Super hacker to decent golfer..... Who's done it?

[Valleygolfer]

I can't remember scores when I started but they were high. I played every day for a summer and remember shooting an 84. Fast forward 24 years and I was in 108 range, starting over. I have to learn the correct way to swing this time. Now I am usually in the low to mid eighties but I still have some blow up rounds. I need to practice more consistent ball striking, too many errant shots still.

[oregongolfguy]

I am in my early 30's.  Always loved the game, spent most of the last decade or so playing about 5 rounds a year...usually shooting 100-115.

This year I set a goal to get into consistently shooting in the 80's.  This may have been a little lofty, but I felt it was feasible.

First off I am going to sign up for evolvr, but I have been watching a lot of the video's posted here by the gents, then practicing them on the range.  And I have been hitting a lot of range balls.  I have decided to spend more of my practice time with woods and irons, and less on putting and chipping/pitching.  I know I have some easy strokes to gain there.  But I really feel like if I really want to become a good player I need to be able to strike the ball consistently.  Fairways and greens do a good job of eliminating blow up holes.

I also play shorter tee's.  I want to be hitting greens consistently with short irons/wedges, then i'll move back and tackle approaches with mid/long irons.

My swing is really starting to come along well in my mind.  The distance is coming along as well, but I feel this is just a product of a better swing with better impact.  The course I mostly play is pretty open fairways and short on most holes(a couple tricky ones).

First round this year was 109....Last weekend I had my best GIR day of my life, really hitting some solid approaches and even though I had a horrible putting day by anyones standards I shot 90.

Today I broke 90 for the first time in my life and shot 88, and funny thing.  My expectations are starting to climb.  I hit some great shots today, but most of what I thought about in the moment was how much easy stuff I left out on the course....I walked off today very happy about my play.  11/14 fairways, 6/18 GIR.....My front nine was a pretty ugly 48, but I finally started playing golf on #6.  I shot 40 on the back nine, which is generally considered the tougher nine of the course......

[BuckeyeNut]

I didn't start playing until after I was married.......

I still remember my first 9 after being talked into playing by co-workers.   I scored a 93.......for 9 holes!  OUCH............I'd hate to be any golfer following that group!!  The thought of this gives me the cringes.

I got hooked and started playing more regularly.........and it took me 3 years to reach the single digits.

[Fromthecoast]

Definitely feeling better. Hoping to break 110 in the very near future (short term goal). Season goal is under 100. Have to play in a golf tournament with family in about a month and don't want to be the worst one there.

[BuckeyeNut]

I can still remember the day when I carded a 105 score...........and being happy.

[sopel10]

I am in my early 30's.  Always loved the game, spent most of the last decade or so playing about 5 rounds a year...usually shooting 100-115.   This year I set a goal to get into consistently shooting in the 80's.  This may have been a little lofty, but I felt it was feasible.   First off I am going to sign up for evolvr, but I have been watching a lot of the video's posted here by the gents, then practicing them on the range.  And I have been hitting a lot of range balls.  I have decided to spend more of my practice time with woods and irons, and less on putting and chipping/pitching.  I know I have some easy strokes to gain there.  But I really feel like if I really want to become a good player I need to be able to strike the ball consistently.  Fairways and greens do a good job of eliminating blow up holes.    I also play shorter tee's.  I want to be hitting greens consistently with short irons/wedges, then i'll move back and tackle approaches with mid/long irons.   My swing is really starting to come along well in my mind.  The distance is coming along as well, but I feel this is just a product of a better swing with better impact.  The course I mostly play is pretty open fairways and short on most holes(a couple tricky ones).   First round this year was 109....Last weekend I had my best GIR day of my life, really hitting some solid approaches and even though I had a horrible putting day by anyones standards I shot 90.    Today I broke 90 for the first time in my life and shot 88, and funny thing.  My expectations are starting to climb.  I hit some great shots today, but most of what I thought about in the moment was how much easy stuff I left out on the course....I walked off today very happy about my play.  11/14 fairways, 6/18 GIR.....My front nine was a pretty ugly 48, but I finally started playing golf on #6.  I shot 40 on the back nine, which is generally considered the tougher nine of the course......

