The quest for greater golf...

[DKunks]

There are some guys carrying excellent handicaps on this site.
Im curious - what did it take and where did you encounter the biggest struggles to getting your handicap down nice and low.

ive been between an 11-13 handicap for the past 2 years and cant seem to break 80 consistently. It feels like I am plagued to shoot 82 everytime i go out.

[mutadayen]

Shoot man, can you tell me your secret of breaking 90 consistently let alone 80? My best is an 85 but I consistenly shoot 92ish. It's annoyingly frustrating...

[LongballGer]

Here are some things that helped me a lot.

1. Keeping the ball in play is the #1 thing to playing consistent golf. If you don't hit it in the fairway most of the time or you hit it OB then slow your swing down. I used to hit every drive as hard as I could, but that hurt my scoring a lot.

2. Wedge game. That's the #1 thing you need to be good at to make birdies and to shoot lower scores. Wedge game is more important than putting. Pros only make 50% of their 8 foot putts. So get your wedges inside 8 feet and you'll make a ton of birdies and will save par a lot.

3. Only practice making putts. Putting is 100% about confidence. Putt from like 2 feet and make 30 in a row. If you want to practice your stroke don't putt to a hole. You don't want your mind to get conditioned to miss putts.

[san-pancho-mex]

longballger, how long have you been playing?

[LongballGer]

longballger, how long have you been playing?

5 years...

[san-pancho-mex]

5 years...

I've been playing for about a year and I am hooked. Not that eveyone is the same, and I imagine you are pretty talented to be a low handicap after five years but that does give me a goal to go after. how old are you? I am 29.

[LongballGer]

I've been playing for about a year and I am hooked. Not that eveyone is the same, and I imagine you are pretty talented to be a low handicap after five years but that does give me a goal to go after. how old are you? I am 29.

Just turned 20.

[Brakkus]

My last 4 rounds 103,107,108,102.Please tell me I'm not destined to stay over a 100.I have been playing for 2 years,due to family and time and money,I barely play a round or 2 a month and get to practice at the range twice a month.

Are the golfing gods against me?I think practice and play time are against me rather than ability.

[LongballGer]

My last 4 rounds 103,107,108,102.Please tell me I'm not destined to stay over a 100.I have been playing for 2 years,due to family and time and money,I barely play a round or 2 a month and get to practice at the range twice a month.

Well, when you practice make it count!

Work on short game mostly.

[Brakkus]

Played today and being honest here,I 3 putted the first 4 holes,hit a 9 on one of the front nine,on the back hit 2 balls OB and hit an 8 on the last par 4 when I was told before I was currently on 96 going up the 18th.Striped a hybrid down the middle and then pushed my iron into the trees and it was game over.

I feel I'm not doing anything too rash for my ability,but it's stupid mistakes that cost dearly.

[tuckerhankdad]

My last 4 rounds 103,107,108,102.Please tell me I'm not destined to stay over a 100.I have been playing for 2 years,due to family and time and money,I barely play a round or 2 a month and get to practice at the range twice a month.

Brakkus--

I think it's a great sign that you are realistic about what you're shooting. I'm assuming you're playing by the rules of golf. My advice is keep the ball in play...avoid penalty strokes by not knocking a tee shot OB, count all your putts, know the rules and play by 'em ...even if others in your group don't. You don't have to be a stickler about it with your buddies however. Just keep your own score and turn in those scores at a course if you can...or at least use an online handicapiing service. As you improve you'll have a real sense of satisfaction because you know the rules and play by them. So many guys are delusion about their golf games and the length they hit their clubs. Their egos tell them they "average" 280 yard drives and shoot in 90s/80s/70s (or whatever) consistently...but many are only kidding themselves. Over time as you improve the caliber of playing partners may increase and your knowledge of the rules will really pay off--plus you'll gain immense respect. Many golfers are delusional regardless of handicap too. A quick story...Monday a week ago (after the Masters) a buddy and I are playing--we're not even betting because we're both a bit foggy after a Masters watching party...we're both 9-10 indexes...anyway he's even through 8 and standing on the 9th tee he says "man if I could eagle this par 5 like I did last time I played here, two under heading to the back nine would be great"...he then promptly shank/skulls/slices his drfiver dead right out of bounds and stands there stunned...he then walks back to the cart and says "I'm taking a "Monday mulligan"--huh???!!! He then "pars" the hole and shoots "even" on the front...but it's BS. He then goes on and on talking about his goal has been to break 80 before June on this course and "I have a real good chance today"...needles to say he gives himself an 8 footer for bogey on the back side and takes another bogey when he really made double and shoots a nice "80"...which was really at least an 83 maybe an 84...(I kind of lost interest in his BS because there was no bet)...I had a few doubles, several three putts and a lost ball and shot 86...my point is he is delusional...and he often breaks "80" but very rarely when he plays with me...wonder why?!!! Ahhh, that felt good. Play by the rules, keep it in play, keep a handicap, and most of all enjoy it...thanks.

