For the low handicaps, how much practice??

[Dad-2-3]

I'm very serious about becoming a single digit. I'm playing well (for me) thanks to practicing about as much as I play. I know I'm probably 1-2 years away from my goal, but was wondering how much practice did it take to get single digit? How much do you practice to stay in the single digits? I know this will vary person to person, but just getting a ball park.

I'm currently a nurse and only work 3 days per week so I can dedicate a ton of time to golf. I play two days during the week and once on Sat. with my son. I just joined a club and they have week night leagues which I will be playing in as well. I practice before and after my rounds during the week. I'm mostly working on short game right now and it has paid off around the greens and the chipping/pitching has helped my ball striking as well. Right now I'm not regimented in what and how I practice I just grab my putter, or my 56* wedge or 8i and practice chipping, pitching and putting. I guess my next question is how do you practice? Are you regimented or just practice what needs work?

I guess I'll mostly have to figure out what works for me, but was wondering what works for other people.

Thanks,
From a 20 handicapper.

[enis750]

the best thing I ever heard about practice (i beleive it was Philly Mac ho said this) "it's perfect practice, not practice makes perfect"
and it is SO true

just going out and hitting balls or putting around wont help sh*t
u have to have a purpose when u practice

for me - i practice every day for an hour and play 45 holes/week
im not saying you have to do this to become a single digit, but this is what i do ( i am also wanting to get to 0.0 this year-see my BLOG)

short game is soo key
I have a buddy who is like a 25+ hcp, but has the short game of a single digit - his problem is he cant get off the T w proper contact (hes currently taking lessons to fix this)

practice putting, chipping and shots from 120 yds in 85% of the time
I hit very few range balls in the year - like maybe 10 buckets ALL YEAR

switch up the tees you play from
i play 90% of my games from the back tees, but our mens league is from the whites
its a nice change, makes things fun and gives you shots you dont normally see every round

and most importantly -have fun w it
it is ONLY golf and its not like any of us are trying to make the show

[msd3075]

I think that anyone with an ok athletci ability can become a single-digit handicap if they practice properly and understand how to play the game. Like the previous post says, it's all about how you practice and not just total time. Here are a few keys you might want to focus on to help you out:

- Learn how to get out of trouble. This means going into the woods and practicing punch shots. It means going tinto the practice bunker and hitting balls from "fried egg" lies. It means hitting shots from buried lies and from uneven stances. The range always gives you a perfect lie and a perfect stance; on the golf course, it's almost never that perfect.

- Practice basic short game shots that you feel comfortable with and use those (and only those) during your round. If you know you'll screw up a flop shot 90% of the time but only hit them once every third round, don't waste time practicing them for an hour ever time you go out. Practice something that gets you out of the trouble and into an (almost) for sure two putt each time.

- Learn your strengths and weaknesses. Don't try to hit that perfect fade on hole #13 everytime if you know 90% of the time it turns into a nasty slice that goes OB. If you just play your game, you'll be amazed at how far your scores will drop.

- Devote a bunch of your practice time to playing on the course and not using the practice facilities. Golf is played out on the course, not on the range, and you have to learn to control your emotions and the ups and downs of the round before you can start to post good scores. There is no pressure on the driving range or on the putting green, and with practice on the course you'll start to learn that you don't have to make every putt or hit every fairway to become a single-digit handicap. This in itself with help your confidence and prevent you from blowing up out on the course.

[rhodes81]

It sounds like you are in the perfect situation to get there. I would love to have the kind of time you do to play and practice, but I only get to play once a week and sometimes only every other week. I live in a rural area and get to the driving range about 4 times a year, so I am worthless when it comes to practice regimens. I do know that hitting some short range shots in my yard made the biggest difference in my handicap. I didn't believe all the people who said short game would make the difference, but trust me, its the truth. Good luck!

