From a 15 GHIN, to 2.2 (and still dropping) this is so accurate. Small suggestion: if you organize your practice sessions, your time, and practice 2-3X per week, and then play nine holes during the week, that time management piece has helped my game, my marriage, and future prospects of maybe playing smaller local competitions. Time/practice management is key. Great video!! Hit em straight ⛳️
Well how many shots do u have going ob or short siding yourself cause of shot shape. I found shot shape was the most important and shaved the most because I play on a course with a lot of ob.
@@michaelsincleair7797 I'm a 15 handicap because of my driver. Shotscope thinks I'm a 5 handicap in approach, chipping and putting. It says I'm a 25 with the driver. I have a lot of lost balls off the tee. My safety shot is a 4 iron that I just put in play.
@@3f34f2f4 I'm a 15, good with the first 3 but I 3-putt often and don't practice because I'm always tinkering with new clubs lol. I think I'm finally settled with my bag so hopefully my index will improve this summer. I'm very strong with driver because of my best tinkering ever: get a Ping 10K driver.
@@3f34f2f4 BTW, my Ping 10K is about E5 swing weight. If your driver is wild, getting it a little shorter but much heavier could really improve accuracy. I also changed from regular to jumbo grips. No point in having skinny tires on a sports car.
I'd say the 2 biggest things that took me from a 5-6 to sub 1 handicap was 1) Less but better practice. Beating balls for hours only hurts. Practice with a purpose and understand what you're trying to get done. Set up a practice station, go as slow as you need to in order to do it correctly, and don't go so long that you lose focus. 2) I hardly ever aim directly at pins and always error towards the fat side.
I was scratch st 16. 30 years later, it still fluctuates between 0 and 2. I play only once a week. Routine is key on every shot. Keep it simple. See the shot, i.e., shape high landing spot. Scores lie in the short game. Allways practise the short game. Putting. Getting comfortable with sol8d routine over 3/4 footers. You can then hit your first putts more confidently and eliminate 3 putts.
One thing to add: know your actual/average distances, not your perfect shot distance. If the best 7-iron you ever hit carried 160 yards, that is NOT your 160 club. It may eventually be your 160 club with practice, but you’ll hit more greens from 160 by hitting your 6 iron. Most high handicappers I teach base their distances like a “greatest hits” album. Gonna miss a lot of greens short like that.
Pretty much my exact thoughts, except only having one shot. I am 43 now, and grew up knowing how to work the ball both ways. But everything, especially the go to shot, is spot on. Everyone would do well to listen. Good luck!
Nice one coach. One thing i found out today at the course, after a disastrous first three holes i scrapped the score card and just played golf. The worry over high scores evaporated and i started playing half decent golf for once. I'll be playing without a card for the next few weeks and just concentrate on the way I'm playing.
@@CoachLockey I stumbled upon something on Instagram the other day and it was Nelly Korda saying exactly that. I think we get too hung up on beating our handicap or getting a good gross score rather than just that shot at that time. I'll be trying to do this tomorrow in the start of our summer league.
Being able to work the ball, high low, draw fade , has really helped me I was a fader exclusively now I draw the and can execute a fade when needed, practice my short game , then practice more short games around the greens find a good putting routine a stick with it, did I mention short game!
Scratch golfers know their yardage. Alot of high handicappers pick up an 8 eight iron when they need a 6, because the people they play with hit longer than them, and they don't want to feel embarrassed.
It's not that they feel embarrassed, they just remember that single 8 iron shot they hit 160 yards once and think that is what they always do, when in reality they hit it 130.
Try using the practice games in the book PRESSURE GAMES FOR GOLF with what you learn here. The Coach Lockey YT channel is great, and this book will make your learning stick.
I love this… taking an honest look at your game and gaming the course is something I definitely want to get better at. Boring golf FTW!!! Appreciate you Coach!!! Great advice…
6.6 right now. Good days scoring mid to high 70s but still have those 80-84 rounds usually cuz of several three putts and couple penalties. It's hard to get from a 6 to scratch i just gotta keep grinded away on the short game and the holes with outnof bounds left hit a safety club no driver
I'm a long time follower and for as bad as you played sometimes you somehow managed to get a lot of pars and boogies. It was actually pretty impressive!!! #teamwild
Great perspective and confirms I am in the right mindset this year. I am hell bent on becoming a scratch and have lowered my handicap every season! Tips 1 and 2 haven't been in my process but is a brilliant addition. I am been hard on myself because I am a natural fader but have been trying to correct that. Now I will own it and apply it on the course. #2 I kind of do in the form of my most comfortable club(s), 7 and 8 irons...thus I strike these most comfortably. Is this what you mean or a swing that I apply to all clubs?
