How much can you improve in 9 months?

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TxA&Mhunter
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9:14p, 11/7/16
AG
Here's why I ask.... I occasionally play with future in-laws who are good, to very good. She's as good as a 5' yall women golfer as I've seen who's in her 50s... He used to be very very good and is still good.
My last round with him was back 9 at Tamu course was and he shot 36 and was a average day. (Was his first time to play it)

I am super competitive and just don't want to stink.... Id like to be very good.
I don't think i have ever scored a complete round of golf.... So I'm honestly not sure where the starting point is.

Where do I start and how to i improve rapidly?
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Oso96
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10:27p, 11/7/16
AG
All depends on how hard you want to work on it.

Putting and chipping is where the strokes are lost.

What do you think is the best part of your game and worst?
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bagger05
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In reply to Oso96 • 10:39p, 11/7/16
AG
Oso96 said:
All depends on how hard you want to work on it.

Putting and chipping is where the strokes are lost.

What do you think is the best part of your game and worst?

I agree with the first part. You can get MUCH better in nine months if you are willing to work.

Disagree with the second part. Where you lose strokes depends on your game. Nothing in the game is as punitive as being bad off the tee. Being bad around the green hurts as well. Good news on that front is that it's relatively low-hanging fruit. You can make lots of improvement pretty quickly around the green.

There are lots of ways to get better. Key questions:

What is the current state of your game (what are you good at, what are you bad at)?

How much are you willing to realistically invest (time and money)?
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t - cam
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11:06p, 11/7/16
AG
Putting only helps if you can get to the green. If it takes you 7 shots to get to every green do you really care about what you do once you are there?
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AustinCountyAg
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8:06a, 11/8/16
I agree with what the posters above said.....If you can manage now to get on the green (par 4) in 3 to 4 shots I'd spend the majority of my time on the short game practicing. If it takes you 6 or more shots to get on the green I'd spend more time with practicing the long game/irons.....

like they said it kinda depends what your +/- are
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agsalaska
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8:36a, 11/8/16
AG
Like the other posters say, it depends a lot on how much time you are able and willing to put into it. You cannot go to the range once and play once or twice a week and expect to go from 115 to 80. But if you are willing to go for lack of a better phrase boot camp style you can get there pretty fast. I know a guy who got to single digits within a year of picking up his first club.

That being said, everyone seems to have their own limitations on how good they can get no different than any other sport. And strangely I have also found that overall athletic ability doesn't necessarily translate to being able to score in golf. There are scratch golfers out there that cannot catch a football and olympic athletes that can't hit a golf ball. A guy I played with in high school got a full ride to a SWC school for golf and in other sports he was the clumsiest guy you have ever seen. But he could, and still can, get a golf ball in the hole.
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DannyDuberstein
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8:44a, 11/8/16
AG
Always love these threads where 120 shooters get told to work on their short game.

Step 1) focus on getting your long game in good enough shape that you're at least around the green in regulation on the vast majority of holes. That is 2 shots for a par 4, 3 on a par 5, 1 on a par 3. You don't have to actually be on the green a bunch - just around it. If you ever want to shoot respectable scores, you have to consistently get yourself near the green in regulation. No short game can make up for that.

Step 2) once you get to that point, track your rounds and where you are losing the most strokes. Then focus on cleaning it up. For many, this is the short game, but not everyone - some people naturally have more touch on/around the greens and are still losing more shots elsewhere.

I'd recommend trying to find a 4-6 week group of lessons where you get a lesson once per week and then go to the range at least 1-2 times between lessons. You can give yourself a good jump with this approach, but then you have to keep practicing. If you are a decently coordinated person, you can improve a great deal in 9 months.
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khaos288
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8:58a, 11/8/16
AG
Get a range membership that has a putting/chipping green.

Work a consistent swing. Driver goes 200 and straight? Done. 6 iron goes 150 and straight? Done. PW goes 100 and straight? Done. Then, learn a basic chipping strategy for around the greens. Here's the one I use (since I switched I've chipped in 3 in a few months compared to only getting lucky before).

If you have a 200 yard shot, a 150 iron, a 100 iron, and that chipping game. You can work your putting game into something that will really save you strokes.
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WestTexAG
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9:32a, 11/8/16
AG