[senorchipotle]

it's all about RHYTHM and REPETITION. if you can produce the same swing with consistent results, it will come easily. i practice about 3 days a week on the range/pitching green/putting green for 1-2 hrs, and i play once every week or so. soon to be three times a week during the summer at least nine holes(this is when i play my best golf). if your irons are off, chipping and putting is key. if your irons are hot, putting can be the difference between shooting a 75 and an 85. my best day with my irons last summer was diminished by my horrible putting and chipping. i could have easily went under par but i was chipping and putting like an old woman. once you get your putting stroke, it's pretty simple to repeat. the toughest thing for me, being 6'5'' are my short irons, so i practice at those the most. and most of all, hit EVERY single shot with a purpose.

[joepro23]

Getting to single digits - I reached single digits when I was 14 years old (started when I was 7). At that age you have the summer completely free, so I just remember being at range basically every day. I was lucky enough to have a practice green at my course growing up and the best thing for me was the endless time chipping and putting that I would do with my brother. It helped to have someone else there to keep it interesting. Getting my handicap down was very gradual, probably because I was young. So, it's not like I was a 20-handicap when I was 13 years old and suddenly an 8-handicap the next year. It was more like I shaved a couple strokes off my game every year until I plateaued around my current index when I was 18.

Since my situation was different, I have to agree with the others that for most people, the fastest ways to improve are: 1) Practicing smarter (drills, alignment sticks, picking targets, video analysis), and 2) Working on short game as much as possible.

Staying there - Once you get your handicap down into the single digits the only things bringing it back up are age and/or injury. As long as you are playing and keeping score legit, you don't just lose those skills that got you to that handicap. Just playing a round or two a week is enough at that point to stay on your game.

[goblue107501]

to get to a single digit...

Practice with a purpose. Don't just beat balls. You could spend 3 hours on the putting green every day and never be a better putter. Have a goal or something that makes it interesting. Try and make 50 3 footers in a row. Then move to 4 footers.

Improve your short game and you can drop probably 8-10 shots a round. Be able to get up-and-down from just about anywhere. Not saying you need to do it everytime, but be able to. No one is going to be 100%. Eliminate 3 putts. Make the short putts.

Stop losing balls. Other than wasted chips and putts, penalty shots are probably a big cause of higher scores. If you can play smart and keep the ball in play, it will not only lower scores but save you money too.

Take some lessons if you can. Unless you your strengths and weaknesses, the easiest way to improve is to take some lessons to figure out where you can improve.

Get better at the short game. I know I mentioned it before, but it is important.

It doesn't matter how much you practice, as long as you practice well.

[jetsknicks1]

  msd3075 said:

I think that anyone with an ok athletci ability can become a single-digit handicap if they practice properly and understand how to play the game. Like the previous post says, it's all about how you practice and not just total time. Here are a few keys you might want to focus on to help you out:

There's a buch of great advice there, thatnks, As you can see by my handicap, I'm not a very good golfer but I truly love the game and want to get better. I look forward to the days when I can spend more time on it.

[kevin.chan]

Understand the game / the physics of golf , get a coach when you start. This will set the right fundamental of the game and improvement will be easier.

When practice at the range , train your muscle and body to remember the "right" swing and tempo. People say practice made permanent , if you practice a lot but with the wrong swing / tempo , it will be difficult to rectify them.

Spend more time to practice short game and putting as mentioned by the formers above.

Get the right equipment, aka custom fitting . If you know what you need, you might just go to the store and get them off the shelves.
- Get the equipment that work best for your ( swing speed / weight / Flex / Length / Lie ) so that you need not to adjust yourself to the clubs that are too short or too long / too heavy or too light etc ( provided your playing mid hcp and understand the golf swing ).
-My current sets ( except the sand ) are all customized. For the Irons , i found the right club head / shaft / grip which allow me to execute my shot to the best after custom fit . The Driver , i was fitted with the USF PFV2 , and i m hitting 75% on the fairway with average of 260y. I chose my wood 3 and custom fitted my hybrids with same shaft. Putter , this is the most difficult part and i actually spend a lot of time looking for one. Before putter fitting , I was playing a putter that is too long ( 35" ) , then change to a face balance putter which does not suite my arc type of swing , then back to a blade putter with the grip is too big. All these give me some trouble to hole the 3 to 5 " putt. After seeing a pro ,he recommended 34" Plumber Neck Putter which standard size of grip . I chose the current putter and adjust 2" flat , and it pay off . My 3 putts is hardly there and i sink more 8~10 ft putts . ( btw , i do practice a lot at home on the putting mat )

Game management / get out of trouble - best is you start to play with people who are playing single now. Observe how they manage their game and get out the trouble.
- i was playing 10 until i have an opportunity to play with a friend who is a scratch golfer. I observed how he manage his game , how deadly is his chip around the green and putting within 10 ft. Since then , i pickup some of his skill and work on that area and drop a few strokes.


