Is Your Handicap Accurate?

[Billy Z]

22 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I didn't do a search, but I'm sure there are other threads for discussion of sandbagging.  This thread, as stated, is about your opinion of your own handicap's accuracy.

Ok, fair enough. I feel my handicap is accurate as it is the result of many being in competition. When competing, I am usually very tooth and claw and don't give up ever when I am playing poorly. Also, I feel I will lower my cap this season, but that is yet to be seen.

[phan52]

Our posting season doesn't start until tomorrow so my index is leftover from November 1 of last year. I believe my handicap is "accurate" based on the current handicapping system, although I think it was unfair to lower the number of scores that count from 10 to 8 of the last 20. That won't matter for low handicap players IMO, but for us higher handicap players who have more variance in our scores it tends to keep it down a notch. And I think that was the purpose.

My index never used to change more than .3 in any 2 week period but, last season, it went up .6 once and down .6 another time, depending on what was going out in my last 20.

[DaveP043]

11 minutes ago, phan52 said:

Our posting season doesn't start until tomorrow so my index is leftover from November 1 of last year. I believe my handicap is "accurate" based on the current handicapping system, although I think it was unfair to lower the number of scores that count from 10 to 8 of the last 20. That won't matter for low handicap players IMO, but for us higher handicap players who have more variance in our scores it tends to keep it down a notch. And I think that was the purpose.

My index never used to change more than .3 in any 2 week period but, last season, it went up .6 once and down .6 another time, depending on what was going out in my last 20.

Decreasing the number of scores does serve to lower the Handicap Index slightly, but removal of the 0.96 reduction factor increases it slightly.  And the elimination of the 0.96 factor has a greater effect for higher handicappers.

As for the variability, I see the same thing too, each round can make a significant difference.  I play a fair amount of golf, 4 rounds or more in a 2-week period.  Updating over a longer period seems to me to be likely to smooth out some of the volatility that I see now.  

[mohearn]

3 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

What are you using for your handicap?  I tried to enter an "out of season" score through GHIN, and it wouldn't let me.  

 

Thanks! I use MyScorecard for handicap. They appear to have fixed things so now one is alerted to out of season scores and they are not used for calculations.  I'm guessing last November that wasn't the case.

Interesting about the golf watch situation.  I don't own one yet but they're so common I've been pondering getting one. Going to disable the "slope" feature on my laser, never really use it so might as well turn it off.

[darthweasel]

3 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I didn't do a search, but I'm sure there are other threads for discussion of sandbagging.  This thread, as stated, is about your opinion of your own handicap's accuracy.

 

for me they are related...every time out I am trying to shoot the best I can that day. On occasion, I might try a low percentage shot (but that is almost always in a non-sanctioned format and thus not relevant). But when it comes to tournaments, I tend to always score towards the better end of my handicap. First tournament I played this year I shot the 2nd lowest score (by 1 stroke) I have shot all year. 

 

I don't know the why of it...although I have always been hyper competitive, it was a character flaw I spent decades working to get over to the point where, outside of athletic pursuits, I have moved to co-op games...

 

the result is, I had a few rugged rounds starting this year. After reaching a personal best 12.8 last year, I have skyrocketed to a 14.9 this year. I do not believe that accurately reflects my abilities. I legit think one day this year it will all come together and I will shoot somewhere in the mid to upper seventies. Have only broken 80 once in my life. But all the pieces are there...I have the length (current driver average 255 per golfpad), I have been working on my swing, my chipping, my putting...I feel like I am capable of a mid 80s any time and likely to be mid to high 80s in any given tournament...but my handicap most definitely doesn't reflect that, although it does reflect the scores I am shooting

[Frank F]

My handicap is accurate. GHIN updates after midnight for all scores posted the previous day and any round that I shoot, I score.