100% Turn the doubles and triples into bogeys by managing expectations from the circumstance you find yourself in and most high single figure handicappers will be off 2 or 3 within 20 cards with the WHS system. Don’t be scared to take an unplayable rather than hack around in heather. Know the rules! Then hole 5 more putts a round and boom, you’re there. Count your score in level 5’s, or 4’s, rather than par depending on where your game is. You’re most likely to be well under 5’s which builds confidence.
One tip, I swear by is to always just have fun. it’s a hobby. It’s not life and death missing a few putts or having a high score on your card. I used to be that person that if I had a bad round it would affect the rest of my day, now I don’t give a shit and my scores have tumbled. 3 hcap.
I have been a plus, scratch and currently a 2.7 hdcp for the better part of 20 years. I put a golf club in my kids hands at the age of two. They never took an interest in the game until adulthood. They always possessed the talent and still do. All that said, they fall into the category of number five. They do the same wrong things over and over and get mad at me because I am always telling them they have no right to be angry when they hit bad shots. They have talent but they don't put in the time to learn more mechanics.
Great vid matty janner ! Cracking views of gods city ! Oh by the way mate, my first new ai smoke irons , i cant hit them for sh*t !! 😂😂 1degree flat maybe the problem ! Whats the lie on your irons ?
Pros usually hit one shot shape, agreed! BUT they generally don’t shape it a ton. If your normal shot moves 20-30 yards left or right, that’s not reliable. Need to be generally straight.
I'm not scratch, play off 4. I would add if I'm in trouble with limited option to get to green, I look for a lay up area with my chip or punch out, there may be a 100 to 1 shot from trouble knto the green, but don't gamble and take it on, or your card will be wrecked. Also, in long outts as you say, key is getting distance weight control, but I also line up my putt and see imaginary line right back to my ball, I aim for soothing 6 inches in front of my ball, I see so many people aim for something 8 to 10 feet away, you have more chance of getting the ball in your target line if its only 6 inches in front of the ball.
Only line i disagree with is "the answer is usually more distance" i would swap distance with tighter dispersion every time, thats how i got down to scratch, driver is still long with a slower swing, but iron play improved dramatically with less distance
Do you have a tighter dispersion with your 7 iron or 8 iron? Or let’s go extreme, do you have tighter dispersion with your 7iron or wedge? Hit it longer and you have tighter dispersion because you’re closer to the hole. Hit it longer and also work ok dispersion, well that my friend is a dream combo
@WorkingFromHomeToday452 no it doesn't at all.... Tiger Woods is the only hyper successful long ball hitter, why?? Because he was straight with everything and his dispersion was insane.... there is 0 data that shows distance is better than accuracy. 0
@@ScratchGolfer0 you’re trolling, right? The most successful golfers are big hitters. We have all of the strokes gained data that Mark Broadie published a long time ago. You’re better off being closer to the hole, even if you’re in the rough. We also know that dispersion patterns don’t vary much. It’s typically about 65-70 yards with driver for decent golfers. That’s why they challenge bunkers to hit from 130 vs lay back with iron to hit from 180. Also, there’s no guarantee that the “safe” iron shot finds the fairway.
Practice making less double bogeys rather than more birdies . Play a very difficult (or card destroyer) par 3 or 4 as an easy bogey 4 or 5 . Realise that the biggest obstacle on the way to success is fear of failure.
Scoring is all about short game and playing a lot. I’ll continue to only practice my long game and shoot high scores 😂. Short game is boring and playing a lot is unrealistic.
On a par 74 course I average 80 strokes and I don’t even know my clubs distances, or have a range finder, or a driving range to practice. I choose my clubs by eye and I know I could do a lot better. Since I can’t really practice I just play golf with about 5 or 6 practice swings on the first tee, and then I’ll play 36 holes in a row. Then I won’t play again for 2 weeks. I really enjoy the game so I’m gonna buy a range finder and I believe I can get to scratch pretty quickly.
I would add a few other things. Scratch golfers have a good grip, they keep their head very still through the swing (little to no swaying), and when chipping they know where they want the ball to land and start its rollout.