When you have these elements ( swing / tempo / technique / equipment / game management / mental ) , you will get to single pretty fast.

Due to long hour of work during the week says , i just dont have the time to go the range. I only play once or twice in a week. I m still glad that i can play to my handicap now, and sometimes had a superb 9 , where i hit below par.

I hope that the above give you some ideas, but i believe there are forumers here who can share better advice.

Good luck ...

[iacas]

  senorchipotle said:

it's all about RHYTHM and REPETITION. if you can produce the same swing with consistent results, it will come easily.

This may come off poorly, but I'm pressed for time so excuse the brevity.

It's NOT at all about repetition. The worst golfers in the world "produce the same swing with consistent results." Everyone I've taught, and everyone I've ever seen taught, and everyone I've ever golfed with makes pretty much the same swing every single time. That's why they suck - they make the same over-the-top move and slice or pull the ball every time. Or they leave their weight on the right foot and hit the ball fat and thin all day. Same swing, time and time and time again. There's a reason a guy can identify his golf buddy by his swing from four fairways over - because their swing hasn't changed in 20 years. Repetition is great if you're doing the RIGHT things. But virtually every golfer has a "repeatable" swing. Sure, they occasionally just happen to scoop the ball the one time because their chicken wing let them hit the ball not fat or thin but "acceptably." Or they pull one and it goes pretty straight or only slices back to the target and not 30 yards right of it. But look at their swings on video and they're going to look THE SAME. Golfers need to first: a) have the right information b) know how to make the right moves (based on the right information) c) ingrain the right moves so that THEY are repeated, and so that their bad tendencies stop being so easily repeated.

[jamo]

I don't know if this is the best advice possible, but here are my 2 cents: I think the easiest and fastest way that I lowered my handicap was hitting fairways. Hitting fairways makes it easier to hit greens, and takes pressure off of the short game. My chipping and pitching are both good, and my putting is mediocre, but hitting fairways is what really helped me improve. How you do that is up to you. I didn't have an instructor, and I couldn't play every day, but if you can do those things more power to you.

[patriot07]

jamo makes a great point. You don't see single digits hitting number 3 off the tee. And short game, short game, short game. Beating your 7-iron on the range all day is great, but it doesn't matter if you're laying 3 because your first shot went OB, or you put your 7-iron to 6 feet and can't make the putt.

I was down to a 3 in college when I was playing a ton. It's gone up since then, but that's because I only play about 18 holes a week (in 2 or 3 different outings combined). When I was really playing well, I beat balls on the range like it was going out of style. I was very Walter Hagen-style, 3 bad shots and one great one are good enough to make par. But you will plateau playing that way because like I said, you can only hit #3 off the tee so many times and still shoot a 75. After I stopped playing all the time, I ballooned up to about a 12, but I've worked it back down to a 6-7

To get to the 6-7, I learned to keep my driver in or very near the fairway at all times. If I miss, I miss on the side that means I won't be teeing up #3. Also, I worked very hard on my short game. One less out of bounds per round and 2-3 more up-and-downs or made birdie putts is all it takes to get from a 12 to a 7. I rarely, if ever, go hit my irons at the range. That's why I play the forgiving X-18s I guess, because I can stick them close without having to practice. My home course has a HORRIBLE range, and I don't feel like making the drive anywhere else just to hit range balls. The biggest difference between then and my game right now is my game from 20-70 yards. Now, I'm better off being at 85. If I'm between 85-105, I've got a good chance of putting it within 15 feet and making a birdie or a par at worst. Between 20-70, I used to be able to consistently stay within 10-20 feet and always be down in 3. But now I lose a lot of shots from that range because my distance control suffers with the lack of practice.

