Achieve Your Lowest Score

For some golf is a social sport, for others it's a living and for the rest, it is about health and fitness but one thing is for sure, we all want to shoot a good score. In this piece, I share with you my 3 best tips to achieve your best score, whether it be winning your monthly medal, beating your friends or your own satisfaction of breaking 90 for the first time, these 3 simple tips will help achieve your goal.

1. KNOW YOUR OWN GAME

This for a lot of people sounds like it should be given right? But for me this is the biggest fault 98% of recreational golfers suffer with. It is nothing to do with technique, swing speed, putting stroke, short game skills, optimal launch, spin rate or any golf related skill. It is about knowing your capabilities. Have a think about the last round you have played. At some point in the round, maybe multiple times you tried to 'hit through a gap this small', or said 'I can carry the ball over the water if I catch it well'. As oppose to I am really good from 100 yards I will take my chances from there, or I know I am not going to reach this green in 2 shots so I won't hit driver I will play to my strength. Using your brain to benefit you instead of hampering you is key.

2. MASTER THE LONG PUTT

For the recreational golfer, practice doesn't get to happen as often as we'd like. We might get a range session in, 20 mins putting and chipping here and there. So why not make the game easier? instead of looking for the eye catching, crowd pleasing lob wedge from 5 yards off the green with 2 bounces and stops beside the hole (which, I agree, looks great) but how often can we rely on it? Even the top tour pro won't try this shot under pressure if putter was an option. So I find 20 mins putting practice from around the green is far more beneficial to reducing scores than the 20 mins of chipping. Practice hitting the middle of the face from long distance to reduce scores.... 'A bad putt beats a bad chip' - Jack Nicklaus

3. DON'T KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SCORE

This is by far the easiest way yet the hardest way to avoid any final hole meltdowns. If you can master the art of not keeping track of your score I can guarantee you will save shots every round. Think about it, you are playing the 16th, you don't know how well you are doing, how can you try hold on to a score and then proceed to lose it. A lot of questions I am then asked is, you know in your head your swinging well and making scores, so without keeping track you still know your going well. This is a good thing, you know you are swinging well and playing well but you don't know your score, which then keeps your confidence high to finish your round strongly because you are not holding on to it. Your playing partner will keep track for you.

All of the above are linked. Know your strengths and weakness and play to them. It is very to make the long putt your strength as oppose to chipping. Avoid knowing your score will keep your confidence up, and help you trust the strengths of your game and commit to how you play, to shave strokes off your round.