[rbVmVlQ2]

I'm with JB, there isn't a better way to help your game than being custom fit for clubs. I played with many sets throughout my life that I just bought off of the shelf, and I did play better with pro-line clubs. But, when I discovered the art of being custom fit, there is NO way that I would ever buy a club without being fit. Most of the time if you plan on buying new clubs, you can get them fit for free, so it isn't startling in the cost area.
Lessons are wonderful also. I have never recieved a one on one lesson myself, other than my golfing basketball coach in high school. I do know many of my buddies have gotten lessons, and saw dramatic improvements! The one thing I would suggest about a swing coach would be to check around and do not settle. If you decide to get lessons, be sure and talk to some folks who have used the coach you had in mind. Not all are the same, but I know that you would know if you found a good coach!

[artenotreah]

I'm going to post this again, but if you want to improve (lower scores), work on your SHORT GAME.

I've played with people with the ugliest swings that look like they couldn't break 100, but at the end of the round, they are in the 80s. Holes that you are used to getting boggy become pars and pars become birdies.

[praboobolbode]

just wanted to thank everyone in this thread for your contributions.

speaking of my home course's difficulty--i do wonder about that.
I play Poplar Creek in San Mateo, CA. Total Yardage: 5,645 par 70. Is that ridiculously short? I can hit the green on a few par 4's, so I know it's definitely on the easy side.
http://www.poplarcreekgolf.com/scorecard.html

[errolurberozy]

just wanted to thank everyone in this thread for your contributions.

speaking of my home course's difficulty--i do wonder about that.
I play Poplar Creek in San Mateo, CA. Total Yardage: 5,645 par 70. Is that ridiculously short? I can hit the green on a few par 4's, so I know it's definitely on the easy side.
http://www.poplarcreekgolf.com/scorecard.html

I didn't see the ratings on the card The USGA course search only listed rating for women, which seems odd. So I got the ratings out of GHIN as if I were posting a score.

Silver is 66.0/111
Black is 70.1/115
Gold is 67.9/114

So based on slope, your course is about 'normal'. Slope is used to determine your course handicap and is based more on the bogey golfer. The formula is (index * course rating)/ 113.

So the black and gold are just a little harder then normal, but not much.

The length of the course may make it easy or not depending on your game. If you are long, then a short course may be easier. For example back in April I was playing 9 hole rounds with a length of about 2,900 yards on a tighter course and was shooting in the low 50s. I started to play a longer 9 of 3,333 yards and I averaged in the high 50s. The main difference is the longer course has par 4s I can't reach in 2. The shorter course I can reach any of the holes in GIR.

Overall it sounds like all the time spent on the par 3 course has really helped your game. A solid short game is critical to go low, like Wilwin mentioned.

[praboobolbode]

bortass, thanks so much!

Yup, I play a weekly wednesday game with 8 guys who in the last 3 months have seen me go from complete hacker to finishing first or second the whole time. I had no double bogies last round and I couldn't have been happier about that! It was crazy, I felt like I was playing the game strategically. I said "Ok, I just need to par one of the next 3 holes to make 33. So hit one green and an easy two put." It all came down to confidence (and execution) in my putting game. Never before did I feel like everything was two-puttable until that round.

Yesterday I was going through a minor tiff with my girlfriend and separately with my parents at the same time. I was practicing on the putting green and couldn't make A THING. I was rushing everything and getting extremely frustrated. My mind was preoccupied with those personal issues. In the car on the way home I just kept thinking what Tiger must feel like!!! sheesh

[artenotreah]

just wanted to thank everyone in this thread for your contributions.

speaking of my home course's difficulty--i do wonder about that.
I play Poplar Creek in San Mateo, CA. Total Yardage: 5,645 par 70. Is that ridiculously short? I can hit the green on a few par 4's, so I know it's definitely on the easy side.
http://www.poplarcreekgolf.com/scorecard.html

I'm sure you may know this and since I live in the Bay Area as well and have played that course before, I can chime in. Poplar is arguably the easiest 18 hole course in the entire Bay Area. Flat, wide open fairways, few tall trees. The only obstacle with this course are the high winds if you play later in the day. Most courses I play in the area have a slope of 120 or higher. I would call the course a confidence booster compared to playing other courses in the neighborhood.

