Tag: high handicap golfer

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Golf Round Review

Staying Mentally Strong During Your Round

By Shooting 90

June 5th 2018 Golf Round Review

When your golf swing isn’t feeling right and your struggling to string good shots together, it’s still important to remain mentally strong, taking each shot as they come, and piece together the best round you can.

I got off to a poor start, double bogeying the first three holes, and never really felt like a had a good swing going. I also lost my composure a few times which also cost me a few strokes. Still, with all of this, I was able to grind out a 48 on the front nine, which was my lowest gross score so far this year.

I did improve my driving accuracy, raising my fairways in regulation from 11% the previous round to 43% this round. I also had my lowest number of putts, not three putting a hole until the last. I still wasn’t able to hit a green in regulation and have now not hit one in my last 19 league holes. Three penalty strokes is also too many for nine holes. I can live with one but not three.

I had my old partner from 8 years ago,when I was last in the league, watching me tee off on the first tee. I was happy when I striped my driver right down the middle. Had about 225 yards left to the hole. I preceded to top my three wood about 20 yards. My pulls then came pack as I pull hooked my 5 wood into the woods left of the green. Couldn’t find my ball, had to take a drop. Frustrated, I then fatted my pitch. Chipped it on and 1 putted for double bogey.

I pulled my driver left into the woods off the 2nd tee. The ball dropped straight down into the tall stuff. I then attempted to hit a low 4 iron stinger out of the tall stuff. I actually hit a great shot, but got a bit unlucky and hit a branch, with the ball dropping straight down again. I then punched a 4 iron out into the fairway. I hit a decent 7 iron just off the back of the green. I hit a great 7 iron chip to within 6 inches of the hole and tapped in for another double bogey.

Even after the double-double start, I thought that if I could par the relatively easy par 3 third hole, I’d be right back in my round at 4 over after three holes. This hole is about a three quarter gap wedge for me, and I have been fairly accurate with my distance. Not today. I totally chunked my tee shot and it never made it down by the hole. It bounced in the tall stuff and I presume it went into the base of a large bush. I never found it. I chipped on from the drop zone and two putted for my third double bogey in a row. A three double bogey start! Ugh!

After coming up short with my 4 iron two weeks ago and landing in the mud just behind the first pond, losing my ball, I was a little worried this week. But there was less wind and 4 iron is the right play here. I hit it way right but way right actually gives you a decent angle into the green. I hit what didn’t feel like a great 7 iron, but it flew right over the flag and ended up six feet past the hole, just off the green. I putted on and made my par putt.

The 4th hole has been a bit strange for me the last two times. Last time I hit a great feeling 4 iron but misjudged the wind and ended up in the penalty. This time I hit what felt like a really fat 7 iron only to have it be right on.

I hit a nice drive down the left hand side in the rough. I played a 9 iron nicely, landing on the bank left of the green, bouncing hard right on onto the green. Unfortunately it had too much roll and rolled off the right side of the green. I hit a poor chip that came up short. I two putted for bogey.

I’m feeling a bit better about my game, and being +7 after 5 holes, feeling I have a chance to get back to bogey golf for the round.

4 iron is also the correct play for me off the 6th tee. There just isn’t enough reward for the risk of going with driver. I pushed my 4 iron right again, like on the 4th hole. I saw the ball bounce well short of the woods, I can’t hit the woods with 4 iron, but I couldn’t find the ball. Had to take a drop. Was super frustrated, hit a 7 iron that hit a tree branch and the ball bounced back behind me on the fairway. I then hit another 7 iron to about 30 yards shy of the green. I hit a wedge on and 2 putted for a triple. It’s hard to recover from a triple, especially this late in a round that wasn’t going good to begin with.

The feeling of my round getting back on track was quickly gone. One thing I need to do a way better job of is keeping my eye on the ball and knowing precisely where it stopped. There was no reason for me to not find that tee shot.

The 7th hole was 175 slightly into the wind so I hit a 4 iron to get it there. I hit my 4 iron right (again) to short right of the green. I pitched on and 2 putted for a bogey.

