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Re: Tips for beginners

• 6packmike 235 Posts

  Sun, Oct 10 2010 9:12 PM

  SGTBilko:

  6packmike:

  Number 3 is learn to use a flop shot. In the same way you drew up the punch shot you will see a flop shot available. Sometimes as in real golf you need to get the ball up and down without a lot of roll. When you are near a green and figure out through practice that a chip is just going to go hardly anywhere or go bounding way past the hole you can use this shot. The trick is the shot naturally goes to about one oclock to the right from the triangle aiming point. So unless you have a severe slope to the left on the green you need to drag the triangle to the left at about 11 oclock before hitting your shot along with applying full backspin. Don't expect miracles especially with free clubs and free balls but this will also save you a lot of strokes

  Better yet...if you have noticed the tick marks on the left and right side of the ding line you will notice the space in between is blue. on the down stroke stop the ball at the left edge tick mark. This will eliminate the need to move the aiming triangle most of the time since the ball will now go straight instead of landing to the 1 oclock position. if you have a severe left down slop you can use the far right tick mark instead. 

  Clarification: if looking at the Ding line it would be the first line to the left. Give it a try.

  I'm not sure that would work as well with starters clubs. With a better wedge yes I've used that before but got away from it. It sends out a lot lower shot. The blue area doesn't shrink as small with more forgiving clubs on the draw back and missing clear to that line could be an over adjustment on their starter clubs

  It's good to see other wgt veterans trying to help out the beginners and gr8 tips about the posting and practice. Thanks you two.

   

   

• CharlemagneRH 1,054 Posts

  Sun, Oct 10 2010 11:48 PM

  Pitch out of greenside rough and flop out of greenside bunkers.  When you've mastered that, you can read up on how a chip or flop might be better for certain shots out of the rough.  Almost all noobs leave one-third of their near-green shots out of the rough short, never even getting onto the green because they use the default "chip" shot.  The fact that "chip" is the default short-game shot is crazy.  You should rarely use it.  Even though I know how to use it, I probably pitch 25 times more than I chip because even if I'm in a situation where a chip could easily get me on the green, there is often some crazy junk going on near the edge of the greens, where it would land, and who knows what it's going to do when it hits that junk, so I'd rather pitch over it instead.

  Shots all the way down to 25-yards (or even 20-yards with a 50-yard wedge) can be done with a full-swing on a short wedge.  This is a better option than both pitch and flop.

  In short, when it tells you to chip, you should most likely pitch, and when it tells you to pitch, you should most likely full swing (or punch.)

  Also, realize that good players do not play how you play.  We aren't usually doing what you do, except somehow magically ten times better, but we are doing or analyzing something in an entirely different way.  Failure to get on the green from 12 ft off the green is common amongst noobs because they use the default chip shot, whereas good players know to pitch or flop.  Complete noobs guess how hard to hit putts, but good players have read the "distance control" thread on putting or use a ruler and calculator.  Noobs don't even know where to look to find the speed of the green, whereas good players know where to look and know exactly how to adjust the power of their putts to compensate for a fast or slow green.  Noobs don't use spin on approach shots, but good players use spin all the time.  It isn't magic... it's trial-and-error and brainpower.  We think and play completely different.  Barring some severe physical impairment that causes terrible aim clicks, if you aren't getting results, it's because you're doing it wrong.  If I didn't change shot type from chip to pitch, know how to adjust for green speed, use backspin, use a calculator, use a ruler, etc., my average would probably be around 85.  It's technique and effort (going to the calculator for every shot) that gives me my 59-61 average.

• LizzieRossetti 1,545 Posts

  Mon, Oct 11 2010 5:24 PM

  THIS is what Im talkin' about!

  Brill posts gentlemen,many thanks.May the forces of evil get confused on the way to your doors.

• Rickypro 559 Posts

  Mon, Oct 11 2010 5:50 PM

  Great tips!  The one that has helped me more than any so far is the flop shot.  My scrambling percentage is not up to 50% yet but it is climbing and the flop shot is the main reason.

