How To Shoot Lower Scores

There are several rules of thought on how to lower your scores.  Practice your short game, make more putts, hit more fairways, or how about more greens in regulation.  Would you like to know what the real answer is…improve them all!

The problem that I see most of my clients face, is that they want the “quick fix”.  Typically they want to put in the minimal amount of effort to receive the biggest gain.  I wish it was that easy.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely areas where you will see quicker returns and lower scores, but to become a “complete” player, you’ll need to improve in every area of the game.  Look at it this way.  If you’re hitting more fairways, you put less pressure on your irons.  It is much easier to hit shots out of the fairway than from the rough, or out of the trees.  If you can hit more greens in regulation, your putting less stress on your short game and putting.

If we look at the players on any professional tour, male or female, they are well rounded.  Now of course they all have strengths and weaknesses, but for the most part, they are complete players from tee to green.  They hit a lot of fairways, a bunch of greens, make a ton of putts, and when they do get in trouble, their short games come through.  That is why you always see them shooting under par.

Now look at the typical amateur player.  They miss several fairways, hit only a few greens in regulation, and often times are taking multiple chips and putts on each hole.  They make the game more difficult for themselves, by not getting the ball into the areas where it is the easiest to play from.

If you were to look at some simple statistics of greens in regulation, the average tour player will hit the green in regulation nearly 70% of the time.  The typical golfer who shoots around 90, will only hit 30% of their greens in regulation thus placing more emphasis on their short game and putting.

Now get out there and start practicing, just make sure that you are practicing all facets of your golf game.