As I’ve said before, the 8th is an easy driving hole and I was able to stripe a driver right down the middle. I was just short with my gap wedge from 100 yards. I putted on and made my par putt for my second par of the night.

I haven’t been able to finish strong on the 9th hole yet this yet. I was hoping to change that. I hit a good drive that was able to find the fairway and leave me about 135 yards in. I had the wind at my back so I hit 8 iron. I fatted another shot and landed well short of the green. I pitched on. I hit one of my few bad putts of the night and it ran 5-6 feet past the hole. I missed the putt coming back and ended up with my first 3 putt of the night for a double bogey.

I left what I felt was a lot of shots on the course tonight. I did pull a few drives but made a major improvement in my driving accuracy. The adjustment I made was to take the club less inside on my takeaway. I was taking the club back way inside and ending up across the line at the top, with my club pointing right of target. From here, for me, I have a tendency to go over the top. By bringing the club more straight back at the beginning of my swing, I’m able to be more laid off at the top, with my club head not crossing the line and pointing more straight to target. From this position, it’s easier for me to externally rotate my right shoulder, shallow the shaft, and hit the ball from the inside, eliminating my pulls.

The glaring problem I still have is chunking my wedges and short irons, hitting behind the ball many times. I believe this to be a weight transfer issue, with me not getting my weight to my lead side through the swing and is something I need to work on.

Categories
Golf Round Review

When the Wheels Fall Off

By Shooting 90

May 15th 2018 Golf Round Review

As I mentioned in my first league round review, each week we alternate between the front nine, a par 35, and back nine, a par 37. The back nine at Pinewood Country Club is the tougher test between the two nines. It is cut more out of the woods while the front is a bit more open.

There were a lot of positives from this round. First and foremost, my putting was much improved, with only one 3 putt. My driving accuracy was not as good as the first week, but I was able to keep the ball in play off the tee until the last hole, when I snapped my streak of 17 penalty stroke free holes to start the season. Probably the best thing to come out of the round was the three pars, after not having a single one last week. Greens in regulations are so important for scoring well, and while I didn’t sink any of the birdie putts, I made good attempts at all three leaving me with tap in par putts for all three.

The wheels fell off over the last four holes, which I again contribute to lack of focus, leading to a final score of 49. I’ll get into the messy details in my review of those holes.

Just like the front nine, the back nine starts off with a par 5, the 497 yard 10th hole. Going left off the tee is the worst play, as you can easily lose your ball in the woods. Maybe I was thinking don’t go left, as I hit my driver left, fortunately not too far left but unfortunately up against a tree. My only play was to advance it ten to fifteen yards forward. Visualization is so important in golf. You want to visualize striping a great shot down the middle of the fairway, not focusing on where to not hit it. I think I was guilty of the latter as I pulled my drive left. I hit a few decent shots to be sitting 4 right off the green, from where I putted and hit a great lag putt to within six inches of the hole for a tap in bogey.

I pulled another driver left on the 11th hole. I received a lucky bounce to just be sitting in the left rough, although I was blocked out from reaching the green in two. I hit a nice 7 iron in front of the green. My chip was great and I needed two putts to get home for a bogey. I was still very pleased with a bogey-bogey start for my first time playing the back nine in several years.

The 12th hole has always been a tough hole for most golfers playing from the blue tees and I am definitely no exception. The wind was slightly into us and I wasn’t sure my 5 wood would be enough. I chose to hit 3 wood off the tee but looking back should have hit 5 wood. Being in between long clubs is not a good feeling for me but it’s always better to be short on this hole. Long is only going to get you in trouble. I wasn’t committed to 3 wood and I ended up topping it. I hit a decent second shot slightly left. It hit the bank and kicked further left. A chip on and 2 putts gave me a double bogey.

The fairways in regulation stat can be a bit misleading at times. I hit a great driver on the par 4 13th, but it ended up just off the fairway in the right rough. I had a good lie so while this wasn’t a fairway in regulation, the drive put me in a good position which I took advantage of. I had 180 yards left to the hole and hit a 4 iron. My 4 iron is my 190 yard club but out of the rough I thought it was the right club, especially considering the pin was in the back. So many beginner and high handicap golfers repeatedly do not hit enough club on approach shots. It one bounced the green and ended up 8 feet from the hole. I missed the birdie putt which had quite a bit of break left to right. Still a well played hole for my first par of the year.

