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Some of the putting practice I do...
-The practice green I use has 9 holes, all separated by about 15-40 feet, so I play a "round" using a par of 18 for the 9 holes, and I see how low I can go. I may do this several times around this make believe course, until I am satisfied with what I am doing, and making improvement.

-To practice lag putting, I take three golf balls, aim for a hole 60-80 feet away, and try to get down in 6 putts or less. It's not easy!! I don't stop until I do it. If you ***** up the first few times, no big deal, because this is also good practice for 6 footers.

-I finish with 3 footers, trying to make 12 in a row, from all angles around the hole. I choose a hole that is on a slight slope, so I get to practice uphill, downhill, left to right, and right to left breaking 3 footers. If I miss one before I reach 12, I start over again. I don't allow myself to leave the putting green until I achieve my goal. Try it... it's hard! It teaches focus, muscle memory, and discipline. It's kinda cool, I can struggle to get to 12, and once I get it, the "pressure" seems to be off, and then I keep going... have gotten up to 31. This is a great drill to get used to putting the ball in the hole, hearing it go in the hole, and making yourself used to making these testy putts during a round.

My best at that is 51 - but thats into a putting mat. I heard tiger can go upwards of a thousand! Id get bored and go buy Diet Coke with lime

As a 60 year old with 52 years of golf behind me (handicap 4) and still playing in provincial and national competitions, I have had to reassess my approach to golf fairly regularly as flexibility and strength have declined - what it really comes down to is to review the basics and the objectives of playing i.e. getting the ball in the hole in the minimum number of strokes and ignoring the ego issues like distance off the tee and clubhead speed. Some thoughts -

1.The Importance of Alignment

Lots of senior (and other) golfers fall into bad habits, very often resulting from impatience and the desire to get on with the game. The result – shots are hit without proper care being taken on lining up the shot. Jack Nicklaus stands behind his ball and lines it up on his target by using a divot, leaf or other imperfection about ½ a metre in front of his ball as an intermediate target. He then aligns himself to his target in the following order – line up club, feet, knees, hips and shoulders.

This is especially useful to right eye dominant players (for r/h golfers) who tend to open up their shoulders to the left of the target when aiming and who then hit the ball without squaring up. The result – over the top pulls or the dreaded slice.

Watch how carefully the top pros set up to the ball and how, almost without exception, they concentrate on squaring up to the target line by approaching the ball from behind.




2. Using the 15th Club*

Most seniors don’t use the smarts they should have developed over the years they’ve played this game. The most common topic of conversation is the comparison of driver performance – perhaps we don’t want to acknowledge that we’re getting older but where’s the sense in looking for 5 or 10 meters with a club we only use 14 times a round? Yet almost all experienced players can match the best by concentrating their practice where strength and club head speed don’t count – in the scoring zone.

The difference between good and really good is almost always in the player’s ability to operate in the scoring zone from 120 meters in. Almost all of us can get to within 100 meters of every hole we play in two shots yet how many seniors take their punishment when in thick rough and put themselves in play instead of trying to hit the green?

How many seniors carry 3 wedges to take the guesswork and finesse out of the shots of 100, 80 and 60 meters?

How often do we practice our putting with a purpose – distance control on the longer putts, direction on the shorter putts?

Even taking the 36 putts we’re allowed, we should never score more than 81 if we hit only 50% of the greens in regulation and that allows for no up and downs. For older players par on the greens should be 30 putts, but that means practicing at the business end of the hole and forgetting about the “Oohs and Aahs” that greeted the 300m drives of 20 years ago!

* “ My 15th club – the one between the ears” – Bobby Locke


3. Be Realistic about your Driving Distance

Jim Flick, one of the most respected golf instructors and authors about the game feels that one of the greatest problems most golfers (of all ages!) have is an “open ended” distance that they believe they hit their driver. The majority of players have a pretty accurate range for every other club that they use through the green, typically 220M ( for a 3-wood, 150M for a 7-iron, and so on. Not many experienced senior players would stand on a short hole and pay too much attention to the clubs used by their playing partners but when they have a driver in their hands, ego comes to the fore! Many times with less than satisfactory results.

To improve your scoring why not work out your actual average distance off the tee based on a number of rounds at your course – be honest with yourself, even if you persist on embroidering the truth at the 19th!

When you play to hit your average distance off the tee you will almost immediately improve your driving accuracy and also will be able to plan your play of the course to suit your strengths which may well be 5 and 7 woods instead of hard-to-hit 3 and 4 irons.

Try it – your cunning as well as your score will impress the youngsters!!

