How long did it take you to get good?

Iv only been playing for a little less than a year, but in reality Iv only played about 10-12 times max. Iv played the past 2 weekends in a row now and plan to play alot more this year that I have some nice clubs and found out that alot of my friends are actually golfers (never really knew before).

Anyway, I feel like I learn a little something and improve a little each time out (although scorecard doesnt really indicate this). Im consistantly shooting in the 110-120 range each time out. Im not really discouraged because Im such a beginer... but just kinda curious how much time this game really takes to get the hang of it...

I played on Friday with 2 buddies and this 74 year old man was a single and joined up with us. I talked to him alot and he gave me a few pointers. He said he has been playing over 60 years and still learns things... So I understand its not something Im going to master anytime soon, or ever.... But id like to be a little better and break 100 on a regular basis and maybe even consistantly shoot 80s before its all said and done...

The old man was really good, he never shot anything less than a bogey (only 2 bogeys in all). He told me that I have alot of talent just waiting to explode and can see alot of potential in me (didnt say it to other 2 guys I was with... )

So I think Im gonna get some lessons or sign up for a beginers clinic really soon and make sure Im off to right step...

It took me 3 months to go from a 15 Hdcp to a 10, and eight years to go from a 10 to a low of 6.4.

well i wish i was a 15 handicap, im like a 40... lol

Yeah. I found out a good number of my friends play golf when I took it up. And I've made many through the game.

Ever play Othello/Reversi? Ten minutes to learn, a lifetime to master. Golf is like that.

I've played maybe 10-15 regulation rounds, and I estimate that I make 1-2 mistakes per hole. But I'm now to the point where I've made the same mistakes twice a few times, and then am about to make it a third time before I remember.

Lessons are good. Practice what your pro tells you to practice, then when you're X% at it on the range (I use 70% as my cue), go play a few times using it. Then go back for more. That's been my practice plan, and I went from shooting 79 for 9 holes to 100 for 18 holes in six months. And one day, I'll get to 79 for 18 holes and I'll have to post something on my instructor's website about how he literally cut my score in half

My experience was pretty similar. You will find that if you practice/play regularly, you will improve a great deal from where you are at right now. However, once you get into the single digit handicap range, your improvement is in much smaller increments. Also, the focus of your practice will also have to evolve as you get to a lower handicap. At a high handicap, making improvements in your full swing will reduce your handicap sharply. As your handicap get lower, practicing your short game and wedge game from 100 yards and in will be the main way to improve further. I had my handicap down to a 4.0 when I was in high school, but lack of playing has brought it up a bit.

Jorgesgolf

When I started, I couldnt hit the broad side of a barn and was terrible. I got a good instructor who I still work with to this day and practiced all the time whether playing, range, carpet putting you name it. All in all it took me about 8 years to go from 24 (first recorded handicap) down to 1. I went slowly down year after year. Its been a long journey down to 1 but its been worth it! Keep practicing and your goal of breaking 100 will turn into wanting to break 90,80,70 etc. Good Luck!

I've been playing golf for a LONG time. I haven't gotten good yet and, most likely, never will.

Also dont get to much into your handicap right away. You might have a sound long game and be terrible at the short game, so I would find your weaknesses and practice those harder than maybe you would your strengths. For instance when I started out, I could drive the ball and hit my irons well but I couldnt do anything 100 yards and in and my putting was atrocious. But all I wanted to do was hit that driver on the range instead of practicing with the scoring clubs.

30 years and counting. I've been down to a 9.6 USGA index, but I've never been good. My best ever round was a 73, and I left some shots on the course even in that round. That one round is about the closest I've even been to "good".

No one is probably going to believe my case, but whatever:

I picked the game up last June 2006. Had I ever picked a club up before then? yea, of course, i had been to the drving range about 5 times in my life, but never on a course before June 2006. I played 4 days a week during the summer, and now, April 9th, 2007 I am glad to say I shoot under 45 consistently now. Just shot a 43 the other day. Hopefully I can reach 40 by the time June starts to make it the one year mark.

im 15 now.. started swinging a club at age 5. I only realized that i was getting good at about age 12. Where then i got a club membership and started playing daily. I knew i should keep with the sport cuz im really getting good at it. Now im a 8.6 HC aiming for a 5-7 this year at my local golf club.

I took some lessons as a kid but never really played or practiced. I took them to make my grandfather happy. Started playing at 24 shot over 100 my first two rounds then never again. When I established my first handicap the next year it was a 19. Within 5 years I was a single digit handicap and now I am a 2. So altogether it has taken me 11 years to go from a beginner to a 2 handicap. I did take 3 years off from golf during that time.

