# My story so far and where I want to be



## robo82 (Aug 3, 2012)

Hi Everyone


Brand new here! I'm currently 1 year into my golfing life and have played approx 25-30 rounds of 9/18 hole games with at least 2 dozen trips up to the grass range near me. Earlier this year I joined my local club on a golf works scheme through my company which affords me 1 round a week with a playing partner/friend who is currently hovering around an 18 handicap.
My best round to date is 108 which I've acheived only once, usually it sits between 115-120 per round. My problems tend to be playing out of the rough, chipping, putting (usually 3 putting). My other problem tends to be converting regular decent shots by my standards on the range onto the course.


For instance I play most of my shots with a 7 iron unless I'm driving or close to the green. My last trip to the range saw me hit 70% of my 7 irons approx 100-130 yds and more importantly very straight, however when I get onto the course this goes out of the window! I follow my same routine, I switch my brain off and take my swing. What happens is I usually send it off with the toe of the club and it goes 90 degrees with no lift.
Does anyone have any tips to try and stop this? 


Also, I'm looking to introduce other clubs to my bag. I need more distance than my 7 iron can give but my lower iron work is shocking even on the range. So as a get out clause to add some immediate results I've been turning towards my 3 wood and rescue club. What do you reckon? My results with the wood are hardly accurate in terms of length but they are better than my lower irons.


To be honest I really love the game and am definitely obsessed with every aspect of it, I have had lessons and when I have the money I have more. I'm not spending my spare cash on new golf candy over having lessons, but realistically need to look at range time as the long term financially secure method to make me a better player.


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## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

Welcome to the game, and remember you are not the first to have these starting out issues. Also, at your present scoring level, you are most likely not the worst golfer on the course at any given time. :thumbsup: 

Couple schools of thought to get yourself to lower scores. Obviously taking lessons from a qualified pro will help, along with more play, and practice. Problem with this method is finding a qualified professional that will be on the same page with "YOUR" learning curve. The instructor has to understand your swing, your mind set, and you have understand that instructor's teachings. That is a harder fit to find than most people think. 

My own second school of thought is to learn the game backwards. HUH??? By that I mean learn to putt well first. You said you have a lot of three putts in your game now. When you can two put, or less from any part of the green, then you move to chipping from off the green. Once you can chip, and putt in three, or less touches of the ball, you then would move to longer chip/pitch shots. An average of 2.75 touches of the ball from off the green is pretty good for a new player. I am 2.39 myself. From there you will move to working on approach shots, and finally you will find yourself hitting fairway, and tee shots. One thing to not forget. As you progress from one type of shot to the next, don't forget to practice all those shorter shots you have already learned to hit. To break up your practice regimentation, practice a few shots from poor lies. By practicing these bad lies, ball positions, you will have fewer surprises when on the course. 

With this method, you are getting your recovery shots (short game) down first. These are the shots that will lower your score faster. Also, by pitching well, this is basically the same swing, set up, and grip you will use for your longer shots. After learning the shorter shots well, the longer shots will become much easier to learn. 

How long this method takes is entirely up to you, and how much time you put into it. I know it works because I have used it with some of my family members with great success for them. I have a 14 year old Grand Daughter who plays in the 90s from the men's tees, (80s from women's tees). She played to these scores after only 9 months. She does not play on a regular basis due to other, non golf interests. My wife used this method to avoid becoming a golf widow, and was breaking 100 on a regular basis, and was beginning to break 90, until a broken hand halted her playing time.

At any rate, enjoy the game at what ever level you play. If you have any specific question, feel free to post them. There are some pretty good players on this forum who have "been there, and done that" with brains full of good advice, and tips.


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

Welcome to the forum.

A lot of people find trouble moving their game from the range to the course. Generally, some people will tell you it's a matter of more easily finding an aiming point on the range, not to mention there's no pressure to perform on the range. In other words, you aren't counting on the range.

For the brief time you have played, I don't think you are doing badly at all.


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## robo82 (Aug 3, 2012)

Hey, thanks guys. Really nice to hear some positive words, as you may well know too well it gets lonely on the course when things aren't going well!


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## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

Taking one's game from the range to to the golf course is a big problem.

Most driving ranges are much wider than actual golf course fairways. A lot of golfers who hit a ball that stays with in the confines of the driving range are happy with the shot. I think that's one of the mental aspects of the game we tend to over look. My home course has a range that is about 100 yards wide to accommodate the number of practice stations they offer. The actual course however has fairways that are 20-30 yards wide. I could shoot some pretty low scores if I played on 100 yard wide fairways.:laugh:

Another problem might be when on the range, hitting good shots, the golfer is hitting those good shots, one right after another. There is no time for loss of focus. When on the golf course, there are a more minutes between each shot, more things going on between shots, which allows for more loss of focus.

More than a few golfers don't use a "pre-shot" routine when on the course. Even fewer use one while on the driving range. Using a pre-shot routine both on the range, and on the course is good way for a golfer to take their range game to the course. Golf is a game of duplicating all aspects of a good golf swing, while getting the ball to go where you want it to go. By duplicating everything before, during, and after the swing, a golfer's ball flight will be more dependable. 

I have a post swing thought when I hit a poor shot. I just tell myself that the ball went exactly where I hit it. This takes some of the frustration out of those poor shots. This even works on those good shots I hit every so often.


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## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

The guys have pretty much covered the playing side, and all I can add is be realistic about what you can achieve with any given scenario. If I had a £/$ for every time I saw someone compound an error by believing they could still make the green from the jungle I could retire. Unless you're lucky, you'll rarely hit the green in regulation from the rough. Put yourself back on the fairway, ideally in range of the green, and you will make more pars than trying for the green straight out of the rough.


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## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

LOL, Just myself, I would probably owe you several $$$$ trying those impossible shots. To this day, I sometimes try the impossible, just to see if it is possible. Of course, as you posted, most of the time it usually isn't, and I am adding extra shots to my card. That said, I do practice those impossible shots when ever possible just to show off on a very few, rare occasions. 


Big Hobbit said:


> The guys have pretty much covered the playing side, and all I can add is be realistic about what you can achieve with any given scenario. If I had a £/$ for every time I saw someone compound an error by believing they could still make the green from the jungle I could retire. Unless you're lucky, you'll rarely hit the green in regulation from the rough. Put yourself back on the fairway, ideally in range of the green, and you will make more pars than trying for the green straight out of the rough.


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## curis jerik (Nov 28, 2012)

I am playing golf since months but i have a problem to me that i have not any teacher who can teach me to swing the ball on the course i can only make the swing when i play shots only for the the 2 or three meters. I am to much confused and getting harder track for practice to make the swing in the long short is that possible.

hangzhou golf tour


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