Great vid. I'm 65 years old and play to a 6 handicap and when I am thinking my way around the course I am CONSTANTLY thinking about how to avoid double-bogey. People tell me I'm too good to play so conservatively but I tell them I'm good BECAUSE I play conservatively. I am careful about picking my spots to be aggressive. I don't even attack many par 5's because I always want to be certain I get my par and if I'm lucky enough to get my approach close then I have a shot at a birdie. But I play a lot of golf with high handicappers and I am APPALLED at their decision-making skills (or lack thereof). I played with a father/son team last summer and they each hit driver on every single par 4 and par 5. Neither of them hit a fairway all day. I was helping them look for their tee shots on every single hole. On one very short par 4 of just 240 yards, again, they each hit driver. Dad pulled his into the trees on the left and junior (who was in his mid/late 20's) sliced his tee shot into the trees on the right. Both were trying to "drive the green". Driving the green was virtually impossible due to the shape of the hole, the angle of the green and the fact that the green was protected by no less than 7 bunkers in front of it. Even if they could reach the green (which neither of them could) the green was so small and narrow that a ball hit into it with a driver would never hold, and being long meant being in a water hazard. They each made 7 or worse. I hit 9-iron off the tee and a sand wedge to the middle of the green. Disappointingly, I missed my birdie putt but I still walked off with a par. The other two guys were making 6's and 7's all day long. No way either of them broke 110.
Spot on. This is the basis of Scott Fawcett’s DECADE system. Even with the touring pros he works with, focussing on cutting out the bogeys lowers there scores more effectively than does chasing birdies. Aim away from trouble, play the percentage shot, scores come down. It ain’t heroic but it wins.
I played today with a highly skilled golfer. He told me that for someone who is in their 2nd season of golf, my course management skills are excellent. I received my chipper from Cleveland Golf and it’s helping me. My drives are better too. Lots of 2 putts, and even an occasional 1 putt! Scoring factor is 22.3. Thanks for your tips and lessons you two!
Great video, Mark, I just wish I'd seen it before last weekend's medal. Two 'magnificent' 7's and a quad = all shots gone on 3 holes. The only positive was I didn't lose a ball!
Excellent and very simple if not obvious to a lot of golfers. I'm not perfect but have definitely improved due to thinking like this from yourselves, Scott Fawcett etc. Makes it even harder to bite my tongue when I see my playing partner going for the 1 out of 10 success rate recovery shot then inevitably having a score card wrecker. Your last name ain't Ballesteros...
I have recently started keeping stats on my golf game using an app that is for my handicap. And avoiding double bogies and worse is really the goal. I have seen an improvment in my score since I have focused on accepting the bad shots now and then but seeing how best I can get something out of it. A good mind set helps with enjoying the game more. Thanks for posting this video. It is helpful
Playing off 16, my thoughts on the first tee are to play bogey golf. Yes, I'll get some pars but if the doubles are minimised, the handicap will come down. Started this mentality a year ago and have cut my handicap by 7 shots so far. Still get some doubles, mainly due to poor chipping but now using the 7 iron like a putter and staying away from the high wedges is helping. I seem to get away with the bad low chips and keep the doubles off the card.
Great content! Currently making double 12% of the time. For a guy shooting in the 70’s regularly it makes it hard going. Will definitely be putting these ideas into practice
I’m still in the “stop making triples/quads” category. I could be tracking bogey golf, then every 6th hole there is a WTF hole where the recovery shot goes awry and then it becomes pitch/chip/putty putty putt. Currently subscribed to Fawcett’s Decade as I love the yardage books I can print out. I’m 95% driver off the tee attempting to be aggressive. I practice speed control on putting everyday, but I struggle with the mental and decision making. Do we go through or over when in the trees? What is the best play with the wedges on this 3rd shot to get us on the green so we can still take our bogey and move on? As my contact and distance has improved my misses become a bit more dramatic. However I don’t mind the longer holes, it’s the short par 4s and then par 3s in the 150-200 range where I give back TOO many strokes to the course. I might make a rare birdie or a few pars, but I focus on did our bogeys out number our doubles+ for the round. Birdie, Par, Bogey, Double+ % 1/16/42/41 this year vs 1/18/38/42. A bit deceiving as last year I played 8.1 par 3s per round (lots of par 3 and executive courses) while this year it’s 5.4 par 3s per round (mainly par 70-72, with a half dozen rounds of par 3/executive) Digging deeper I’m +2.32 strokes gained vs a 25 where last year I was -1.82 vs that handicap group. Oh, not everybody plays distance appropriate tees, and sometimes that coincides with seeing Bob’s wedges and Scotty’s putter in bags of +25 handicappers.
My trouble area is the 10 to 45 yard shot range. As you demonstrate, duffing that shot and then getting on the green with the next shot brings a double into play as you need a one putt to save bogey. I see people say well just play a bump and run from 35 yards out with a 7 iron but I don’t see how to predict the rollout in the fairway. Would love to see some videos on how to better play those shots.
100% the chipping area is a great lesson, i made the exact mistake you are talking about last wednesday........ on for a very good score and threw in a double chipping because i tried to be too cute when i short sided myself and tried to flop a chip close !!!!!!!!!!! Lesson was learnt but always happy to re hear the message
Great Video Guys ! I gamed the Links @ UnionVale on Friday & made 88. Par on 1 bogeys on 2-7 then par 8 & 9. Made 42 on the front ( my lowest front 9 there ) Then I had 5 doubles on the back 9 which was awful because I played so well on the front. 😳
This is very true. I shoot generally 75-79 and can go 2 or 3 rounds without a double. and it's certainly easier to obtain those scores with no doubles. Pars, pars, pars with occasional bogeys and a 🐦 sprinkled in here and there. I always tell my playing partners it's not how good your good shots are it's how good the bad ones are...