[dxpfmP0l]

Everyone has given you great opinions on how to lower your game... and here's mine (and like many others have said)

PRACTICE THE SHORT GAME.

You need to practice your regular irons but if there is nothing seriously wrong with the woods and irons, then devote MOST of your practice time to the short game. Descide on which method you would be comfortable with: Pelz, Michelson's, Utley's. They are ALL good. Pick one, study it and then commit to that method.

I lowered my HC from a 12 to a 7 (quickly)mainly due to getting up and down better. My girlfriend just picked up the game last year and although she has a beautiful swing, she constantly tops the ball because she pulls up on contact. As a beginner she also has no short game. She has become very frustrated and is not enjoying the game too much.

I have since broken down her swing and have her on the chipping green. She has chosen a chipping/pitching technique that she is comfortable with and her first practice session she was knocking them close consistently. The reason I had her work on the short game FIRST is now that she has the 9-3 swing down and has some confidence, she can now go to her regular irons (with the same swing) and just increase the backswing and follow-through. Even when we play if she still tops the ball a bit, she will have more fun since her short game has improved 100%.

My point is too practice that short game CONSTANTLY.

[praboobolbode]

i need to practice putting like crazy. around the greens yesterday i was the best I've ever played, but once i got ON to the green it was horrid. my $10 60 degree LW is amazing. Up until memorial day last month I was playing with no wedges other than the PW. I'd have to open up my PW to do it all.

For me, it's all about putting. I can usually set myself up at least for par puts and I just blow it. Yesterday on a par 3 I hit it to 12 ft. of the pin and 3 putt for bogey. so painful!!!

[Fouttysotlalf]

Is golf improvement like running a mile? It's easy to take off 30 second blocks from a 10 minute mile with a little practice, but much harder to go from a 6 minute mile to a 5:30 mile time.

Is it similar in golf? I shoot about 88-90 right now with only 3 months of taking the game seriously, and doing it with crap clubs. (Just added my first club higher than a PW to my bag last month). I grew up playing mini-golf and driving range with friends as often as I'd go bowling. BUt now I'm addicted to golf.

In these 3 months I've taken my par 3 9 hole course score down from as high as 50 to 33. Learning to not 4 put was huge. And I just had my first (9 hole) round of no 3 puts, which was such a wonderful feeling that I bought a round of drinks for the other 3 guys I was playing with.

So am I going to be stuck for a while in this upper 80s/low 90s? Or could a new set of irons propel me to low 80s pretty quickly? I'm a decent ball striker, lots of distance, but very inexperienced with spin, shape, and caring about where to land my ball on the green from over 150 yards out.

Wondering what kind of progress you all made over time. Where were the plateaus and such. What got you to the next level? Time/practice or some enlightening change in your swing or putting prep routine?

Thanks everyone. Man, I like these forums.

Hey jbard I know I've talked to you about your par 3 course before and a 33 on that course is no joke (wind is a HUGE problem there.) Congrats and hang in there. I agree with JB and the others, lessons and practice help a lot. I understand its tough too. I"ld rather spend all my free time on the course, let alone practice, let alone get a lesson!

[praboobolbode]

sorry but when my cg7 BPs come in the mail it's range/course/range/course until i get the "high" out of my system. then i'll go back to practicing the short game

and since we're talking about me so much -- here's one more thing. Cleveland was so backed up with demand that they couldn't give me the GW that comes with my cg7's.. instead the shop said they'll just give me the cg15 instead. cool, right? I don't care about forgiveness on a 50 degree. i'll hit that sucker solid every time :P but i'm sure there's more differences i'm not fully aware of.