Why You Shoot High Golf Scores

(and what to do about it)

When I watch players who don’t break 100 (notice I didn’t say "can’t"), I see two reasons. One is that they hardly ever hit the ball straight. Two is that they don’t have a good idea of how to play the ball around the green.

I see two reasons why players struggle to break 90. One is that they don’t hit the ball straight often enough, and two is that they don’t have a good idea of how to play the ball around the green.

Let’s solve the hit straight thing first. I have lots of posts on this subject, under the label, golf swing. Look them up. They get specific. I’m going to stay general today.

The number one reason why you don’t hit the ball straight, if this is a problem for you, guys, is that you try to hit it too hard. That’s not the only reason, but it is the main one, especially if you’re under 40. Do two things for me. First, slow down your swing. Slower than that. You don’t have to belt the ball for it to go straight (and far). Centered, on-line contact is the key, and you get that by slowing down to control the clubhead.

Women, many of you need to do the opposite. You need to hit the ball harder. You don’t swing hard enough, and you lack control of the clubhead because of that. You can swing too slowly. Step it up a bit. Make an athletic swing.

Now the green thing. All I can say is this takes practice. I go to the range and see the tees lined with golfers and there’s just me on the practice green. I’m not kidding. Maybe someone will come along, throw down a few balls, hit some putts for five minutes, leave, and think they practiced.

As for chipping, I see all sorts of chipping strokes around the practice green, and none of them work. People spend their time trying to make an impossible stroke start working. I want so much to go up to them and say, “This is the easiest shot in the game if you know how to do it, but what you’re doing now isn’t it. Go into the clubhouse, sign up for a lesson and have the pro show you. You won’t regret it.” I won’t say that to them, but I’ll say it to you.

A putting lesson might be a good idea, too, come to think of it.

And then practice, like I said. I spend about 90 minutes when I go to the range, and an hour of that I spend around the green. Why? I’ll never have a great swing. Takes too much time to develop. But I have a good enough swing, coupled with a dynamite green game (chipping and putting) that lets me shoot some very respectable scores.

No reason you can’t either.