Things Scratch Golfers Do That You Don't - How To Play Golf Tips

I’ve been working on my short game. I got rid of my 3 wood and replaced it with another wedge that filled in a gap I had. The 3 wood only brought me penalty strokes.

I try to do the right stuff ..take lesson but the process is harder then people think.. driver 245 .. pretty good wedge player ..putter needs work or a new one!

if only it was that easy great content

There's a "yes but" there Matt! I hit the ball 210 off the tee (230 downwind!!!). It is physically impossible for me to swing further/hit the ball harder! I'm good at hitting fairways, but 2nd shots are generally with a fairway or hybrid! But, I want to improve (currently 12.6). I'd like to get down to single figures again by my 70th birthday in 4 months time. What can I do? Any advice welcome!!!

you sound like really early golf sidekick video narration in this one lol.

Great advice, especially on managing expectations. Also when your efforts exceeds them. I hit my best bunker shot ever on that par 3 on the America course at La Cala. From approx 30 feet, the ball landed pin high left and zipped just right of the hole, inches from going in. Hard to get back to enjoying hacking my way around the course after that.

What a nice course! Thanks for the tips! Pre shot routine where I’m going to focus more on! Tee box I usually walk outside the box and point club down where I want to go and then step in to the box. Never do it as much on fairway and rough although I should.

I really like your humble and no bs approach a lot. I am also convinced if you take expectations out of the calculation and try to play "boring golf" most of the time this will keep joy up being allowed to play this great sport. To be honest for us "mortals", non-professional golfers having fun should count in the end.

Intro voice! What happened

I would add make sure you hole every put from 3 feet(I missed 3 in last Sunday comp missed the win by 2 shots)

I have a pre shot routine now, got more lessons. Also, discovered the root cause of my topping shots was my right heel lifting before ball strike. My swing thought is, on back swing, pressure on inside of right heel, pressure on left heel and swing making sure my right heel is still on the floor until the ball is struck. Hcap down from 25 to 18. Improved chip distance ( great contact but distance control needs more practice) and putting will get me to my target of hcap14 this year.

Practice?

I must have watched 1000 golf videos, but this one stand out. I truly believe that if I can learn to get the best from all rounds, even if they start out like 😡 - golf will be more fun and I will become a better golfer. Thanks (and all your other tips are also spot on) 👍

good stuff = I play tennis to a relatively high level and its similar. know your go to shots, know when you are defending, attacking and neutral. Manage expectation : It's a hard sport : enjoy - there's always someone better. 😊

Coach great video!
What pants are you wearing?

what a beautiful course!!!!

I broke 90 for the first time yesterday, on a beautiful Friday afternoon. I shot 83. 5 pars, 1 birdie. For me it was the goal of 3 years playing, and the point about minimising errors and focusing on the basics does resonate. I just didn't try to hard to hit far or pitch to the flag. A still lost 2 balls too!

I can keep it in play but I hit it 220. My GIR is atrocious because my ball stiriking is terrible but I putt like a scratch.

Great upload coach with some great tips. Currently working on reducing my bag to central clubs that I need like do I really need 14 clubs or can I play golf manufacturing shots with 11 clubs, 10 clubs?

I do 1000 things scratch golfers never do. Per hole.

First time watching your channel. This was fun for me because I usually pervay the same information you provided. I’m a 6 handicap, but in the summer I usually end up around a 2 as conditions improve, but…… I also go back to play smarter rather than harder as weather and conditions improve. Hitting it as far as I can is fun, but doesn’t make for better golf,or better scores all the time. As amateurs there is a reason we are not on tv. I think your tips are great and really enjoyed this video.

People won’t remember how well you played if they can’t forget how you behaved.

I try to give this advice to people getting into golf, but it goes for any sport (or kind of life in general).

Great video Coach. Especially loved your tips on playing the par 3 at the end of the video. How about doing a video, say playing 9 holes and providing your thoughts on how you would play them shot by shot. I believe course management can help high handicappers more than anything else. Thank you for your consideration.

Ive been gaming a 3 wood length shaft on my driver and still averaging 260-280yd drives but hitting SO many more fairways. It’s helped me a TON

My father-in-law bless his soul, picked me apart when I played with home when I was younger. Repeatability is the goal. 😊

One of the best videos I’ve watched in ages. Really enjoy the presenting

I always have a couple trainwrecks per side... triple or worse. These are always the product of poor drives (left & right) that frequently require my 3rd shot played from the tee.

The other 14 holes, i play bogey golf or better.

@CoachLockey I noticed you play graphite shafts in your irons. Why graphite and which shalfs are they?

