Golf forum

Hi

There was a something I read in one of the Golf mags about "Does reading books help your technic"

I must say last May June this year I really got my game together until I started to watch and read game technics and improvement. This really messes my game and from getting a low score of 90 my best i my I started hittiing 100+ whuich really threw my confidence off.

 I went back to the drawing board and spent good few days in the last week back at te range to try and hit the ball they way I did when I started to hit under 100. 

 Yesterday I played at the Wanstead GC and hit 104 my lowest in the last 6 odd games. I played well as my T shoots were all in line with the target and my second shot was just off the green and 10 2putts and 3 putts and the others ave 3 putts I had a good game and feeling I should be back in form in the next few games.

The moral of this for me is that although reading books and trying to learn technics from books will help others, there are many that it will not work for and I was one of them.

 Regards

 Jagdeep

I learned this game from a book I got out of the library, but unless one understands exactly what the printed word is saying it can be a waste of time, as can any form of instruction.

Until a correct grip, stance and swing plane are second nature then it is difficult to improve in this game. No amount of bashing balls down the range will do any good unless the method is sound. It is a waste of time practicing a poor swing. 

Even the good strikers on this forum, such as David L, Kevin H and Martin M are finding that even once they can achieve this,  there is still much to be learned to improve their scores. 

How right you are John, I had been around the 11 mark for a while and was getting frustrated at not getting down as quickly as I would of wanted but my ball striking was fairly good. The key for me is having my lessons with my pro and continuing to work hard on ALL aspects of my game and not just hitting balls down the range or on the practice ground for the hell of it.

I still have a lot to learn and again need to find little things in my game that can get me down another couple of shots from where I am now. A putting lesson about a month ago ironed out e few problems that I had in my set up and have now got down to 9 over the last month with alot more putts being holed, but again practice is what counts

Martin, I am really pleased that you are beginning to understand what is required, to get and to stay in single figures. The short game is the only place where improvement will reflect in your scores.

The other week I was fortunate to play with David L and Kevin H and both of them are really super strikers, but David, I'm afraid, let himself down with very poor round the green work. I don't like to witness this at all. 

The margin for error in putting is so small that ones putting can vary from round to round, but chipping and pitching can definitely be learned and this is the key to good scores.  

Good scores I feel are strarting to come my way, and yes my short game is what I am working on at the moment with my pro. Not just a matter of hitting the green within 25 - 30ft of the hole but really working on getting things inside 10ft to give realistic chances of making birdies, escpecially from 100yds in.

Also, you are right, chipping around the greens again drastically improves your chances of getting up and down and to shooting lower scores. Again all about practicing the right things.

I came to my parents in East London and they have a really huge garden about 150ft. I have been chilling out and really working on my shot chips which I must say is helping me understand my correct grip, stance and swing plane. 

John you are so right that you have to understand what is wriitten before you try and adapt the technic on the course as this can be dangerous, as I found it.

My driving is quite sound as I am an average 200 yard hitter and occassionally hit a 240yard drive. It's  The second shot I want to perfect on the par 4 so it is  a case of chip and putt.

Thanks for the comments 

I came to my parents in East London and they have a really huge garden about 150ft. I have been chilling out and really working on my shot chips which I must say is helping me understand my correct grip, stance and swing plane. 

John you are so right that you have to understand what is wriitten before you try and adapt the technic on the course as this can be dangerous, as I found it.

My driving is quite sound as I am an average 200 yard hitter and occassionally hit a 240yard drive. It's  The second shot I want to perfect on the par 4 so it is  a case of chip and putt.

Thanks for the comments 

Yes John, you are spot there, as you now know I won the inaugural Golfshake Open on Monday and it was my short game that won it.

I played very well last Friday in a Wayfarers away match (greensomes format) for my club, me and my partner basically chipping and putting our opponents off the course (we won 3 & 2) and it has continued this week. I feel that when my short game is on I'm infinitely more confident and the rest of my game lifts as a consequence.

I am not in the same league as the others on this thread, but just to add to what you all say at the Golfshake Open it was my pitching and chipping (and putting) that was working and was why I got a half decent score (I decided beforehand to take five irons off the tee and keep the ball in play, so my pitching and chipping had to be good to play bogey golf).

If you can drive like David, Martin or Kevin and have a tidy short game in the same round you're laughing.

To go back to the original post, I read a lot of books and articles and thought I was interpreting it correctly, but it was only when John Pettitt, Martin Millichip and David Marshall gave me some pointers on my swing (in the pub that night) that I realised what I was doing wrong. Nothing beats personal tuition. 

"Nothing beats personal tuition" 

 Spot on

I can attest to the flip side of this.  I didn't play too badly in general at the Golfshake Open, but I was struggling to find my range with my new wedges on the front 9.  This was causing me to have long putts from either just on or just off the green.  When I found that range I was dropping them to within 10-15 feet and 1 or 2 putting. 

What really cost me though was all through the round my putting was atrocious.  Tim was kind by saying it was 'eccentric'; I would say it was downright awful.  Had I sunk the putts I know I should have, I would've taken 8 or 9 shots off my card. 

**but it was only when John Pettitt, Martin Millichip and David Marshall gave me some pointers **

Like being on the Golf Course for 1 !!!!!!!!!

I've had personal tuition at a place could "inatrix" the lady pro called Dom helped me out no end

Wayne, are you aware that the above post makes as much sense as your choice in clothes?  I'm sure you know what you meant it to mean but try reading it again.