What’s generally 75-79 even mean mate? PGA tour pros regularly have a 15 shot differential from good days to bad days… Rory had a 20 shot differential between two rounds last year… having 4 shot swing means you might be the most consistent golfer that’s ever lived.
@@dbo4506 just an average. Trust me I'll throw in an 85 or so once in a while and when all the stars align a 73 or 74. I generally play 3 times a week and only in nice weather....
Like these sort of strategy videos. I think another good one is to think about your setup more before you hit to improve your chance of making good contact. Like using a tee on a Par 3. Best to play inside your skill set until you are more comfortable taking chances. Keep it coming gents.
Love the great course management points! I’ve recently changed my playing strategy to do this kind of shot selection. It’s TOTALLY saved my scores and I’ve lowered my handicap a bit! Hopefully, I’m looking to lower it a little bit more.
I regularly score in the mid-90s and doubles and 3-putts are my biggest challenge. I easily waste 8-10 strokes per round as a result. I am trying to improve my shot selection and positioning/course management and find reaching/scrambling to greens is getting better. I'd love to regularly shoot in the 80s, and like you said, minimizing doubles (and 3-putts) is how I'm going to do it! Cheers 🍻
7-9 doubles :) , currently i been having a 1 x 8 stroke hole per 9 holes. i started realising when those are about to happen and try real hard to turn them into bogey or double. get back in the fairway and send into the green.
Mark. A net DB ie with a shot on hole means a 5 is 2 points is usually so a 6 is 1 point in stford. It's the wipes/pick ups that cause problems. We have a challenge in our social group to go around without a wipe. Very few can achieve this.
My journey to scratch involved a decade stuck shooting between 82-85, and it always involved 1 birdie, lots of Pars, and then 3 doubles and possibly a triple on a Par 5. Looking back, I can say it involved not ever practicing in the sand/bunkers, and not having control over my shot shape. When you don't know how to immediately correct, on the course, a draw that becomes a fade, then you can shoot almost any number on the course. Get control over your shot shape, have a goto sand game, and buy a chipper if you need it.
To be honest with you Mark, most times if I make a double it's due to a penalty from a hazard. I'm a (looks at GHIN app) 8.9 index. I just ordered a Ping ChipR as confidence with the shortest chips is something I struggle with. I will let you know how it goes. Maybe I'll get down a few index numbers. Cheers from the USA!
I play off 12 and in my last 20 rounds averaged 3.6 doubles a round. One of my counting scores had 5 doubles in it! I haven't had one round in my last 20 without a double in it. So that's my new target :)
A buddy of mine had 3 8's on his card 2 weeks ago. It was hard to watch. (But I still took his money. LOL!) He's usually pretty good. Going back out Friday and I truly hope he does better. Course management is so important.
That’s a really well planned video. Doubles do kill a round, but I have a challenge. In my view (not backed up by any recorded data) my best rounds are when I’ve played par 3’s well, how could we improve par 3 scores??
The appropriate tee is spot on. My mate always wants to play of the back tee`s even on a championship course. WTF ! I am here to enjoy myself as much as i can, not flushing a 250 yd tee shot which happens from time to time leaving another 200 plus to the green on just about every par 4.
My best score this year is 80 (HCP 13)I had 5 gross birdies ! This is sage advise indeed Mark pity you didn’t do the vid before 30th of April coz avoiding either of my doubles or my triple or the quad up the last I’d have the Council Cup on my mantle Peice 😂
I am a 5.2 HCP and average 2-3 doubles a round. Absolute killers to my scores. I miss far too many greens and put a lot of pressure on my short game. But somewhere along the round I lose a drive on a par 3, or aim middle of fairway and lose a push in the woods. Just always kills my rounds.
Great video. I played with a guy at our club who hovers around scratch and whenever he could he did low chip and runs. I have been trying it and has been better ( my chipping is terrible so not great but better). I reckon you could have added that to the video and the chipping options you did. Also can’t believe you didn’t bring out your new favourite club, the chipper.
As an 18 handicap, I make 3 to 4 doubles per round. With that being true, if i could eliminate or greatly reduce that number i could significantly reduce my handicap. I am trying to become a par/ bogey golfer so basically cut my current index in half. Improving my chipping and getting that double number down. Life goal :)
With you on that one. Not practicing and having a weak short game is a sin for high handicap golfers. IMO it's the one part of the game, not including putting, where us amateurs can be on a par with the pros. I had a friend who was retired and loved to golf, but never practiced his chipping. It killed his scores and was so easy to fix.
@@Alan_Edwards While I do think practicing and improving short game is important, in my experience the difference between high handicaps and mid handicaps is not so much the mid handicap having a significantly better short game where they are getting up and down so much better than the higher handicap. Its more that they duff less shots and hit more GIR or are closer to GIR to the point that their 3rd shot is getting on the green no matter what even with a mediocre to poor pitch or chip. I think putting more than chipping is important for higher handicaps to lower their scores especially with 3 putt avoidance. Worry less about chipping it close to tap in range and worry more about making solid strikes to get the ball close to the green, then get it on the green and avoid 3 putts.
@@conservakid85 I see your point and can't disagree when it comes to three putting. I do think it's a lot easier to improve lag putting though than learning to pitch and chip better and preventing a duff shot as you say. For me personally the chipping has made a bigger difference and because of it, I rarely three put anymore - hitting within 20-25 feet with my wedges. I guess it depends on where you are lacking. My biggest problem is approach shots and improving GIR and having a good short game helps me to get up and down when I screw up. Enjoy the dialogue either way mate.
