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What Single Thing Made the Biggest Drop in Your Handicap?


Val Raj
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Having been around +18 handicap for a while, I have been always curious at what things made the biggest difference in handicap. For example, the ideas of separation value make a lot of sense, and I have been putting a lot of time practicing the approach shots and driver at home during the lockdown. It will be nice to put the driver in play after not using it for the last 3 years!! Hopefully that will pay off when the courses open here. 

I know it is hard to compare someone who drops a +20 to +18, to someone who drops +3 to +1. So perhaps absolute value in drop is less important than the % drop. 

So what made the biggest difference in your game? it could be that fancy new piece of training equipment, or that drill you kept practicing off the course, or that new putter you put into play ... 

If I was to look back over the last 5 years, the biggest thing that made a difference for me was just practicing a 7i hitting around 150yds or so --- the one year I did that at the range regularly, my scores dropped dramatically. In fact, I played a couple of rounds using just the 7i and managed to break 90. However, I have not been able to find that form again given the typical reset that happens over the winter here. 

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2 minutes ago, Val Raj said:

I know it is hard to compare someone who drops a +20 to +18, to someone who drops +3 to +1. So perhaps absolute value in drop is less important than the % drop. 

The closer to zero you get the harder it gets to shave strokes. You go from shaving whole numbers to finding ways to shave fractions of a stroke from different areas. 

2 minutes ago, Val Raj said:

So what made the biggest difference in your game? it could be that fancy new piece of training equipment, or that drill you kept practicing off the course, or that new putter you put into play ..

Finding a very good golf instructor. I naturally fell from a 18+ handicap to shooting in the low 80 to mid 80s consistently just by playing a lot of golf. I went from a 12 handicap to a 3 handicap in a few years, now a 6 handicap because I've had some struggle working on my swing. That drop from 12 to 3 was half ball striking and half short game. For me, short game is a glaring weakness. 

 

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
Bag: :ping:

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Gaining a reasonable consistency in my ball striking was most important.  Becoming reasonably competent around the green, including bunker play a somewhat distant second.

Neither happened overnight, mostly because I did it on my own by playing a lot.  A much better, quicker approach to accomplishing the same thing would be to find a good instructor to help you along the way...

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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1 hour ago, Val Raj said:

So what made the biggest difference in your game?

Lessons from a good instructor combined with learning how to practice well.

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-Peter

  • :titleist: TSR2
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  • :pxg: GEN4 0317X, Hybrid
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The biggest improvement in my golf game happened when I played 18-54 holes every day (plus warm-up and practice) and took 2-3 lessons a month one summer in high school, thanks to free golf from working at a course. Dropped my handicap from right about a 5 to my all-time lowest of a +2.7.

As far as specific improvements go, that summer I primarily improved my tee shots and ballstriking. My "big miss" with the irons/wedges went from something I chunked/bladed 20 yards short or long, to something I hit two grooves low on the face that carried a little shorter/longer and curved a little more with extra spin. Lowest Score Wins was first published that year and I really put into practice a lot of important items from that book, specifically with regards to putting practice and understanding my shot zones/shot cones off the tee. Instead of trying to tweak the shot I hit off the tee to perfectly match every hole, I started hitting the shot I was most consistent with every time I could even if it wasn't the perfect shape for the hole, because I hit that shot better and it gave me better end results more often than the "ideal shot".

I actually have had times where I putted better, or had a sharper short game, than that summer. Heck, right now I'm putting better than I ever have previously (0.52 strokes gained per round compared to scratch from putting alone) and I'm sitting at a 2.2 handicap currently, whereas at my best I was regularly losing a few tenths while putting compared to a scratch baseline. The biggest differences in golf will come from your tee shots and your approaches, even if the faster improvement might be seen in putting and short game (because those two items are easier/quicker to improve than full-swing performance).

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My biggest handicap drop was during high school, when I stopped trying to hit 300+yd tee shots every hole.  I was already the longest hitter as a sophomore, but it took until senior year for me to realize that I needed to make a consistent ball flight.  Everyone on the team had been getting steadily better except me.  I went from mid to low 80’s to low 70’s once I started to play smart, accept my distance, and go for control.

Philip Kohnken, PGA
Director of Instruction, Lake Padden GC, Bellingham, WA

Srixon/Cleveland Club Fitter; PGA Modern Coach; Certified in Dr Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Levels 1 & 2; Certified in SAM Putting; Certified in TPI
 
Team :srixon:!

