Does anyone else think that what you have is what you have?

[TN94z]

I agree. With the low GIR percentage, you need to be confident in your chipping/pitching/putting. If you can get those fairly steady, you will drop strokes. One thing I have noticed is once I got confident with my "around the green game" it seemed to take stress off of my irons (because I was confident that I could get up and down if I missed the green) and this actually helped me hit more GIR. That may just be me.

[Leftygolfer]

I agree. With the low GIR percentage, you need to be confident in your chipping/pitching/putting. If you can get those fairly steady, you will drop strokes. One thing I have noticed is once I got confident with my "around the green game" it seemed to take stress off of my irons (because I was confident that I could get up and down if I missed the green) and this actually helped me hit more GIR. That may just be me.

That isn't just you.

[Brakkus]

I would say up and downs are the part of the game that define a high level player.I average just under 6 for par 4's.I reach most par 4's in 3 shots sometimes 2 so I am not getting close to the hole around the green then 2 putting so that's the reason I am not hitting bogeys or having a chance at par.

[denver_nuggs_15]

But do you feel that anyone that is moderately athletic and puts in enough time and practice can get below a 10 handicap??

I'd say that just about anybody can get below a 10 handicap with practice, athletic ability aside. It comes down to practice.

So for the hell of it, I'm going to post my stats for this season. When I look at them closely, it really looks like I just need to improve everything.

Up and downs are probably lower than they could be. Depending on what part (if it's just one) that's lacking, I'd work on that (getting up or getting down). Putting is always something that should be practiced, so determine where you miss: short, long, left, or right. That should help a bit.

Your FIR percentage is 43%, but when you miss, are you OB, 10 yards from the tee, etc? Or are you 5-10 yards off the fairway (left or right)? 43% doesn't seem that bad to me (it's actually just about the same as mine), but my misses are in pretty good positions like a few yards from the fairway...where I can still hit the green. If you are hitting 20+ yards off the fairway, I'd imagine that you don't have that many oportunities to hit greens. GIR look very low. Try practicing ball striking with your irons. There's no doubt in my mind that you could get to single digits. Just as others said, you must wait for that ah-ha moment.

[JGulkCG]

not sure if anyone mentioned it. i got impatient to read everything. But are you playing with the right equipment? Were you fitted for your irons and such? that makes a big difference in ball striking.

[GaijinGolfer]

Absolutely not. In my mind, there is no limit to how far I can take my golf game. That may sound a little arrogant, but thats the attitude you need to have.
You would be wise to adopt the same attitude.

[Doctorfro]

I'm in the throes of major changes in equipment and swing. It's all coming together now but I've gone up two handicap strokes this year. I've struggled. But I feel like I'll get those strokes back this summer but at the stage that I am, I don't think I'll get a lot better. I'm learning more every year and I will probably improve in certain areas but if you put the time in "productive" practice I think you will always reap results. Best thing any of us can do is simply enjoy the game. We all hit at least one or two shots every round that make us want to get back out there.

[Brakkus]

One of the things that frustrates me is lack of play.The progress is there but it's in small increments,I feel I could have been where I am now a year ago if I could have played every week.
To make up for lack of play I have started doing certain drills that I can perform at home,and putting can be done even in the smallest of homes,plus my 4 year old has got some junior clubs and I take him to a field every week now,so I now get that extra practice.
Point is that you won't get worse if you continue with some kind of regular routine,progress is there but it needs to be realised.

[M2R]

I mean in terms of overall potential and skill.

Yes absolutely but I also think for most average males that limit is somewhere around +10 or so, maybe scoring in the 60-65 range.

I guess I'm just getting really frustrated again. I've been practicing hard, taking lessons, and this morning I go out and play just like I've been playing for the last 4 years. Doesn't feel like any real improvement.

