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I want this thread to be a tip on how to learn and what it takes to be a low digit golfer. Some of the people on this forum are single digit handicappers (0-9.9), then there is medium handicappers (10-20), and high digit 20+. Single digit handicappers, lets come togethor and collectively tell the people on here how we got to where we are. I dont think any of us got to be single digit by any quick fix or gizmo, medicus and natural golf for example, but rather working on the range somewhat diligently. Here is my take on what got me to be a 6 handicap!

I have been playing for about 3.5 years. As of january I was a 17.8 and I started taking lessons. I hit the ball all over the place but once my instructor showed me my swing on film, and explained it, I began to understand what was going on. He has perscribed some drills, and MANY times I went to the range and hit ONE CLUB FOR THE ENTIRE RANGE SESSION. Most of my drills are done with a six iron and when I am doing a drill I tee the ball up. I tee it up to make the drill easier, once I have ingrained the new swing technique then I practice from the ground.

At times I have had to remind myself that a range session is about technique of swing rather then results of where the ball goes. Sometimes I would work on a drill and push the ball right or pull it left, that would be ok because once i got comfortable with the current drill then I could incorperate the fix to straighten out the ball. But if I try too much then I will just regress. Ocasionally, There have been times where I would spend two-three weeks not playing but just practicing at the range because I wanted to forget about scoring and practice swinging the right way. If my swing had gotten so bad that playing would not even be fun. During certain periods I would go from one swing thought to another almost every day, when I have done this I would not improve but rather the opposite. Whenever I would stick with a drill for a few weeks, then I would see improverment.

WHen I am fixing my swing I can change ten things about the setup at one time. THis is ok because once I am done setting up then I dont have to think about it anymore. As far as swing thoughts are concerned I can think of two at the most during the swing. Too much during the swing gets me jumbled, confused, and irratated.

When i play, I do a practice swing of the drill that I am working on at the moment, this helps me to not loose my swing near the end of the round. It also helps to ingrain the new drill faster. If your practice swing is bad then you real swing will be too because we swimg more practice swings then real swings. swing EVERY swing like it is the real thing, or you will make bad habits. Sometimes when I am done playing a round, like today, i hit balls afterwards to work out the swing flaws. This helps me to feel more confident next time I go out.

Another belief that I have is that if i dont have money to see my instructor then I skip a round or two of golf and use that money to pay him. i used to think I could not afford lessons but yet I could afford to play a round of golf on saturday Take the money from this weekend and go see an instructor.

I have a shag bag of 50 balls, for chipping/pitching, that are the style of ball that I play. This helps me to have feel. If I practice with one hard ball and one soft ball then the same chip will have two different results and not help me learn feel.

I personally walk off all my putts, this has helped my speed a LOT. Also, my favorite putting drill is to take six balls and putt them from one spot. Then I go up to the ball that is farthest from the hole and hit all six balls from there untill I make six in a row. This gives me confidence that I can two putt most everything!

If you ask me the two most important shots in golf I would say one is the tee shot because if you cant get off the tee then you are constantly trying to salvage the hole. the other is a six foot putt because I feel i can chip inside of six feet a large majority of the time.

Golf takes work if you want to be good. Something that I find funny is that the more patience I have the quicker I learn, the more impatient I become the slower I learn.

So that is some of the things that have helped me to go from being a 17.8 in january to a 6 right now. Golf takes work but the more I work at it the faster I improve. Range time should be focused!

Low handicappers tell us your stories!

Mid and high handicappers take note, I am sure a lot of the low handicappers on here will have similar stories because in golf there is no shortcut. The quicker you realize that the faster you will improve

i just keep it simple . dont try and overhit ANY shot.
the driver is only for holes when you need it to reach the green in 2 "with a controlled 2nd shot " -BUT ! can also afford to stray a little
never risk losing control of the ball
most important shot - the chip , if it isnt a lag then your chipping it in !!!!! not at !!
if it misses you start again .

shootin4par...nice thread....i'm a high-mid handicapper....just curious to know what some of your drills are, esp. to build consistency with say your irons (long irons at that)?