@@Alan_Edwards yep, out of our group I'm by far the best at chipping/putting. i can't get off a teebox for the life of me with driver though so it generally evens out a little across the group.
On the chip shot, I'd say a simple chip and run would be the safest option, anything from a 9 iron to a 3 wood is pretty safe depending on conditions / preference.
There have been a few formulas out there to find the yardages you hit a 5 iron and the total yardage you should play from . 5 iron distance hit -120 yards - 4320 .... 5 iron distance hit 150- 5400,..... 5 iron distance hit 200- 7200 If you search it will give you yardages from 100-200 yards I just posted 3 for an idea, I am playing from the senior tees now ( 61 YO ) and having more fun as I am hitting shorter irons into the greens instead of hitting lumber all day off the white tee, as I was never a long driver of the ball.
Around the greens is where I lose so many shots and it's what I see pretty much everybody I golf with struggle with as well. Far too often we all seem to think we are much better golfers than we are and try to hit shots we have no business trying to pull off. I need to stop trying to hit flop shots around the green..
I heard as a rule of thumb you should select tees by total course length which should be around 36 times the length of your average 5 iron shot. What do you think?
Great advice ,getting back on track as soon as I can is hard to do , but my "miracle" shots don't work very often. what do you think a chipper has to be worth? 1 or 2 doubles a round?
THANK YOU.. yeah, this is an issue for me. Literally yesterday I took a triple, then I parred the next 5 holes. I kept the score in the 80s and the only thing stopping more rounds in the low 80s or upper 70s is my doubles. And exactly to your point, around the greens I need to stop being cute and just get it on and two putt. My silly friends are out there using a 60 degree and trying to spin chips.. I bump and run often and for the life of me can't see why they take on so much risk for so little gain.
Safety and Percentage play is definitely always the way to go in my opinion. In theory then you should never hit water or bunkers, it doesn't make them impossible to get into, but it does reduce the chances of getting in them, to only the really bad shots
I play so rarely that db don't bother me. I go home and remember birdies or the occasional eagleopportunity. I don't play tournaments as well anymore because extra money that doesn't justify the benefit of possibly take down my handicap or earn silly trophees. I used to play league and in my prime was about 6 over par in average through the year. But now i'm 52, work a lot, and just want to hit it farther than my opponents and have fun. And that's the basic premise - i'm no professional so i don't want to concern myself with tactics through the round but go for the high risk high reward. So what! Still you have useful tips for players who aim for better scores. Well done guy.
I average about 1 double a round as a single digit hcp. Most of mine come from longer holes; especially par 3s that push me to limit and then make a poor swing that gets me in trouble. Good tips though because I definitely play to keep big numbers off the card and it helps. I feel like I lose chances at birdie sometimes from playing sensible but I’d rather no birdies than a bunch of doubles or worse
I look at the slope listed and judge appropriate tee box from that. That doesn't mean I get to choose though. I play in a group and the group always chooses the men's tee box. lol Suckers. They're already 10 strokes off my game, the harder and longer the course, the better chance I have at kicking their butts. Even when they've chosen a distance I simply can't reach anymore, I can still beat them because my course management and short game are better. I may see doubles, but if I do I can assure you they are seeing triples and quads. It's rookie mistakes and misplaced ego like that that will keep me beating the younger guys in our group for a long time to come.😁
As an older golfer, I don’t have the distance to get to the green in regulation. So playing bogey golf for me is like you playing par golf (a bogey is my par). I’m chasing bogies….forget about birdies, except on par 3’s. When my short game and putting are working good, I can break 90. It must be nice to be able to consistently score in the low 80’s and occasionally in the 70’s. But double bogeys for regular guys that can’t hit the ball as far as you are pretty much a regular occurrence.
Play from the Pin back, Leave your approach shot a comfortable wedge in instead of a weird distance pitch. Your "laying up" on a par 4 sometimes to get more comfortable approach shot distance and that can often take the hazard from the Tee out of play too :) Shot my best 73 the other day committing to that mindset but still had a double on the cards with a few singles too.
Although you only briefly mentioned it at the beginning, the first key to lowering scores to is to hit from the appropriate tee. Many golfers hit drivers less than 200 yards, yet they tee it up on a back tee with the big boys. The ego gets in the way. Doing this turns makeable par fours into par fives and par fives into par sixes. I live in Austria, where tees are marked "Damen" and "Herren," or women and men. This is also the case in Germany. They somehow think this is a rule and the correct way to play golf. This drives me nuts because the short hitting men have no chance of ever reaching or even getting close to the green in two. On a normal length par 4 they hit driver, fairway wood, fairway wood, and still are short of the green. I'm also not long off the tee, so I buck the parctice here and hit from the second "women's" tee, which is the distance I would hit from in the US, where I'm from. I am inevitably the only man to do this.
Ha so Coach looks at the visual of the holes he is about to play and Mark dosen't. Well knowing the appropriate trouble on the hole will help avoid double bogeys. lol This was a fabulous piece tho. I am going to take this mind set more.
Doubles, triples with a quad thrown in for good measure.....it's quite frustrating at times. I never try to be a rock star. For example, I don't lob it when I can chip and run. I usually hit one great shot every hole but cannot string them together.
two per 9 on average. 17/18 handicap. I could be a 14 without any doubles. but i almost always duff every shot when im not standing ona flat lie and its near impossible to practice. PLEASE do a vid on how to hit wood, iron and wedge off uphill and downhill lies!
I play off an 11 and the doubles and triples kill my score. Can play 15 holes at +4 then ruin it all with a few doubles and triples. My main plan is to give myself a par putt on every hole and limit damage on bad holes, but absolutely struggling to cut those out.
Be good to see a video on zero golf. Same thought of removing doubles. Always hit 7 iron or higher off the tee (even long par 3's) and the first shot doesn't count. Amazing how few doubles you end up with. You obs add 18 shots on at the end...