I live in Vietnam where it costs $100+ to play a round of golf, where you HAVE to pay for carts and caddies because you are FORBIDDEN to walk the course. It is a totally asshole corporate ego-driven golf system and it sucks. Practice facilities are shite. It's terrible.😢
Good stuff but where in God's name did you get those three putt stats? That's bollucks. After 6-7 ft even the pros percentages go WAY down. If an amateur is over 5 ft it's prob 50/50 to make it. I bet most scratch golfers have more than 1 three putt in about 2 rounds! Putting that expectation on amateurs is WAY over the top. Golfers will be beating themselves up getting even more frustrated with the cruel game 😮
I am a scratch golfer...every time I hit a shot I scratch my head and think..."What the hell was that?!?!?!" 🤣
😂😂😂😂
🤣🤣
From a 15 GHIN, to 2.2 (and still dropping) this is so accurate. Small suggestion: if you organize your practice sessions, your time, and practice 2-3X per week, and then play nine holes during the week, that time management piece has helped my game, my marriage, and future prospects of maybe playing smaller local competitions. Time/practice management is key. Great video!! Hit em straight ⛳️
I got mine from 12 to 3 in 1 year by practicing draws and fades with all clubs. It really helped me with understanding swing mechanics.
1 - Hit one shot shape: ❌
2 - Have a safety shot: ✅
3 - Just hit the green on chips: ✅
4 - No 3 putts: ✅
5 - Play and practice: ✅
I'm a 15 handicap.
Well how many shots do u have going ob or short siding yourself cause of shot shape. I found shot shape was the most important and shaved the most because I play on a course with a lot of ob.
@@michaelsincleair7797 I'm a 15 handicap because of my driver. Shotscope thinks I'm a 5 handicap in approach, chipping and putting. It says I'm a 25 with the driver. I have a lot of lost balls off the tee. My safety shot is a 4 iron that I just put in play.
@@3f34f2f4 I'm a 15, good with the first 3 but I 3-putt often and don't practice because I'm always tinkering with new clubs lol. I think I'm finally settled with my bag so hopefully my index will improve this summer. I'm very strong with driver because of my best tinkering ever: get a Ping 10K driver.
@@3f34f2f4 BTW, my Ping 10K is about E5 swing weight. If your driver is wild, getting it a little shorter but much heavier could really improve accuracy. I also changed from regular to jumbo grips. No point in having skinny tires on a sports car.
How are you so much worse with the driver than irons?
I'd say the 2 biggest things that took me from a 5-6 to sub 1 handicap was 1) Less but better practice. Beating balls for hours only hurts. Practice with a purpose and understand what you're trying to get done. Set up a practice station, go as slow as you need to in order to do it correctly, and don't go so long that you lose focus. 2) I hardly ever aim directly at pins and always error towards the fat side.
I was scratch st 16. 30 years later, it still fluctuates between 0 and 2. I play only once a week. Routine is key on every shot. Keep it simple. See the shot, i.e., shape high landing spot. Scores lie in the short game. Allways practise the short game. Putting. Getting comfortable with sol8d routine over 3/4 footers. You can then hit your first putts more confidently and eliminate 3 putts.
One thing to add: know your actual/average distances, not your perfect shot distance. If the best 7-iron you ever hit carried 160 yards, that is NOT your 160 club. It may eventually be your 160 club with practice, but you’ll hit more greens from 160 by hitting your 6 iron. Most high handicappers I teach base their distances like a “greatest hits” album. Gonna miss a lot of greens short like that.
Pretty much my exact thoughts, except only having one shot. I am 43 now, and grew up knowing how to work the ball both ways. But everything, especially the go to shot, is spot on. Everyone would do well to listen. Good luck!
Keep in mind "what danger is up that hole"! Sage advice Coach!😮
Nice one coach. One thing i found out today at the course, after a disastrous first three holes i scrapped the score card and just played golf. The worry over high scores evaporated and i started playing half decent golf for once. I'll be playing without a card for the next few weeks and just concentrate on the way I'm playing.
Take one shot at a time
@@CoachLockey I stumbled upon something on Instagram the other day and it was Nelly Korda saying exactly that. I think we get too hung up on beating our handicap or getting a good gross score rather than just that shot at that time. I'll be trying to do this tomorrow in the start of our summer league.
Being able to work the ball, high low, draw fade , has really helped me I was a fader exclusively now I draw the and can execute a fade when needed, practice my short game , then practice more short games around the greens find a good putting routine a stick with it, did I mention short game!
I’m the exact opposite I was a big draw and made a fade swing and now I can work a draw it’s so funny how golf works 😂
Fantastic advice Lockey!!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Scratch golfers know their yardage.