I got to as high as an 8 handicap last year but dropped down to a 12 this year after my thumb injury. Anyway, what I did was break my game into segments. The first goal I had was to start breaking 100 consistently. After I started doing this, my next goal was to become a bogey golfer. I'd play all par 3's as par 4's, par 4's as par 5's and par 5's as par 6's just for the mental aspect. Now, I'm trying to make sure I get no worse than a bogey on any hole. I also strive to par about half of the holes.

The way I improve my game is by working on a specific aspect of my game. What got me under 100 was better ball striking. Simple practice at the driving range improved my consistency and once you can get rid of mistakes such as topping the ball, you know you've developed some kind of consistency.

Then, I focused on chipping. I think the place where high or mid handicappers can save the most shots is with the short game. If you're a high or mid handicapper, you probably miss most of your greens. Let's say 12 greens per round. If you can get up and down half the time, those are 6 pars right there. Add to that 6 more for the greens you hit and you have 6 holes where you make bogey or worse.

What I was working on most recently was my driving consistency and accuracy. Now, this is pretty obvious but if you have 125 yards into the green, you'll make a better score on average than you will if you have 150 yards or 175 yards to the green.

I'm not a LOW handicapper by any means, im about a 12 or 14..but one thing that i can attest to, i've noticed a direct correlation between hitting greens and hitting fairways..the more fairways i hit, the more greens i'm on in regulation..so there's got to be something to that..so lately i've been hitting 3w off the tee instead of driver unless theres a lot of fairway to work with..im waiting on my new set of clubs because then i'll have a 2iron to hit off the tee..honestly my tee shot inconsistency is probably the only thing keeping me from a single digit handicap..my putting average is 1.9 putts per hole, and im on the green almost EVERY time i'm on the fairway..sooo i'm hoping to get that sorted out soon :)

I am a 3 handicap and its because of hard work on the range and the putting green. I go to the range at least 4 times a week, where I spend maybe 30 minutes hitting shots. (not just blasting my driver away either) I probably hit my driver a total of 5 times every time I go to the range. Everything else is irons. I hit the ball pretty far and need my driver only about 2-3 times a round, that's if the course is really long. I will then make my way over to the putting green where I chip from all angles, rough, short grass, hills, sand, etc...for about 35 mintues or so. I then putt from all different distances for about 35 mintues or so and then I go into a chip/putt routine where I just act like I'm chipping for birdie and I need to get up and down for par. This helps me get in the mindset of a real course, because a lot of the time you'll need to get up and down for par, so I feel like this helps alot.

I read, read, and read some more on golf. I've read most of tiger woods' book, all of harvey penicks, and some of Butch Harman's. It takes more then just banging drivers on the range like I see a lot of people doing at my course.

-Deron

Some of the other low handicappers have posted some great ideas about practice regimens, drills, etc.

The advice I will offer will be on course management...

Too many players try to be too heroic on the course. I find that when I manage the course, I stay in control of my game, and rarely have a BAD hole. I may make bogeys, but rarely make doubles, because I stay away from trouble, and if I find trouble, I get out of it as quickly as possible. Some may find this style of play boring, but I am proud that I am a two-handicap, and if its boring, so be it!

Some things to consider:
1. Know how far you hit each club, and use that knowledge off the tee. One theory is to play to the 150 markers off the tee. So, if the hole is 360, and you can safely hit a 2-iron, 5-wood or 3-wood 210, then keep the driver in the bag.

2. On the tee, try to see where the trouble is, and aim away from it. Or, if you know that the fairway narrows in certain areas, play to the widest part of the fairway. Example: You can see that fairway bunkers pinch the fairway at about 200 yards. Hit enough club to carry the bunkers. On the flip side, if you see the bunkers pinch the fairway at 250-260, hit your 220-230 club off the tee, so there is no chance you can reach the bunkers.

