Although, for me, none of this is new, it’s a MUCH needed reminder of how to get round a course and you put it over absolutely brilliantly. Best course management video I’ve seen. Thanks, Hannah.
@@hannahholdenNCG I concur with the above comment! I am a scratch player and all of this is a validation to me knowing that fundamentally I have been following these principles for several years now as I have refined my game more and more. Now that I am ( this year) finally retired from Semi-pro roller hockey and all other Ice/Roller leagues, tourneys, etc my game is flourishing more and more! One interesting note to share is I am always telling certain friends to THROW away that LOB wedge they use for every single shot around the green they take, it is ridiculous how attached they get to that club. They really get upset with me when I point that out, but I digress. One of my Best weapons around the green is my 8-iron SG...I will also use a 9 or PW under certain situations as well. I also try and tell people that I could hit 4 different clubs into any certain distance depending on conditions that day...weather/wind, UH/DH lies, bump and run ups/high shots that land soft, etc etc For what its worth my 8-Iron matches with your 7-iron stats as I will use it for a shot distance average of "my 150yd" club...in general!
Folks, these tips work. I lowered my scores from the mid 90's to the high 70's once I started applying the tips in this video. I think Peter Finch also mentioned similar tips a year or so ago and I applied them to my game. (In fact, Hannah, you and Pete are my "swing inspirations"; so smooth but plenty powerful like my idol Fred Couples! Any planned additional collabs with Pete coming up any time soon?) My favorite tips are: play towards your misses from the tee box, aim for the middle of the green not the pin, and don't always use a wedge near the green unless you have to get over an obstacle. I also like practicing shots near the green with driver, 3wood, hybrids; its always a challenge but you learn a lot about how these clubs effect spin/distance.
Hannah, I've been watching you for about a month, and I love your videos. Your personality on camera is so inviting and I also feel like I've learned a lot. Keep up the great work!
Another great video. Another thing that a couple of pros, I had the chance to play with told me, is that they always think about the next shot, that is to say they will try to place the ball where they want it to be to play the next shot and not just try to place the ball in the middle of the fairway. Thank you for the video.
really sound advice Hannah, the persisting fad (fad or obsession?) with lob wedges is something I've never understood nor adopted....my junior golf was played before the lob wedge invention, and back then our sand wedges were bunker only clubs, and even though I do carry a 58' these days I'm primarily choosing lower lofted clubs when I'm finessing around the greens, including bunkers, because that's how I grew up playing the game....the juniors these days that can manipulate a 60' into a bump'n'run club blows my mind.....loft does help, no question, but as you pointed out it's too often the low percentage option
The lob wedge fad is interesting, isn't it? It can work with a higher-skilled golfer, but it definitely isn't the percentage play! They were really initially just used for bunkers.
Very true! I had the chance of playing a few rounds with better than scratch golfers and surprisingly for me at the time, they weren't hitting the ball much better than me, or much further... But man, oh man... were they always missing in the right place! And the pace putting was spot on, not holing so many putts from long range, but finishing by the hole so very much more... The sad thing is, to do that you need to think effectively before every shot and practice distance control on your putting. And well, when playing you (I!) don't want to think that much and particularly about misses. And when you get to the course you want to play, maybe chip, possibly hole putts, not endlessly wack putts to set distances. That's why I'll probably never be a scratch golfer. 3 is much more attainable and more human.
According to Arccos, I'm a 18 handicap. I really like your #2 entry on getting annoyed, right down to your first example of 150 yards. Perfect conditions at 150, I'm grabbing my 6 if we're being honest. I hit it better than the 7 and carry my 6 145 on my flush shots. Because of this, 150 is actually my second favorite approach distance, only beat by a number staring with 8. 80-89 I'm very, very confident in my gap wedge (52 degree). Beside that, putter, and 5 wood are my only good clubs that approximate the shot I visualize more than half the time, I feel like I carry 10 clubs around that I'm only going to hit properly, about a quarter of the time once I start to struggle. The advice on getting annoyed is very good, because I find I've improved by limiting myself to those 4 clubs if I start hitting proper shanks, and it normally gets me in to a good enough headspace to finish the round with a double digit score still.
Hello Hannah! I am a brand new subscriber...only a day or two old! Yet, in watching this video of yours, I'm enthralled. You bring a reality to what we do in golf, yet can only dream in our dreams of possibly achieving. The reality you bring to the game is not only welcome (especially to male egos...and I have one of them, no surprise) but gives us a sense of where we can take ourselves - each as individuals with our own strenghts and our own weaknesses, especially the psychological ones - and, I as a senior, the physically ones. I don't mean to become silly, but our heads are as significant as our bodies- especially as we age. I'll be one of your great fans - guaranteed! Keep up your efforts, and please us, as you do, with your common sense advice! All the best!...and by the way , help us bring our golf egos DOWN!!