For me, progress came in stages.

Year one was spent just trying to hit the ball (with widely varying degrees of success) and scoring well above 100. Sounds like that's where you are.

Years 2 - 4 were spent actually making contact fairly consistently, but all over the club face. Heel, toe, high, low, fat and thin. But I often broke 100 and even got into the mid-nineties. Main objective was to propel the ball forward.

Years 5 - 7 discovered concept of hitting down on the ball to actually get it to fly high and land softly. Or at least soft-er than hitting screaming bullets. Scoring in the low 90s.

Years 8 to present -- You don't "hit" the ball at all. You swing through it. Smoothly. With a consistent, controlled tempo. With arms, hips and shoulders all moving in coordination with each other (sometimes). Shooting in the 80s.

Still to come: Appyling controlled tempo to EVERY shot, with EVERY club in the bag; Minimizing distractions imposed by poor score, slow play in front/pushed from behind, weather, course design, fatigue; Putting; Understanding wind; Bunker play; Evaluating lies in rough; Putting; Controlling ball flight (fades and draws); Reading greens; Recognizing and adapting to changing conditions during a round; Spin.

And....putting.

You've got a lot to look forward to. Good luck!

For me I'd say about 6-7 years of playing seriously. I started when I was about 8 years old and I was shooting around 100. My game peaked in the summer of '05 when I was 15-16. I got to a point where I was playing close to scratch. Due to different circumstances I only played maybe 3 times all last summer and fall so my game is lacking substantially this spring.

Some people can improve a lot faster than others though. I had a friend who picked up the game sometime around spring 2005 who I played regularly with through the summer and he actually shot a best round of 81 that same summer. He never got too serious about it though and I don't think he's played since that summer.

I picked the game last July 2006, that's when I had my first set of golf clubs (Wilson). I had very few experiences of hitting golf balls at the range years and years ago but that's about it. I honestly could say three months of practicing at the range (3-4 times a week) built me the fitness to swing golf club (At first I couldn't even hold golf club on the top of my swing). From there to now (6 months later), I'm still trying to hit the ball consistently at the center of club face. In other words, I'm in your 5-7 and 8-present years right now, but I still have problem with when you're 2-4 years. Sometimes when my body is fit, I could hit VERY consistently always straight down and at the center of club face. But few days later when I go out to practice again it seems my body forgets the last swing I did. So I had to find it again and again. Sometimes I do find it, sometimes I don't. But I mostly don't.

Is there anyone experiencing this? Is there any cure?

I am experiencing this. I have only been playing for about 4 months. I am doing very well, imo. I was at the driving range last week and I was driving the ball and landing it at the 250 yd marker, which would have probably rolled to 270 with no net. Most of my drives were perfectly straight or had a slight draw or fade. Then I got out on the course 2 days later and I couldn't hit anything. I don't think I made solid contact once. I personally think it is a mind game. You have to practice a lot and then stay calm and focused when it counts.

My biggest problem right now is lifting my head up as I am striking the ball. If I could just convince myself to keep my head down, I would hit 75% of my bad shots better. I just want to see where the ball is going... and that normally ends up being about 30 yds... lol.

If there could really be an instant "fix" to this we'd all be in heaven.

I struggle with the same thing, some days it all feels right and natural. I can hit every club in my bag (except 3&4 irons-those are still my cross to bear), and then there's days that I can't hit anything. From what I'm told, and this is strictly from folks out on the golf course, I sometimes have a tendency to swing from the "outside-in" (and can someone please give me a true explanation of what that means?) and then it gets in my head and I swing for the fences which only serves to make matters worst. Honestly I find that when I get like that, the best fix for the moment is to slooooooow down my swing and just focus on a good balanced swing, even if it means a loss of yards. Give it a try, it might work. At least it gets my mind focused again.

My case is not typical, but I am going to comment. I had a head injury at age 24 causing a stroke. (technically a closed head injury). I was a natural left hander but at age 27 when I began to play golf, due to left side weakness and coordination issues, chose to play right handed. This type of injury makes aquiring and keeping what people like to call muscle memory difficult. I have found that when I play well it is a big plus to hit 10-15 balls after I play trying to ingrain my feel. In between formal practice or play I swing a club at 15-20 times a dayhome where I try to focus on recovering the same feel. Spending time on feel instead of just technique I believe is important for consistency.

Oh I'll let you know how long it has taken when I consider myself good.