3. Learn how to hit a low punch shot. When you get in the woods, use it. Unless you are very confident you can safely hit a full shot out of the trees, punch the ball back into play. Make sure you hit the correct club, to make sure you get under branches/limbs, get your hands forward, so you catch the ball first, and commit to the shot. If you can find a way to punch, say a 6-iron, back into the fairway, and leave yourself around 100 yards to the hole, you still have a chance at par, and most likely a bogey, but you eliminate the chance for a terrible hole, which not only hurts your score, but may hurt your psyche for the rest of the round.

4. In heavy rough, don't try to be a hero. Too many inexperienced players choose a club just based on the distance to the hole, and then hit an awful shot. If they are 200+ yards way, they are trying to "muscle" a 3-iron, and its not a smart play. In heavy rough, take your medicine, and hit a lofted club to advance the ball as far as you can, and get back in the fairway. It is the smart way to avoid disaster.

5. Back to knowing how far you hit your clubs. This is very important for shots of 120 yards or less. Most players carry pitching, sand, gap, or lob wedges, each with a different loft. If you hit your PW 120 yards, but are 80 yards to the hole, don't try to finesse a PW. Use one of your more lofted wedges, take a normal swing, and the ball will go the proper distance. For example, I hit my lob wedge 60-75 yards, and my sand wedge 80-95 yards. If i am 92 yards out, I am confident I can hit a full sand wedge, and I know I can't go more than 10 feet past the hole... and if it spins back, even better. Take a few minutes before your round, on the range, and hit full shots with your wedges, to see how far they go.

Sorry about the novel, that is enough for now!!

Pick specific targets. That's the best simple advice I've got.

Don't just the ball into the fairway, drive the ball at a tree in the distance. A 10-yard miss to a target 2 feet wide is better than a 10-yard miss to a target 30 yards wide.

I'm a nine, and I've never had a lesson. I read (past tense) Golf Digest and Golf religiously in high school, and simply tried to be consistent. I wasn't a long hitter but from 150 and in, I was getting down in three at the worst, usually. Pick a tiny target off the tee, pick a tiny target on the green (not always the pin, of course), and pick a tiny target when you're putting.

Tiny targets. I mean, in the end, the hole is only 4 1/4" right?

Great advice that I meant to include in my post...My scores have lowered when I learn to play the course...a lot of people try to hit driver no matter what on every hole and hit it as far as possible...this is what I used to do, and I would have great rounds when I was hitting the driver well, and then I would have really really bad rounds when I was hitting it bad. Now I have gotten smarter on the course, and like I said I rarely hit my driver. Golf is more about playing the course smarter, rather then just try to be the long drive champion while you're playing. Just trying to play away from trouble, hit the safe shot, etc...has really got me where I am now along with practice, there is no substitute for practice.

Victory ! i find to aim for bogey or par is a recipe for disaster for me.
it means im not playing 1 shot at a time and if i fail at that goal its bogey or worse.
first shot is to place the ball in play in the safest place that gives me a chance of being on or beside the green with my next.
2nd shot , check the wind and pin position.
depending how far out i will normally play to the side of the green that gives me more room to chip if i miss , or away from trouble and/or chip INTO the wind.
my home course has tiny greens with nasty rough around most edges maybe 3 feet from the green so conservative play is warranted .
other courses i assess each hole on its merit , and how well im hitting the ball.
3 shot this the goal ..BIRDIE.
if its not a putt then its a chip.
if theres a nasty downslope behind the hole or anything else stopping you going for the hole its a lag , and easy par.
otherwise , check wind , break , your lie and where the ball will pitch and kick to.
get it rolling as soon as possible.
keep it as simple as possible.
and put it in the HOLE.
if the birdie fails you start again.