Awesome video! I am right on that line of being a scratch golfer and this is going to be the video that will help get me there. I have watched this multiple times and it has changed the way I THINK of the game. So simple yet so effective. It truly is all the little things that make the biggest difference in this game. Best tip by far was "Don't be a hero, be a boring golfer". I needed to hear that in so many ways. I am always that guy who goes for it and majority of the time it cost me a stoke or two.

At the start of the season this year, I've decided instead of going to the range and working the rust out of my swing. I went straight out to the golf course just to see how I'd do, where i need to work, and what I'm doing good at, and i walked so i had time to think about every shot and not feel rushed with a cart. And after shooting an embarrassing 97 I found out that I need to put my driver on the bench until I'm hitting it some what straight and practice with long irons. I also found out that my 3 wood swing it perfect, short game is great, and putting is 7/10, and I was able to use one ball the whole time until I reached 18. Maybe that means I'm more accurate now.

4-5m in... what about my 40 yard slice to the right ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Very good video! Worth coming back to. Honestly got more out of this one than all of Mark Crossfield videos.

Great content without the drama

Yes, they buy all the shit. The best golfers buy all the shit.

First thing I thought was... they play better. Lmao

i got the speed with my driver, i don’t have the accuracy, 120+ CH 170+ Ball , but i can’t for the life of me square it at impact, and if it is square it’s one big ol pull left

Really, that's your first tip? Drive well! Because if you drive longer you will usually have proximity to the hole.
What is the condition when that's not the case, if you tee backward?

What brand of range finder is that? Love the small size of it.

Managing expectations and losing confidence quickly in the driver are my downfall.
I can stripe a couple drives in a row and feel great, then sort of smother hook one and now the next tee shot I am all out of sorts most times. Irons I can chuckle it off and be good to go but man the driver has always been the one club that creates heartache.

Great video, the pre shot routine is key for sure and slowing down during that short moment

The last point is the key. I overjoyed hitting any green in reg at a 13 handicap

Greens in Reg (GIR's) do not mean fewer putts per round, in fact data shows the reverse. Proximity to hole predicts lower putts per round. I'm a short hitter and rarely get greens in reg. However I am within 60 yrds of the green and my next shot will be tight. Earlier this week I had 1 GIR and 23 putts. Nuff said.

Great video and presented much better than other 'scratch' topics... I spent about 5 years 'stuck' at a 7-8 HC range, took some lessons (with the goal of becoming a solid 5HC or less) and dropped to an avg of 5-6 HC the last 3 years. My goal now is to become scratch and I know statistically what is preventing me from getting there but this video got me thinking about a couple things I tend to overlook so thanks for the reminders and tips Coach 🙂. I decided to test myself by joining the Men's Club at my local Muni (lots of low and + HC'er's) and playing tournament golf once a month which has been great (I've won about $500 across 6 stroke play tournaments in my bracket). I've got my work cut out for me though as I'm short (5'-4") and old (58) and I play on avg 6400 - 6600yds. I have no real problems with distance (250+ driver distance, 165yd 7I) but my inconsistent short game and putting (32.3/rd) is what keeps me dropping to scratch at this point. I'll try and spend more time at the range and practice areas and get that pre-shot routine down to improve that inconsistent short game.

Great tips. All I have to do is turn my driver into a weapon and fine tuning all my shots. Why didn’t I think of this?

I am a 9-6 worker and only manage one round per week. I play well but expect too much of myself playing all the magic shots. yeah it’s fun but not fun not pulling those off and getting doubles rather than pars and bogies. I will try to get back to boring golf hitting fairway and greens 🤓⛳️🏌️‍♂️

Love La Cala. Stood on that final par3 tee in a 40mph wind. Makes that hole fun.

Hi locky, I watch and try to view distance to holes and then work out clubs to hit before I play. Take today I had a down hill 225 yd hole , well I could hit driver but no I took my 19° rescue 52° to 3ft hole conceded to me par . We my partner and I won 2&1 and came in on 14 of 18 holes . It works . On Woolley park 8th par 5 now I hit driver ,7 7 pw putt par or 6 with a shot. I was a 14 h/c but since putter was stolen it's the club I struggle with . But it was pretty good today . Putter theft cost me handicap wise from 14 to 19 .

Hi locky it's Paul again .TELL YOUR VIEWERS THIS . A HANDICAP PLAYER SAY 20 ON THE FRONT 9 PAR 4 SHOOTS A 9 OK WELL THEY Receive A SHOT SO FOUR TO FIND ON THE BACK OR OTHER HOLES , NOW HEY FOUR PARS BINGO THEY HAVE THEM BACK . IF ITS ON THE 17 TH WELL ONE BACK IS THE TARGET . I DO THAT AND KEEPS YOU FOCUSED OH AND LAUGH AT IT .