Alot of high handicappers pick up an 8 eight iron when they need a 6, because the people they play with hit longer than them, and they don't want to feel embarrassed.
I hear you 👍 maybe I need a part 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this 😂
@@CoachLockey you should have it covered by part 8.
Keep up the good work mate.
It's not that they feel embarrassed, they just remember that single 8 iron shot they hit 160 yards once and think that is what they always do, when in reality they hit it 130.
@@Dean_R1 that makes sense too.
They don’t play enough to know their yardages also
Try using the practice games in the book PRESSURE GAMES FOR GOLF with what you learn here. The Coach Lockey YT channel is great, and this book will make your learning stick.
I love this… taking an honest look at your game and gaming the course is something I definitely want to get better at. Boring golf FTW!!! Appreciate you Coach!!! Great advice…
You’re welcome as always 😘
Great advice brother!!
Glad it was helpful!
Good post Coach! Keep them coming.
Thanks! Will do!
That is a nice concise list. Very useful.
6.6 right now. Good days scoring mid to high 70s but still have those 80-84 rounds usually cuz of several three putts and couple penalties. It's hard to get from a 6 to scratch i just gotta keep grinded away on the short game and the holes with outnof bounds left hit a safety club no driver
I'm a long time follower and for as bad as you played sometimes you somehow managed to get a lot of pars and boogies. It was actually pretty impressive!!! #teamwild
😂 thanks
The grip of the club is very important as well
Great perspective and confirms I am in the right mindset this year. I am hell bent on becoming a scratch and have lowered my handicap every season! Tips 1 and 2 haven't been in my process but is a brilliant addition. I am been hard on myself because I am a natural fader but have been trying to correct that. Now I will own it and apply it on the course. #2 I kind of do in the form of my most comfortable club(s), 7 and 8 irons...thus I strike these most comfortably. Is this what you mean or a swing that I apply to all clubs?
Another fantastic video. Gotta know what putter that was, Odyssey Toulon Memphis? And when you come to Florida I’ll take a lesson. A+++++
Odyssey Ai SixT
Good one 👍🏾 on my way… ⛳️
I keep trying to get my handicap down ..but some very good tip ..thank Coach
Happy to help. You will get there 👍
Excellent vid, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
solid vid.
100%
Turn the doubles and triples into bogeys by managing expectations from the circumstance you find yourself in and most high single figure handicappers will be off 2 or 3 within 20 cards with the WHS system. Don’t be scared to take an unplayable rather than hack around in heather. Know the rules!
Then hole 5 more putts a round and boom, you’re there.
Count your score in level 5’s, or 4’s, rather than par depending on where your game is. You’re most likely to be well under 5’s which builds confidence.
Great comments and a even better club toss :)
😂
Great tips!
Coach Lockey
Thanks Coach, Great advice
Glad it was helpful!
One tip, I swear by is to always just have fun. it’s a hobby. It’s not life and death missing a few putts or having a high score on your card. I used to be that person that if I had a bad round it would affect the rest of my day, now I don’t give a shit and my scores have tumbled. 3 hcap.
Great advice, thanks!!
Glad it was helpful!
I have been a plus, scratch and currently a 2.7 hdcp for the better part of 20 years. I put a golf club in my kids hands at the age of two. They never took an interest in the game until adulthood. They always possessed the talent and still do. All that said, they fall into the category of number five. They do the same wrong things over and over and get mad at me because I am always telling them they have no right to be angry when they hit bad shots. They have talent but they don't put in the time to learn more mechanics.
Cool story 😂
Thanks coach, do three out off 5
Good one couch
My couch golf is perfect. ; )
In my group i play with i usually win by out putting everyone. Trying to miss close rather than make putts has changed the game for me.
Great vid matty janner ! Cracking views of gods city ! Oh by the way mate, my first new ai smoke irons , i cant hit them for sh*t !! 😂😂 1degree flat maybe the problem ! Whats the lie on your irons ?
Cheers bruh. Oh no, that’s not good, give them time. My irons are standard lie 👍
Pros usually hit one shot shape, agreed!
BUT they generally don’t shape it a ton. If your normal shot moves 20-30 yards left or right, that’s not reliable. Need to be generally straight.
I'm not scratch, play off 4. I would add if I'm in trouble with limited option to get to green, I look for a lay up area with my chip or punch out, there may be a 100 to 1 shot from trouble knto the green, but don't gamble and take it on, or your card will be wrecked.