The par 4 14th hole is best played by laying up off the tee. There just isn’t enough reward to risk driver into the small landing area. I hit a 6 iron off the tee in the fairway. A 9 iron for my second shot found the green from 125 yards out. Another 2 putt gave me my second par in a row. Suddenly I’m four over after five holes and am feeling pretty good about my round. That feeling would not last long as the beginning of the train wreck was near.

The par 4 15 hole is the toughest hole on the course. Not overly long but wooded on both sides with a green that is difficult to hold. I pulled another drive left but was in OK position for my second shot. I hit a 5 iron fat and was still 70 yards short of the green lying two. 70 yards is a full sand wedge for me although I’ve been hitting a half to three quarter gap wedge in these spots. I shanked my sand wedge 30 yards right of the green leaving me a very poor lie in the rough. It took me two pitches and two putts from there and I recorded my first triple bogey of the season.

Shanking has always been a small problem for me with short irons and wedges. I do not do it much, this was my first one of the year, but when it happens it can be a real round killer. I fixed a slice years ago and after that like to get the face closed early in my swing and keep it there. Sometimes I do not turn enough in my swing and get too “armsy”, which does not allow me to get my club path right enough causing my shanks with a face that is too closed.

Luckily for me the second easiest hole on the course, the 16th, was next. I hit another decent drive, technically another missed fairway, but one that put me in a good position for my second shot. I found the middle of the green and two putted for a great comeback par.

I hit a nice driver on the 17th hole which found the fairway. The ball was above my feet for my second shot. I took this into account and aimed right, but not enough, and my 6 iron went left, kicked more left off the bank and ended up a foot in the deeper rough by the thickets. It was a bad lie and I was lucky to get it out. I had a decent next shot to give me a look at bogey from about four feet. I preceded to hit my worst putt of the night, blowing it five feet past the hole, missed the comeback causing my only three putt of the night and giving me my second triple bogey in the last three holes.

I didn’t make a lot of putts this round but was not making any mistakes on the greens up until this point. It was a disappointing and demoralizing three putt.

This would have been the perfect opportunity to improve on leaving a bad hole in the past and committing to focus on the present hole. If you’ll remember this was an issue for my last week. I still have a lot of work to do in this area as I severely pulled my driver into the woods. We have a local rule in our league that gives us distance of our shot instead of being forced to re-hit off the tee. You can re-hit but you can take a drop at the point where the ball crossed the tree line. This is a good rule which helps maintain speed of play. I went from one side of the hole to the other when I hit my now third shot far too close to the woods on the right. I advanced my fourth shot to about 150 yards out and hit a very good 7 iron just off the back of the green to be lying five. We have some hole games each week and the 18th was closest chip. I chipped my 7 iron to within two inches to win a $49 gift card to the pro shop. It was a great consolation for taking a double bogey on the last hole and going triple-par-triple-double to close out my round.

I’m hoping to put the best of these first two league rounds together next week when we return to the easier front nine. I pulled several shots left again so I will work on that and also my pitching, chipping, and putting. The short game is so important in golf.

Categories
Golf Round Review

My Return to Pinewood Country Club

By Shooting 90

May 8th 2018 Golf Round Review

I’m happy to tell everyone that I’m back golfing in a weekly league. A long time ago, I wrote about the reasons to join a golf league, and they all still hold true today.

The league is the Tuesday Night Men’s Late League at Pinewood Country Club in Harsaw, WI. The course plays 6,179 yards from the back tees which we play in league. While the course is unique in that it has no bunkers, the rolling, wooded terrain provides a challenge for amateur golfers of every level. I golfed in this league for a few years about 10 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed the course, members, and owners.

I will be reviewing every round here on the website, and I my hope is that you can learn some things along with me throughout the season. The league is a nine hole league and we alternate between the front and back nine each week. My goal is to break 40 on each nine before the end of the season.

We had a late spring this year so courses have just open within the last week. We had our first night of league this past Tuesday.

