I am a 2 hcp golfer who is having trouble getting the ball close enough to the hole to make birdies any tips?

Question

like i said i am lacking consistency when i am hitting an approach shots i am a very good putter and chipper but i cant hit it close if anybody can give me any tips it would be appreciated.

Answer 1

on your approach shots, are you having a problem with distance or accuracy? Most low handicappers can improve accuracy by paying more attention to stance. Take a second club to each shot. Lay it toe to toe, and adjust your stance accordingly. Pay attention to where each shot lands based on your body aim(club pointing). You will eventuall get a better feel for aim wiht your stance and your accuracy will improve immensely.  This is a regular tip in Golf Digest.

Answer 2

Perhaps you should try "overclubbing" (1 club more than you  estimate you need).    It could also be that your'e just not agressive enough.  Your'e happy to hit the middle of the green and 2 putt from 30-40 feet when you could aim at the stick and have 10-10 footers or less a round and possibly miss 2-3 greens.   Based on you being a 2 handicap, you're making 3-5 bogeys per round on average.  To get those last 2 shots, you either eliminate 2 bogeys or add 2 birdies (duh).  The way I see it, every 15 ft of putts is 2.5 strokes per hole.

Answer 3

take a lesson.

Answer 4

2 HP, trouble getting close to the hole, lack of consistency, golf a game of strength and consistency....HM, take your 15 HP and go take lessons......

Answer 5

I don't agree a 2 should necessarily be giving lessons.  My teacher is a "plus 2".  

As for you answer to get closer I would recommend Pelz's short game book.  It gives you four wedges and you move your grip up and down different distances on each grip and you zone in your distance for each club.  It is very mechanical but can be effective.  Or you can 'feel' your distance which is more difficult to develop and can break down under pressure.

Answer 6

go to the driving range as often as possible and try to get a full backswing on every shot, since you clearly are focused more on accuracy then power. i would also try something called compact swinging, which is limiting your backswing so that you are just focusing on accuracy and not so much on power. i know this sounds the opposite of what you want but trust me, if you are very accurate and you can get the ball where you want it every time, power will just come naturally because you will know exactly how much you need to get the ball where you want it.

Answer 7

How close do you want to hit it?  Obviously everyone wants to hit the ball within 3 feet of the cup on approach shots, but that is very unrealistic on a consistent basis.  Pros average 25 feet from the cup on approach shots; maybe more.  What you should work on is your putting stroke and reading the greens.  I remember the majority of birdies I've made and the majority of them have been in that 15-20 foot range.  Much of it comes down to trusting your swing and committment to the shot you're making.  Oh yeah, relax!  That helps out a great deal too.

Answer 8

How much do you practice vs how much do you play? Practice = consistency so if you are not hitting balls almost every day it is hard to become a "scratch" golfer and maintain consistency.

I am talking about practice at the range, not on the course.

Answer 9

Tequila Lucky has it right. If you are a 2, then work on your aim. My son is a 27 year old +4 handicap (4 better than scratch) and I can almost ALWAYS trace his lack of acuaracy to his alignment. Toes, hips, shoulders. This is important, and so easy to get into a rut on. The bonus on the alignment drills are that your OVERALL" swing will improve because your sub-conscence will be "freed up" to focus on the shot, and not compensating for a bad setup.

Answer 10

I agree with "googie"!  If you are a 2 handicapper and don't have many 1 putts, how did you get to be a 2?  Generally speaking, 5 handicappers and below, usually have GREAT short games...meaning they generally have excellent approach or chip shots.

Assuming you are a 2 handicap, it MUST be you are NOT aggressive enough with your approach shots or chip shots!

"Beau S" has NO CLUE about golf.  "take a lesson"????

A 2 handicapper should be GIVING LESSONS!!

"Beau S":  stop wasting EVERYONE'S time with ignorant answers...please!!!!

Answer 11

A two handicaper hits one over on each side. Don't think you need advices on getting the ball close to the hole. You'll be needing to make a couple of birdies each round to get close to that number anyway.

Answer 12

If you are a 2 handicap you should be proficient enough to analyze your swing to determine the  reason for not getting closer to the flagstick. Unless you are bucking for the tour, in which case you would consult your Guru, inconsistent approach shots don't describe a 2 handicap. Middle to short irons are their bread and butter.A 2 has to be hitting 13 to 15 greens in regulation which is not an indication of inconsistency.