Golf Game Tips For A Lower Handicap

Golf can be a lot of fun to play and enjoy but it can also be quite a challenge to get better at. The best way to get better at golf is to first get good at the short game. This is not easy for most people as the majority of amateurs just want to spend time on the range hitting the driver. The problem with this approach is that most shots on the course are from inside 150 yards so if your short game is poor then you will never shoot the kind of scores you are truly capable of.  The short game consists of putting, chipping, bunker play and wedge shots from inside 120 yards.

Putting tips:

Putting is a very important aspect of the game of golf and can really help you to eliminate a lot of shots from your round quickly. The first step is to decide on a putting technique that you feel will work well for you. Confidence is very important to solid putting so do not lose your faith and belief in your stroke otherwise you risk suffering from the putting yips. If you are always changing putting styles then it will be difficult for you to develop a consistent putting game since it takes time to get used to a particular technique so make sure to pick one style and fine tune it and stick with it. Spend time at home working on your putting stroke and hitting short putts. Short putts are the foundation to great putting so learn to hit them well as this will make you more confident with the longer putts too.

Also spend a lot of time around the greens hitting chip and flop shots, look for various lies including bare lies and buried lies so that no matter what the situation is on the course you will be ready.  Course management is another important factor in shooting lower golf scores. Always hit the shot you know you can hit and do not try to be too aggressive on the course otherwise it will usually lead to poor shots. There are many courses that have short par 4 holes that are under 400 yards in distance. It is probably best for most amateurs and even many professionals to stick with an iron or 3 wood of the tee and look to position yourself properly in the fairway for a short to mid iron into the green instead of risking a driver and bringing all kinds of trouble into play.

Playing within yourself is important so learn to hit a lot of shots that are less than 100% of your full power. Many times you may be better off hitting an 85% 8 iron instead of a full 9 iron. It is also important to have a selective memory when you are learning to play this game as it can be easy to dwell on your mistakes and this will only diminish your confidence levels and lead to poor scoring. There is no substitute for a strong work ethic so if you want to get better but are not then more than likely you need to spend more time practicing the right things. Spend most of your practice time on the short game, for every hour of practice time be sure to spend around 40 minutes on shots inside of 100 yards. Consider applying some of the above golf game tips to help you improve and shoot lower scores. Click here to learn more on how to improve at golf.