[Brakkus]

Brakkus--

Yes I try to play by the rules,I even have a book and know most general rules,and I also use an online handicap service,and yes I have friends who cheat on their scores all the time,thankyou for the encouragement.

I look at this period as laying a foundation,and I can see more solid hits,a greater range of different shots,and I'm learning more and more about how to play courses now,even parred one of the par 5's. Once I do shoot lower scores it will be that more rewarding,so I guess I have got hung up a little on breaking 100 rather than concentrating on individual holes.Trouble is even though I haven't added up my score during a round I know a 6 is not good and a 5 gives me a chance.

[Danattherock]

Man did you say a mouthful. I consider myself a true 20 handicap. I have played with guys that are no better than me that would tell you they are a 12-15 handicap if you asked. And by the way they count (or should I say don't count) their strokes, they are a 15 handicap. They improve their lie (called Australia winter rules), don't count all penalty strokes, give themselves generous fairway drops, etc... Might not even count a missed 1-2 footer they gave a half azz attempt at while still walking to the hole. You know the types I presume. Watched a movie the other day, "Stroke of Genius", the Bobby Jones story. A must see movie if you have not seen it. Also, "The Greatest Game Ever Played" is a great golf flick. Back to the Bobby Jones movie, it was great and was shown on the Golf Channel. Anyway, it showed him call a penalty stroke on himself that no one else saw. He lost the tournament by one stroke! That is character. So count your strokes, all of them, and be proud of your 85, 92, 103, or what ever. At least you played the game right. And if that doesn't help, remember that the average golf score is 100+ for those that play the game the way it was intended. .

[imtomtomim]

Well, my keys to dropping my handicap were basically to fill up my shot selection, not make mistakes on my ball striking, and putt better. Course management was always important and minimizing my misses but with a funky beginner swing, I had to learn how to hit the shots from all the trouble spots. As my swing and ball striking got consistent (only takes a little bit of practice), I had all the shots I needed and getting onto those greens got easier. Then, I learned how to putt (very important) and score and the handicap drops. For me, it was all about making less mistakes. Hit the ball cleaner so the result is more consistent. Good luck!

[san-pancho-mex]

Yes I try to play by the rules,I even have a book and know most general rules,and I also use an online handicap service,and yes I have friends who cheat on their scores all the time,thankyou for the encouragement.

what's a good online handicap service? I've been playing a year and have no idea what my handicap is but I'm sure it's more than 19 after reading this thread.

[laconic517]

if you really want to start shooting under 80 consistantly.

Work on your driver.....its hard to shoot under 80 if you are taking penalty strokes and making doubles here and there. Also work heavily on short game. 6 ft and in is very important..im not the greatest chipper of the ball yet but I hit them to 6 ft enough and make a majority of my putts from there that I get away with it. Gotta avoid 3 putts at all cost as well. Remember that bogies dont hurt you very much if you are just trying to break 80. Doubles kill you.

[walk18]

My last 4 rounds 103,107,108,102.Please tell me I'm not destined to stay over a 100.I have been playing for 2 years,due to family and time and money,I barely play a round or 2 a month and get to practice at the range twice a month.

Brakkus, I'll be honest, it's going to be really hard to see a lot of improvement playing only once/twice a month. The game is just too difficult in my experience, and I play a lot. But that certainly doesn't mean you cant enjoy the game. If the time/money constraints can't be avoided, just be glad when you do get out there, and enjoy the good shots. And I have no doubt you can break 100.

[Brakkus]

Yeah I'm coming to that conclusion as well and I really do enjoy the golf,also I'm not the type to get angry with myself although frustration does kick in from time to time because I'm very driven to improve it's how I approach all disciplines that I attempt,so it's really a matter of controlling the desire to do well so it doesn't spoil the enjoyment