Tournament, and other golf advice....

[Titleist Man]

Ok so to give you some background:

I started playing 4 years ago. 2 years ago i was about a 20 handicap, next year i was a 10, and this year i got it down to a 3(prob playin to a 5 now cause of the weather....). Unnecessary to say i hav worked VERY hard. I practice/ play 10 hrs a day 6 days a week in the summer. Last year was my first year of tournaments. I played around 7-8. I got a third, and 3 seconds(all to the same guy). But i never could get a win.. i came close a few times. I lost by 1 one time by bogeying the last, a par 5.... Also got an 8 on 16 in the final group on the last day..... and lost by 3... so i am THIS close.....

Ok so my goal is to get to a scratch or plus handicap by the time i get into high school(september). Also i want to win EVERY tournament i play in. Do either of these goals seem unreasonable?? Any advice on how to achieve them??? To scratch or plus golfers: how did you take it to the next step??

Also my swing is a bit off, but it comes down on plane, the backswing is jst a bit messed up. Should i go to my teach and rebuild my swing b4 the season gets into things???

Thanks everyone??

[Silzildrummer]

You're a 2.9 handicap and not even in high school yet? Dang, where did I go wrong?

[Titleist Man]

You're a 2.9 handicap and not even in high school yet? Dang, where did I go wrong?

Haha ya but im playing to a 5 or 6 because i havent gotten to play much....but i got here through ALOT of HARD work. So do any scratch/tournament golfers have answers to my question? Are my goals feasible???basically any answers to my above questions??? thanks

[kevin.chan]

You're a 2.9 handicap and not even in high school yet? Dang, where did I go wrong?

Same here ! LOL !

[Titleist Man]

Same here ! LOL !

Well like i said im NOT playin to that now...I didnt get to play 18 holes for a long time so iv jst been playin 9 alot and not been able to put scores in. So the last score in there is mid september.... 2.9 is the best iv gotten it to(and TECHNICALLY my current index). But im NOT playin to it now....but i will get under it this summer!!! So another question: to those who played on HS teams: when you went on did u make an effort to be no. 1 or did u just play and whatever happned happened??? thanks

[jwolf02]

I didn't play high school golf but I did play and coach college tennis. I don't know if it translates (although I bet it does), but the NUMBER ONE problem my players had was worrying about who played at what position. It doesn't matter where you play, only that you give your best effort and do your job for the team. It's nice to get the recognition of being #1, but in the end, it doesn't matter. You do your thing like you know you can and no matter where you play, the rest will all work out. Good luck next year!

[James_Black]

Scratch is going to be tough, but if you practice enough you'll be able to do it.

The winning every tournament thing, seriously, You won't have a good day all the time so I'll have to say no but give it your best shot.

[jamo]

Ok so my goal is to get to a scratch or plus handicap by the time i get into high school(september). Also i want to win EVERY tournament i play in. Do either of these goals seem unreasonable?? Any advice on how to achieve them??? To scratch or plus golfers: how did you take it to the next step??

IS scratch possible, yes, but not likely. I think it's about as hard to get form 2 or 3 to 0, as from 20 to 3. Those seem to be some of the hardest strokes to lose, but if you are a 3 as a middle schooler, or course it's possible. If you really want to get there, the thing you need to learn the most, IMO, is how to make birdies. Maybe you do, but i know that is what held me back personally in 2009.

As for your swing, i would fix it, but this is coming from someone who rarely has the same swing two days in a row, mostly because i am tweaking things. (One of my goals for this year is to stop this)

So another question: to those who played on HS teams: when you went on did u make an effort to be no. 1 or did u just play and whatever happned happened??? thanks

Well i guess some of both. This year I started out as #3, and stayed there most of the year, but i had a hot streak for a while and got to #1, so you could say i tried to get there, but i wasn't forcing it. If you're good enough and the best player on your team, you'll be #1, simple as that.

[msd3075]

I didn't play high school golf but I did play and coach college tennis. I don't know if it translates (although I bet it does), but the NUMBER ONE problem my players had was worrying about who played at what position. It doesn't matter where you play, only that you give your best effort and do your job for the team. It's nice to get the recognition of being #1, but in the end, it doesn't matter. You do your thing like you know you can and no matter where you play, the rest will all work out. Good luck next year!

Just as your post is about another sport but still relates, so does my post. About 7 or 8 years ago when I had just graduated high school, I had the privilege to play a round of golf with Colin White, the "goon" defenseman for the New Jersey Devils (he's my brother's friend's cousin). He was in Houston for the week; they'd been eliminated from the playoffs early so he was taking a "vacation".

After we played golf, we went back to their house to relax by the pool; he told me a bunch of stories about him coming up into the NHL and all that he went through. The one thing that stil sticks out in my mind was that he said the ONLY reason he made it all the way to the NHL was because he was lucky enough to be able to find his own place on a team and that he "played his role" instead of trying to be the super star. He said the vast majority of people that come up through the juniors all think they are the next Gretzky or Crosby and that so many of them would have a much better shot if they just played to their own strengths instead of trying to be the grestest hockey player ever. He only made the team with the Devils because he knew his place as the "goon" and that he never tried to be the super star like Niedermeyer or Stevens; he just did the job that was asked of him.

[cignatz21]

I have played on a high school team for three years now. It does not matter if you are number one or number six on the golf team. Your score still counts in the match. Some coaches even put their best players in the six spot so they have some assurance if the match is close. If you are like me, you will like playing as number five or six because there is not as much pressure and the competition is not as tight. With a 2.9 handicap, you should easily be able to get number one and beat other player in your section. My advice, go into tryouts not worrying about it and just play your game. Good luck.

[goblue107501]

As others have said, it doesn't matter what number you are on the team. I think the HS golf around here plays 6 players and total the best 5 scores (stroke play). So if you play #2 or #4 it doesn't matter. Even if you play #1 and you are not one of the best 5 scores it won't count to the team total. Additionally, eveyone gets to play to qualify for sectionals/districts/state, whatever it might be. You still have to perform each tournament. Now if your area plays a lot of match play, it might make a difference where you are slotted. Overall though, if you perform on the course, it won't matter what number you are. It is really all prestige. If that is important then go for #1, if not, then it really doesn't matter. Just go out and do your best each time.

The only other thing I will add is to find some equipment and stick with it for a while. It seems like every couple of months you are wanting advice on something new. Find some stuff you like and play it for a whole season or more. You will be better for it. New equipment is fun and exciting, but you are better off being consistent with what you have. You will never improve how you want to if you have to learn a new driver and irons three times a year.

[plugged]

It is not possible to win every tournament. The better you get, the better your competition will be as you move up. Keep working hard, maybe even harder and you can ride this pony into a scholarship.

Also remember to give as much focus to your studies. Statistically speaking, the odds are incredibly low that you will ever make a living as a tour player.

[cignatz21]

Also remember to give as much focus to your studies. Statistically speaking, the odds are incredibly low that you will ever make a living as a tour player.

This is a good point Plugged. Although I love golf and put a great amount of time and effort into it, I will be able to get a scholarship and then have a career because of straight A's rather than having two rounds of even golf one weekend. Balance golf and school, but if your school is like mine, you cannot participate in sports if you have a failing grade.