Where Will My Game Be In Six Years?

[dagolfer18]

This crossed my mind yesterday evening. Where do y’all think my game will be in five years based on the following facts about my game right now:

1) I am going out to the course two to three times a week to practice, in addition to practicing two or three times a week at home (with some overlap days, so practicing probably 3-5 days a week).

2) I am playing once or twice a week.

3) My handicap is currently 19.2

4) I am scoring in the low 90s, but am on the brink of 80s.

I believe that if I keep up the practice mentioned above, I can get into low 80s by the time I graduate from high school in June 2022, and maybe mid 70s by the time I graduate from college in 2026, which means I might be able to play the US Am soon after.

Edited April 23, 2020 by dagolfer18

[Double Mocha Man]

Focus on the near-term, not the long-term. The long-term will take care of itself if you are making day- to-day gains.  With, of course, fallbacks here and there.  And remember, one day between now and 6 years from now that epiphany may hit. Be ready for it.

Edited April 23, 2020 by Double Mocha Man

[ChetlovesMer]

19 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Focus on the near-term, not the long-term. The long-term will take care of itself

I think this is really good advice.

By my math you have 2 more years of Highschool to go. If you are passionate about golf, that is great. It's a great game. I'd suggest your first goal is to try to make your Highschool golf team. From there, you will want to find a way onto a college team. 

This website (and many others) gives tons of advice for Highschool athletes who are passionate about their sport. If your goal is to play college golf there's some really good advice here.

14 Tips for High School Athletes

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High school athletes who want to get recruited by a college need to get noticed by the right coach. Discover tips for high school student athletes.

 

[pganapathy]

1 hour ago, dagolfer18 said:

1) I am going out to the course two to three times a week to practice, in addition to practicing two or three times a week at home (with some overlap days, so practicing probably 3-5 days a week).

graduate from high school in June 2022, and maybe mid 70s by the time I graduate from college in 2026, which means I might be able to play the US Am soon after.

The most important thing to understand about practice is that it ingrains your current habits and swing.  IF that is flawed and you don't go to a pro, it will become very difficult to correct.  My suggestion, is go to a pro and get lessons.  Then practice what you have been taught, and go back regularly for follow up lessons or even a check-up, to see if you have followed what was taught or have ingrained bad habits.  There is a reason even the best pro's in the world have swing coaches.

If you do this well, you should be able to get into single digit handicap in a couple of years time.

[Osnola]

I don't care....i'll be 78 and hope to still be playing...

[Vinsk]

15 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

The most important thing to understand about practice is that it ingrains your current habits and swing

It’s another phenomenon of golf. Bad mechanics can be ingrained like a stone carving in a matter of minutes. Good mechanics can disappear in the blink of an eye with no recollection of how they were done. 

[Double Mocha Man]

47 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

It’s another phenomenon of golf. Bad mechanics can be ingrained like a stone carving in a matter of minutes. Good mechanics can disappear in the blink of an eye with no recollection of how they were done. 

Yes, golf is like a magic show.  Things disappear right in front of your eyes.  "Here, look, I'm going to cover this well-grooved swing with this cloth."  Momentarily the magician flicks the cloth off your swing, "Presto, chango... now it's a shank!"  Thunderous applause...

[Vinsk]

27 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Yes, golf is like a magic show.  Things disappear right in front of your eyes.  "Here, look, I'm going to cover this well-grooved swing with this cloth."  Momentarily the magician flicks the cloth off your swing, "Presto, chango... now it's a shank!"  Thunderous applause...

Lol. Over the top, shanks, flipping....just as natural and repeatable as walking. Weight shift, shallowing the club? A discombobulated, foreign sensation of another dimension.

[Double Mocha Man]

Just now, Vinsk said:

Lol. Over the top, shanks, flipping....just as natural and repeatable as walking. Weight shift, shallowing the club? A discombobulated, foreign sensation of another dimension.

Now I see why you're wearing that mask...

[The Flush]

3 hours ago, dagolfer18 said:

This crossed my mind yesterday evening. Where do y’all think my game will be in five years based on the following facts about my game right now:

1) I am going out to the course two to three times a week to practice, in addition to practicing two or three times a week at home (with some overlap days, so practicing probably 3-5 days a week).

2) I am playing once or twice a week.

3) My handicap is currently 19.2

4) I am scoring in the low 90s, but am on the brink of 80s.

I believe that if I keep up the practice mentioned above, I can get into low 80s by the time I graduate from high school in June 2022, and maybe mid 70s by the time I graduate from college in 2026, which means I might be able to play the US Am soon after.

This is just a single data point from someone similar in age to you.  There is no real way to compare your potentials.

My son starting playing more than recreationally last year as a 15/16 year old junior.  He is self taught with me throwing bad advice in to slow him down.  In his first high school golf season he never broke 90 in 18 hole rounds, although he beat 45 for 9 hole rounds several times.

He plays and practices a similar amount to you. His driver average carry distance is about 240 with accuracy inconsistency. 

Since the HS season ended last October he has averaged in the mid 80s with a best score of 76 over the winter and early spring. 

Can you meet the goals you identified?  Certainly.  Will you?  No one knows.

 

 

 

[cooke119]

Given I'm 68 with three back surgeries probably not so good in six years, but I'll still be out there God willing.

[Mr22putt]

@dagolfer18 I think the prime time to get better quickly will be the next 2 years while you're still at home and in HS to play and practice golf.

I believe once you get to university you'll likely be concentrating a lot on school and not much on golf...especially if you go away to school.

IMO....you'll either get to single digits quickly or you won't....I believe most single caps get to single caps fairly quickly.....2-4 years???....assuming they get to play/practice often.

[Groucho Valentine]

Id focus more on the short term than long term. Use score as a barometer, and no so much ballstriking.  But for me anyway, I was breaking 80 regularly by the end of my second year playing with regular practice.  Then took 4 or so year break from golf during college, began practicing again and was breaking 80 regularly again by the end of  that year. A year or so down the line some breakthrough occurred and I went shooting in the low-mid 70's to regularly shooting par or better seemingly overnight. (it probably wasn't that dramatic) But I can't explain what happened. I wasn't doing anything differently with my swing or practice habits, a switch just flipped. 

Conversely, I'm nowhere good as I was 5 years ago and I can't explain how the hell that happened either...

[David in FL]

If you’re like most people, six years from now you’ll be within two strokes of where you are right now.

So, don’t be like most people.  Find a good instructor, along with him, make a plan and stick to it.  

[shanksalot]

Probably somewhat worse than right now. 

[Killa]

Since you are a kid, there are 3 options. You’ll get good and to low single figures fast and you’ll continue to play competitively in college. You’ll get good and stop playing completely in or before college. Or you’ll stay in the 10-20 range, and continue to play sporadically. 
 

That’s what happens when you are a teenager. 

[dagolfer18]

On 4/25/2020 at 12:54 AM, shanksalot said:

Probably somewhat worse than right now. 

So you think I’m gonna get worse in the next several years? I think not.

[iacas]

On 4/23/2020 at 5:13 PM, David in FL said:

If you’re like most people, six years from now you’ll be within two strokes of where you are right now.

So, don’t be like most people.  Find a good instructor, along with him, make a plan and stick to it.  

Yup.