Good or Bad if Competitive Scores are Dropping?

[KrisF]

My scores are working there way down slowly in competitive golf, is this a good sign or bad sign?

128 > 126 > 114 > ? > ?

Note: My handicap isnt based off my competitive golf scores.

[leftybutnotPM]

8 minutes ago, KrisF said:

My scores are working there way down slowly in competitive golf, is this a good sign or bad sign?

128 > 126 > 114 > ? > ?

Note: My handicap isnt based off my competitive golf scores.

I'm pretty sure that the lower the score in golf is, the better it is. I'd have to check though. There are some competitive players who like their scores to be lower and believe that a score of 72 is "better" than a score of 100. But that's just opinion.

In other words...... what am I not understanding in your question?  Improvement is usually a good sign.

 

Edited July 19, 2019 by leftybutnotPM

[KrisF]

Well, I was concerned that this slow improvement will have a negative effect on my game.

5 minutes ago, KrisF said:

Well, I was concerned that this slow improvement will have a negative effect on my game.

It may be because I take more time then I should with certain individual aspects of my game?

[MacDutch]

Depends on your handicap.

[Shindig]

44 minutes ago, leftybutnotPM said:

I'm pretty sure that the lower the score in golf is, the better it is. I'd have to check though.

I certainly wouldn't buy a book about golf entitled Highest Score Wins.

35 minutes ago, KrisF said:

Well, I was concerned that this slow improvement will have a negative effect on my game.

It may be because I take more time then I should with certain individual aspects of my game?

I'm wondering how you're shooting north of 100 in competition as an 11 handicap.  

When you say you're taking more time on certain aspects, do you mean towards improving or are you taking five minutes for each putt?

There are plenty of good players who have aspects of their game that significantly lag behind.  Stan Utley made some good money in professional golf, even before his teaching career, despite not driving it much past your average scratch player.  Boo Weekley won on the PGA Tour despite putting at about a ten handicap level.  You don't have to improve all aspects of your game uniformly. 

If you have a glaring weakness (compared to your general ability level), work on that a little more.  For example, I was having 5-7 strokes lost putting per round a month ago, so I upped my putting practice.  Now I'm a little worse than my handicap level at it, but it isn't this horrible thing standing out.  

Of course, figuring out what a glaring weakness really is is difficult.  I encourage you to carefully read the following thread:  not just the title, but the content, paying particular attention to the suggestions from professionals and low handicaps who comment on it.  It should help guide your practice in a good way.

 

[MacDutch]

2 hours ago, MacDutch said:

Depends on your handicap.

Ah, just checked the op’s hcp, he stated it as 11.x. Well the answer on the original question is that its a good thing. Your handicap will go up and reflect your true golf abilties at the moment.

Looks to me like your current handicap is a bit to low. 

[MarvChamp]

Sorry but I really do not understand this question or the 11 HCP and scores. I usually shoot better than my high handicap in tournament golf...89-95...I guess because I concentrate more on course management. So something seems "off" to me in OP's statements? Best, -Marv

[David in FL]

Lower scores are better than higher scores...

What do you mean when you say that your “handicap isn’t based on your competitive scores”?  

Even given the added stress of competition,  those scores are highly unusual for an 11 handicap...

[KrisF]

17 hours ago, Shindig said:

I certainly wouldn't buy a book about golf entitled Highest Score Wins.

I'm wondering how you're shooting north of 100 in competition as an 11 handicap.  

When you say you're taking more time on certain aspects, do you mean towards improving or are you taking five minutes for each putt?

There are plenty of good players who have aspects of their game that significantly lag behind.  Stan Utley made some good money in professional golf, even before his teaching career, despite not driving it much past your average scratch player.  Boo Weekley won on the PGA Tour despite putting at about a ten handicap level.  You don't have to improve all aspects of your game uniformly. 

If you have a glaring weakness (compared to your general ability level), work on that a little more.  For example, I was having 5-7 strokes lost putting per round a month ago, so I upped my putting practice.  Now I'm a little worse than my handicap level at it, but it isn't this horrible thing standing out.  

Of course, figuring out what a glaring weakness really is is difficult.  I encourage you to carefully read the following thread:  not just the title, but the content, paying particular attention to the suggestions from professionals and low handicaps who comment on it.  It should help guide your practice in a good way.

 

So, one like I said in the original post "My handicap isnt based off my competitive golf scores." second why is it in 100 well its competition and I get crushed by the nerves. I just started competition golf  expecting to play like I do when im not playing competition.

10 hours ago, David in FL said:

Lower scores are better than higher scores...

What do you mean when you say that your “handicap isn’t based on your competitive scores”?  

Even given the added stress of competition,  those scores are highly unusual for an 11 handicap...