Scores began to plummet, and finally broke 90, 25 years ago, when I took my single-digit-handicap-cousin's advice, to "take double-bogey out of play." Crappy drive? Just try to dump the approach in the fairway within 50 yards of the green and pitch it on. Two-putt's a bogey, one-putt's a par!
12.5 handicap, average two double bogies per round. 50% of those are because of three putts. I putt well on the practice green but start the game and nonsense ensues.
Don’t you start at the green and work backwards to the tee? After a nice favourite wedge into the green, use you favoured clubs to cover the distance left, according to your handicap - even if it means using 3, seven irons or whatever suits.
@Telegram only 👉@MarkCrossfield hi Mark. I’m a 66yo physically disabled golfer playing off 21. Perhaps it is wishful thinking that I could attain a 15 h’cap but I am determined (read stubborn?). I did like your video but from my perspective I have limited function/mobility issues with regard to the long game parts. But please keep making your content😎👍
I'm not making too many doubles... Maybe one every round, sometimes one every two rounds... What kills me is the accumulation of 3-putt-bogies and then some "normal bogies"... Particularly bad as with my weak putting I don't get many birdies to offset those (I really need to stick the pin real close to even consider a putt a "birdie chance").
Me too. I've started to focus on shaping fairways and hybrids at the range. I think this helps get me out of trouble. Also dialing in chip shots. Up and down chip shots are great for momentum.
You gotta figure out why they are happening, are you being too ambitious and not getting your ball back in play after a poor tee shot or is your short game letting you down. The first one is just a switch in course management the second may require a lesson or two but is surely worth the cost and a bit of practice. For me I play a course with several holes with out of bounds in play off the tee and likely need to be aiming not down the middle of the fairway but 10-15 yards further away from the inevitable double that comes with 3 off the tee.
I agree with this to a point, but if you’re not good to execute the plan then double bogeys and worse still happen. I understand the concept of playing away from danger, but its only half the job. Aiming for the middle of a green rather than a flag behind a bunker is the easy part. Not fatting it short, or slicing into the bunker/trees is where it falls down. I’ve had >10 scores having not hit a driver playing sensible on short par 4s, just because I’m not good enough to execute the course management plan.
This is my biggest issue. Even when taking my medicine try to hit the green even without the cocky shot I duff it. Way to many double booeys in my rounds.
I don’t know what’s going on with my game. I’m better in every area this year striking it well but scoring worse. Bit of it course management high expectations eg:getting pin focused instead of fat of green. But mainly it’s I’m hitting shots offline with irons that are well struck but finding trouble especially in these dry conditions. I’d rather hit it fat when over drawing it etc it’s driving me mad. Playing better can’t score….is this a thing
This video hurt. As someone who shoots between 85 to 90, between 8 to 10 of my strokes over par are on only 3-4 holes. I've been known to go out and shoot 2-4 over for 9 holes and then have those 2-4 blow up holes and suddenly I'm struggling to shoot in the low to mid 80s
Golfing 18 holes is tough. Not so much physically, especially if you are riding 18 but mentally. I almost prefer at this point to play 9 holes, especially here in the US where weekend rounds of 18 take over 5 hours at most public tracks.
Driver and chipping were killing my cards. Fairways hit % very poor and not committing to chips leaving the ball short. Finally got a hang of the driver with just 3/13 fairways missed with it on the last round. Chipping/pitching much better too.
Thanks Mark! I'm a decent ball striker hitting 6-8 GIR but still struggle to break 90. Averaging 6-8 doubles or worse in a round. The other 10 holes I'm a couple over par
It’s exactly what prevents me from shooting in the 70’s more often. Typically sabotage myself from the middle of the fairway and make a mindless double here and there.
Great vid. I'm 65 years old and play to a 6 handicap and when I am thinking my way around the course I am CONSTANTLY thinking about how to avoid double-bogey. People tell me I'm too good to play so conservatively but I tell them I'm good BECAUSE I play conservatively. I am careful about picking my spots to be aggressive. I don't even attack many par 5's because I always want to be certain I get my par and if I'm lucky enough to get my approach close then I have a shot at a birdie. But I play a lot of golf with high handicappers and I am APPALLED at their decision-making skills (or lack thereof). I played with a father/son team last summer and they each hit driver on every single par 4 and par 5. Neither of them hit a fairway all day. I was helping them look for their tee shots on every single hole. On one very short par 4 of just 240 yards, again, they each hit driver. Dad pulled his into the trees on the left and junior (who was in his mid/late 20's) sliced his tee shot into the trees on the right. Both were trying to "drive the green". Driving the green was virtually impossible due to the shape of the hole, the angle of the green and the fact that the green was protected by no less than 7 bunkers in front of it. Even if they could reach the green (which neither of them could) the green was so small and narrow that a ball hit into it with a driver would never hold, and being long meant being in a water hazard. They each made 7 or worse. I hit 9-iron off the tee and a sand wedge to the middle of the green. Disappointingly, I missed my birdie putt but I still walked off with a par. The other two guys were making 6's and 7's all day long. No way either of them broke 110.
Spot on. This is the basis of Scott Fawcett’s DECADE system. Even with the touring pros he works with, focussing on cutting out the bogeys lowers there scores more effectively than does chasing birdies. Aim away from trouble, play the percentage shot, scores come down. It ain’t heroic but it wins.
I played today with a highly skilled golfer. He told me that for someone who is in their 2nd season of golf, my course management skills are excellent. I received my chipper from Cleveland Golf and it’s helping me. My drives are better too. Lots of 2 putts, and even an occasional 1 putt! Scoring factor is 22.3. Thanks for your tips and lessons you two!
