How did you get to a single digit handicap?

[Dave2512]

IMO the reason GIR is an important stat and goal for golfers trying to lower their HI is more about proximity than anything. Better players miss better if that makes any sense. When I playing to a 16-18 when I missed a green it wasn't just missed, like on the fringe or even near where a simple chip would get me up and down. It was everything from a fat shot that left me with a 3rd shot nearly as long as the pervious one or so far left, right or over that it was like taking two approach shots. By the time I got near the green where a better golfer would have missed GIR I was often lying 3 or 4. When I started hitting more GIR my misses were easier to recover from. The same could be said about FIR.

[Micah]

Well back in high school and college I was tall and,lanky. Look up Olympic College baseball player archives in 1991 and youll see my name....Micah Montgomery. I could also dunk two handed. What Im saying is by being a good athlete makes the transition into,golf a lot easier for most IMO even if you guys dont agree its actually true. Golf takes athleticism. Even fat golfers have a degree of athleticism.

[Dave2512]

No doubt the potential is there for an athlete to play decent golf but they have to learn how to swing. It's certainly helped me but I didn't just pick up a club starting playing golf, definitely had to work at it. For every good athletic type golfer I see a bad one. I got paired up with two young guys last night that appeared to be athletic and both had big, ugly swings with baseball style finishes. It was torture watching them swing for the fences, more of a macho spasm than a golf swing. They're not going to be good golfers any time soon.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

No doubt the potential is there for an athlete to play decent golf but they have to learn how to swing. It's certainly helped me but I didn't just pick up a club starting playing golf, definitely had to work at it. For every good athletic type golfer I see a bad one. I got paired up with two young guys last night that appeared to be athletic and both had big, ugly swings with baseball style finishes. It was torture watching them swing for the fences, more of a macho spasm than a golf swing. They're not going to be good golfers any time soon.

Ted, golf is harder because we have to play our foul balls.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by Micah

Unless you happen to be blessed with natural athletic ability and already know the fundamentals, mechanics and physics of the game lessons are a waste of time. I was an all state QB in high school and pitched in college so when I started playing golf long ago at the age of 16 it came easy for me than others. Not saying lessons are a total waste of time and money but if youre like me then self taught and becoming a "feel" golfer is the way to go.

Originally Posted by Micah

Well back in high school and college I was tall and,lanky. Look up Olympic College baseball player archives in 1991 and youll see my name....Micah Montgomery. I could also dunk two handed. What Im saying is by being a good athlete makes the transition into,golf a lot easier for most IMO even if you guys dont agree its actually true. Golf takes athleticism. Even fat golfers have a degree of athleticism.

Golf, especially played with any degree of competence certainly takes athletic talent.  But I disagree wholeheartedly that lessons are a waste of time for those not "blessed with natural athletic ability" or before they understand the "fundamentals, mechanics, and physics" of the game.

I'm the classic case of a generally athletic person who learned the game on his own.  I play relatively well.....certainly better than many, but I have to wonder what could have been, had I had the benefit of a good teacher to guide me along the way.  Especially in my formative years.

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by David in FL

...but I have to wonder what could have been, had I had the benefit of a good teacher to guide me along the way.  Especially in my formative years.

What are the formative years for golf, like 45 years and over?

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by Lihu

What are the formative years for golf, like 45 years and over?

Hey, hey, hey......I resemble that remark!

Let's say, before I had DEEPLY ingrained all the ugly bad habits that I now have.  You'll notice that in 5 years and 4000 posts, I have yet to grow a big enough pair to actually post my swing on here.....

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Hey, hey, hey......I resemble that remark!

Let's say, before I had DEEPLY ingrained all the ugly bad habits that I now have.  You'll notice that in 5 years and 4000 posts, I have yet to grow a big enough pair to actually post my swing on here.....