One of the best, most helpful golf videos i've seen. Great reality check for those of us thinking that because we watched the Players last week, we can do the same. Really well thought through and presented. thank you
I may could use your insight to the process of finally getting fitted and CHOOSING what brand of Driver to buy and go with!! I am a very detail oriented athlete with a feel and touch that is very particular. However I will say this , the Driver I have been using the last 6 years is what I picked up from Play it Again Sports (used gear shop) for 35$$ lol It is a Ping G2 with a pretty decent shaft I think...but learned how to use it proficiently with an average driving distance of 240-265! When I am loose and striking it @ 90% or greater clip I can ROPE it somewhat farther, but more often than not I swing within my means and don't try to kill it generally ! I am know for a swing with great tempo and rhythm...Mr Smooth is what some guys call me. My uncle and Dad always compared my swing to Ernie Els, the BIG EASY!! lol
The worst part of my game these last several years once I returned after a 5 year absence (addicted to Hockey Playing/Coaching 25 years non stop) is I only have a driver in the bag. 3-iron to driver so I am about to finally make the investment in getting the proper equipment to help take my game to the next level. If I had a 3-wood and or a Hybrid I would have a lot more eagle chances on par 5's no doubt! Which btw, last weekend I holed out on a 45 yard DH lie from the fairway , over a front guarding bunker to a down sloping away green, and with my SW (power flop shot as I call it) for an EAGLE!!! 2 hops, checked, rolled right on the pin and IN!! Dead solid perfect execution...which lead to a 5 hole run of par, par, birdie, par , par! I played until dark so only got in 14 holes walking, but finished with a plus 5 round! The worst part is I had a triple bogey (rarely happens) and a double bogey (occasionally happens) when I decided to drink a beer out there (was 87 degree day) and got a buzz losing my focus! I am not a drinker but will have a beer once or twice a month just to unwind and loosen up! The week before I also pitched in off the post and in from 55 yards with the SW over an elevated bunker guarding the green with only 15 ft of run...too bad it was a practice round where I play 4 balls from tee to green (legally) on a 9-hole walking round! I did par 2/3 other balls though so it was not too bad!
Very useful and down to earth advice - just what I would expect from a Yorkshire woman. All tips useable next time I'm on the course. So you got a new subscriber!😄
Great video Hannah. My problem is executing these habits. Hoping this year to play and practice quite a bit more, maybe even a personal best using your tips. Thanks.
@@hannahholdenNCG Well thank you for the vote of confidence Hannah, and for your replies to your fans in the comment section. We love to hear from you.
Aim small miss small. Never go full throttle particularly with irons. Know your stock yardages. I’m always aiming to go pin high. Biggest thing is take ego out of the game. I find a lot with high hcp golfers they’re obsessed with how far they hit their irons & consistently short. Will never club up.
Wait …”sometimes your bad shots end up near the pin “ …? Yeah im definitely not now nor ever been a scratch golfer .for me its usually the “lucky” miss hit or bounce that gets me near the pin 😜😬✌️
Golf is not, never will be a game of "perfect". It's so much more. Forget the imperfect shot. We tend to dwell on the bad shots. That can destroy a round of golf. Appreciate the good shots. :-)
Social security looks pretty good for us assuming we wait until 67, and add in spousal benefits. She rarely worked and we get along one my income. Have some retirement funds too
Hannah and James Robinson both sound like they are chewing bubblegum. What part of Britain do they come from, and do all the people talk like so.? I have learned to understand most words in Scot-ish from watching Rick Shiels videos. Cheers from Canada
I've never understood why so many higher handicap players want to hit so many wedge shots, when it's much easier to putt or hit a 7 iron (rescue club).
Awesome video for those who will take the time and apply this stuff. I am always the shortest hitter but usually win my matches by applying this common senses stuff. In addition, on par fives or long par fours, I often hit an iron or hybrid just to get myself in good position. These are three shot holes anyway for most of us! Also, on short par fours I usually hit a mid iron and PW. Easy par. My buddies hit driver and make bogey or worse. Drives them nuts😂
Thank you for the video. For those who don't consider these methods, it should help. Can't speak for any other high cappers, but scratch golfers make less mistakes than some of us simply because their execution and ability are better. It's less about their knowledge or their strategy, IMO.
Good video and tips! More specifically on misses left and right, determine how far both left and right you can hit without getting into potential big trouble (water hazard, bunkers, deep rough) and then aim for the midpoint between those two points. This often means you may not be aiming for the middle of the fairway or green. Percentage play.
Are you gaming the QI10 Driver Hannah. I was following all you driver testing and wondering where you ended up. Great advice and explanation, expectations are high and sometimes unrealistic
Great video Hannah! Would love to see some videos on your practice approach - i.e. what does your putting, chips/pitching, and approach practice look like.
I’ve been playing golf for over forty years. I’ve watched a ton of RU-vid videos on golf. Your videos are so spot on for the average golfer. The numbers don’t lie. Knowing the stats is such useful information.
I love these videos that explain the stats. I’d love a coach to analyse my years of Shotscope data to help me get to the areas I need to concentrate on.
As someone who has played the game for 15 years and just gotten to a pb handicap of 6.4 I find this type of video really helpful. It’s small gains here and there due to golf IQ which add up to a shot or 2 on your round 👌
Use my 8 iron a lot for chipping, also my 7 wood especially if I have to go a few feet up hill to the green. Both take the pressure off trying to use a wedge. 👍🏌🏻♂️