Great video, Mark, I just wish I'd seen it before last weekend's medal. Two 'magnificent' 7's and a quad = all shots gone on 3 holes. The only positive was I didn't lose a ball!
Excellent and very simple if not obvious to a lot of golfers. I'm not perfect but have definitely improved due to thinking like this from yourselves, Scott Fawcett etc.
Makes it even harder to bite my tongue when I see my playing partner going for the 1 out of 10 success rate recovery shot then inevitably having a score card wrecker. Your last name ain't Ballesteros...
I have recently started keeping stats on my golf game using an app that is for my handicap. And avoiding double bogies and worse is really the goal. I have seen an improvment in my score since I have focused on accepting the bad shots now and then but seeing how best I can get something out of it. A good mind set helps with enjoying the game more. Thanks for posting this video. It is helpful
Playing off 16, my thoughts on the first tee are to play bogey golf. Yes, I'll get some pars but if the doubles are minimised, the handicap will come down. Started this mentality a year ago and have cut my handicap by 7 shots so far. Still get some doubles, mainly due to poor chipping but now using the 7 iron like a putter and staying away from the high wedges is helping. I seem to get away with the bad low chips and keep the doubles off the card.
Great content! Currently making double 12% of the time. For a guy shooting in the 70’s regularly it makes it hard going. Will definitely be putting these ideas into practice
I’m still in the “stop making triples/quads” category. I could be tracking bogey golf, then every 6th hole there is a WTF hole where the recovery shot goes awry and then it becomes pitch/chip/putty putty putt.
Currently subscribed to Fawcett’s Decade as I love the yardage books I can print out. I’m 95% driver off the tee attempting to be aggressive. I practice speed control on putting everyday, but I struggle with the mental and decision making. Do we go through or over when in the trees? What is the best play with the wedges on this 3rd shot to get us on the green so we can still take our bogey and move on?
As my contact and distance has improved my misses become a bit more dramatic. However I don’t mind the longer holes, it’s the short par 4s and then par 3s in the 150-200 range where I give back TOO many strokes to the course.
I might make a rare birdie or a few pars, but I focus on did our bogeys out number our doubles+ for the round.
Birdie, Par, Bogey, Double+ %
1/16/42/41 this year vs 1/18/38/42.
A bit deceiving as last year I played 8.1 par 3s per round (lots of par 3 and executive courses) while this year it’s 5.4 par 3s per round (mainly par 70-72, with a half dozen rounds of par 3/executive)
Digging deeper I’m +2.32 strokes gained vs a 25 where last year I was -1.82 vs that handicap group.
Oh, not everybody plays distance appropriate tees, and sometimes that coincides with seeing Bob’s wedges and Scotty’s putter in bags of +25 handicappers.
My trouble area is the 10 to 45 yard shot range. As you demonstrate, duffing that shot and then getting on the green with the next shot brings a double into play as you need a one putt to save bogey. I see people say well just play a bump and run from 35 yards out with a 7 iron but I don’t see how to predict the rollout in the fairway. Would love to see some videos on how to better play those shots.
100% the chipping area is a great lesson, i made the exact mistake you are talking about last wednesday........ on for a very good score and threw in a double chipping because i tried to be too cute when i short sided myself and tried to flop a chip close !!!!!!!!!!!
Lesson was learnt but always happy to re hear the message
Great advice as always Mark and Coach. really lovely.
I was just spending the last few weeks aggravated because I wasn’t making birdies. You just turned my thinking upside down,thanks!
I’m reading The Four Foundations of Golf and this is exactly what Jon Sherman is talking about. Can’t wait to take these thoughts to the course.
Great, video I like this style of direction.
Great Video Guys !
I gamed the Links @ UnionVale on Friday & made 88.
Par on 1 bogeys on 2-7 then par 8 & 9.
Made 42 on the front ( my lowest front 9 there )
Then I had 5 doubles on the back 9 which was awful because I played so well on the front. 😳
This is very true. I shoot generally 75-79 and can go 2 or 3 rounds without a double. and it's certainly easier to obtain those scores with no doubles. Pars, pars, pars with occasional bogeys and a 🐦 sprinkled in here and there. I always tell my playing partners it's not how good your good shots are it's how good the bad ones are...
What’s generally 75-79 even mean mate? PGA tour pros regularly have a 15 shot differential from good days to bad days… Rory had a 20 shot differential between two rounds last year… having 4 shot swing means you might be the most consistent golfer that’s ever lived.
@@dbo4506 on average? I’m averaging 79 shots when I play over the course of a year.
@@dbo4506 just an average. Trust me I'll throw in an 85 or so once in a while and when all the stars align a 73 or 74. I generally play 3 times a week and only in nice weather....
Agreed….pars and more pars.
Like these sort of strategy videos. I think another good one is to think about your setup more before you hit to improve your chance of making good contact. Like using a tee on a Par 3. Best to play inside your skill set until you are more comfortable taking chances. Keep it coming gents.
Love the great course management points! I’ve recently changed my playing strategy to do this kind of shot selection. It’s TOTALLY saved my scores and I’ve lowered my handicap a bit! Hopefully, I’m looking to lower it a little bit more.
Love that course, always enjoyed it.
I regularly score in the mid-90s and doubles and 3-putts are my biggest challenge. I easily waste 8-10 strokes per round as a result. I am trying to improve my shot selection and positioning/course management and find reaching/scrambling to greens is getting better. I'd love to regularly shoot in the 80s, and like you said, minimizing doubles (and 3-putts) is how I'm going to do it! Cheers 🍻
Would love to watch Mark play competition golf again. Great advice and content as usual.