[Dr. Strangeclub]

As Bruce Lietzke once said in an interview (or was it a commercial?), "When I first came on the tour, they told me the game was 90% mental. Now that I've been out here for 20 years, I can say that it's 100% mental."

I think it's more important to play or practice at least a little bit every single day than to put in long practice sessions a few days a week. I don't care if you stand in front of a full length mirror, putt on the living room rug, or practice setting up in against a door jamb. Ten minutes practice every day is better than 70 minutes on Saturday. Playing/practicing 4 days a week will make it very difficult to make headway beyond mediocrity, but you can advance surprisingly fast if you DON'T MISS A DAY! It doesn't have to be the range and you don't even really need a golf club in your hands, you just have to work on the game. Every day you don't practice is a day you are forgetting what you learned before. Every good golfer I've ever known has spent a long period of time (> 6 months) playing or practicing virtually every single day. It's not how MUCH you practice, it's how often you practice.

The other idea I would place in your head to learn to hit better shots (remember, it's ALL IN YOUR HEAD!), is to practice hitting the ball as short as you can with a full finish -- I'm talking 80 yard tee shots with a driver. It's how Davis Love, Jr. taught Davis Love, III. Hit the ball PERFECTLY, with perfect timing, right in the center of the club, with a full and easy follow through, in perfect balance, 80 yards with a driver. Not as easy as it sounds, but it allows you to find out what is really happening in the hitting area, and how the hands hinge, how the feet should work, where your balance belongs, the importance of not moving your head or spinning out, why it's easier to hit the ball with a straight left arm rather than letting it collapse -- it's all happening in slow motion, so you can figure things out. Trying to learn to hit a tee shot by hitting full tee shots is as useful as practicing fast scales on the guitar before you can play them cleanly at a slow pace.

[senorchipotle]

  iacas said:

This may come off poorly, but I'm pressed for time so excuse the brevity.

i meant repeatable doing the right moves, in the same way that hogan talked about the repeatable swing that holds up under pressure. obviously repeating the same horrible swing is going to produce consistently horrible results, but the guy's a 10 handicap, so i assume he's got a fairly good one.

[senorchipotle]

  kevin.chan said:

Get the right equipment, aka custom fitting . If you know what you need, you might just go to the store and get them off the shelves.

back in college i was shooting scratch playing with a set of 15 year old blades, an equally old 56*, a no name driver and an old steelhead 3 wood. equipment can help your misses, but it can't make your shot.

[ks8829]

its important to know what to practice when your spending the time so that you can see the fastest results in your score. You practice the part of your game that is keeping you from consistently scoring low rounds.

What does a single handicap golfer work on to stay sharp and consistent during the week. One of the key things that he must practice is the short game, specifically getting up and down more than half the time he's in this situation and to keep his total putts under 30 per round. How close are you from these numbers?

Have you been tracking putts and up and downs? When you practice do you practice chipping on the green and trying to make the one putt to save par from different distances? Can you consistently chip just off the green from 10, 20, 30 feet from the hole so that you can one putt and get up and down?

[Dad-2-3]

First I want to say thanks.

I'll give you some stats. 1.8 putts per hole and that number is slowly declining. Last two rounds have been great at 29 and 31 putts. I MUST stop 3 putting that once or twice per round!!! 45.7% Fairways and climbing. 20.9% GIR, but this number is on the rise as well with my last two rounds being 38%. It looks like iron play and chipping consistently is holding me back.

Thanks again.

[tm22721]

  iacas said:

Golfers need to first:

Exactly. Don't practice a lot until you have the right technique. Nothing else matters.

After five years of struggle I attended a golf clinic recently and learned a new swing technique called DOCF. IMO it is a game changer. PGA tour players are taking notice - Steve Elkington showed up at the one I attended. After 1.5 days of instruction my old swing disappeared and my flaws went with it. In three weeks my handicap plummeted from 10.3 to 8.7 and I am still improving. Now if I could only learn how to post my before and after videos ! Iacas - Get down to one of Martin Ayer's clinics if only to observe new golfers of all ages getting into tour positions after only a day of instruction in this new dynamic. Unheard of.