Ghin is goofy with the direction their chart runs, but that shows what I've personally been able to do in 7 months. If I recall correctly, 03ki11erAG dropped his handicap pretty significantly in a very short time frame as well. The book Lowest Score Wins, helped me a ton, but is basically just lots a "good" practice. Practice on the things that well actually help you to score better, which is different for everybody, but its almost never "chip and putt" for a double digit handicapper. Think of it this way: If all of a sudden, the PGA tour switched to strictly a putting contest, how many of the current top 100 in the world would stay the same? I assure you, it isn't more than 20%. Your scratch and near scratch golfers are trying to do the last little thing to get better, and chipping/putting is the low hanging fruit for those guys. Usually low hanging fruit for the double digit handicapper is keeping their full swing shots in play. On or near the green in regulation is super important in dropping your index!
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bagger05
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In reply to WestTexAG • 9:37a, 11/8/16
AG
That's impressive. And I second the recommendation for Lowest Score Wins. Did you just follow what was laid out in the book?
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WestTexAG
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In reply to bagger05 • 10:04a, 11/8/16
AG
I haven't actually read the book in its entirety yet, but for the most part, the principals in the book are what have helped me. I did have 2 full swing lessons, and 1 10 minute putting session with a golf pro, but the biggest part for me has been full swing improvement, followed closely by better course management. For instance, I now choose shot shapes for a better miss, where as previously I just had a huge slice and hoped for the best. My natural full iron shot now is a draw, the miss being an outright hook, and a rare slice (I'm rather uncoordinated sometimes). If the approach shot setups up for an overcooked shot to be okay, i'll take the full shot. If there is a bunker left, I'll club up and hit a low punch that finishes with a baby fade. The key for me, is taking trouble out of play. Played 18 holes on Sunday and never hit into a bunker all day.
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TxA&Mhunter
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10:09a, 11/8/16
AG
Thanks for all the suggestions so far. A few questions were asked and so I'll do my best to answer.

Biggest problem I have is slice off tee. I think this is attributed to poor mechanics (outside in swing) and wrong shaft on club (according to golf shop I visited).

Second problem is consistency on shots or striking. For example Hit a 7 iron 168 one time and 140 the next...

Currently am playing Taylor made m2 5-pw irons with stiff shaft and tm 4h graphite stiff flex
Tm m1 driver stiff

Swing speed chart says stiff clubs however all shots drift right even with good mechanics... So idk lol





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khaos288
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In reply to TxA&Mhunter • 10:11a, 11/8/16
AG
TxA&Mhunter said:
Thanks for all the suggestions so far. A few questions were asked and so I'll do my best to answer.

Biggest problem I have is slice off tee. I think this is attributed to poor mechanics (outside in swing) and wrong shaft on club (according to golf shop I visited).

Second problem is consistency on shots or striking. For example Hit a 7 iron 168 one time and 140 the next...

Currently am playing Taylor made m2 5-pw irons with stiff shaft and tm 4h graphite stiff flex
Tm m1 driver stiff

Swing speed chart says stiff clubs however all shots drift right even with good mechanics... So idk lol






One of the best drills I've found for beginners is to take a club you normally hit way past a target, and slow it down until you are hitting that target every time.

When I warm up, I take a 7 iron (160 yard club) and hit it to the 100 yard flag. It forces you to focus on mechanics, striking, and aiming. Once you build muscle memory, it's easier to full swing accurately.

You can do the same thing with the driver. Swing slow, and aim at a target 150 out.
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Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno
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10:14a, 11/8/16
AG
playing is the best way augmented by practice of your short comings. i dropped from about 20 to 10 within a summer but i played 18 holes 5 days a week.

thats probably not realistic with a job but you need to play at least 9 holes twice a week with 2 more days of practice (proper practice not just pounding range balls).

i think working from tee to green is the best way to improve quickest. if you can't keep in play with a driver or 3wood then its not going to matter. next long and approach irons just trying to get near the green. this includes recovery shots out of trouble to get near the green.

next were working on options around the green and picking the best shot for the lie and pin. (flop, bump and run, sand game etc.)

during all this working on your putting form. Playing that much should automatically help your touch and speed around the green.
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Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno
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10:19a, 11/8/16
AG
do you have a natural swing or are you just terrible right now. Lessons at the start to get a good base of stance, grip and swing and then take that to the range and tee box. If you are starting from scratch or fixing major issues you will probably get worse before you get better but stick with it until it starts to click.

Another thing is there are so many swings and options for every shot and being able to adapt your game and swing for whats needed is the key to getting good.
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TxA&Mhunter
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In reply to Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno • 10:31a, 11/8/16
AG
It's not terrible swing but no where near natural lol. It's just not consistent. And i think that leads to miss hits on balls.

I don't have the time to play 5 rounds a week, but 2 a week I think I could manage most weeks.

Do I fix swing before I addres the shaft/clubs problem? Any thoughts on this?
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WestTexAG
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In reply to TxA&Mhunter • 10:35a, 11/8/16
AG
TxA&Mhunter said:


Do I fix swing before I addres the shaft/clubs problem? Any thoughts on this?
Yep, there is nothing inherently wrong with a left to right ball flight, Jack and Hogan both hit fades as their natural shot. I think you'll find that you're probably playing shafts that are close enough.
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Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno
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10:41a, 11/8/16
AG
I'd honestly take some lessons and get your swing better before I'd drop serious money on clubs

If you have crap clubs now that are nowhere near correct then yea try and find some cheap used clubs to at least get on the right path.

Once you have a good repeatable swing with semi proper mechanics and are serious about getting better than the best way would be to go get fitted by a professional.

Get the specs you need and then shop around for what feels/ performs the best.

You should be able to narrow it down to at least length and lie angle and a general shaft flex and swing weight. But all shafts do not perform the same.

What clubs do u have now? If you pure a 7 iron, driver, 5 iron how far do they go?

