This morning, I watched a video by Rick Shiels that outlined three common mistakes that are prevalent in amateur golfers. I can honestly say that being a low handicapper does not automatically eliminate these errors, but I think I make them less often. Of the three that Shiels talks about, number one is my biggest challenge. Which one would be yours?
The three common errors are alignment, helping the club with loft, and driver/iron set up. I know that over the years of playing, I had challenges with all of them. I worked on each area mention by Shiels, but have not eliminated them all together. It is a challenge to fix our game sometimes, but it is worth the results seen on the scorecard.
If you can fix all these mistakes in the video, I think you are on your way to consistently breaking 80. You will make more consistent shots with all your clubs resulting in less strokes over the course of a round. As I mentioned earlier, number one (alignment) poses the most challenges for my game. Being aware of this, my pre-shot routine plays a very important role in hitting a great golf shot. That, my friends, is a story for another day.
For now, if you want to consistently shoot lower golf scores, then addressing Shiels thee common errors made by golfers is a great place to start.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
Well the first two I’m sure I don’t have a problem with. The last one, if I’m honest, I’m sure plenty of pro’s could critique and find flaws. But it works. I hit my driver pretty well again at present. There’s room for improvement, but not so much directionally where us amateurs usually struggle. I’m at a point where I’m controlling flight. Draws, straight or fades with some precision and while I know I could still find more distance, I’m not in a huge hurry over it. I’m getting to playable positions easily enough and reaching some of the sub 300 yard par 4’s and have even gone flag hunting with the driver on the really short par 4’s around the home course. That’s a level of accuracy I can’t claim as coming often, but getting inside 6 feet twice in 3 weeks isn’t too shabby with a driver in hand.
No my issues at present are to get these latest swing adjustments normalized and continue with the related work with the wedges. One more day to practice before Saturdays away round. The first of another 3 attempts to break 80 at another course. It’s probably too soon, but I wouldn’t mind taking on Rick Shiels break 75 challenge on this course. It’s doable. I’ve played it enough over the years to know that. It’s a matter of can I keep my act together there and can I putt well there this time. They aren’t nearly as fast or as complex as Chi Chi’s.
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Kevin,
Sounds like you are working on your game all the time. That is good to hear and I hope you play well this Sunday.
Cheers Jim
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I am. With the little range right outside my back door and a course outside my front door I find it hard to resist. I spent the last 45 minutes of sunlight out there tonight in fact. Perfect weather for practicing for tomorrow. We’re expecting strong winds tomorrow. Gusts up to 30 mph from the remnants of the pacific hurricane that’s presently has it’s edges about 50 miles south of us. Any rain it brings is supposed to be gone by our 1:30 tee time but the winds are going to stick around during the round.
Tonight I started by just swinging the pitching wedge slowly faster until I got to full speed like I do on the course before I tee off when I can’t warm up properly. While doing that I noticed the winds were almost head on so I just hit a few high shots with the gap wedge and low shots with the pw from 80 yards to try and gauge swing lengths vs distances. I dialed both in fairly well against the breeze. There’s only about 35 balls in that bag so once I’d done that I picked them up and chipped them all back on with the gap wedge from 15 and 30 feet. I was hitting over the high side of the raised green to a downslope and trying to land them short and semi soft and run them to the hole. Playing the left to right slope. That’s what I was doing as the sun set tonight. That’s how I worked off dinner and hopefully helped keep sharp for tomorrow.
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Sounds like you are living he dream, Kevin!
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