Personal Lessons

[Kcas77]

For those of you who have seen this show on the golf channel how many of you think the people lie about their handicaps. I recently saw one where a so called 5 handicap did not no how to hit a fade and from the greenside bunker he skulled his ball way over the green. In the holes they played I think he made maybe one par and the rest were bogeys or worse.

[elementz]

It would be impossible to say how many people are lying about their handicap especially on this forum. I don't see why somebody would lie about it personally as it would be pretty easy to prove false.

[lumpuckeroo]

While handicap is the universal measure of ability it doesn't tell the whole story. My father probably carries a 5 at his course but can't break 90 when he comes and plays at the courses I play.

His course has hard fairways that gives him 15-20 yards more on his drive, he plays 200+ rounds on his course, he know every break of every green without having to "read" them. He is 76 years old and consistently shoots in the mid 70's at his course but struggles on the greens on a course he is not familar.

[PiKapp23]

I'm a 10 (9.8 officially right now), but I always describe myself as a 'bad 10' because if you look at my last 20 rounds, my best 10 give me a 10 handicap, but my worst 10 would probably be closer to 16-18 (maybe higher sometimes). I always seem to play new and difficult courses well, but the average munis that I play regularly I do not play as well (concentration I think is the issue as my friends like to play these pseudo-hacker courses I hate). I typically will have 2-4 rounds in 70's with a few rounds in mid-90's. I'm just not a consistent scorer.

I am not a particularly consistent ball striker with irons (I miss a lot of greens), but my short game has always helped me keep my scores reasonable. I am a good driver - straight and longer than average. The point being some people's handicaps, even good players, scores can fluctuate wildly at time. One of my friends is a 4 but shot a 98 last year at a course that he plays frequently because he couldn't drive the ball that day at all.

[pshizz]

I think they def. lie about their handicaps. There was a guy on yesterday who claimed to be a 5, and he was playing the ball off of his back foot with a driver. He also didnt know how to work the ball, which is something i learned when i was around a 11.

[Fourputt]

For those of you who have seen this show on the golf channel how many of you think the people lie about their handicaps. I recently saw one where a so called 5 handicap did not no how to hit a fade and from the greenside bunker he skulled his ball way over the green. In the holes they played I think he made maybe one par and the rest were bogeys or worse.

You get out there on an unfamiliar course with TV cameras in your face all the way around and then try to shoot to your handicap.

After you've done that, then come back here and try to convince us that you really are a 10 instead of the 25 that you look like on television...

[Dr_Fu_Manchu]

You get out there on an unfamiliar course with TV cameras in your face all the way around and then try to shoot to your handicap.

100% agree.

I have played poorly when playing with my bosses, because of my nerves. I couldn't imagine with America watching. I was surprised how well Lauer, Romo and Timberlake played last year. And those guys are on the biggest stage, they all commented on how nervous they were

[Fourputt]

I think they def. lie about their handicaps. There was a guy on yesterday who claimed to be a 5, and he was playing the ball off of his back foot with a driver. He also didnt know how to work the ball, which is something i learned when i was around a 11.

I've been below a 10 and never been able to work the ball on demand. That is NOT a measure of a golfer's ability. Jack Nicklaus had to force himself to learn how to hit a draw after he became a pro in order to play consistently at Augusta. He'd have been quite successful just playing his signature fade, but he probably would not have won 6 Masters with it. He still only played a draw when there was absolutely no other alternative, and got double crossed regularly because it took him out of his comfort zone.

The point is that you can be very successful with just your natural ball flight, and you can also damage that success by trying to force yourself into a swing that isn't natural.

[Quinn07]

I would also argue that they are mostly not the handicapp they state. I believe I have seen the show you are talking about. I am truly what my handicapp states in my info...and I know that a 5 handicapp has better fundamentals than the guy on the show. The only thing I can think of is that it might be his handicapp for 9 holes. Remember that a handicapp is for ones potential or his ability to shoot...you are only suppose to shoot your handicapp 25% of the time.