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TxA&Mhunter
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10:49a, 11/8/16
AG
Honestly $$ on the clubs isn't a huge issue.. If it would help, but I understand what your saying.
The m2's are new and nice clubs. Im sure issues are me and not them lol.

Pure no slice drive between 240 between 250+ (But that might happen 2 times a round lol)
7 if on sweet spot and not a fat shot 165-168..
5 I have no idea lol



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khaos288
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In reply to TxA&Mhunter • 10:51a, 11/8/16
AG
TxA&Mhunter said:
Honestly $$ on the clubs isn't a huge issue.. If it would help, but I understand what your saying.
The m2's are new and nice clubs. Im sure issues are me and not them lol.

Pure no slice drive between 240 between 250+ (But that might happen 2 times a round lol)
7 if on sweet spot and not a fat shot 165-168..
5 I have no idea lol



Yep, you should slow your swing down. You're sacrificing distance for accuracy.

Go to the range and see if you can drive at the 200 flag, and 7 iron to the 150 flag.
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Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno
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10:58a, 11/8/16
AG
What irons driver and 3w are you playing currently and flex?
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TxA&Mhunter
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In reply to Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno • 11:06a, 11/8/16
AG
Tm m1 stiff and 3w is SLDR stiff
Irons are tm m2 irons stiff flex
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grego
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11:26a, 11/8/16
AG
Quote:
Do I fix swing before I addres the shaft/clubs problem? Any thoughts on this?

I would fix swing first - because that could change the answer for the ideal shaft/clubs.
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Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno
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11:26a, 11/8/16
AG
Ok I think your equipment is good
Just go practice lessons and play a lot
That simple
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REMARCH11
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11:32a, 11/8/16
AG
Practice, but practice correctly! Don't beat balls.
Great drills to get you started!
9-3 or parallel to parallel, work your impact zone!
Single arm, work right arm and left arm, this will produce absolutely amazing results!

Get a couple of simple training aids. Momentus Putting track, Medicus are both great
Spend the vast majority of you time on your short game.

Play with better golfers every chance you get.
You also need to pay 2-3 rounds a week with 2-3 days on the range, since we are talking a compressed timeline.
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Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno
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In reply to REMARCH11 • 12:27p, 11/8/16
AG
REMARCH11 said:
Practice, but practice correctly! Don't beat balls.
Great drills to get you started!
9-3 or parallel to parallel, work your impact zone!
Single arm, work right arm and left arm, this will produce absolutely amazing results!

Get a couple of simple training aids. Momentus Putting track, Medicus are both great
Spend the vast majority of you time on your short game.

Play with better golfers every chance you get.
You also need to pay 2-3 rounds a week with 2-3 days on the range, since we are talking a compressed timeline.
this, don't be afraid to compete against them, keep a proper handicap, and also don't be afraid to ask them questions if they are open to it. maybe not about swing, but about course management, thought process etc.
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antman8504
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1:45p, 11/8/16
AG
I am currently a 10 HC. Decent player but I feel that in 9 months I could really improve my game if:

1. Played golf twice per week
2. Practiced once per week with at least a monthly lesson.

I don't have time to do that though.

Biggest advice from me is that golf is a game where practice does not make you better. It will just ingrain whatever you are doing. Going to consistent lessons with an instructor will make sure you ingrain solid swing fundamentals. This will help you get better the fastest. Yes there are homegrown guys on the PGA tour with crazy swings, but they have crazy talent and have practiced daily for years and years.
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bagger05
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In reply to antman8504 • 2:30p, 11/8/16
AG
antman8504 said:
Biggest advice from me is that golf is a game where practice does not make you better. It will just ingrain whatever you are doing. Going to consistent lessons with an instructor will make sure you ingrain solid swing fundamentals. This will help you get better the fastest. Yes there are homegrown guys on the PGA tour with crazy swings, but they have crazy talent and have practiced daily for years and years.
Truth.
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TxA&Mhunter
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In reply to REMARCH11 • 5:57p, 11/8/16
AG
The 9-3 drills are suggesting like this? Googled it and found this
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TxA&Mhunter
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5:56p, 11/14/16
AG
Thanks for yalls suggestions.
Got out and Played 9 two different times last week. And went to range twice. Took the advice and worked 9-3 drill found the slice fixer video and discovered was gripping club wrong....
So that my slice to a pull or draw depending on how focus I was while swinging.. (Betting club is still outside in.)

Will update as the progress goes.... If any one has thoughts on Who should I see in bcs for lessons Id be all ears.
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Oso96
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7:08p, 11/14/16
AG
It's amazing how some people have charged on their stance on a practice routine.

https://texags.com/forums/60/topics/2334981/1
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E King Trill
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9:23a, 12/4/16
AG
After my sophomore yr of HS I practiced 2-3 times a day and played twice a week. Also got a series of four lessons at LaCantera where they simplified my swing and I went from shooting low 100s to mid 80s. I'm certain people have made more dramatic improvements than that.
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Ag_07
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In reply to TxA&Mhunter • 10:50a, 12/4/16
AG
Start by reading this.



Very short, quick read that breaks everything down in a pretty understandable way. Has already shaved quite a few strokes off my game.
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