Low-handicappers reveal the 1 thing that gave their game a breakthrough

Sometimes, the difference between a 90s shooter and an 80s shooter can be as simple as prioritizing the right things. Enter GOLF’s resident low-handicaps, who are here to offer some helpful advice, golfer-to-golfer.

Dial-In Your Driver

Dylan Dethier (+3.3 handicap): Impossible to say just one thing, but I’d say hitting driver out of play is the most common issue among my friends. It leads to lost golf balls, incomplete holes, high scores, less fun. The solutions?

Make sure you’re using a driver with a shaft that makes sense for you (get fit!) ; 2. Be intentional on the range — make fairways for yourself and work on hitting a specific target, not just trying to reach the back net; 3. Develop a go-to shot that you know will stay in play on scary holes. A few lessons might help with that last piece.

Embrace Boring

Luke Kerr-Dineen (2.2 handicap): Players who struggle to break 80 generally seem to ignore the idea of course management, when it’s arguably one of the most important and easiest ways to lower their score. Do the simple things right: Find a consistent shot shape (left-to-right or right-to-left) you like and play it as much as you can; don’t be afraid of leaving the driver in the bag off the tee; think about the best place to miss your shots and aim there; around the green, keep the ball on the ground. It’s not glamorous, but my game hit a breakthrough when I started trying to embrace boring.

Focus On Fundamentals

Josh Sens (2.5 handicap): Working on setup — posture, alignment, ball position, grip — was a much quicker and easier way to get better than trying to change my swing. If you give yourself a solid platform to build, good things wil follow.

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