I am a SNE grinder. Poker is my #1 priority for 2011, but making it the only thing I focus on can be detrimental to my success. Burnout is a real problem when the only way to achieve SNE is through volume. To balance my life, I have decided to also put in time practicing golf.

Golf has always been just a hobby. I have enough natural talent to average 85 on any random course I go to. The only practice I've ever done is working on my full swing at the range. I'd ballpark about 1 range session per 5 rounds. My game is stagnant. Different aspects get better and worse depending on the day. My goal is to break that pattern, and try to become a scratch golfer.

If the mods allow it, and the community would enjoy it, I wanted to use this thread to record and track my progress, and also as a place to ask many questions about improving/practice. There's no rush to get started as I live in New Jersey and snow is still on the ground. I already have a bunch of questions lined up but for now I'll let this linger and see if you guys have an interest in my thread. Let me know

Some quick thoughts:

1. Track your stats, so you can see where you need to improve. A site like oobgolf is a good start. And keep accurate scores... no mulligans, generous drops, winter rules, gimme putts, etc. Go get the Rules of Golf, read it, and start following them.
2. Your ratio of range/course should be almost reversed... well... at least 2:1 range.
3. Range time should be divided equally between full swings and short game (sand, chips, putts). I'd break them up into smaller sessions: 25 full swings, 20 minutes sand, 25 full swings, 20 minutes chipping, 25 full swings, 20 minutes putting... etc.
4. Optimally, you would get lessons. If you want to do it yourself, frequent sites like golfwrx, online video instruction (e.g. shawn clement) and get a camera to video tape your swing... what you think you're doing and what you actually are doing are often not the same.
5. And don't waste your money on new clubs (like the latest driver this or wedges that), balls, shoes, etc. There is no magic elixir to improvement. MAYBE use it as a reward for intermediate goals...

You may not notice yourself getting better... mostly because you'll just be eliminating the mistakes, but the scores will show it. Good luck.

Oh joy! It's been so long since we've had one of these threads.

Unfortunately, OP does not understand that if he took all the time he spends playing online poker this year, and uses every second of that time to improve at golf, he still wouldn't be close to scratch.

However, good luck on getting better.

BO

Having a bad day?

You're correct about the time frame... if I intended on becoming a scratch golfer this year that would be pretty tough. But I don't remember giving myself only a year to do it... Do you also claim its impossible to do in 3 years? How about 5?

I have a stat tracker and scoring app on my iphone... will buy golfshot gps if I find any good reviews for it. I havent even picked a home course or practice facility yet though, so thats a bit down the road.

Otherwise, thanks for pointing me in the right direction in terms of practice/equipment... one of my main concerns is making it somewhat affordable so buying new clubs was always out of the question, getting my clubs fitted for me is not however and I'm going to look into some more info about that.

Nope. Just that several others who couldn't break 100 have stated here that they could certainly be scratch with just a little practice. Most don't realize just how difficult the task is.

Well, you might be able to do it in 3-5 years with much effort, or you may never be able to do it with all the effort in the world.

Here's the thing you may or may not know, most golfers will never be able to be scratch no matter how much they practice. It's one of those things you have to basically be born with the right DNA to make it happen, plus you have to work your brains out to get there. No different than baseball, football, or any other sport. For some reason a lot of double-digit handicappers think all they have to do is practice and it will happen and anybody can do it.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say don't go out and try to improve. All I'm saying is that getting down to scratch should be the farthest thing from your mind. First try to get down to 82, and then 80, and so on.

BO

Yeah I see your point, and its a valid one. I feel my goals would be lofty if I was an 18+ HCP player to start. I haven't practiced much, taken any lessons, played any competitive golf yet have managed a few rounds in the upper 70s and average about an 85. I feel I am athletic enough and have the proper work ethic to excel at a sport. Golf just so happens to be my favorite game.

Its a given that lowering my HCP by a few points at a stretch is how this will work, with the last jump getting from 75-par being the hardest. Intermediate goals are very important to be successful, and I have them in mind already.
I somewhat disagree with your philosophy regarding talent and skill but you've still convinced me to change my long-term goal:

Become a scratch golfer, or as close as possible.

my advice is don't get the chipping yips

Have you returned AL? Post a swing vid so we can see what you've been up to.

Cool. Now we're getting somewhere.

Practicing smart is does infinitely more good than practicing hard and long. Spend more than 50% of your practice time chipping and putting. You'll be pleasantly surprised how many strokes you can shave off your game by doing that alone.

BO

I'm not some banned poster. I will post swing vids later in the season, so I guess the proof will have to wait until then.

As soon as the snow melts and I can find a pitching/putting green that is the plan. Actually just going to do 100% for the first few weeks... the initial goal is to put in about 60 hours (20/week) on the shortgame before ever touching a shot >100 yds.

Your point also ties right into my first question. What are good reference materials for learning short game technique? I've done my own research already and am leaning towards Pelz's books. But any other suggestions/criticisms of my choice would be appreciated.

Phil's short game video.

I started to post last night that as long as you don't have some stupid one year or less timeframe that you will probably get good advice here....but looks like you figured that out from BO. Don't take him personally, there is just a thread a week at times about becoming a scratch in 60 days. Those usually don't materialize.

That DVD looks good. I get the sense that Pelz's books are very technical with a lot of useless information... and maybe Phil's video would be simpler with the same amount of applicable information.

So its atleast a month, maybe 1.5 months before the snow melts away here... anyone have any suggestions for ways to improve before the season starts?

If you want to be a scratch golfer you need to make more birdies/eagles than bogeys/worse

Work on that and you'll be scratch in no time

Get stronger. There's a reason Tiger chased most of his competiters into the fittness van.

