How many times a week do you practice?  To develop muscle memory one must repeat the same movement over a long period of time.  I was at the range today practicing and realized that I have hit my 7 iron at least 1000 times in my 35 years of golf.  That goes the same for my driver and three wood.  Less for my long irons.  Here I was practicing with a large bucket and enjoying every stroke.  I would try a couple of things, but mostly my swing is grooved and I hit it pretty straight.  I follow the same routine, set up, grip, stance and stroke.  As a result, my score is within a couple of strokes 95% of the time.

As I came to the bottom of my bucket, I was still wondering how I can consistently lower my score.  I thought of my best rounds (I have had 3 under-par) and wondered what was the reason for these special times.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks – chipping and putting.  I have hit chipped and putted twice as much as my next club.  So why am I spending 40 minutes hitting balls and only 20 minutes chipping and putting.  Actually I should – and will – reverse this time.

Golf Link has a 5 step way to lower your score.  Its first step is to practice your short game.  I second that!  The next four steps are also excellent ways to become the golfer you want to be.

Spending more time chipping and putting will definitely lower your score.  See you on the links!