Handicap Question

[folker]

If you had to pick just one aspect of golf, in your view what is the most important factor separating a 20 handicap golfer from a 10 handicap golfer?

[ted dibiase]

chipping. If you chip close you don't have to hit good approach shots, good drives, or good putts. I guess the same could be said about putting, but there is more luck involved with rolling in a 20 footer.

[$2 Nassau]

I'm sure there will many responses regarding the short game.

Well, I've been a 20 and now I'm a 10. Basically- I stopped slicing, learned how to hit a draw and overall just improved my ballstriking, especially with my irons. I never practice short game, unless you count chipping/putting for 15 minutes before a round (not saying that's a good thing, just saying you can improve by focusing on your swing/long game).

I think the biggest difference between a 20 and a 10 is the long game, i.e. getting off the tee well, not finding OB/hazards, being able to aim at a certain target and hit that target more consistently, etc. Getting to the green as quickly and efficiently as possible is critical.

[ted dibiase]

that will help, but your short game is where the majority of a golfer's storkes occur. On every par 4 a 17.9 handicapper isn't likely to get on the green in 2. They probably get around it in 2 and then start messing up chips/putts. If you could chip close and one putt you could shave so many strokes off of the card it is ridiculous. I know that when I was a 20+ the slicing/hooking hurt, but didn't account for the majority of my strokes. The majority came from chipping it back and forth across the green and then 3 putting...

[whetstone]

I'm pretty sure the difference b/w me and a 10 is the long/mid irons. If I could hit a green from 160-170 that would definately be good for about 8 strokes. I've got the distance, although I hit each iron shorter than my partners, I usually miss by about 20 yds, then chip, then 2 putt.

[SubPar]

...

Yes, as you indicated, to the extent you learn to stay out of trouble. Two aspects of the game that separate a 15-20 from a 10 is picking the club and shot that minimizes the "disaster potential" and learning to get up and down at least half the time when you are close to the green.

SubPar

[$2 Nassau]

that will help, but your short game is where the majority of a golfer's storkes occur. On every par 4 a 17.9 handicapper isn't likely to get on the green in 2. They probably get around it in 2 and then start messing up chips/putts. If you could chip close and one putt you could shave so many strokes off of the card it is ridiculous. I know that when I was a 20+ the slicing/hooking hurt, but didn't account for the majority of my strokes. The majority came from chipping it back and forth across the green and then 3 putting...

Good point. I guess I'm just different and my views are a bit different on the topic. I find this to be an interesting topic and like discussing it.

For me, as a 20 the slicing and hooking hurt, big time. I don't think too many 20 hcps are getting around the green in 2 on a regular basis (on a par 4). At least I didn't. Sure, sometimes I did, sometimes I'd even hit a green in reg, but usually I'd find trouble along the way and par was often out of the question when I got to the green. I think if 20 hcps were just barely missing greens in reg on every hole, then yeah, work on short game. But then again, I'm not sure that is the case.

[$2 Nassau]

maybe the original poster, folker, can help us better understand. What do feel is your problem? Are you getting on or near the green in a fairly efficient manner, or are you taking forever to get there and then draining a 20 footer for double bogey (which is what I used to do!).

[chilly]

I'd think it's more of the "long" game. I think that anyone that is a 20 can at least chip and putt proficiently, if not "well". I see more folks (definitely including myself) that put up the big numbers due to having to punch out or take penalty on multiple holes in a round.

[lumpuckeroo]

I would agree with both $2 Nassau and ted dibiase, usually there is one aspect of a 20 handicappers that is not good, long game or short game. Improving on that one aspect will greatly reduce your handicap, but to stay at a low handicap, I feel the short game is the key.

[folker]

My biggest problem is iron accuracy...with all irons not just long ones. I have been primarily pulling and occasionally hooking all irons. However just today I weakened my grip considerably and hit pretty well shooting a 43. I am good with my driver. Long and usually straight. Most misses are pulls. I putt and chip pretty well really. I average 35 putts per 18 holes which would be great if i could just get on the green in regulation. I'll have a couple of one putt holes a round where i saved a bogey with a great chip. Iron accuracy and as a result getting on the green in regulation is my biggest problem. It's killing my scores.

[folker]

And as a result i often want to throw my irons in the nearest pond. I hate them and always have.

[mdl]

I agree it's chipping. Obviously if you're a 20 cause you've got pretty good ball striking with the irons and play well around the green but are inconsistent and massively slice the driver half the time or something, then yes, killing the slice, consistency on the long game would be it.

But the biggest difference for me is chipping and distance control on the putts. I'll still often end up just off the fairway from the tee with a tree in my way, and have to knock something down or just aim left or right of the green, or just hit a decent second shot but push it or pull it a few degrees, and end up say 20-40 yards out. That used to be 4 strokes from there more often than not for me, but especially in the 20 to 30 yard range now, I expect to put the ball inside 10-15 feet, with real chance at saving par. Of course I still miss the 15 footer a good amount, but now I'm pissed about the double on that hole instead of just hoping for only the bogey. Never putting more than 4 feet past the hole also helps there, hence the putting distance control.

[alf174]

For me, getting on the green in regulation more often makes a big difference in my scores. And it usually correlates with hitting the fairway off the tee.

[Elvisliveson]

I'm sure there will many responses regarding the short game.

I could not agree more. While it is true, good chipping and putting is a sure fire way to score, it is the biggest difference between an 8 like myself and a 2 handicap and lower, who can seemingly get up and down from everywhere.

I notice very little difference between myself and a 20 handicapper in that regard. It's the fact they can't hit the fairway with any consistency that keeps them up there. They typically got to a 20 because they can chip and putt decently enough, but they really still can't hit fairways and greens with any regularity.

[CG031]

It's short game. Inside of 100 yards. I stopped blading wedges over the greens. I stopped skulling chip and pitch shots. I stopped chunking chips a foot. I stopped being next to the green in two, with a realtively straight-forward chip, and making a double or triple bogey...instead, at worst, making bogey and a lot of the times getting up and down.

That's the most specific part of the game. But, in all honesty, a 10 handicap is probably better in all aspects of the game than a 20 handicap...10 to 20 is a big difference. I think comparing 10 to 15, or a 5 to a 10 is more fair.

[leo3]

I don't think you can generalize it to one thing, but I will say that there are two things I see that make a big difference:

1. Hitting fairways, you don't need to try to hit it 300 yards as this will cause you to find trees, fairway bukers, and out of bounds, eliminating any chance of a green in regulation.

2. Go for the center of the green, pin hunting for a higher hcp. player will result in bunkers, short sided chips, and fewer chances for a routine 2 putt par. Also take enough club to get there with a comfortable swing, don't be coming out of your shoes on an iron swing to try to hit it as far as someone else might.

I guess both of these points boil down to playing within yourself

[opie]

I think it's the player. My dad and I are both about a 11 HC. He's straight off the tee box and hits fairways but struggles with his short game. I struggle off the tee box (i.e. OB and punching out of the woods) but chip and putt pretty well.