Golf is such a quirky sport. You’d have a hard time naming another sport that can be so enjoyable, addicting and frustrating all at the same time. This is especially true for players of a low skill level or who are just starting out. There are several reasons why high handicap golfers should work on improving their game.
One of the biggest reasons to improve your game is that it makes golf more enjoyable. Let’s face it. Nobody likes to struggle. Lack of consistency is the main reason why high handicap golfers struggle. There’s a reason professionals hit thousands of balls at the practice range every week. While it is important for everyone to establish regular practice time at the range, few of us can dedicate the time necessary to become scratch golfers. Many high handicap golfers would be happy to score bogies on a consistent basis. We will discuss ways here at Shooting 90 to get to that point.
Playing better golf also opens many more opportunities within the game. You will be able to play just about any course without feeling embarrassed or intimidated. You will also be able to play with many more players without the intimidation. Fun golf outings and charity tournaments also become possibilities.
What areas of your game should you work on improving? Obviously there’s your swing. But there’s also how you play the game. There are really only a few key objectives in golf.
The first is hitting the fairway. Your tee shot sets the tone for the entire hole. Have a disastrous tee shot and your remaining shots will need to be near-perfect to make a bogey. The ability to tee up the ball is a gift of having the best lie of any shot on the hole. You need to take capitalize on this advantage with a quality shot. This means your driver may not be the preferred club for some holes.
The second, and I feel most important objective, is hitting the green. I say this because if you could hit every green in regulation, meaning getting the ball on the green in two strokes less than par, you could three putt every hole and still shoot bogey golf. Hitting more greens in regulation means playing safe shots and not necessarily going for the pin. Using a GPS or GPS app also greatly improves your ability to hit more greens.
The final objective is successfully putting the ball in the hole. There is a famous saying that says “Drive for show, putt for dough”. You need exceptional putting skills to be a highly successful golfer. Yet I believe you can still consistently play bogey golf without having mad putting skills. I would be the perfect example of this. I have improved my putting but it remains the weakest part of my game. There is a large amount of “feel” required to be an excellent putter. It is almost like an art. Even so there are many things you can work on to eliminate as many three putts as possible. The goal is to make some long putts now and then while two putting everything else.
Equipment is an area in which many high handicap golfers make mistakes. Custom fitted clubs and golf spikes are must haves for every golfer. The mistakes many golfers make is to use the clubs and balls that professionals use. This may be fine for drivers, shoes and gloves but using the irons and balls of professionals may have a negative effect on your game. Pros use forged irons that assist them in shaping their shots. Forged irons however require a high level of skill and consistency to use. More than high handicap golfers possess. Professionals also use balls with a very soft cover that are easy to spin. These balls actually magnify a high handicap golfer’s bad shots. Yes, that’s correct. That Titleist Pro V1 is probably not the best ball for your game.
There are many steps that high handicap golfers can take to improve their game in the limited time that most of us have. I hope you will join me in the journey to improve our games.