Great video guys, making 2/3 a rounds just now. This information will definitely help. Thanks
7-9 doubles :) , currently i been having a 1 x 8 stroke hole per 9 holes. i started realising when those are about to happen and try real hard to turn them into bogey or double. get back in the fairway and send into the green.
Mark.
A net DB ie with a shot on hole means a 5 is 2 points is usually so a 6 is 1 point in stford.
It's the wipes/pick ups that cause problems.
We have a challenge in our social group to go around without a wipe.
Very few can achieve this.
My journey to scratch involved a decade stuck shooting between 82-85, and it always involved 1 birdie, lots of Pars, and then 3 doubles and possibly a triple on a Par 5. Looking back, I can say it involved not ever practicing in the sand/bunkers, and not having control over my shot shape. When you don't know how to immediately correct, on the course, a draw that becomes a fade, then you can shoot almost any number on the course. Get control over your shot shape, have a goto sand game, and buy a chipper if you need it.
To be honest with you Mark, most times if I make a double it's due to a penalty from a hazard. I'm a (looks at GHIN app) 8.9 index. I just ordered a Ping ChipR as confidence with the shortest chips is something I struggle with. I will let you know how it goes. Maybe I'll get down a few index numbers. Cheers from the USA!
I play off 12 and in my last 20 rounds averaged 3.6 doubles a round. One of my counting scores had 5 doubles in it! I haven't had one round in my last 20 without a double in it. So that's my new target :)
So true last week I shot 84 with four doubles. The other 14 holes were good golf.
A buddy of mine had 3 8's on his card 2 weeks ago. It was hard to watch. (But I still took his money. LOL!) He's usually pretty good. Going back out Friday and I truly hope he does better. Course management is so important.
That’s a really well planned video. Doubles do kill a round, but I have a challenge. In my view (not backed up by any recorded data) my best rounds are when I’ve played par 3’s well, how could we improve par 3 scores??
The appropriate tee is spot on. My mate always wants to play of the back tee`s even on a championship course. WTF ! I am here to enjoy myself as much as i can, not flushing a 250 yd tee shot which happens from time to time leaving another 200 plus to the green on just about every par 4.
My best score this year is 80 (HCP 13)I had 5 gross birdies ! This is sage advise indeed Mark pity you didn’t do the vid before 30th of April coz avoiding either of my doubles or my triple or the quad up the last I’d have the Council Cup on my mantle Peice 😂
Great video. I am a 27 handicap. Enjoy videos about course management
Hi Mark, video request
Went to the range yesterday and was striking it badly. Can you share some tips for a practice session that’s not going well?
I am a 5.2 HCP and average 2-3 doubles a round. Absolute killers to my scores. I miss far too many greens and put a lot of pressure on my short game. But somewhere along the round I lose a drive on a par 3, or aim middle of fairway and lose a push in the woods. Just always kills my rounds.
Great video. I played with a guy at our club who hovers around scratch and whenever he could he did low chip and runs. I have been trying it and has been better ( my chipping is terrible so not great but better). I reckon you could have added that to the video and the chipping options you did. Also can’t believe you didn’t bring out your new favourite club, the chipper.
Is it too late?
More on this please! Great topic.
Great video guys- really helpful. I'm a 35 happy and struggling to keep triples (or worse) off my cards. I like the idea of halving the fairway 👍
More like this - great vid 👏👏
As an 18 handicap, I make 3 to 4 doubles per round. With that being true, if i could eliminate or greatly reduce that number i could significantly reduce my handicap. I am trying to become a par/ bogey golfer so basically cut my current index in half. Improving my chipping and getting that double number down. Life goal :)
With you on that one. Not practicing and having a weak short game is a sin for high handicap golfers. IMO it's the one part of the game, not including putting, where us amateurs can be on a par with the pros. I had a friend who was retired and loved to golf, but never practiced his chipping. It killed his scores and was so easy to fix.
@@Alan_Edwards While I do think practicing and improving short game is important, in my experience the difference between high handicaps and mid handicaps is not so much the mid handicap having a significantly better short game where they are getting up and down so much better than the higher handicap. Its more that they duff less shots and hit more GIR or are closer to GIR to the point that their 3rd shot is getting on the green no matter what even with a mediocre to poor pitch or chip. I think putting more than chipping is important for higher handicaps to lower their scores especially with 3 putt avoidance. Worry less about chipping it close to tap in range and worry more about making solid strikes to get the ball close to the green, then get it on the green and avoid 3 putts.
@@conservakid85 I see your point and can't disagree when it comes to three putting. I do think it's a lot easier to improve lag putting though than learning to pitch and chip better and preventing a duff shot as you say. For me personally the chipping has made a bigger difference and because of it, I rarely three put anymore - hitting within 20-25 feet with my wedges. I guess it depends on where you are lacking. My biggest problem is approach shots and improving GIR and having a good short game helps me to get up and down when I screw up. Enjoy the dialogue either way mate.
@@Alan_Edwards yep, out of our group I'm by far the best at chipping/putting.
i can't get off a teebox for the life of me with driver though so it generally evens out a little across the group.
On the chip shot, I'd say a simple chip and run would be the safest option, anything from a 9 iron to a 3 wood is pretty safe depending on conditions / preference.
There have been a few formulas out there to find the yardages you hit a 5 iron and the total yardage you should play from .
5 iron distance hit -120 yards - 4320 .... 5 iron distance hit 150- 5400,..... 5 iron distance hit 200- 7200 If you search it will give you yardages from 100-200 yards I just posted 3 for an idea, I am playing from the senior tees now ( 61 YO ) and having more fun as I am hitting shorter irons into the greens instead of hitting lumber all day off the white tee, as I was never a long driver of the ball.