I hope that in an exaggeration and

not true. If it is true you need to stop whatever you are doing because something is horribly wrong. My scores may be the same as 4 years ago (actually worse in my case) but I don't play anything remotely like I did 4 years ago. The digital nature of golf means it doesn't always reward incremental improvement with lower scores so what you have is rather like a quantum physics problem, it takes a fixed amount of improvement to jump from one scoring band to another and you will produce scores in a distribution within that band (IMO)

Man, this game will drive you insane. I've been working really hard at the range and with an instructor. I sometimes think that you've got what you've got when it comes to potential at this game.

As I said earlier yes I think you have what you have but what you have is incredible if you can access it. In my opinion golf is the worst sport you could pick to try and access your potential. Something like triathlon or marathon is better in my opinion because they directly access the question how much are you willing to commit and rewards accordingly? Golf is a sport for everyone, I'm not sure that is true for every sport. I have a saying relative to that: "In golf you can drive it into the woods and still make birdie, in racing we call that thinning the gene pool."

I've hovered between being a 15 and an 18 for a few seasons and I just can't get lower and I play A LOT. How do others feel about this?? I'm probably just in a slump but can I still have a real breakthrough with hard work?? Has anyone else felt like this after several seasons and then had their breakthrough year?

Hard work isn't the key to improvement, effective change is, and making real change is hard work. You can work you ass off doing the things you have always done and making the same mistakes and it won't do you any good. Improvement comes through changes in the ideas, behaviors, and attitudes that hold you back and that is hard work ... honestly it is often painful too. Personally I refuse to take lessons, that's probably an attitude that needs to change if I

really am interested in improving.

[uttexas]

Yes,

I was a fifteen hanicap ten years ago. After short game lessons and only focusing on short game for two years, I was able to drop down to a ten. I then stayed at a ten. I got married seven years ago, now with two kids (so that has limited time for sure).

I felt I couldn't improve without fixing my swing plane, etc, so I started my first full swing lessons about three months ago. I am struggling with the "new" swing due to lack of practice/play time, but am optimistic I can do it.

Unless you start playing when you are young or can afford lessons/time, very few can drop handicaps into single digits.

[TheNatural]

my 2 cents. You say the driver is not being used? UNLESS your woods are driving you 250, then you may have a limitation. I know Ill hear flack for this. Take a par 5 or a long par 4, without a 250 drive your odds of getting on in 2 decrease quickly, perhaps you will still be looking at 60 yard approach stroke for birdie on a 4? (not good) or having no chance of getting on it 2 on medium par 5's. I am a weak long iron player but can pound a driver. MY best ever was when I avg 250+ off the drives, it made me realize, holy cow! on in 2 on a par 5! loft clubs for my par 2nd shot on par 4's. The short game is also the other issue, IMO chipping and lag putting are huge. Missing big is much worse than missing small(leaving a 12 inch miss on a 5 ft putt is no biggie, leavin 12 feet on a 35 ft putt is nasty) You have to bomb it off the tee and if the approach is errant, you must be chip/lag accurate to save par.

My only limitation is my wife (bad i know) If I played daily, I would be 5-hi in 6 months, my distance off the tee is my clicker. When Im "on" I hit over %50 fairways at 275-300 yds and my best club is a 60* with a 110 yard accuracy, PW is right behind with decent accuracy up to 140. However I will pull my driver once in a while leavin me a 50 yard top. My 86 was posted when I shanked only one drive 50yds, no tops. My putting is 2.0 or better usually unless the greens are super fast and hilly. I believe in my abilities to the point of blind faith, when I play bad, I find the reasons behind the play and address them. One problem is playing after a stress filled day, I wont do it anymore. Another is playing without ample water. Silly things that keep me from focusing. Good Luck

[deafheaven]

Good thread. I've been feeling mightily frustrated myself. Last year I was hitting high eighties/low nineties and this year, so far I'm struggling to hit under 100. On the other hand I just got laid off so I see much golf in my immediate future.

I've been really struggling with distance. I've never been a big hitter so I can't afford to lose the length I had. Finally saw some slight improvement today though. Hit some nice shots. Uncharacteristically struggled with my putting though. Seems like it's always something. Length one day, short game the next, penalty strokes the next, accuracy the next.