...usually works well because when I am mishitting the ball, it is usually due to an increased tempo or a lengthened swing. If everyone would practice the way shootin4par does, I would be giving tune-up lessons instead of overhaul lessons.
I'm really just looking to improve my accuracy right now. I hit the ball far enough. I just need better control.
You could try sacrificing some of your distance for accuracy. I hit a long ball but find my best scores come on tight courses were my driver tends to stay in the bag, use a 3 wood off the T and take a couple of clubs more on approach shots and punch them in more. It doesn`t always look as good as a booming drive with a high floating wedge, but i find it a more controlled way to play when my driver starts to go a bit wayward.
September 8th, 2004, 09:52 PM
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