Mark absolutely love your golf shirt where can we buy them? 😀 I’ve been watching you for years and years love your content keep them coming
Thanks
Around the greens is where I lose so many shots and it's what I see pretty much everybody I golf with struggle with as well. Far too often we all seem to think we are much better golfers than we are and try to hit shots we have no business trying to pull off. I need to stop trying to hit flop shots around the green..
I heard as a rule of thumb you should select tees by total course length which should be around 36 times the length of your average 5 iron shot. What do you think?
Great advice ,getting back on track as soon as I can is hard to do , but my "miracle" shots don't work very often. what do you think a chipper has to be worth? 1 or 2 doubles a round?
2 a round normally very frustrating lads need to have a think about certain holes where my dubs come.from
Love the first lesson.." The waters over there!" Know where the trouble is!?
THANK YOU.. yeah, this is an issue for me. Literally yesterday I took a triple, then I parred the next 5 holes. I kept the score in the 80s and the only thing stopping more rounds in the low 80s or upper 70s is my doubles. And exactly to your point, around the greens I need to stop being cute and just get it on and two putt. My silly friends are out there using a 60 degree and trying to spin chips.. I bump and run often and for the life of me can't see why they take on so much risk for so little gain.
Safety and Percentage play is definitely always the way to go in my opinion. In theory then you should never hit water or bunkers, it doesn't make them impossible to get into, but it does reduce the chances of getting in them, to only the really bad shots
Brilliant video 👍🏼
I play so rarely that db don't bother me. I go home and remember birdies or the occasional eagleopportunity. I don't play tournaments as well anymore because extra money that doesn't justify the benefit of possibly take down my handicap or earn silly trophees. I used to play league and in my prime was about 6 over par in average through the year. But now i'm 52, work a lot, and just want to hit it farther than my opponents and have fun. And that's the basic premise - i'm no professional so i don't want to concern myself with tactics through the round but go for the high risk high reward. So what! Still you have useful tips for players who aim for better scores. Well done guy.
great tips as usual
I average about 1 double a round as a single digit hcp. Most of mine come from longer holes; especially par 3s that push me to limit and then make a poor swing that gets me in trouble. Good tips though because I definitely play to keep big numbers off the card and it helps. I feel like I lose chances at birdie sometimes from playing sensible but I’d rather no birdies than a bunch of doubles or worse
Well done mark 👏 👍
Played that course..golf las Americas tenerife
I look at the slope listed and judge appropriate tee box from that. That doesn't mean I get to choose though. I play in a group and the group always chooses the men's tee box. lol Suckers. They're already 10 strokes off my game, the harder and longer the course, the better chance I have at kicking their butts. Even when they've chosen a distance I simply can't reach anymore, I can still beat them because my course management and short game are better. I may see doubles, but if I do I can assure you they are seeing triples and quads. It's rookie mistakes and misplaced ego like that that will keep me beating the younger guys in our group for a long time to come.😁
As an older golfer, I don’t have the distance to get to the green in regulation. So playing bogey golf for me is like you playing par golf (a bogey is my par). I’m chasing bogies….forget about birdies, except on par 3’s. When my short game and putting are working good, I can break 90.
It must be nice to be able to consistently score in the low 80’s and occasionally in the 70’s. But double bogeys for regular guys that can’t hit the ball as far as you are pretty much a regular occurrence.
Enjoy the course/game management content! Looking forward to more like this.
Play from the Pin back, Leave your approach shot a comfortable wedge in instead of a weird distance pitch. Your "laying up" on a par 4 sometimes to get more comfortable approach shot distance and that can often take the hazard from the Tee out of play too :) Shot my best 73 the other day committing to that mindset but still had a double on the cards with a few singles too.
Shot a 79 today with an Eagle, 2 doubles and a triple. I get at least 1 double every round, current hcp 11.5
What are the stats WORTH keeping guys? 3 putts, greens in reg, fairways etc? This was a great video - I'm sure heaps of us can really relate lol!
Although you only briefly mentioned it at the beginning, the first key to lowering scores to is to hit from the appropriate tee. Many golfers hit drivers less than 200 yards, yet they tee it up on a back tee with the big boys. The ego gets in the way. Doing this turns makeable par fours into par fives and par fives into par sixes. I live in Austria, where tees are marked "Damen" and "Herren," or women and men. This is also the case in Germany. They somehow think this is a rule and the correct way to play golf. This drives me nuts because the short hitting men have no chance of ever reaching or even getting close to the green in two. On a normal length par 4 they hit driver, fairway wood, fairway wood, and still are short of the green. I'm also not long off the tee, so I buck the parctice here and hit from the second "women's" tee, which is the distance I would hit from in the US, where I'm from. I am inevitably the only man to do this.
Ha so Coach looks at the visual of the holes he is about to play and Mark dosen't. Well knowing the appropriate trouble on the hole will help avoid double bogeys. lol This was a fabulous piece tho. I am going to take this mind set more.
2-3. I had a round recently where I doubled the last two holes to shoot 80. (3 putts after mediocre chips/bunker shots)
I am a 17 hcp and shoot 82-86. I usually will end up with 1 double per 18 holes.
Shot a 77 today with 3 birdies, 1 three putt and 2 doubles. Got too cute on a par 3 and made a 5.
Doubles or worse keep me from breaking 90. A few weeks ago, I shot 43 front 9 and then 55 back 9. The heat wore me down.
My last round I had no doubles, went four under my handicap
Doubles, triples with a quad thrown in for good measure.....it's quite frustrating at times. I never try to be a rock star. For example, I don't lob it when I can chip and run. I usually hit one great shot every hole but cannot string them together.
I’m ok with doubles help me stop the triples, I made 5 pars 2 birdies and shot 91 last weekend
I've got thick gorse bushes on both sides of every fairway so any missed fairway is a lost ball. So quite a few at the moment.
