Big crossroad ahead of me

[FortAsel]

Okay, let's see, I'm 17 years old and I'm an 8 handicaper.
I've only gotten serious about the game 2 years ago and I dropped my handicap from 25 to 8 in that period.

I love golf and I'm completly addicted to it. I practice has hard as I possibly can every time I'm on the range or at the course, and I'd love to become a pro.

But I need help, because I've been stuck with this handicap for the last 3 months. What do you sugest I should do?

[JimmyDoesGolf]

I'd be willing to bet that the area of your game costing the most strokes is putting and short game. Either that, or maybe you should just relax and enjoy the game more instead of worrying about lowering your handicap.

[FortAsel]

My putting has let me down a lot this year. Too often the ball would go straight to the midle of the hole and the turn away from it

[CosmosMpower]

I think you should concentrate on getting into a good school, getting an education and good job and play golf recreationally like the other 99.5% of golfers in the world.

[pshizz]

definetly dont rely on golf for a source of income...as said above make sure you get into a good college. But if ou want to keep improving i suggest you split up your practice time like so (1/3 full shots at range,1/3 putting,1/3 short game) This is how the pros split up their practice time, and it works for them right? I would also suggest that you start working out and lifting...if you havn't already started.

fyi- Im 15 turning 16 soon, and i know what its like to get stuck at a certain handicap. It happened to me this summer when i couldn't get past a 11, it happened and i dropped to an 8.3 in less than 2 months. My point is, sometimes you go through slumps and sudden drops.

[PiKapp23]

Most likely you need to get with a teaching pro who can assist you in identifying what is holding you back and then help establish a plan of action for improvement. Short game is probably where the majority of those strokes are being lost, but it's hard to tell without seeing. An experienced teaching pro should be able to recognize your deficiencies. Also, remember that course management is as important as anything else. Not only do you need the skill to hit the shot, but knowing when to hit what shot and to what location is just as important as the skill itself.

[uttexas]

My guess would be to work on the following: Putting, course management, bunker play, short game, mental game.

[ScruffyScraper]

Okay, let's see, I'm 17 years old and I'm an 8 handicaper.

First of all, congrats on being an eight. I was an eight or nine for much of my adult life, and that's being a much better than average recreational player.

If you want to be a club or teaching pro, I'm sure that you'll be able to do it with the right strategy and a little luck. If you want to be a touring pro, it's important to understand one thing. You will need to have been born a freak. It doesn't matter how much work you put into it, if you weren't born a freak, success on the tour, or in any major professional sport, is a pipe dream. Successful pro athletes, and I've personally known several, are all freaks or mutants, not normal human beings. I was a pretty good boxer on my local amateur scene as a boy. I had visions of going to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics....until I left familiar waters and saw the real prospects. I returned with my life still intact and a knowledge that wanting it alone isn't enough. You may be good enough to become a touring pro, who knows, but most of them had + handicaps at age seventeen. If it's meant to be, fine, but have a backup plan, please. That doesn't mean you can't continue to love golf. It's a game for a lifetime.

[denver_nuggs_15]

Develop more consistency, work on your mental game/course management, and work on your putting and short game.

Good putting and a good short game will probably help you the most. Knowing that you can get up and down from anywhere or hit a clutch putt takes pressure off your approach shots and drives.

[bogeyhitter25]

As stated numerous times above, really focus on schoolwork. As for golf, work on your short iron, pitching, chipping, sand-saving, and putting. That'll knock some strokes off.

[Parker0065]

You will need to have been born a freak. It doesn't matter how much work you put into it, if you weren't born a freak

LOL, Scruffy you cracked me up with they way you put that! Your right that you need some God given talent beyond hard work and drive.

Good luck kid in following your dreams! Don't be afraid of failure, it's a part of life. It's what you do after you fail that matters most.

[FortAsel]

Good luck kid in following your dreams! Don't be afraid of failure, it's a part of life. It's what you do after you fail that matters most.

I think that when you fail at something, you should try harder until you get it right. But that's just me...

[denver_nuggs_15]

You will need to have been born a freak. It doesn't matter how much work you put into it, if you weren't born a freak

I completely disagree with this statement. There have been plenty of professional golfers who only drove the ball 250-260. They just hit it straight and have a really good short game.

Hard work and practice can help, but most pros are scratch golfers when they're like 16. Good luck though.

[ks8829]

tracks your game with the following

fairways hit
greens on regulations
putts per round

up and down

and work on your weakness and see your handicap come down. the closer you get to the lower handicap the smarter and harder you need to work. Do you have a mentor? a low handicap golfer that you play with that can give you some playing advise?

Try to play with golfers that are better than you are so you can see what they do to manage their game.

[walk18]

enter some local tournaments in your area. if you can't beat those guys then, no point in going further, just keep at it.

[Three Putt]

If you are an 8.... I would say work on your pitching, chipping, flop, and sand shots. Spend countless hours practicing and observing how the ball reacts when hit into the fringe, rough, greenside slopes, etc...

That's the only way to get down to a 2 to a 4 I would say.

Putting is the easy answer, but greens differ a lot. Get it close and putting is a lot eaisier.

Does your ball spin right or left when you normally chip?