If your an SNE grinder dont put the pressure on of having to get to scr. allocate yourself time and put x amount of hours aside to do chipping putting etc - the scores will come eventually if you keep doing this.

Being able to hack it round and still shoot no worse than par is the sign of a good golfer, trust me i have done and seen it enough times

this. becoming scratch takes a lot of dedication more than anything. if time is limited, i would not stress out about lowering your handicap in a limited time.

^^ This...

If you are coordinated, an athlete, and have the ability to grasp the concepts that are associated with learning the game, along with an ability to execute the shots you need to in order to excel :

10+ hours/week long irons/driver
10+ hours/week mid irons
15+ hours/week short game (I prefer more)
15+ hours/week putting ( I prefer more )
3-5 playing rounds/week

That's just a basic practice model (low estimate hours wise as some may agree). Not even mentioning the vast amount of shots you need to become proficient at, tee to green, to achieve scratch status.

After 4-6 years you may be able to achieve a legit low single digit hdcp. Believe the other posters in this thread when they say it's not easy.

Having been a Caddie for 19 years, I see people playing 4-6 rounds weekly (w/ the usual 10-20 mins on range beating drivers pre-loop), take lesson after lesson, and still can't break 90. A lot more time needs to be put into learning/playing the game then one might think to get to scratch.

GL getting there..it's doable w/ patience and dedication (provided you are physically and mentally able of course).

As tongue in cheek as this was (I think) it's actually pretty good. Where I am (I think my latest index is 2.9) basically every single round has 4 or 5 shots that are literally just thrown away. So a 3 putt from 25 feet, leaving myself 20 feet for birdie from green side on a par 5, or just flat missing a green from 80-120 yards, etc etc are the difference in me shooting even par and shooting 77.

The way I see it is that I am going to make bogeys. My club has 3 par 3s in the 200 yard range, probably going to make some 4's there, which is fine. Or on a long par 4 bogeys are going to happen, its just a fact and they don't bother me that much. But making bogey on a par 5, or on a par 4 where I have 100 yards in is just completely unacceptable. Very simply being tighter from 100 yards and in imo is the difference from being a mid single digit to being low low single or scratch. Because it means you make more birdies when you have opportunities, and make less bogeys too.

Meh, this ended up being longer then I meant. It's pretty simple, get your wedges/short game in shape.

yep agreed....

I can do this on every single round:
shot an 86 the other day
hole 4: 25 foot putt from just short of green = blasted 15 feet by bogey.
hole 6: same thing
hole 11: 3 putt from 15 feet, ran it 5 feet past, missed terribly
hole 13: miss a green from 140 yards by 40 yards and have to chip it 60 feet past the hole and make a double instead of a bogey.
hole 16: 40 yards left on a par 4, leave it short of green, try to putt it over a drain 8 feet past hole, straight down hill 3 putt double.
#18: instead of chipping 30 feet away and two putting from horrible spot, I try to get cute and make a 6 instead of a 5.

That's 7 shots...so a 79. And that doesn't count missing two 4 footers, couple of snap hooks out of bounds, or hitting a fairway would about 40 yards about 4 times, and never making a long putt.

These are basically all just do to lack of concentration and have little to do with lack of skill.

Very logical and good advice so far.

Like I said I'm just going to use this thread to track my own progress and ask questions... thanks to everyone who wants to participate.

It was in the 50s today and a lot of snow melted away... with some luck maybe i'll be able to get in some practice next week.

These two posts are the EXACT reason so many mini-tour pros hold on too long. I can agree with them wholeheartedly....if I just didn't hit those stupid shots on the par 5s at second stage in November I would be on Tour right now. It is so easy to, in hindsight, say that was such a waste. Well, that is why you are a 15 handicap and I am not on Tour. I have been playing a ton of tennis the last few months. And each time this one guy beats me I say "if I just hit my forehand better today I had you." To which he finally said, "well you didn't hit your forehand better today, you know why? You suck." Which is just a good point.

To quote POKERMGLOL above:

"And that doesn't count missing two 4 footers, couple of snap hooks out of bounds, or hitting a fairway would about 40 yards about 4 times, and never making a long putt.

These are basically all just do to lack of concentration and have little to do with lack of skil"

Concentrating is a part of the skill of the game. Everyone has miscues mentally, I am sure you have seen me talk about the "Mental 2nd Scorecard". I wasted shots at Final Stage of PGA qualifying, they were mental errors AT FINAL STAGE!!!! It is part of the game.

And that makes me sad.

1. jesus christ i said fairway "would" that might be a new low for me.

2. i agree it's part of the game, and working on concentrating is a big part of how you get better. I've pretty much accepted the fact that until I start putting a lot more time into practicing, I'm not going to improve dramatically at things like hitting virtually every green with a 4 iron from 190, or getting up and down out of the bunker like a tour pro....BUT, I have no business laying the sod over one and hitting it 40 yards and I have no business taking three shots out of a bunker. My preshot routine is lazy, I am thinking about hamburgers in the middle of my swing, I don't stop my swing if a bug lands on my leg, stupid things like that.

Hell, I used to use Prov1-392s that I have left over in some grocery sack because who the hell do I think I am to use new golf balls everytime out. So I'm using a 6 year old golf ball that may or may not be dead. Point is, I do a million things that are a. really stupid and b. completely fixable. It's the difference between shooting an 85 or a 78 or a 74 and a 69. Anyway, overall, I think most can improve quite a bit by just working harder at the little things.

Taken to the extreme,
ask a golfer about their career-low round, and you'll get a number
followed by,
"and I missed yada, yada, yada; bogeyed yada yada from the middle of the fairway with a wedge, and left it in the bunker yada, yada, yada...."