That's how you should celebrate your milestone! ;)

[Micah]

For instance I like to take a divot each time I swing an iron insuring that I swing down and strike the ball first. My divot is always in front of where my ball was resting but never directly under the ball.

[Micah]

BTW How do you get to post whats in your bag?

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

That's how you should celebrate your milestone! ;)

Erik and Mike would give up teaching golf and the rest of you would laugh so hard you'd cry.  Whatever modicum of credibility I have around here would be gone in an instant.

One of these days though.....

[rkim291968]

Originally Posted by Micah

Well back in high school and college I was tall and,lanky. Look up Olympic College baseball player archives in 1991 and youll see my name....Micah Montgomery. I could also dunk two handed. What Im saying is by being a good athlete makes the transition into,golf a lot easier for most IMO even if you guys dont agree its actually true. Golf takes athleticism. Even fat golfers have a degree of athleticism.

Yes, I agree with that.   Adding to that is ... what makes former athletes better at picking up golf is that they had training discipline.    They know training process and what it takes to improve.   For those who never trained at any sport in serious manner would have to learn training discipline first before becoming a good golfer.

[Micah]

I usually walk to my mailbox a block away and dribble a golf ball off the face of my 54 degree without letting it drop so I do stuff, drills, and chip around the house to keep my game sharp between rounds. Thank GOD I got game. My current hdcp is due to the fact tbat Ive been working overseas for the past 9 months and I just started turning my cards in about a month ago. I was a punch 2 when I left ...........lol

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by mrobbie

For those who are playing off single figures, how did you get there?

It's always been my goal, and I assume the same with many other golfers.

I've seen a number of players who get to this point in a very short time. Are you a naturally 'gifted' player, who picked up a club and everything just made sense and you got there with ease, or have you worked hard at it as often as possible to develop a single figure game? Have you had lessons over the years, or have you worked on your game yourself?

It took me about 2-3yrs. I was just a weekend hack at the time playing very casually.  I think some people have hand eye coordination/athletic ability, and some don't....

Obviously I'm not that talented, or I'd be doing it for a living!!!

hand-eye coordination is important........I have a son who likes to bowl and he got me started.  After 1yr, I was a 200 average. My son is 11 and weighs 75lbs soaking wet and rolls a small 10lb ball and averages in the 160s. 233 is his high game.  Some people catch on fast....some people never will.  I know men who've played for 30yrs with an 18hc or worse.

[Lihu]

Erik and Mike would give up teaching golf and the rest of you would laugh so hard you'd cry.  Whatever modicum of credibility I have around here would be gone in an instant. One of these days though.....

A 5.8 HC with an embarrassing swing? Nice try, Dave. I bet he's just too embarrassed of his large belly after retiring from the Marine Corps, and still eating like one. :-P

[Lihu]

It took me about 2-3yrs. I was just a weekend hack at the time playing very casually.  I think some people have hand eye coordination/athletic ability, and some don't.... Obviously I'm not that talented, or I'd be doing it for a living!!! hand-eye coordination is important........I have a son who likes to bowl and he got me started.  After 1yr, I was a 200 average. My son is 11 and weighs 75lbs soaking wet and rolls a small 10lb ball and averages in the 160s. 233 is his high game.  Some people catch on fast....some people never will.  I know men who've played for 30yrs with an 18hc or worse.

Did it take you 2-3 years after becoming serious, or just after starting?

[Pretzel]

Originally Posted by Lihu

Did it take you 2-3 years after becoming serious, or just after starting?

I had a similar thing where it took me 3 years of serious play, starting the summer before my freshman high school year. However, this was going from a 24 to a 8 (beginning of this summer would have been the 3 year mark), which is a lot easier than starting from scratch.

[brj872]

I discovered the sliding of hips in the downswing (awesome!) and have dropped from 18 to 14 in a month. Short game is holding me back, last round I had 10 GIR's and about the same three putts which is frustrating. Focusing on distance control with the putter at the moment and will hopefully be a single digit soon.