Congrats on breaking 90. Be prepared though that it might take a while to bring you average score down. Just continue doing all the work and don't get discouraged. Once I broke a 90 two years ago (with an 82), it took me another 100 rounds or so to become consistent enough to hit 80's most of the time.

[Fromthecoast]

Slid in under 110 today with a 108, so its getting whittled down. Last 3 weeks were 126, 117, and 108. Not sure if I will get under 100 next week but I am hopeful to improve my score.

[MissouriHack]

what was the difference between the 108 and the 126?

[JetFan1983]

Good job on that 108. Progress. Keep reading this website. Lots of great information that can take you down the path towards better golf.

Like you, I started out as a 110-120s shooter, really for most of my first season playing (2008).

I shot 77 this past October, breaking 80 for the first time, so it can be done. The first time I ever played a regulation course, I think I shot somewhere above 150... yea I feel bad for the group who was behind me that day, but in my defense, I was completely clueless towards a lot of things in golf in those early weeks.

So it can be done. I studied and read a ton though, found the right instructor after a several year search, and am where I am today, which is someone who can break 80 occasionally.

Actually, looking back on how far I've come now almost six years into golf.... wow. My 2008 self would be really proud of me. Really, really proud. My 2014 self however is just super bitter he can't break 70 though That guy needs to stop and smell the roses sometimes.

[Jodastra]

Keep it up you will get there!

I played golf from 1993 to 1997 like a religion and gave up after never breaking 100. Well I'd play here and there after that. Then I got to play a really nice course, like a PGA course. It was groomed and I could have putted my way to a 100. That is how nice the fairways were. I did exceptionally well and was hooked again by 2008. I played 45 rounds in 2008 and averaged 111 and never broke 100.. Got some lessons and a divorce in 2009...score goes down score goes up, but i broke 100 with a 99 on memorial day 2009. When I started to shoot in the 80's back in 2010-2011 I only golfed 6-7 times a year and it seemed like a chore, I accepted bogey golf, which made me bored with the game overall. So I had to re-invent myself to be better than bogey and keep on hitting the sticks...Golf to me is a work in progress. Last year I shot a 112 on a new course I had not ever played. I redeemed myself by shooting 100 on it a month later, walking, in the rain. I feel a score in the 80's for that course this year....You can do it...just remember I was "Mr. 111" for 2 years at my local course....

[Fromthecoast]

what was the difference between the 108 and the 126?

I took my blade wedges out and went to playing my 56 degree Cleveland 588 as my only blade wedge. I only use it out of sand or maybe an occasional 1 or 2 shots per round. I use my 51 degree cavity back gap wedge that matches my set. I also moved away from teeing off with my 5 iron and forced myself to use my driver or 5 fairway. Smart recovery shots when I have a bad hit. Playing shots that I can handle and have practiced.

[Fromthecoast]

Played again today. Started well with a par and the rest of the front was bogeys and doubles which is good for me. Finished with a 49 on the front so I met my short term goal there but I had a disastrous back nine and finished with a 106 I believe. What funny is I felt like I didn't strike the ball well but I must have done better than I though because I three putter more times today that I have in the last month. Should be back at it tomorrow with my brother in law, hoping for a sub 100 round.

[JP1111]

My first round was in May 2011 on a 6100 yard par 70 course and I shot 133. That summer I just played and played and played. I was getting in a minimum of 100 holes per week, often playing 27 or even 36 holes on my own without a break. It took me about 2 months to break 100, and about 3 more to break 90, then I slowed down to only playing 2 or 3 times a week and it took a further year to break 80. I'm now a solid low 80's player and when I'm really on it I am capable of going sub 75. I know not everyone has the time to play that much (I'm a shift worker so I get lots of weekdays to myself), but I believe if you really want to become a decent player and you practice hard then almost anyone can do it. I never had a lesson, just found a swing I liked, played often, and tweaked things when I needed to. Two bits of advice I would give to anyone wanting to improve: Be completely honest with your score and play to the rules within reason (by that I mean don't head back to the tee because you've lost your ball when you are playing a casual round and there is a queue behind you). And play the shot you should be playing, not the one you are most comfortable with. Too many high handicappers, in my opinion, stay away from hitting driver because they often slice it, or playing a 3 wood off the deck because they top it, or choose to putt through 20 feet of fairway because they aren't comfortable chipping. If you try to play proper golf shots, short term your score my suffer, but your game will improve.