___________________________ there's no fox like an old fox!!

I'm a 5.5/ 6.0 handicap. I played to a 12-14 handicap just from "natural talent" without much practice.
With some practice and playing a good bit that came down to an 8-10.
Getting it to a 5.5 took a good bit of practice and thinking and getting clubs made for me.
I'd say the best thing that helped me was forgetting about hitting the ball a long ways and forget about mindlessly hitting balls at the range. Going to the practice green and chipping around like a mad man was the best for sure. If there is one thing that will take strokes off, that is knowing how to chip around the green. I mean punch and rolling with a 6-9 iron, hitting soft-landing shots out of deep rough near the green and then putting. With putting FORGET about making the first putt. Just leave the ball close enough to tap in the second putt. Practice MAKING the 3-5 footers however!
My brother makes clubs and my set is now MINE, not some goon off the street's if you know what I mean.
I have another added advantage of living near a golf research center. I hit balls for them every now and then and then fill out a questionaire. The main thing I got from that was knowing my clubhead speed. Knowing that helped my brother get shafts that were RIGHT for me. Big difference!

I'm a 4.7 and I guess I was lucky in that I started when I was 11 years old and had good access to a golf pro without having to pay until I was 18. I wasn't that good when I started and was still at a 23 handicap when I was 15. Then I got taller and stronger and could hit it farther, as a result I got more interested and practised more. I got down to 8 when I was 18, mainly because of lessons and playing a lot.

The last 5 years I have not had many lessons so I have tried to just practise on my own at the range, I'm not sure that was such a good idea as I may have developed some bad habits that are holding me back right now as I have been stuck at 4-5 for a couple of years. However I have practised my short game more the last few years. I read Dave Pelz short game bible, I don't exactly follow it religiously, but I hit a lot of shots from 30-70 yards to try to develop shots I can rely on to get the exact yardage.

When I practise my chipping I usually use 3 balls and hit a lot of different shots around the green with different clubs and try to develop feel. The same for putting, I putt a lot from 3-20 feet to develop feel.

Sorry for bumping an old thread, but I was searching for something else, and this caught my eye.

I currently hover between 8-9. I can also go weeks/months without picking up a club and still go out and shoot in the low/mid 80s. My current goal is to get to around a 3 so that I can be somewhat competitive as I aim to qualify for the 2008 Publinx (to be held at a golf course about 15 miles away).

I started playing when I was 12. I had the same golf instructor until I was 18, and I still use the drills he taught me back on the range 12 years later (myself and when I teach my friends). He tried to mold my swing similar to Sam Snead's; sometimes during lessons, he would bring out books with pictures of his swing to show what I needed to do.

Getting to a single-digit handicap is simple: practice, practice, practice. It's all about developing a consistent, repeatable swing (full, short and putting). Instructors can tell you what to do, but if you don't practice what s/he teaches, you'll never get better. Another problem I've seen is that players will be told to change something in their swing. They try it out on the range, hit 10 consecutive bad shots, then give up on it. It may take 100 bad shots before it finally clicks for you.

On that last note, one of the best things you can do is to see if a local golf course or range offers a yearly (unlimited) pass for range balls. I would cringe at the fact that I have to spend $4-5 for 70 balls that I'll just use to hit a shot 40 yards or trying to consistently hit a low fade--I would even cringe knowing that I have a finite number of buckets left on a range key. Discipline comes in again: if you buy a yearly pass, you want to make sure you get your absolute money's worth out of it. I would wake up an extra hour early so that I could hit the golf range for 45 minutes before work. I was very fortunate that a private club near my house (and on the way to work) offered a range-only membership. For $500/yr, you get unlimited range balls, access to their short game area, access to some free private group clinics, access to a 3-hole practice course (two par 3's and a par 4), access to their indoor range when the regular range is closed, and one free round on their golf course. I went there 3-4 times a week for 45-160 minutes and probably hit at least 300 buckets' worth during those 9 months. Having that membership directly affected my handicap--going from about a 12 to a 5 in a matter of months.

Bringing a video camera to tape your swing is extremely helpful in determining where your faults are. After each shot, tell the camera how the ball flew and where it went.

The previous posts have great advice about the short game. Just remember: for every 30 minutes you spend on your full swing, you should be spending at least 60 on your short game and putting. I would also look into playing Par 3 courses more often to work on your approach shots and short game.

Another thing that helps is to have a friend that wants to get better, too (regardless of handicap). Meet up at the range and hit balls together so that you have a companion to talk to. Wager a beer and have a short game/putting contest. The more, the merrier. It definitely helps the time pass.

Wow, very very helpful indeed im sittin at 11.5 right now wondering where i can go from here and I think you guys just opened up a door, I definitely need a range membership, and a goal when I go to the range. Guys THANKS alot for this input, not my thread but gosh darn i think you all just pushed me into single digits!!!!

HOORAY AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!

I've read this entire thread. The most important thing of all was never mentioned (at least in my book)-- The mental approach to learning the game.

Most high handicappers are, well, high handicappers not so much because of the physical routine, but the desire to learn. Without desire, love of the game, and an mental yearning for information to produce quality results, you fail rather quickly.

I've seen men and women play for years and are so aggravated at their game, and still don't know why they play poorly.

