Become a scorer and a grinder (Key notes)

[RASWING]

To all,

What are you guys keys to be a better scorer and a grinder on the golf course? I know that we all work on our swings and we all search to get better.
I would like to get you guys insight or opinion on how to get better at scorering and/or becoming a grinder out on the course where we turn X8's into X3's and we turn X3's into X0's ? I know its a tough question just wanted to know what you all do while out on the course. (X's) are = to what ever you score as I know we have all types of golfers here on the site with different handicaps and scoring levels.

V/R
RA

[Shot Limit]

For me, short game is pretty critical. When I'm not having the best ball striking day and the score means someting, I will usually get a little conservative and put the ball in a place I'm confident I can get up a down from. If that means laying up or changing my strategy during a round, so be it. I usually have more sucsess this way as opposed to trying red or yellow light shots. I want to put myself in spot where I'm most confident so pressure won't be AS BIG a factor. Have a plan, have a contingency plan and absolutly have fun!

[benjaaz]

I'm not a low handicapper like you guys so I can't say what I do but I know what I feel I'm lacking in relation to scoring. To me it's approach shots. The closer you get the ball to the hole or in the right spot on the green in relation to the pin is the key to scoring. Greens in regulation is a key statistic to the pros. I have good touch around the green and save a lot of scores that way, mainly because I have to do it so often. When I'm under 110 yards in I am not confident I can get the ball close to the hole and that is what I feel I'm lacking. I'll hit a 75 yard shot the perfect distance but I'm 25 feet away on another tier of the green. That makes scoring difficult. That's what I'm focusing on for scoring.

Jim

[Michael Jacobs]

Ra,

Great question!

I have a lot of experience obviously dealing with all kinds of golfers {closing in on 20,000} and I have had a lot of experience playing competitively as a junior and college.

The knack for getting the ball into the cup is a talent and a skill, proper technique as always makes this skill of getting the ball into the cup more predictable. Experience is a must, the more experiences a golfer has the more they can draw back on their memory bank.

I will never forget my first ever big golf tournament when I was a kid. Must have been 12 or so, I qualified for some NY Junior State Championship way upstate in god knows where. My dad and I drove 8 hours plus and I played well in practice round and then on tourney day 1 with the first ever crowd I had watching me I pumped first ball out of bounds on the first tee and then 4 provisional balls out of bounds as well. I walked over to bag grabbed ball six and hit a 3 wood down the middle, kept my chin up walked down the fairway and miraculously ball #2 stayed in bounds when we got out there I made a double bogey and shot around an 80 which for 12 yrs old was good. Never forgot that experience and until this day remember the feeling of walking back to bag for ball 6. Playing is a skill, a knack, that gets better with experience.

[RASWING]

Guys,
The same thing MJ talked to us about with more experience with playing the game is so true, a few touring pro's express the same thing with me. Every time I get a chance to ask those guys and girls a few questions.

I ask them about scoring and reading putts and their mind set in the short game around the greens as it seems as if thats where they all are true wizards. They ofetn tell me RA you just have to go and play I like to work on the range and they say RA "Go and Play on the Course learn how to get the ball in the hole not how it looks getting there". I love to practice on the range. So that I feel I can trust what I feel when I am playing but I love to play I really enjoy playing on late afternoons when I am by myself. Then on the other hand I love to compete at golf in real events where the score is the test. I play by myself for the pure enjoyment of the shots and the look of the ball flying against the blue sky. Then I love the test of scoring but it seems to me to be more challenging. Thats a few of my thoughts!!!

When I am putting best I score my best !!!! When I am striking my irons the best It seems as if I still havent scored my best. To reflect how well i have hit it with the irons. My buddy tells me a low capper All the time ... " Hit it closer to the greens and hit it closer to the hole you will score better " I said know SH.....T crazy

V/R
RA

[Phana24JG]

I have to go with Shot Limit on this one. If my short game is solid, I not only score better, but play better as well. If make a couple of birdies or tough par saves early, not only am I more confident around the green, I relax and hit the ball better. I am less concerned if I yank one into the boonies because I know I will either save par, or get it back a couple of holes later.

If I miss a couple of short putts early, my reaction is to try and hit everything close, feel pressure on every short pitch/chip to hit it within the leather, and get very defensive on the tee making sure to keep the ball in play.