My final score of 49 wasn’t the score I shoot for, but there were enough positives in the round, especially considering it was the first time on a course this year.

As a high handicap or beginner golfer, it is extremely important to focus on the positives from your round and not dwell on negatives. Absolutely take stats during your round to formulate a practice plan to improve in needed areas of your game, but don’t relive your bad shots over and over in your head.

I had a lot of positives in this round, including hitting 71% of fairways in regulation, incurring no penalty strokes, and scoring no worse than a double bogey on any hole. Avoiding triple bogeys and worse is so important to keeping your round in check and not allowing it to get out of hand score wise.

Of course I have many areas of improvement. 22 putts for nine holes is not good. Add in that I only hit one green in regulation, the 22 putts shows how poor my short game and putting really was.

The first few rounds I will be reviewing every hole so you can get an overview of the course. While I’m not sure if I’ll review each individual hole every week, I’ll be reviewing at least some every week.

On the 1st hole, I striped my driver 260 yards right down the middle of the fairway. I truly could not have been happier. With 250 yards left, I decided to take 3 wood. I hit a pretty good shot up the left side, leaving me about 25 yards to go to the green. My short game issues surfaced immediately in the round, as I preceded to blade my wedge across the green. My chip coming back wasn’t much better, barely staying on the green. I then 3 putted for a double bogey 7. If I’m going to focus on positives, which I am, I’d take my first two shots any day of the week on this hole.

The 2nd hole is uphill from about 175 yards out to the green. I hit another nice drive down the middle. I had just inside of 150 yards left. The green was nearly 40 feet above me so I choose my 6 iron. I judged the distance well but pulled the shot left of the green. I made an excellent chip to inside 3 feet. I missed the short putt and had to settle for a bogey 5.

While the 3rd hole measures only 99 yards, it has a 47 foot drop in elevation from tee to green. Hit the perfect distance three-quarter swing gap wedge but again pulled it left of the green. I chipped on to about 4.5 feet, missed the par putt and recorded a bogey 4.

Long hitters could try to drive the green on the short par 4 4th hole, but it’s a small target, and the smarter play is to layup. I choose a 4 iron off the tee and hit a great layup, leaving about 95 yards to the green. I pulled another gap wedge left off the green and a little long. This was the 3rd short iron I pulled left. My following chip was well short, not getting over the mound between me and the hole. I barely got my putt over the mound and still had several feet to the hole. I took another 2 putts to get in. It ended up being my 2nd 3 putt of the night and another double bogey.

Looking back I probably got too frustrated over the poor chipping and putting on the last green, because a proceeded to top my driver off the 5th tee. I had 250 yards left to the green. I’m not capable of reaching the green from 250 yards in the rough, so I laid up to the yardage I wanted for my 3rd shot. I hit a 7 iron for my second shot which left me my preferred remaining  yardage of 100 yards. I hit my gap wedge just a little fat so while I made the green, I had a good 50-60 feet to the hole. I hit a pretty good lag putt to 5 feet, sank that putt and recorded a bogey 5.

The 6th hole is an uphill par 4. Hitting driver off the tee requires you hitting into a small landing area. The safer play is to hit your tee shot about 200 yards and leave 100 yards to the green. I had hit my 4 iron cleanly but pushed it a bit too far right, not leaving me an angle to the green. I hit my second shot about 15 yards in front of the green and didn’t hit a great chip for my 3rd shot to the back of the green. I 3 putted for the 3rd time that night and recorded a double bogey 6.

A pretty nice wind had kicked up and was at our back on the 7th tee. I decided to go with a 6 iron. I had another lack of focus and topped the 6 iron. Hit a wedge for my second shot and again pulled it left. I couldn’t get up and down and had to record a double bogey 5. I just hate to take a double on a par 3.

I hit another good driver on the 8th hole, leaving me with 125 yards for my second shot. I pulled a 9 iron but thankfully not as bad as my other pulls, and hit my only green in regulation of the night. My 4th 3 putt of the night led to a bogey 5.