[Kcas77]

I've been below a 10 and never been able to work the ball on demand. That is NOT a measure of a golfer's ability. Jack Nicklaus had to force himself to learn how to hit a draw after he became a pro in order to play consistently at Augusta. He'd have been quite successful just playing his signature fade, but he probably would not have won 6 Masters with it. He still only played a draw when there was absolutely no other alternative, and got double crossed regularly because it took him out of his comfort zone.

Fourputt, your a JOKE. If your a 5 handi and dont have a clue about how to work the ball, then your lying about your handicap. Jack Nickalus is a horrible example, he won 18 majors, and he played a long time ago...thus making it harder to work it.

[flanagan]

I've been below a 10 and never been able to work the ball on demand. That is NOT a measure of a golfer's ability. Jack Nicklaus had to force himself to learn how to hit a draw after he became a pro in order to play consistently at Augusta. He'd have been quite successful just playing his signature fade, but he probably would not have won 6 Masters with it. He still only played a draw when there was absolutely no other alternative, and got double crossed regularly because it took him out of his comfort zone.

This is not at all accurate. Nicklaus was taught by his teacher as a youngster, Jack Grout, that a complete golfer could work the ball at will. The ball flight Grout encouraged and taught Nicklaus to rely on was the fade (high fade, specifically), but he could hit draws and obviously did hit draws before he became a pro. With the exception of an early Masters when he was injured (and had to draw all his full shots, and didn't fare well), he relied primarily on his fade, but would hit a draw when the proper shot was to hit a draw (a few tee shots, and whenever else he needed to hit one). He did win his Masters titles primarily playing a fade, so there is no "probably would not have won".

[flanagan]

Fourputt, your a JOKE. If your a 5 handi and dont have a clue about how to work the ball, then your lying about your handicap. Jack Nickalus is a horrible example, he won 18 majors, and he played a long time ago...thus making it harder to work it.

It was much, much, much EASIER to work the ball when Nicklaus was in his prime, and before, than it is now. Club changes and ball changes have changed that part of the game significantly, and I think for the worse.

[iacas]

Fourputt, your a JOKE. If your a 5 handi and dont have a clue about how to work the ball, then your lying about your handicap. Jack Nickalus is a horrible example, he won 18 majors, and he played a long time ago...thus making it harder to work it.

It's "you're" and I've seen people who rely on a single type of shot shape get to a five or a six index. Quite common, actually.

Those types of people won't often progress beyond that level, but they can get there. In other words, knock it off.

[wedge player]

Fourputt, your a JOKE. If your a 5 handi and dont have a clue about how to work the ball, then your lying about your handicap. Jack Nickalus is a horrible example, he won 18 majors, and he played a long time ago...thus making it harder to work it.

yea kenny perry cant hit a fade and hes leading the fedex cup now.so bein able to work it on demand does not determine handicap.wat your sayin is if i can work a ball either way im better then kenny perry

[pshizz]

yea kenny perry cant hit a fade and hes leading the fedex cup now.so bein able to work it on demand does not determine handicap.wat your sayin is if i can work a ball either way im better then kenny perry

Kenny perry can hit fades if he wants too. So can Rocco, they just like to hit draws because thats what they are comfortable doing.

[Kcas77]

yea kenny perry cant hit a fade and hes leading the fedex cup now.so bein able to work it on demand does not determine handicap.wat your sayin is if i can work a ball either way im better then kenny perry

That is not true he can hit a fade he just chooses not to because it is not how he prefers to hit the ball.

[wedge player]

That is not true he can hit a fade he just chooses not to because it is not how he prefers to hit the ball.

so wen he tried and everyone was wondering if he could and he didnt hit a draw actually.sounds like he dont have it

[pshizz]

so wen he tried and everyone was wondering if he could and he didnt hit a draw actually.sounds like he dont have it

What? I cannot understand this.