Anyone Golf Talking and playing golf for a while comes to understand how important hitting irons is to lowering your golf scores. Statistically, as we discussed previously in How To Take 3 To 5 Shots Off Your Golf Score-Fast, 80% of our golf shots are taken from 150 yards in front of the green into the hole.
80% ! Those are all long iron, short iron and putter shots from 150 out.
It took you either one or two shots, probably, to get there off the tee. So, let's see: One really good tee shot on a par-4 hole leaves you 150 yards from the hole...you pull a four or five iron, step up and top the ball to 100 yards out. Now, you smack a nine iron to within 20 yards of the hole, chip over the green, chip back to 15 feet of the pin and three putt. H-e-l-l-o-o-o, Snowman!
As you probably know, each golf hole is designed to be two-putted for par. That means that on a par-3 hole, your tee shot needs to land on the green - leaving you two putts to put it in the hole. On a par-4, your second shot needs to land on the green to give you a chance at two-putting for a par. That par-3 tee shot was either a long iron or a short iron...depending on the length of the fairway, and your distance with the clubs. The par-4 second or approach shot, also, was either a long or short iron. Putters are, of course, the shortest iron club in the golf bag. Belly and chin putters are still considered to be a "short" iron.
The point I want to make - (No, I am not trying to bore you into a coma!) - is the fact that the ONLY way to shoot low golf scores is to learn to use long and short irons accurately. Most of us hate to hear that because it means PRACTICE. In our minds that usually means mind-numbing drills and hours on a practice range. There is a cheap, fun alternative, however, that doesn't take any more time than going to the driving range.
When I got back into golf at the beginning of my 60's, I went in search of my golf swing at the range, but it quickly turned into "work". The driving range I went to, fortunately, was located in the middle of two short golf courses, and I always saw players coming or going to the par-3 course on my way in. During one boring session working on my irons, it ocurred to me that I could get the practice I needed with those clubs by playing the par-3 course, rather than spending a couple of hours on the range. When I checked it out, the green fee for nine holes on the the par-3 circuit turned out to be about the same as two buckets of balls on the practice range...and took about the same amount of time that I had been spending on the range, bu should be a lot more fun. That was a no-brainer for me.
After reminding myself that I was playing to PRACTICE with my irons, I played the par-3 course at least twice a week in the morning or evening, as I had time. It really worked out great because I kept my focus on using the correct club in the appropriate circumstance...and, on set-up and execution with each club. It didn't take long to see a change in my golf game, evidenced by lower scores. Being able to score my practice shots also proved to be an advantage to me.
So, if you're having problems practicing golf, look for a short and inexpensive par-3 course convenient to your home or job. By approaching it as PRACTICE, you can really get in a lot of golf in an hour, and make practicing fun!
Hit 'em long, straight and often!
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