How did you get to a single digit handicap?

[Goubli]

I obviously still have a ways to go, but I feel like when I decided to start playing 4.5 years ago I had a lot of muscle memory from tennis that I still have trouble dealing with. Add to that the fact I've likely received less than ideal instruction despite changing teachers (although I admit at this point I am the constant in this equation) and I feel that I may be constantly submarining myself. 

After reading a few threads on here and realizing that I am probably doing a move or two that a good instructor should be able to pinpoint and explain I think I can get to high singles if I can find the right instructor. I feel like the people on this site have a more systematic way to hone a consistent swing and I need to bite the bullet and figure out how to get proper instruction. 

My best round is a 78, so I know I can do it. I think I wasted a good 2 years overestimating my hand eye coordination and ability to improve by using a players iron and not succeeding. 

One question I do have for those who've done it is this:

Did you play a majority of rounds at the same course or two?  I very rarely play the same course within a week, and often I go months between playing a course a second time. It seems like I could improve some scores by playing a course I'd know inside and out (particularly knowing greens and subtle breaks and speeds). 

[Patch]

I was a pretty good baseball player who took up golf in my early 20s. 

The game pretty much consumed me, Why? I dont have a clue. 

I made it to a solid 6 hndcp in under 5 years. By that, I mean I could break 80 on just about any course I played. First time or multiple times on a course, it did not matter. 

How I did it was pretty much being self taught, with a few eye openers from some personal instruction. Some time spent at Butch Harmon's short game school helped quite a bit.

I read a lot of books, by different authors. With each book, I found a little something I could use. I also found a lot of junk that could be ignored. I also kept my own note book on my own play. Still use it today. 

I was lucky enough to find a well qualified club fitter/builder, who honestly wanted to see me use his prescribed equipment quite well. Made him proud to see little tweeks here and there work out. 

Lots of practice, and play, every week made me a more consistant player. 150-175 rounds a year was my norm for a few years. A lot of those rounds were of the business meeting types. Practice wise, I spent a lot of time on the tougher lies when ever possible, while not neglecting the easy stuff. 

I also took some time to learn how golf clubs work. Why certain bounces, grinds, sole widths worked better than others for me. I read up on shafts, and why some differences worked better for some players, and not for others. 

I also have to give a lot credit to my family for allowing me the time to fool with my passion for golf. 

Thats pretty much how I made it to a consistent 6. 

[DaveP043]

28 minutes ago, Goubli said:

Did you play a majority of rounds at the same course or two?  I very rarely play the same course within a week, and often I go months between playing a course a second time. It seems like I could improve some scores by playing a course I'd know inside and out (particularly knowing greens and subtle breaks and speeds). 

I do play the same course for a majority of my rounds, and I'd agree that you can shoot lower scores once you learn a course well.  You may not, however, truly become a better player. some of that improved scoring will undoubtedly occur simply from course knowledge.  You'll  learn 18 specific greens, so reading putts becomes simplified.  You'll learn, by trial and error, what type of shot works best in these specific holes, so decision-making for each individual shot becomes more automatic.  To really become a better player, you need to be able to play a solid complete game, including shot selection and green reading, on a strange course too.  I'm always very proud when I go on a golfing vacation and play a new course (to me) well on the first time around.  I did pretty well with this for the first half of my visit to Palm Springs this January.

[RyZ]

Gotta get rid of the "horrible shots" which leads to double bogies. Then its all about getting comfortable with your game.

I've played with guys that hit it 300+ with a solid short game and never broke 80. I've also played with others that cant hit it more then 220 but shoots between 74-79 every time.

you need to convince yourself that you belong in the 70s.

"The trick to being the best player is to convince yourself that you already are" -Honus Wagner

[jsgolfer]

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I got better just by playing a lot.  I started out as a Sophomore in HS, joined the golf team without every hitting a golf ball, didn't even have clubs.  Got a mis-matched set of clubs from my best friends Dad who was an avid golfer.  Broke 100 the first time I played after hitting some balls into the net in the HS gym.  My Dad bought me a jr. membership at the local muni ($75 for the summer) and he would drop me off on his way to work and pick me up on his way home.  For an entire summer I played 36-54 holes holes a day.  My ball faded most of the time, so I had a repeatable ball flight and then one of the better players showed me how to chip (although I did practice pitching/chipping a lot).  By the time school started in my junior year I was a 9 handicap and have been a single digit since. But I got really good  when I went to the Philippines in the Air Force and got to play all year (And I developed a draw), rather than just 6 months a year in Maine.  Got as low as 0.9 (when I played for the university of Maine in the early 90's) and now I fluctuate somewhere between 4-6 index.  My short game saves my bacon a lot of the times when I hit the ball squirrelly.  Have had two lessons in my life, when I was in my 50's when I had the dreaded shanks.  

Here's my senior photo from the golf team, my back hurts just looking at that reverse C.

 

[imsys0042]

I think it was a number of things.

1 -  I play on a ridiculously hard course.   I used to lose 6-12 balls per round and it forces you to try and be better or avoid problems and big numbers.

2 -  Lessons.   I had a lot of movement in my swing.  My head, feet and hands moved too much which means that my rhythm for the day would dictate how well I did.  By keeping my head and feet still I eliminated most of the movement.   I had a big break at the top of my swing with my hands and if I couldn't square them the ball would go all over.   Now they are passive and I generally square the club, even on mishits.   That really helps keep me in play.

3 -  I got used to shooting lower scores, thanks to the lessons.   Like a lot of people getting down to a lower level of scoring was a rarity at first, but then it became more commonplace to shoot lower so that I didn't get nervous about it.   It helped me get into the high 70s and low 80s for a lot of rounds.   My bad days are now much lower than they used to be.

4 -  watching other golfers, particularly on the greens.   I don't think that watching another player on a full swing helps a lot because everyone is different.  You can't try and emulate someone else's swing, which as a caddy is how I learned the game.   I do think that putting and seeing how other people read greens and the variety of shots around the green does help.  I watch how a lot of people play different chip and pitch shots.  One thing I notice is that people tend to play one type of shot regardless of what the shot calls for.  It's great to have a go-to shot, but you can't chip with an 8-iron and expect to stop it when you've got no green to work with.

5 -  playing a lot helped because the swing changes felt natural after a while.   I used to be able to play 2-3 times per week and hit balls 2 times per week.   I can't now, but that swing was "grooved" to where now when I pick up a club that is how it should feel.  I expect to drop off a little bit, but so far I am still shooting roughly what I did before the schedule change

6 -  this one is kind of specific to me, but I have a generalized form of social anxiety disorder.   I haven't been treated well by a lot of people close to me in life, so uncomfortable social situations can be very hard for me.  It really helps to play with people that you are comfortable with.  There are a lot of difficult people where I am a member and my scores around people who bother me are a lot higher.   When I am with people that I am comfortable with I do well.   I've seen enough stories about people bugging people and you need to have that filter to tune them out.  

7 -  visualize every shot.   for every shot I try and visualize what should happen so that my execution should match that.   it doesn't mean I will hit a good shot, but it helps me make a good swing.  Getting up and hitting the ball without that when there is not optimal shot conditions can really hurt.  By taking the time and taking practice swings I feel comfortable hitting off the side of a hill where the ball is a foot above my feet for example.

8 -  recognize that any shot played is done and over and you can't make it up, or live off it for the rest of the round.  too many times I've tried to force a shot and it makes a bad shot worse, or compounds the error.  On a hole I am in trouble, it's best to take my medicine and accept the bogey or DB.  Once I'm off a bad hole you have to reset and not let it put pressure on you.