Its the added stress screwing with me, and I dont put my competitive rounds in the Handicap Calculator I put all my best rounds in it.

[iacas]

I mean no offense by this, because I legitimately don't care what a guy in Texas is shooting or claiming or anything… but your 11 handicap is highly suspect if you're claiming to have not broken 110 in competitive rounds.

I don't think I've ever met someone who could legitimately blame 4x the shots over par as "nerves."

Also, I didn't see your handicap in GHIN.

[KrisF]

Just now, iacas said:

I mean no offense by this, because I legitimately don't care what a guy in Texas is shooting or claiming or anything… but your 11 handicap is highly suspect if you're claiming to have not broken 110 in competitive rounds.

I don't think I've ever met someone who could legitimately blame 4x the shots over par as "nerves."

Well now you met that someone.

[iacas]

Just now, KrisF said:

Well now you met that someone.

I don't think you're an 11.

[KrisF]

6 minutes ago, iacas said:

I don't think you're an 11.

Im not even going to answer at this point your just asking me to leave TST. Because you dont believe based on my last 3 competitive rounds

Edited July 19, 2019 by KrisF

[iacas]

Just now, KrisF said:

Im not even going to answer at this point your just asking me to leave TST. Because you wont believe that based off my 3 bad competitive rounds that im not an 11 handicapper.

It's nothing like that. I'm just trying to reconcile how someone who breaks 90 frequently has not broken 114 in a competition.

How are you determining your handicap index? Again, you don't appear to be in GHIN. PM me if you'd like.

[Shindig]

35 minutes ago, KrisF said:

So, one like I said in the original post "My handicap isnt based off my competitive golf scores." second why is it in 100 well its competition and I get crushed by the nerves. I just started competition golf  expecting to play like I do when im not playing competition.

Its the added stress screwing with me, and I dont put my competitive rounds in the Handicap Calculator I put all my best rounds in it.

Are the non-competitive rounds played under rules of golf?  Like Erik, I don't mean any offense, I'm trying to reconcile this so I can make sense of what's happening and help you.

Are you just putting all your best rounds into the calculator?  Why not put your 20 most recent rounds in, as per GHIN guidelines?  

I'm trying to figure out how nerves are costing you 2-3 extra strokes per hole.  Then I can try to help you with how to handle those shots. 

[KrisF]

23 minutes ago, Shindig said:

Are the non-competitive rounds played under rules of golf?  Like Erik, I don't mean any offense, I'm trying to reconcile this so I can make sense of what's happening and help you.

Are you just putting all your best rounds into the calculator?  Why not put your 20 most recent rounds in, as per GHIN guidelines?  

I'm trying to figure out how nerves are costing you 2-3 extra strokes per hole.  Then I can try to help you with how to handle those shots. 

So I put all my five best rounds in the calculator. I never used an official GHIN one because I thought you had to be a Pro Golfer or something in the likes. I suppose putting your best rounds is a breach of the guidelines? And the five best rounds were played under the rules of golf.  I just didnt know GHIN was something im allowed to use so I had no idea.

[Shindig]

2 hours ago, KrisF said:

So I put all my five best rounds in the calculator. I never used an official GHIN one because I thought you had to be a Pro Golfer or something in the likes. I suppose putting your best rounds is a breach of the guidelines? And the five best rounds were played under the rules of golf.  I just didnt know GHIN was something im allowed to use so I had no idea.

The way handicaps work in the United States is your 20 most recent rounds are considered;  the ten best differentials are averaged (and multiplied by .96, but that isn't relevant).  So taking just your five best rounds isn't indicative.  

If you don't know your however many most recent rounds, start recording them going forward.  Start a spreadsheet in Google Docs;  record the date, score, and tees played.  Record the course rating and slope rating (these should be printed on the scorecard, or easily available at your club) for the tees you played.  If you scored over a 9 on any hole, compute what your score would be if you had a 9 on that hole instead. 

After you have a few of these, we can get your formula ready to have a more accurate estimate of your handicap.

You don't need to be a pro to have an official handicap.  You don't even need to have ever broken 110.  Just a desire to have one is enough to get least get an unofficial one.

Are your competitive rounds played net golf?  Most clubs have a net division for people who aren't regularly shooting near par. 

[boogielicious]

11 hours ago, KrisF said:

So I put all my five best rounds in the calculator. I never used an official GHIN one because I thought you had to be a Pro Golfer or something in the likes. I suppose putting your best rounds is a breach of the guidelines? And the five best rounds were played under the rules of golf.  I just didnt know GHIN was something im allowed to use so I had no idea.

I just have a GHIN and post every round that I play with someone else. Bad score don’t really raise the handicap if the happen infrequently.