The 9th hole is a dog leg left par 4. I attempted to cut the corner with my driver, which is possible, but I caught the last tree. I was in the rough and did not have a line to the green. I hit a 7 iron to about 20 yards in front of the green. My next chip might have been the worst of the night. It came up short of the green and it took me a 4th short to get on. Missed the 5 foot putt bogey putt and recorded another double bogey.

Final Thoughts

Except for two times losing focus, I hit the ball extremely well off the tee, whether it was my driver or 4 iron. The two times I lost focus and topped my shots is a good reminder to clear my head before each shot and after every hole.

I did do a lot of work on my putting this weekend so I’m hoping to see improvement in that area tomorrow in my next league round. I worked on lag putting and short putts. Eliminating 3 putts is a two part process. You need to improve your lag putting, which is getting the ball close to the hole on your first long putt, and improve making the short 3, 4 and 5 foot putts.

I also worked on determining why and correcting pulling my short irons to the left. These are straight pulls, so both my club path and club face are left of target. I worked on getting my path more to the right, which seems to help. If I am still pulling my short irons tomorrow in league, a quick fix will be to aim more to the right. I need to hit more than one green in regulation.

I’m excited to see improvement in my game as we go through league season.

Categories
PGA Tour

Thoughts from the Valero Texas Open

By Shooting 90

I enjoy watching the PGA Tour on TV. Outside the majors, Ryder Cup, or Olympics, life’s busy schedule usually prevents me from watching extensive coverage of each event, although I usually at least try to catch the back nine of the final round.

Beginner and high handicap golfers can learn both things to do and things not to do from watching professionals on TV. I plan to share my thoughts on each tournament I watch.

This week was the Valero Texas Open, played on the AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio. It was an enjoyable final round to watch with Andrew Landry and Trey Mullinax both battling for their first PGA Tour victory.

It was also great to see Zach Johnson, with 12 PGA Tour wins but none since the 2015 Open, in the final group on Sunday. Zach could never get it going on Sunday, shooting an even par 72 and finishing 5th in the tournament.

There’s been a lot of talk again about “rolling the ball back”, forcing pros to use limited distance balls. Some feel that the combination of club technology, ball construction, and player conditioning has allowed players to hit the golf ball too far, rendering many courses unusable for tour events.

Although the AT&T Oaks Course measured 7435 yards, which puts it middle of the pack for course lengths, it was referred to as a shot maker’s course. There are shorter courses on tour including Riveria Country Club and Harbour Town, which require precise shot making and do not necessarily benefit long bombers of the golf ball.

I’m not convinced the golf ball needs to be rolled back, especially when a shorter hitter like Zach Johnson can compete on tour. Zach can compete not just on the shorter, shot making courses, but just about any course on tour.

What Zach Johnson lacks in distance he more than makes up for in his short game and putting, especially his wedge game. In fact, even the long bombers have an incredible short game. You’ll see pro golfers occasionally spray it all over off the tee, but every one of them has an exceptional short game.

This is a great lesson for beginner and high handicap golfers. While it is important to work on your swing speed to build up your distance, and putting the ball in play off the tee is also very important, but you will make the most progress on lowering your scores by focusing on your game from 100 yards and in. That includes your wedges and putting.

So, when you are at the practice range, it is important to work on your driver and irons but spend the majority of your time spilt between your wedges and putter. Create the best short game you possibly can.

Categories
Golf Tips

Good Posture for a Better Golf Swing

By Shooting 90

“Stand up straight!” “Quit slouching!”

You might remember hearing these commands as a kid. There’s a good reason for that. Good posture is important! It will keep your spine and other areas of your skeletal system in proper condition as you get older. The chances of experiencing back and neck pain are diminished with good posture.

The risk of injury increases when you perform sports moves using poor posture. In golf, good posture will reduce your likelihood of many injuries, specifically in your back.

Reducing injuries is a huge benefit of good posture in sports. That alone would be enough reason to work hard on having good posture, but there is another huge benefit. Good posture increases your performance in sports. Whether it’s the ready position in baseball, a defensive stance in basketball, or running tall in a race, just to name a few, posture plays an important role in performing well in all sports. Golf is certainly no exception.