Also, in long outts as you say, key is getting distance weight control, but I also line up my putt and see imaginary line right back to my ball, I aim for soothing 6 inches in front of my ball, I see so many people aim for something 8 to 10 feet away, you have more chance of getting the ball in your target line if its only 6 inches in front of the ball.
Only line i disagree with is "the answer is usually more distance" i would swap distance with tighter dispersion every time, thats how i got down to scratch, driver is still long with a slower swing, but iron play improved dramatically with less distance
Do you have a tighter dispersion with your 7 iron or 8 iron? Or let’s go extreme, do you have tighter dispersion with your 7iron or wedge?
Hit it longer and you have tighter dispersion because you’re closer to the hole.
Hit it longer and also work ok dispersion, well that my friend is a dream combo
The data would disagree with you
@WorkingFromHomeToday452 no it doesn't at all.... Tiger Woods is the only hyper successful long ball hitter, why?? Because he was straight with everything and his dispersion was insane.... there is 0 data that shows distance is better than accuracy. 0
@@ScratchGolfer0 you’re trolling, right? The most successful golfers are big hitters. We have all of the strokes gained data that Mark Broadie published a long time ago. You’re better off being closer to the hole, even if you’re in the rough. We also know that dispersion patterns don’t vary much. It’s typically about 65-70 yards with driver for decent golfers. That’s why they challenge bunkers to hit from 130 vs lay back with iron to hit from 180. Also, there’s no guarantee that the “safe” iron shot finds the fairway.
@@ScratchGolfer0u gotta be trolling
Practice making less double bogeys rather than more birdies .
Play a very difficult (or card destroyer) par 3 or 4 as an easy bogey 4 or 5 .
Realise that the biggest obstacle on the way to success is fear of failure.
Don’t get aggressive with front and rear pins. Go a little long on front pins and short on back pins
I would love to play this course..............looks wide open.
Visitors are welcome 😂
@@CoachLockey 💯
Scoring is all about short game and playing a lot. I’ll continue to only practice my long game and shoot high scores 😂. Short game is boring and playing a lot is unrealistic.
On a par 74 course I average 80 strokes and I don’t even know my clubs distances, or have a range finder, or a driving range to practice. I choose my clubs by eye and I know I could do a lot better. Since I can’t really practice I just play golf with about 5 or 6 practice swings on the first tee, and then I’ll play 36 holes in a row. Then I won’t play again for 2 weeks. I really enjoy the game so I’m gonna buy a range finder and I believe I can get to scratch pretty quickly.
Plays to 5 hcp, eyeballs each distance and doesn't know club distances. Of course this story is true 😂
Only disagree with the comment about not trying to make long putts. If you aren’t putting to sink it you’re putting to add strokes to your card
I would add a few other things. Scratch golfers have a good grip, they keep their head very still through the swing (little to no swaying), and when chipping they know where they want the ball to land and start its rollout.
1: Hit the ball.
I live in Vietnam where it costs $100+ to play a round of golf, where you HAVE to pay for carts and caddies because you are FORBIDDEN to walk the course. It is a totally asshole corporate ego-driven golf system and it sucks. Practice facilities are shite. It's terrible.😢
I don't mind being a 20 handicapper, the more shots the merrier.
Less pressure, more enjoyment?!
Try to just hit green on chips, looks like I tried to get too cute XD
Bogey a hole is a great day of golf for me.
That’s awesome, keep it up Michael 👌
You forgot:
Play the course, dont let the course play you.
Either have money for lessons or hit as many balls as you can and watch UA-cam. Only ways to get better
I have watched you and Crossfield play many rounds, I do not think either of u r near a scratch golfer?
Never mind 😂
They hit that place called the middle of the club face more often on demand. Not hard!!
There’s a lot more to it than that. I play with guys who hit the ball solid every shot, and shoot in the mid 80’s
Short game, short game, short game.
skip to 1:40 ... thank me later
So Coach, are you suggesting there is a component of thinking involved to be a scratch golfer? Lol
I won’t take any tips that u do! No offence haha ur not great
Interesting you’re watching though 👍
Yesss coach….. 👌🏌🏻🏴
Good stuff but where in God's name did you get those three putt stats? That's bollucks. After 6-7 ft even the pros percentages go WAY down. If an amateur is over 5 ft it's prob 50/50 to make it. I bet most scratch golfers have more than 1 three putt in about 2 rounds! Putting that expectation on amateurs is WAY over the top. Golfers will be beating themselves up getting even more frustrated with the cruel game 😮
From the millions of shots in the Shot Scope data base 👍