Mid handicapper to low handicapper??

[MuscleBack Sauce]

sounds like we are pees in a pod, you literally stated my exact situation. When i was in high school (4 years ago) i was about 5-7 strokes better on average than i was last year. I'm trying to play the best golf of my career THIS year

[HSip]

The course management/mental part of the game cannot be overstated. Even at the highest levels it often comes down to making mental mistakes. If you have the physical skills then making good decisions can help you hang in there even when the round isn't going so well.

[saltman]

This is a pretty interesting thread to read through as I am trying to get back to a 4-5. I think one person mentioned it, but getting to a 5 is certainly very attainable, a 2 will likely take some more time. Getting up and down more consistently is critical. When I was playing as low as a 3, there was a huge difference mentally from where I am today. First, I expected to get up and down from everywhere inside 100 yards and did so about 60-70% of the time. Second, I expected to make EVERY putt inside 10 feet and felt I should probably make most putts inside 15 feet. I would also aim for the back of the hole on every putt inside 4 feet with no fear of the comeback putt. Read: There wasn't going to be a comeback putt. Finally, course management is critical. Most of this is about leving yourself with comfortable full swings and having your iron distances dialed in.

[TN94z]

I cleared out my oobgolf.com a few weeks ago and I now have 4 scores posted. Before yesterday my handicap was 8.3 (3 scores of course) and yesterday I went out and shot a 75. After posting my 75 on the site, my handicap dropped to 2.5!! I know this is only 4 scores but still....pretty descent start.

[kevin.chan]

I am about a 9 or 10 (guess) and to date I never put in any practice time on anything. I just go play and that's it. This year I have made my mind up to take my game seriously and put the practice time in. My question is how hard is it to get to say a 2-5 handicap? Is it just the practice time (assuming good fundamentals) or is it just natural ability that gets guys to such low handicaps? I have been an athlete my whole life so I have the athletic ability and hand eye coordination. Putting the practice time in and working on any flaws...is it possible to go from my now 9-10 to a 2-5 over the course of a year? I am willing to work with a coach or whatever it takes to get in that range. I really want to start playing tournaments. I know that I can play in handicap indexes but I want to be one of the top dogs in my area. What are your opinions??

Man...sounds like me too !

I hardly go to the range , lazy i guess ! On the good day , i can score 75 and on the bad day 85. I can even shot 32 on the front nine and 45 on the back nine ! Crazy ? My take is it is not that difficult to go low , but just have to put in some time at the range. Minimizing the error is crusial and game / emotional management is important to go low !

[Leftygolfer]

I would highly recomend getting a GHIN number if you don't. If you are shooting 75 on good and 85 on the bad you are mighty close to a 5. I am in a similar spot. My driving is key for me. When I am in play and my touch is good, I can shot under 80. But this year I have just pissed away shots around the green. 36 putts last time. PPGR 2.33 That is terrible. But next time I play I could have 29 putts. The difference between me and a 3 is consistancy. I have had 9 where I shoot 36 then on the back shoot a 43. That is the high single digit for you. Something I am trying to improve but with work and family it is hard. Once my son is of golf age, I expect to be under a 5 because I can play all the time and I know I can work at it.

[kevin.chan]

My weakest game is on Putting. If i can go <30 per round , i will be shooting low 70s.

[Carolinahooker]

I'm not sure how low I can get my handicap but my goal is to play smart golf. I'm under 15 right now but I have just been bad around the greens. Bunker play and chipping around the green need to really improve.

The only mental part I really try to stay with is just concentrate on the next shot and don't try to do too much. I almost always go for greens and not pins. I stay away from trouble on every shot, well I try to anyway. I make sure I don't try to be a hero on those bad lies.

For me, it all boils down to staying away from big numbers. I shot an 87 last time out and had eight pars. Had a 47 on the front and a 40 on the back. I was proud of myself for hanging in there and shooting well on the back. Still need to keep those big numbers off my card.

[TN94z]

I would highly recomend getting a GHIN number if you don't. If you are shooting 75 on good and 85 on the bad you are mighty close to a 5. I am in a similar spot. My driving is key for me. When I am in play and my touch is good, I can shot under 80. But this year I have just pissed away shots around the green. 36 putts last time. PPGR 2.33 That is terrible. But next time I play I could have 29 putts. The difference between me and a 3 is consistancy. I have had 9 where I shoot 36 then on the back shoot a 43. That is the high single digit for you. Something I am trying to improve but with work and family it is hard. Once my son is of golf age, I expect to be under a 5 because I can play all the time and I know I can work at it.

A 5 really? I guess I just thought I was much further away. Usually when the weather breaks and I can play on a more consistent basis, I will shoot in the high 70s. Last summer I averaged around a 77-78 with the occassional low 80 on bad days. I am very confident that I can get back to those scores ..but then I want to improve from there. Tomorrow is my first lesson with my pro and I will listen to what he has to say and plan out my practice schedule following his direction. Maybe this will take me where I want to go.