with this method i make the odd birdie , a LOT of easy pars.
and well , you can live with bogeys.
i think half the problem we get onto bogey trains and cant get off them is cause we start thinking PAR.

oh , another big tip !
LET THE CLUB DO THE WORK

Im an 8 and my best advice to anyone is NOT to go too deep in analysis! Although I am yet to try it, I suspect video teaching is a way to go right from the start, I have been plagued by 'feelings' in golf, namely that my feeling rarely related to what i was really doing.... i would think seeing what a feeling physically does would be wonderful

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Hey guys thanks for the replies!!! Lets keep them coming, maybe talk a little more about practice habits. Maybe express how long you stick with one drill or swing thought. Girlgolfa, I know you are not too far from single digits, let some people know of the hard work you put into it! Who has had the swing taped and what did that do for you? I know for me that the first time I had it taped and explained by a pga pro, I started to see golf in a whole new light!!!

I think a lot of good advice has been given on practice regimes and course management.

I feel it is really essential to 'understand' how the swing works and for different shots. If this takes reading or experimenting or watching videos or getting lessons, that is the most important thing. I practised many horrible things over the years but did not understand that each time I was not really practising anything the same. It was only when I made an effort to understand the 'whole swing' that the bits and pieces made sense and I was able to 'know' why a particular shot was not being executed properly.

Swing thoughts are counterproductive during a game, but you must know what a swing is before you can do anything with a faulty one. My advice is 'thoroughy understand the dynamics of the swing

I will be honest, and probably am to a fault...I played at the game for many, too many years. It was always fun, with friends a couple of side bets, but fun, sometimes frustrating fun. I got to a 13 to 14, I had never had a lesson, pointers from well meaning friends aside. About 4 years ago i tried to really take the game seriously and hit the range at times, never cared for wasting my time, just wanna go play, swing the club a few times, hit a couple of puts, shoot the stuff, lets go.
My lovely wife of 2 years decided she wanted to learn and we wnt to the range a few times, Me bored - bangin balls, she happy-with a few pointer and time spent together.
She decided to suprise me for my 46th birthday and we went to a very nice golf school in Fl near Sun City, IT WAS A REVALATION, now i have outstanding hand to eye cordination and have been very athletic all my life and can just about pick up any sport i want.....

bear with me cause i went through this, to get to this

I spent 5 days with only 3 others with a teaching pro 4:1 ratio and learned more about my swing than the last 20 years combined.....!!!!

i saw film, learned how to work with MY swing, not change it to a carbon copy of what he liked, i can hit more shots, more ways than just my standard power fade,(okay, you call it a darn long slice if you want), Point is,
In just over a year i am now a very satisfied 4/5 and i enjoy the game much more than i ever have. I don't mind the range because i go there with a purpose.
See a teaching professional, not just someone who is called a pro at the local course, but find someone who is willing to work with what you have for a swing, not someone who want to scrap you and start over.
find a TEACHING PROFESIONAL...
I do not fit the mold of a good looking swing and god help if Johnny Miller had to analyze my swing, i am hump backed,(broke it in a car wreck), start out with more of an long sweeping takeaway to an upright position and them drop dowm to a flat plan
on the swing.....you get the point, ugly but long and straight, most of the time....
and just think , it is a lot better now

A lot of great ideas here. One thing that was somewhat touched on but needs expanding is the pitch shots. The short game (chipping and putting) has been mentioned and is very important but the ability to hit your shots from 100-30 yards tight can be a lifesaver when you have to hit that low punch from the woods that was previously mentioned. Make sure you have the right tools...at least 3 wedges (PW, SW, LW or GW) and learn how to hit a full, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 shot with each club...one of the few things I agree with Pelz on. Think about how that expands your arsenal. Just with pitching, it gives you 12 or 16 options if you only consider your wedges and while some may go the same distance, the flight and stopping power will be considerably different (1/4 PW vs. 3/4 LW, for example). Whatever your ultimate method is, get sharp with the wedges.