Golf Playing Lessons
From this page, you can access playing lessons for various parts of the game. Click on the topics below and you'll be taken to the appropriate place in the website. Look below the navigation menu (the one below this sentence) for the specific page's content.
If you'd
like one on
one explanations
about the topic,
sign up for the PGI
Member Select Club and
I'll answer all your
questions in a prompt,
thorough fashion.
How well you score on the course
is dependent on
the following:
† Ball striking
ability (distance
and accuracy).
† Short Game Skills (100 yards and in).
† Putting Game (reading greens and executing).
† Mental Game (concentration & control of emotions).
† Game Management (optimizing the other parts)
Dave
Pelz, in his book "Short
Game Bible" (which
I highly recommend,
and not because if
you buy it from amazon,
I get a large chunk
of money), outlines
a similar break down
of the game of golf.
He advocates, as do
I, that the Short Game
is the one that golfers
should be focusing
most of their energies.
I've done a major statistical analysis of amateur golf scores and discovered "rules", if you like, on how to apply "fair handicaps for fair play." How do you play a fair birdie game with different handicaps? What's the best handicap make up for a foursome competition? Do low handicappers really have an advantage in net match play events? Click HERE to learn more.
In this next series,
I'll be emphasizing ways
that you can improve
your Game Managment, which
in my view, is getting
the most out of your
current skill level.
Probably the easiest way most amateur
golfers could improve
their game management to
lower their scores
is to hit more club
on all their shots.
In a poll on my website,
out of 484 golfers
taking the poll,
over 65% of golfers
come up short over
50% of the time.
It has been my experience
that most full
shots that fall short
of the target are
due to not hitting
enough club. Just
like your handicap
is an average of
your best 10 rounds
of the last 20, golfers
tend to gage how
far they hit their
clubs based on their BEST instead
of their average.
Consider this simple analysis of
how many strokes
this under clubbing
costs. I'll use my
own statistics in
the analysis which
are my short game
averages:
Wedge 10-40 yards = 2.8 strokes = E(Wedge) =
Expect #strokes
with wedge
Chips
= 2.4 strokes = E(Chip)
= Expect #strokes
with chip shots from
green edge
Putts (15-30 ft)
= 1.9 strokes = E(Putts)
= Expect # putts
Let's assume I'm hitting an iron to a green on
a par 4. If I hit
the right club for
the shot and execute
the shot adequately,
I'll put the ball
on the green (let's
say 15-30 ft from
the pin). Based on
my putting statistics,
I would on average
take 1.9 more strokes
to hole the ball
for a total of 2
+ 1.9 = 3.9 strokes
If I underclub, I'll come up short of the green
and either need to
wedge or chip the
ball onto the green;
I'll assume an average
of 2.6 strokes (half
chips and half wedges).
Based on my short
game statistics,
I would on average
take 2.6 more strokes
to hole the ball
for a total of 2 + 2.6 = 4.6
strokes. I'd make bogie over half of the time
The difference between these two scenarios is 0.7 strokes.
If I underclub on
half of the 18 holes,
that's 9 X 0.7 = 6.3 strokes more
for a single round.
That's a lot of strokes.
And, this is assuming
I have a relatively
good short game.
The weaker my short
game, the greater
the difference in
strokes (once again,
empha- sizing the
importance of the
short game). And,
of course, if there
is a hazard in front
of the green, the
penalty for falling
short is even greater
Now, you might argue that if there are hazards
left or right of
the green, then
hitting the right club would
put them into play,
whereas under clubbing
would eliminate
them. You're right. We
would need to know
your "shot
pattern" (percentage of shots
you hit left, right,
short, long) to
estimate the effect. Suffice
to say that hitting
the right club
more often will reduce
your score.
One of the services I provide golfers is a "shot
pattern" analysis.
I'll be discussing shot
patterns in greater detail
in future newsletters.
The concept is extremely
important in making wise
club choices on shots;
knowing where you are likely
going to hit the ball and
how that overlaps with
the golf hole hazards.
If you would like to have your precise
shot pattern determined, you can collect 10 rounds of statistics
and email them to me. I'll do a free analysis for you and send you
the results. Or you can purchase a year's subscription for only
$15.99 Canadian. You just continue to send me your stats and I'll
determine your shot pattern and make recommendations. See a sample report here.
Purchase a year's subscription.
If you have any questions or comments,
feel free to email
me at golfexpert@probablegolfinstruction.com
If you have any questions or comments,
feel free to email
me at golfexpert@probablegolfinstruction.com
©Probable Golf
Instruction, Ken Tannar 2001-2007. All Rights Reserved.
601 Capri Road, Enderby, B.C. V0E 1V3 Canada
Phone: 250-838-7760 FAX: to fax, email an attachment
probablegolf@yahoo.ca or golfexpert@probablegolfinstruction.com
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