I’ve heard that you should multiply your average 5-iron distance by 36, to find out your playable course yardage…is that a good assumption?
My doubles come from tee . Brought a sim udi now straight and reasonably long . No doubles off tee now
Wouldn’t lockey just reduce the chances of a double by putting it down the middle from the tee? So fairways hit stat is important then coach???
two per 9 on average. 17/18 handicap. I could be a 14 without any doubles. but i almost always duff every shot when im not standing ona flat lie and its near impossible to practice. PLEASE do a vid on how to hit wood, iron and wedge off uphill and downhill lies!
Shot level today... Doubled 16 and 18 though... Why didn't ye release this video yesterday 😭
I play off an 11 and the doubles and triples kill my score. Can play 15 holes at +4 then ruin it all with a few doubles and triples. My main plan is to give myself a par putt on every hole and limit damage on bad holes, but absolutely struggling to cut those out.
Had the worst 86 of my life last week. 36 on the front, with 3 birdies...50 on the back with 3 triples..mind games.
Be good to see a video on zero golf. Same thought of removing doubles. Always hit 7 iron or higher off the tee (even long par 3's) and the first shot doesn't count. Amazing how few doubles you end up with. You obs add 18 shots on at the end...
Scores began to plummet, and finally broke 90, 25 years ago, when I took my single-digit-handicap-cousin's advice, to "take double-bogey out of play." Crappy drive? Just try to dump the approach in the fairway within 50 yards of the green and pitch it on. Two-putt's a bogey, one-putt's a par!
12.5 handicap, average two double bogies per round. 50% of those are because of three putts. I putt well on the practice green but start the game and nonsense ensues.
Don’t you start at the green and work backwards to the tee? After a nice favourite wedge into the green, use you favoured clubs to cover the distance left, according to your handicap - even if it means using 3, seven irons or whatever suits.
@Telegram only 👉@MarkCrossfield hi Mark. I’m a 66yo physically disabled golfer playing off 21. Perhaps it is wishful thinking that I could attain a 15 h’cap but I am determined (read stubborn?). I did like your video but from my perspective I have limited function/mobility issues with regard to the long game parts. But please keep making your content😎👍
Yep, mine is penalty strokes off the tee
I'm not making too many doubles... Maybe one every round, sometimes one every two rounds... What kills me is the accumulation of 3-putt-bogies and then some "normal bogies"... Particularly bad as with my weak putting I don't get many birdies to offset those (I really need to stick the pin real close to even consider a putt a "birdie chance").
I'm shooting 85-87 while averaging 7 pars and a birdie, I cant keep the blowups off the card and it's super frustrating.
Me too. I've started to focus on shaping fairways and hybrids at the range. I think this helps get me out of trouble. Also dialing in chip shots. Up and down chip shots are great for momentum.
You gotta figure out why they are happening, are you being too ambitious and not getting your ball back in play after a poor tee shot or is your short game letting you down. The first one is just a switch in course management the second may require a lesson or two but is surely worth the cost and a bit of practice. For me I play a course with several holes with out of bounds in play off the tee and likely need to be aiming not down the middle of the fairway but 10-15 yards further away from the inevitable double that comes with 3 off the tee.
I agree with this to a point, but if you’re not good to execute the plan then double bogeys and worse still happen. I understand the concept of playing away from danger, but its only half the job. Aiming for the middle of a green rather than a flag behind a bunker is the easy part. Not fatting it short, or slicing into the bunker/trees is where it falls down. I’ve had >10 scores having not hit a driver playing sensible on short par 4s, just because I’m not good enough to execute the course management plan.
What if your dispersion rate is 100 yards left to right? serious question.
Trying to reach par 5s in 2 shots was a big one for me when I first started playing.... Then I realized I could hit 6i, 6i, 8i and 2-putt for a par
RIP Matt's club
This is my biggest issue. Even when taking my medicine try to hit the green even without the cocky shot I duff it. Way to many double booeys in my rounds.
More of these! Double bogeys kill me 🤬🤬 make pars or double bogeys me! 6 a round average, 6 shots there easy if I could knock um down 🙏
I don’t know what’s going on with my game.
I’m better in every area this year striking it well but scoring worse.
Bit of it course management high expectations eg:getting pin focused instead of fat of green.
But mainly it’s I’m hitting shots offline with irons that are well struck but finding trouble especially in these dry conditions.
I’d rather hit it fat when over drawing it etc it’s driving me mad. Playing better can’t score….is this a thing
This video hurt. As someone who shoots between 85 to 90, between 8 to 10 of my strokes over par are on only 3-4 holes. I've been known to go out and shoot 2-4 over for 9 holes and then have those 2-4 blow up holes and suddenly I'm struggling to shoot in the low to mid 80s
Golfing 18 holes is tough. Not so much physically, especially if you are riding 18 but mentally. I almost prefer at this point to play 9 holes, especially here in the US where weekend rounds of 18 take over 5 hours at most public tracks.
Driver and chipping were killing my cards. Fairways hit % very poor and not committing to chips leaving the ball short. Finally got a hang of the driver with just 3/13 fairways missed with it on the last round. Chipping/pitching much better too.
Good advice gents - hope you got yourself down Veronica’s after 🍺
Thanks Mark! I'm a decent ball striker hitting 6-8 GIR but still struggle to break 90. Averaging 6-8 doubles or worse in a round. The other 10 holes I'm a couple over par
Doubles get me way too often. Usually close to the green is where they arrive for me.
It’s exactly what prevents me from shooting in the 70’s more often. Typically sabotage myself from the middle of the fairway and make a mindless double here and there.
Just posted 78 with three doubles. Followed tee shots and green shots walk away with 74/75