Good posture in the golf swing makes it easier to turn your shoulders and hips in the backswing, and also allows you to more easily get the golf shaft at a good angle and then uncoil through the downswing. At least for me, I would early extend (stand up) in my downswing before improving my posture.

Many golfers “slouch” as they address the ball. They bend at their waist instead of tilting at their hips, which causes their back to be curved, as seen below.

It is better to have the back as straight as possible from the hips to the head, with your shoulders pulled back, as seen below.

Follow these steps to properly address the golf ball with good posture:

  • Stand up straight and tall.
  • Tilt forward with your hips, keeping your back straight and your shoulders back.
  • Finish up by bending your knees slightly, allowing your hips and backside to move away from the ball as needed.

Incorporate good posture into your pre-shot routine as you address the ball. Work on it setting up for each shot on the course and the range.

If your posture isn’t as good as it could be in everyday life, it will be difficult to just turn on good posture at the golf course. Practice good posture every minute of every day. Walk proud and tall and sit up straight in that chair, whether that is at work, your living room, or car. The bigger the habit you can make good posture, the more second nature it will become on the golf course.

Categories
Hit More Fairways

How to Fix a Slice – Grip and Setup

By Shooting 90

Proper setup is the first thing to achieve when finding out how to fix a slice. This starts with correctly gripping the club. Have a slightly “strong” grip, rotating your lead wrist clockwise with your thumb resting on the back side of the club shaft. For more on the grip, see our post “The Grip”.

A wide stance helps balance and allows you to have as much swing speed as possible. While when hitting irons the ball will be in the middle of your stance, it should be farther forward in your stance when hitting driver. A good starting point would be to have the ball lined up with the heel of your lead foot. See our post “Driver Setup” for more tips on addressing the ball with the driver.

Mark Crossfield covers the grip and ball position in the excellent video below. Let’s get stuck in as Mark likes to say.

Now that we know we have the proper setup, we can move on to how our swing is determining how the clubhead path and clubface angle and the relationship between the two, at impact, create the ball flight pattern.

Categories
Hit More Greens

Increase Clubhead Speed to Increase Distance

By Shooting 90

Many beginner golfers golfers swing slower than they are capable of in an attempt to minimize mistakes. Many high handicap golfers make mistakes and slow their swing in an attempt to improve their ball striking. The problem with swinging slower than your potential is that it robs you of valuable distance.

Why is distance so important? Wouldn’t you rather be short in the fairway than long in the rough? Not really. The ideal result is to be long in the fairway. Here’s the reason you want all the distance you’re capable of. The key to scoring in golf is hitting greens in regulation. It is much easier to hit the green with an 8 iron, 9 iron, or pitching wedge than it is with a 6 iron. Shorter approach shots into the green will result in hitting more greens in regulation, which will result in lower scores.

Every mile per hour of clubhead speed translates to 3 to 4 yards of distance. Increasing clubhead speed by 5 miles per hour will add 15 to 20 yards to your drive. Even if you think your clubhead speed is at its fullest potential, the reality is that you most likely have more available. Most beginner and high handicap golfers have the ability to increase clubhead speed.

The best way to increase clubhead speed is to measure it. A Bluetooth golf swing analyzer is a relatively low cost way to measure club head speed. Check out our review of the SkyGolf SkyPro golf swing analyzer. Another benefit of using a golf swing analyzer is that as you progress to increase clubhead speed, the golf swing analyzer will insure that your swing and clubface stay in position.

You want to swing faster and not harder. Keep the tension in your swing at the same level as it always was as you increase clubhead speed. Also keep your lead arm dominate as your pull the clubhead through the ball, not letting your trail arm become dominant.

It is not necessary to hit balls at the range to increase clubhead speed. You can also work on this at home by swinging a club with no ball. Try Hank Haney’s 100 swings a day approach. You will not be able to get measurements from your golf swing analyzer by not hitting a ball but that’s OK. Measure your speed at regular intervals at the range when you are hitting balls. Track your progress.

Distance is important. Start increasing your clubhead speed today.

Categories
Golf Equipment

SkyGolf SkyPro Golf Swing Analyzer Review

By Shooting 90

Bluetooth golf swing analyzers provide a large amount of information about your full swing and putting stroke, all with a price tag well under $200. One of the best golf swing analyzers available is the SkyPro by SkyGolf.