Golf is an extremely difficult game to play to it's potential, and most fail miserably in the first few years. Not so much because of their practice habits- but because there is a very powerful institution that was ignored- DESIRE, The understanding of PATIENCE, and a YEARNING to be schooled. Without this, you've lost the race at the starting line. Dr. Emery.

Dr E, you've hit the nail on the head.

However, the desire you talk about is either there or it's not - if it's there it borders on (or may actually be) addiction, in which case there is no need for yearning. Real addicts will eat and sleep golf, will take every opportunity to have a club in their hands, will immerse themselves in the history and lore of the game, will read every account they can of today's and yesterday's heroes and will never be content with mediocrity.

Most will hit thousands, if not tens of thousands of practice balls during their lives, will play at every opportunity, and can be found in every pro shop trying out the putters for feel, looking at the way the drivers set up and generally dreaming about how they could shave a stroke or two off their handicap with that club.

As far as aggravation or irascibility is concerned, it comes in two forms. The first is natural 'bad temper" and frustration at not being able to hit the shot the player thinks is expected of him, the second the result of "perfectionism" where the inability to perform to "range" standards on the course leads to colourful language, club thumping and so on.

The first is incurable, the second leads to patience as time goes by so that a mercurial 16 year old becomes converted over time to a mellow 60 year old who realises that every bad shot generates the challenge of an interesting opportunity to demonstrate his recovery skills.

Inherent patience is very rare but patience born of painful experience can really contribute to lowering the handicap as one reverts to treating par 5's as three shotters and hones the short game as one confronts the realities of not hitting every green in regulation.

You must find a club that keeps the ball in the fairway. If you miss fairways (try taking less club)
Don't try trick shots with low percentage. Pitch back out to fairway if necessary to save bogey.
Use a one two tempo when putting.

I shoot around 5 or 6 over, and I'll give a few tips to what has helped me personally.

First of all, I work my butt off. I get lessons every other week, and hit balls or play daily. When I play, though, it's usually either a practice round for a tournament, or the tournament itself. All other days are spent beating balls, chipping, and putting. If you are looking to improve, don't go out and play. Hit balls and do drills at the range. There are no quick fixes or shortcuts in golf.

It requires patience. When getting lessons, if you are a high handicapper, the teacher/ instructor is going to want to change your swing. That means he is going to have you do things that are uncomfortable, and don't work right away. But that's okay. Just do what he tells you.

Here's a little quick tip, however, if you want to shave five strokes off your game in two weeks. It's not a shortcut, it requires work. Spend 80-90% of your practice time on chipping and putting, the other ten percent on your full swing. I guarantee if you do this for two weeks, you'll shave up to five, if not more, strokes off your game.

Just a few thoughts. Take the for what they're worth- some tips from a 15 year old amateur :)

I did 2 major things to change the way I practice and play. When I practice I start with a wedge, either sand or pitching, and hit about 20 or 30 shots focusing on hitting different distances to get a feel for distance control and then on aim by hitting left and right of a target on purpose. I switch to a 6 or 7 iron and do the same thing. Then I take my driver and hit about 10 half swings focusing on direction control. Then about 10 3/4 swings focusing on direction, then about 5 full swings just focusing on having a nice smooth, in control pace of swing.

About 2/3 of my practice time is spent on shots around the green and putting. Generally I'm probably only going to hit about 50% or so of the greens in regulation but if I can get up and down for par and possibly chip in for birdie on those holes where I miss then I've got a chance to shoot a good round.

I also started playing different by focusing on course management which was something I rarely did before. I used to play every shot like I was going to hit my best shot with that particular club and when I didn't it caused problems. Now I try to have a plan on each shot when I'm playing, so that my bad or mediocre shots still leave me with a chance to save par. For instance, my normal miss with my driver is a push to the right. So instead of aiming down the middle of the fairway, I aim towards the left side so if I hit a good shot I'm in the left side of the fairway in play, but if I hit my "miss" and push it I'm either on the right side of the fairway or just off but still in play instead of in the trees or OB.

It should make perfect sense that if you want to improve you have to improve the way you play and practice, otherwise you're just practicing more of what has you at whatever handicap you are at right now. Of course, it took me taking some lessons and having the pro point out these things to me. I always thought if I did the same things that allowed me to be decent, but just played and practiced them more I'd get better and it didn't work until I changed the way I approached everything.

The other major thing is get equipment that fits you and your swing. Don't buy whatever looks like the newest hottest thing or because you like the pro that endorses it, have yourself fitted for clubs and then they can help you get to where you want to go instead of you spending time fighting your clubs.

Golf is not any different than anything in life. Ya can do or Can't Do! and

.......So it goes!

Thanks for all the tips...I'm stuck on 14 and looking for ways to improvement.

I would say the key to shooting good scores is to Not mess up on Par 3's, play par 4's to par and take advantage of par 5's, as they are your friend and best scoring opportunity.