• wildbill137 4 Posts

  Mon, Oct 11 2010 6:08 PM

  A couple of tips that help me with distance control in regards to the wind.

  #1 CROSSWIND- Wind affects the shot differently than most people seem to think. A crosswind will add about a yard of distance for every 3 mph i.e. (10mph wind will add 3yds to shot).  for every 100yds. Remember to aim the direction the wind is coming from about a foot for every mph of wind. The wind is 10mph from the right, aim 10 foot right and hit and hit 3 yards less if ur hitting a 100yd shot. Then add a little backspin to ball and this should get u within 3 yds of the hole depending on the landing area.

  #2 TAILWIND- Tailwind will add 1yd distance per mph per 100yds, so for 10mph tailwind will add 3-4yds to your shot, therefore going 104 yds.

  #3 HEADWIND- Headwind will subtract distance from your shot. About a yard per 2mph wind. To hit a 100yd shot, you will need to hit 105 yards of power.

  #4 COMBINATION OF BOTH - If wind is coming from  45 degree at you then would need to add 70% of the power you would need for a direct headwind. add 3 yards for 100 yd shot or 103yards of power. The opposite works too, if is a 45 degree tailwind it will subtract 3 yds from your power or 97yds of power to go 100yards.

   HOPE THIS HELPS  SOMEONE OUT THERE ENJOY THE GAME A LITTLE MORE.

• 6packmike 235 Posts

  Thu, Nov 18 2010 1:59 PM

  A lot of the subtracting can depend on how good your clubs are at boring through the wind as in med, med high or high flight and how much spin they can apply along with how much your balls spin and how much of that you do apply. Also a green that isn't as receptive you can have the head wind and raise in elevation negated, or find it almost impossible to hold with tailwind such as number 3 on Oakmont. The high flying big spinning master G 10's are a big advantage there.

• choaspes 8 Posts

  Tue, Nov 23 2010 4:07 AM

  TIP FOR GAINING EXPERIENCE

  Play a matchplay game every day. Unlike stroke play your opponent cannot quit without forfeiting and you'll get more XP than playing a round alone. I keep trying to play four player stroke player because you get some many XP points - but 9 times out of 10 all your three opponents will quite before the end and then you only get the XP for your round, despite it taking much much longer.

• wildbill137 4 Posts

  Wed, Nov 24 2010 12:21 AM

  a "good"  rule of thumb for the FLOP for me is to aim 2 yards left of target.

  I notice that I tend to use the flop a little more than most because I have learned to judge the distance it will go pretty well. I chip 90% of the time from fringe and I make it or get within 1-2 yards most of the time, putting rarely works for me. I also use a "full" shot (pitch/flop/full) out of thick rough unless I am within a yard or two of the green.

   

  WildBill

• jimbean346 3,006 Posts

  Wed, Nov 24 2010 6:39 AM

  Key tip for lowering your scores significantly is simple course management. Put your ball in the right spot time after time and you will gradually know what is needed to achieve the right results (again practice makes perfect). A great example is on par 5's; learn when you need to play three shots in (and when you can hit on in two) and you can birdie these holes 95% of the time.

  Putting is the other part of the game where you can save significant amounts of strokes. Remember, just as in RL, an uphill putt will break less than a downhill one even if the slope gradiant looks similar. If you want to become genuinely good at putting, take a record of each putt you take and how it reacts given where you aimed. It's rare to put the ball in exactly the same spot, but you can be sure that putts do not react with a huge difference from a similar area. Therefore, once you know how to drop it from that area, it's a simple matter of rinse and repeat when you're there the next time.

  Another putting tip that beginners often make is overallowing for the break on short putts. Even if there is a sizeable slope, there is only a short distance to travel and the ball is therefore unlikely to turn at right angles (unless it's 15 at BPB ;-) ). Be brave with your putts and make sure you hit them hard enough (often negating the impact of the slope anyway).

  I thought exactly the same as the OP when I first started (how the heck do they score that well?!?!?) but once you gradually master all the elements highlighted in this thread, your scores will quickly drop and that elusive first sub 30 / 60 score will soon be under your belt.