The SkyPro provides measurements on the following parameters:

Speed Address
Clubhead Speed Shaft Angle
Swing Tempo Shaft Lean
Top of Backswing Half Back
Backswing Length Takeaway Angle
Face Angle Face Angle
Shaft Direction  Impact
Half Down Shaft Lean
Return Angle Shaft Angle
Face Angle Attack Angle

 

The SkyPro comes with a charging cradle and USB cord. To charge, place the SkyPro in the cradle and plug in the USB cord to a computer or wall charger. It is recommended that you charge the SkyPro after every use. The only other piece you will need before you get started is the SkyPro app which is available for free from both the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Attach the SkyPro on the shaft of the club about one inch below the grip. When you open the SkyPro app, it will connect to the device and ask you to calibrate. Calibration is an easy three step process. Once the SkyPro is calibrated, you’re ready to start swinging!

The SkyPro will automatically detect when you have swung and transmit the data back to the app. From the app, you can rotate your swing 360 degrees and see information for several positions of the swing. Alerts are also displayed for parameters that the app feels are out of normal range. The number of alerts are displayed on the i next to the swing name at the top of the screen. Tapping the i icon will take you to a screen that displays all of the parameter readings.

  

The SkyPro golf swing analyzer is a great tool that will help the beginner or high-handicap golfer improve their swing. It is a great training aid for increasing your swing speed, getting the right tempo, controlling your club face and more! It can even by used for putting!

Categories
Golf Practice

Play More Golf to Lower Your Handicap

By Shooting 90

Playing more rounds will improve your scoring, lowering your handicap, faster than increasing your practice time.

Time on the practice range is important to continually improve our full swing. Developing a repeatable swing with as much club head speed as possible will allow you to hit more fairways and greens, but learning how to lower scores happens on the course.

There are simply too many factors that come together to lower your handicap. While all of these factors will be encountered on the course, some of these are more difficult to practice off the course, and some golfers choose not to practice them.

Working on your full swing is important, but at least half of your practice time should be on the short game; pitching, chipping, and putting. The majority of shots on the course will involve your short game. The practice time you spend on your short game should reflect this. Improving your short game equals lowering your handicap.

When is the last time you practiced uneven lies on the practice range? Most beginner and high handicap golfers hit every shot at the range from a near perfect lie. Improved scoring comes from mastering how to hit the four main uneven lies, which can only be done on the golf course. Hitting out of the rough is also best learned on the course.

Two great ways to play more golf is by getting a membership at a club or by joining a league. Joining a club immediately made me feel more obligated to golf, since I prepaid my season. Playing competitive golf in a league has so many benefits. Golf’s handicap system levels the playing field making for an enjoyable experience for all golfers.

Start playing more rounds today and lower your handicap today!

Categories
Golf Practice

The Chipping Game

By Shooting 90

High handicap and beginner golfers lose a lot of strokes around the green. Yet it’s probably the area that golfers practice the least. How often do you see someone chipping by the practice green?

My 12 year old son started taking his golf game more seriously this season. Like many beginner golfers, he made quick improvements in his long game from tee to green, but still gives up too many strokes around and on the green.

We’ve identified the need to emphasize practicing chipping and putting, but chipping and putting ball after ball from the same spots is not the way. There’s been a lot written lately about the need to practice like you play in order to simulate real shots and golf round pressure.

My son and I play a game for our chipping practice. It’s simple, fun, and provides a large amount of chipping and putting practice.

Each player plays one ball. Players alternate choosing the spot off the green to chip from along with the hole on the practice green to chip to. The object is to get your ball in the hole in the less strokes than your opponent. No points are awarded to either player in a tie. The winning player receives three points if they chip it in with one stroke, two points for getting “up and down” in two strokes, and one point for getting the ball in the hole in three strokes. No points are awarded for four or more strokes even if you get in the hole in less strokes than your opponent. The winner of the match is the first player to reach ten points.

This chipping game is a great way to simulate real golf round pressure both with the match play aspect and the need to get the ball in the hole in three strokes or less.