You know your game is improving when . . .

[ckmj23]

you make an Ace and chip in for par in the same round!

[CarlSpackler]

When your handicap is going down perhaps...

[imsys0042]

When your handicap is going down perhaps...

True enough, but that does take time.   I've been working hard this year and putting in a lot of practice time and throwing myself on the mercy of the golf staff to tell me what I need to do to improve.   I eliminated some bad mistakes and was hitting better shots all around.  But this happened:

Started the season at 11.1

Did better overall but threw up 3-4 7s per round

Handicap went up to 13.5

Things are finally going in the right direction, I'm down in the 11 range again.   But sometimes it takes time to work it's way through.   I suspect I'll be popular for a couple of months until I get to where I want to be for the year, which is about an 8.

[Avalanche]

When you start getting up near most greens in regulation, for an up and down par opportunities.  Even if not many are converted, just yet.  lol

[Lihu]

When you start getting up near most greens in regulation, for an up and down par opportunities.  Even if not many are converted, just yet.  lol

Yeah, that is pretty exciting! Congratulations on getting closer to the greens!

[Moppy]

After my worst round of the season yesterday I'm tempted to start a thread "You know your game is declining when.." but I'll stay away from that.

Oh man, this is happening to me. I worked and worked on my slice, and it is almost completely gone, but now suddenly it has become left, left, left hook, left! Plus the ground is so wet and I am hitting everything fat except when I club up to compensate, then I hit it solid into the woods behind the green. I know they are minor adjustments, but man it is discouraging. I guess I should have posted on the "I am ready to quit golf" thread, but I have sort of made a deal with myself to just take mulligans and play on and don't keep any scores until this passes.

[SoundandFury]

You step up to the ball and your primary thought is where to place the ball to leave you the best next shot (rather that thinking of ways to make solid contact).

[oregongolfguy]

You step up to the ball and your primary thought is where to place the ball to leave you the best next shot (rather that thinking of ways to make solid contact).

I was gonna post something similar to this.  I know when Im playing well because I am thinking about my aiming point, distance to hit the shot, the line etc and not trying to hit the ball...

Also I know when I'm striking it well because I start getting bummed when I miss greens instead of being happy that I have a NGIR

[newtogolf]

When your buddies aren't so quick to suggest placing a wager on the round.

[Salte]

When you card your first score totally free of triples or worse (which i incidentally did yesterday :) )

[CarlSpackler]

True enough, but that does take time.   I've been working hard this year and putting in a lot of practice time and throwing myself on the mercy of the golf staff to tell me what I need to do to improve.   I eliminated some bad mistakes and was hitting better shots all around.  But this happened:

Started the season at 11.1

Did better overall but threw up 3-4 7s per round

Handicap went up to 13.5

Things are finally going in the right direction, I'm down in the 11 range again.   But sometimes it takes time to work it's way through.   I suspect I'll be popular for a couple of months until I get to where I want to be for the year, which is about an 8.

I would contend that your handicap is the true gauge of how you are playing. If you fix your slice but still miss the green and fail to get up and down, you are not playing any better. At the end of the day, your score is a number on the score card. It doesn't matter how you got that score other than knowing what you need to work on. Golf takes many different skills. Last Sunday, I scored 42 on the back 9 which is a pretty typical score for me, however, I took an 8 on the 10th hole. From then on, I had 3 bogeys and 1 birdie, but I can't say that I played it better than normal. Had that 8 been a 5, then I could say that 39 was better than normal and my handicap would have reflected it.

[32quattro]

others are scared of you and are trying tricks to make you bite, I love match plays.

[imsys0042]

I would contend that your handicap is the true gauge of how you are playing. If you fix your slice but still miss the green and fail to get up and down, you are not playing any better. At the end of the day, your score is a number on the score card. It doesn't matter how you got that score other than knowing what you need to work on. Golf takes many different skills. Last Sunday, I scored 42 on the back 9 which is a pretty typical score for me, however, I took an 8 on the 10th hole. From then on, I had 3 bogeys and 1 birdie, but I can't say that I played it better than normal. Had that 8 been a 5, then I could say that 39 was better than normal and my handicap would have reflected it.

True.   I guess I would say that my handicap wasn't in sync with the somewhat substantial improvements I've made this year.   Or I was scoring better than I should have over the past year due to either leaning on my short game too much or just being lucky.

[CarlSpackler]

True.   I guess I would say that my handicap wasn't in sync with the somewhat substantial improvements I've made this year.   Or I was scoring better than I should have over the past year due to either leaning on my short game too much or just being lucky.

As soon as you start posting better rounds, your handicap should begin to trend down since it tosses the worst 10 of your last 20 rounds. My whole point is that your handicap is the true indication of how well you are playing. I shot a 39 last year, but it was surrounded by a bunch of other scores that didn't indicate improvement. It was just one good league round. I'm actually a 5 handicap (9 hole) in my league. I can look at my driving distances and accuracy on Game Golf, but if I'm not capitalizing by putting it on the green and 1 or 2 putting, I can only say that I am driving the ball better. If you are truly improving your swing and ball striking, your scores and handicap should be coming down due to the high SV of those shots. I see the LSW badge, so I assume you know what I mean.

[vangator]

When you can count your scores mostly on one hand and don't need to pull off your shoes and socks to count.

[inthehole]

... You  aren't afraid to use your "good" balls.

... You're hitting your clubs longer "without doing anything different"

... You look forward to greenside chips, rather than fearing them

... you become the clean up hitter for your scramble outings

[imsys0042]

As soon as you start posting better rounds, your handicap should begin to trend down since it tosses the worst 10 of your last 20 rounds. My whole point is that your handicap is the true indication of how well you are playing. I shot a 39 last year, but it was surrounded by a bunch of other scores that didn't indicate improvement. It was just one good league round. I'm actually a 5 handicap (9 hole) in my league. I can look at my driving distances and accuracy on Game Golf, but if I'm not capitalizing by putting it on the green and 1 or 2 putting, I can only say that I am driving the ball better. If you are truly improving your swing and ball striking, your scores and handicap should be coming down due to the high SV of those shots. I see the LSW badge, so I assume you know what I mean.

Yeah, I think I'm focusing on one thing so much that I'm ignoring other aspects that need work or are not putting the ball in the hole quicker.   Total score where I am losing some shots I need to get back in other areas.   The main reason I might have felt that way is because it's rare (OMG, don't jinx yourself) for me to put a ball out of play now, where I was doing it 2-4 times in the past.   But putting and some things inside 100 yards are probably keeping me from coming down too much yet.   The quality of full shots is such an improvement recently.

... You  aren't afraid to use your "good" balls.

This is a common one at my course.   There are not many people who have finished a round with the same ball there.   At a tourney in May, some guy we were sitting with told us he usually plays 2-3 rounds with the same balls.   Once he left, someone said "Bull$h!t!"

[9wood]

... You  aren't afraid to use your "good" balls.

... You're hitting your clubs longer "without doing anything different"

... You look forward to greenside chips, rather than fearing them

... you become the clean up hitter for your scramble outings

1. I use to put away my good balls anytime I got near water - not no more

2. Well not longer but more accurately

3. I love green side chips and enjoy them probably even more than putting, especially since I am beginning to hole quite a few chip shots

4. haven't scrambled - maybe next year