[ks8829]

log your putts and up and down per round and improve these stats and you will see your handicap drop and stay low with your consistent short game play.

[TN94z]

log your putts and up and down per round and improve these stats and you will see your handicap drop and stay low with your consistent short game play.

Great advice...I actually just started doing this again. I was doing it last year but then I got lazy with it and never practiced anyway so i stopped. I am going to stay on top of it this year though.

[Leftygolfer]

If you have a ghin number there is a thing on the website called egolfer. You can log all your stats and really see how you played. Highly recommend.

[SubPar]

I am about a 9 or 10 (guess) and to date I never put in any practice time on anything. I just go play and that's it. This year I have made my mind up to take my game seriously and put the practice time in. My question is how hard is it to get to say a 2-5 handicap? Is it just the practice time (assuming good fundamentals) or is it just natural ability that gets guys to such low handicaps? I have been an athlete my whole life so I have the athletic ability and hand eye coordination. Putting the practice time in and working on any flaws...is it possible to go from my now 9-10 to a 2-5 over the course of a year? I am willing to work with a coach or whatever it takes to get in that range. I really want to start playing tournaments. I know that I can play in handicap indexes but I want to be one of the top dogs in my area. What are your opinions??

This not meant to be discouraging, just realistic advice. It gets exponentially harder to shave points off your handicap as you get lower. You have to practice a lot and practice "smart". That means not just hitting balls at the range. You need to isolate your weaknesses and focus on them. Each time you go to practice choose something specific that you need to work on and focus on that.

I got down to a 6.4 and just assumed I could continue down to a 3 or 4, but stalled out and went backwards a few clicks. At a certain level I am too casual about my short game and I know I will never get below a "6" until I start to take the time to analyze every variable prior to hitting a shot and take it seriously. ( the lie, speed of the green, wind, where the trouble is, exactly what club feels comfortable for any given shot, etc.). Speaking for myself, I think I'm a bit lazy, for lack of a better word. Part of me wants to just enjoy the game and lowering your handicap is WORK I play with a number of low handicappers and I notice a few specific things they do that I don't... mostly mental/disciplinary stuff. They think through the details of each shot, especially around the greens. If they are chipping onto the green they walk around and read it like a putt. They don't take three foot putts for granted. They have consistent, productive pre-shot routines. They are having "fun" but when it comes time to plan and hit a shot they go into a zone that I seldom visit I notice the low index players get in trouble now and then just like I do, but they have a variety of shots they can hit to still get a good result. Practice the odd shots, like low running shots, with or without a draw or a fade. Figure out what club you would hit from trees that will let you advance to ball various distances. Spend quality time in bunkers working out how to hit a range of shots from the sand. Go to a chipping green and practice from tight areas and deeper rough All the little things add up and hurt you more and more as you go lower, so you have to prepare yourself for all the possibilities. Smart practice not only hones you physical skills but also yields confidence that you can pull those shots off Good luck. SubPar

[TN94z]

This not meant to be discouraging, just realistic advice. It gets exponentially harder to shave points off your handicap as you get lower. You have to practice a lot and practice "smart". That means not just hitting balls at the range. You need to isolate your weaknesses and focus on them. Each time you go to practice choose something specific that you need to work on and focus on that.

Very good post and it is not discouraging at all! Everything you have stated here are things that I have on my list to as "improvement areas." I figured that it was going to get harder to drop the lower you get....I have 2 friends that are low handicappers, one of which is actually a PGA pro. He has been telling me these things for 2 years.

[iacas]

log your putts and up and down per round and improve these stats and you will see your handicap drop and stay low with your consistent short game play.

Better yet, buy

Scorecard and let it do all that for you. Banner at the top saves you 20%.

[TN94z]

Better yet, buy

I plan on it. I am actually in the beta group right now

[SubPar]

Very good post and it is not discouraging at all! Everything you have stated here are things that I have on my list to as "improvement areas." I figured that it was going to get harder to drop the lower you get....I have 2 friends that are low handicappers, one of which is actually a PGA pro. He has been telling me these things for 2 years.

One thing that can be a challenge is getting worse before you get better. It is easy to get to a 7-10 index with some poor habits that limit your progression. When you try to change your swing to something with more potential you always play worse for a while. (remember Tiger's changes?)

A friend of mine teaches a top level tennis pro who was a 6 handicap when he came to him. This guy went up to a 14 before he dropped down to a 1. SubPar

[TN94z]

One thing that can be a challenge is getting worse before you get better. It is easy to get to a 7-10 index with some poor habits that limit your progression. When you try to change your swing to something with more potential you always play worse for a while. (remember Tiger's changes?)

If it will help me in the long run and get me to my personal goal, then I am all for it! It's not like I haven't played bad before, you know? Playing worse is fine with me as long as the best is yet to come!