[marvin]

I took up golf in late 2012 when I was 28. I just got a divorce and need a kind of escape to cleared up my mind. I chose golf simply because the company that I worked for has a lot of golf events and I thought it would be embarrassing for me if I couldn’t participate.

I took 5 x 2 hour lessons from a pro. Basically I learned everything from zero: grip, stance, posture, swing, and other fundamental aspects of golf. I’m not an athlete guy and not muscular either but I tried to give my best. After the lessons finished, I went to the range and spent hundreds of balls. I also spent a lot of time chipping, pitching, and putting on the green.

About a year later, I decided to take an 18-hole for the first time. I scored 116, due to my driving (mostly OB), my poor second shot (topping, fat shot, thin shot, you name it), and 3-4 times putting per hole. In late 2013, I became more obsessed with golf. I found this forum. I spent a lot of time watching Youtube tutorials and swing analysis. I also watched almost every golf tournament on the weekend.

Nowadays, I’m playing regularly: 2 times a month 18-hole and driving range every weekend. At home, I always practice my swing and putting. Whenever possible, I always try to video/record my swing to be analysed later. I decided to stop hoing and stick with my clubs. I always play by the rule and keep my stats. My score usually 95-105 and my best so far is 93.

I guess I’m a slow learner, but I enjoy every second of my time on the course.

[Lihu]

I think it is reasonable for someone to get to my current handicap within 2-3 years. Some people can get to a 8, from what I've read, but many people probably take about what I took. I am saying this because I started golf with about 8 other people I know, and because of the amount of time I spent and the number of lessons, I now play legitimately 10 strokes or better than most. Of course, the rounds we play are loosely scored, except for mine. There are lots of other people I meet on the range that have been legitimately at my handicap since I started, and I am just now catching up with them. If you follow my track, it will probably take another year or two to break 90. The people who get to sub-10 handicap in a year or less are pretty rare, and I have never seen any of the 90-100 golfers I meet and associate with do it.

[nebtide]

I know my game went from avg 92 couple years ago to a 97 avg last year and unto mid march this year was avg 105-107. Decide to make changes and try to really improve. I play with a scratch, single digit and a 10 handicap players. Tired of being so bad. Sign up on the Grint to keep my stats. Started out with 34 handicap and April 1st was down to 25 and updated today at 21.7. I just slowed my swing and worked on short game. Last 3 scores was 105, 97 without using a driver, teed off with 3 wood and hybrid. My round this week was a 92, put driver back into play. Shot 92 and had 2 penalties , 3 bunkers and 5 three putts.

[RFKFREAK]

This is a great thread and thoroughly enjoying it.

Gives me hope to shoot in the 70's or 80's one day even though I started playing last year in my late 30's.

[Lihu]

This is a great thread and thoroughly enjoying it.  Gives me hope to shoot in the 70's or 80's one day even though I started playing last year in my late 30's.

80s with good coaching and practice for sure, 70s only if you have the talent. I say this because even I am shooting in the mid to high 80s when seriously scoring, and I think I have a reasonable idea that shooting in the 70s does take some natural ability. I'm really not sure what this means, but it sounds good. That is to say I don't know what I currently lack to say if I can get good enough someday or not to shoot in the 70s. From where I am today, I lack the ability to hit 150 yards every time with my 8i. Sometimes I land the green and sometimes not. I don't know if a lot of practice and experience will land me on the green every time from 150 yards and in. When I chip, I can miss by quite a bit. Sometimes as much as 5 yards from 20 yards in. It's worse than if I was at 80 yards, because it takes a feel of the club that I might never have. Of course I will start practicing it soon, but these are the things that make me lose more strokes than my putting. So, putting from 25 feet and making it in some of the time is another talent ridden skill that I don't know if any amount of practice will achieve. To be a 32 putt per round golfer takes serious talent and skill. I can see improving them over time, but if I can get this good at all these skills is questionable. I feel like I can get into the high single digits to 12 level, but better than that? Only time will tell.