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Hands down lessons for me.  Of course, just taking lessons and not practicing what you learn isn't worth a lot though

What's in the bag

  • Taylor Made r5 dual Draw 9.5* (stiff)
  • Cobra Baffler 4H (stiff)
  • Taylor Made RAC OS 6-9,P,S (regular)
  • Golden Bear LD5.0 60* (regular)
  • Aidia Z-009 Putter
  • Inesis Soft 500 golf ball
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I think when I got to the point of consistency when I could control my approach distances with any type of certainty, I really started to improve. Having a predictable ball flight, missing in the right places, covering bunkers etc., all becomes part of a bigger part of scoring once you can nail down your approaches. Even when you miss greens you are missing in better places allowing for an easier chance to get up and down. 

Cobra LTDx 10.5* | Big Tour 15.5*| Rad Tour 18.5*  | Titleist U500 4-23* | T100 5-P | Vokey SM7 50/8* F, 54/10* S, SM8 58/10* S | Scotty Cameron Squareback No. 1 | Vice Pro Plus  

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Putts are 1/2 the strokes for a scratch golfer playing holes in regulation. That's a great place to start shaving strokes. Putting practice is boring, but a necessary evil.

Where I save the most strokes is the short game, 155 (my old school lofted standard "driving range" 8 iron swing in. Especially the wedges. I work like crazy on them. Flight them low, toss them high, lob them.  I get a lot of one putt pars when the long game isn't being very cooperative.

And there is always course managment. You need to avoid the blow ups. Keep the driver in the bag on iffy holes. Don't try to buddy up to the tucked pin. Heroics are for suckers.

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14 minutes ago, Esox said:

Putts are 1/2 the strokes for a scratch golfer playing holes in regulation.

How many of those are tap ins? Tour pros average making ~7’ putts only 50% of the time. Just how much better can one get?

:ping: G25 Driver Stiff :ping: G20 3W, 5W :ping: S55 4-W (aerotech steel fiber 110g shafts) :ping: Tour Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* :nike: Method Putter Floating clubs: :edel: 54* trapper wedge

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Just now, Vinsk said:

How many of those are tap ins? Tour pros average making ~7’ putts only 50% of the time. Just how much better can one get?

You answered your own question. Good lag putting is essential to good scoring.

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11 minutes ago, Esox said:

You answered your own question. Good lag putting is essential to good scoring.

Not near as essential as ball striking. Approach shots>Drive>Short game > putting. Just the facts.

:ping: G25 Driver Stiff :ping: G20 3W, 5W :ping: S55 4-W (aerotech steel fiber 110g shafts) :ping: Tour Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* :nike: Method Putter Floating clubs: :edel: 54* trapper wedge

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1 hour ago, Esox said:

Where I save the most strokes is the short game…

So you’re a unicorn?

Putts have a ceiling. You’re closer to a Tour player putting than you are at anything else.

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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My biggest drop in handicap over two years was going from a 9.9 to a 3.9. How? I stayed out of the shit.... I called the zoo... I finally cured my hook (It came back again, then I was able to cure it again like literally today.) 
 

@iacas will be the first one to tell you or you can tell for yourself, in My Swing Thread... my swing looks like an unfolding lawn chair. (I’ve taken literally four lessons in my 24 years playing golf). I can understand complex, like the number A# that Erik has on this site. I’m trying to learn to play golf with mostly a three-quarter swing. It is however a process.

In the meantime, I aim away from the shit (darker zones), try to get on or around the green, and don’t do anything stupid when I do get out of position... basically “miss” straight... 

What's in Shane's Bag?     

Ball: 2022 :callaway: Chrome Soft Triple Track Driver: :callaway:Paradym Triple Diamond 8° MCA Kai’li 70s FW: :callaway:Paradym Triple Diamond  H: :callaway: Apex Pro 21 20°I (3-PW) :callaway: Apex 21 UST Recoil 95 (3), Recoil 110 (4-PW). Wedges: :callaway: Jaws Raw 50°, 54°, 60° UST Recoil 110 Putter: :odyssey: Tri-Hot 5K Triple Wide 35”

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  • 3 months later...

Eraser.

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:ping: G25 Driver Stiff :ping: G20 3W, 5W :ping: S55 4-W (aerotech steel fiber 110g shafts) :ping: Tour Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* :nike: Method Putter Floating clubs: :edel: 54* trapper wedge

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Visiting Golf Evolution in Erie, PA.

Scott

Titleist, Edel, Scotty Cameron Putter, Snell - AimPoint - Evolvr - MirrorVision

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boogielicious - Adjective describing the perfect surf wave

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Note: This thread is 763 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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