How long did it take you to get to single digits?

[andef]

Hey fellow trappers.
Today I managed to go down to 9.5 and finally achieved my first goal for the year. After playing in a 36 hole tournament, I shot 80 and 80, both my two lowest rounds to date. Had a birdie putt on the 11th (my last hole) to break 80 which sat on the edge but overall I'm very happy, walking away with two trophies .
I started playing in October 08, so it took me about 20 months or a year and 8 months to reach a single digit handicap. For those of you out there with a single digit handicap, how long did it take you to get below 10?

[moto sausage]

I played occassionally for about 8 years and shot 90's mostly with a number of mid 80's. By occassional I mean every 10 days or so. By year i mean season, may - september.

I quit playing for 4 years, and took the game up again when I had a bit more time for it.

Began playing and practicing regularly, about 4 days a week on average. Took two years (ie seasons) and my handicap dropped to about a 7. Has stayed around a 3 for quite some time but has been as low as a 1.4when I played competitive golf more. FWIW took 4 lessons in that 2 year period. Two Biggest factors was my ability to self-diagnose my bad swings and correct them during a round and becoming a reasonable putter and short game player.

Oh yeah, I don't kick my ass mentally when I make mistakes.

[ET-Taylor]

is 9.5 not still 10

[sean_miller]

is 9.5 not still 10

9.5 is 9.5.

[Shripe]

I manage single digits on most holes... lol I think single digits in hdcp would be a dream.

[Boyder]

I manage single digits on most holes... lol I think single digits in hdcp would be a dream.

What Shripe said ...

[Fourputt]

I was down to a 9.4 for about 2 months in 1991.... That's it. I started playing more or less regularly in 1974, so that's about 17 years to get there, a brief stop, then 19 more years since I went back to 10 or higher. I might have been able to maintain it for longer if I'd tried, but range practice is boring, so I mostly just play golf and practice my short game occasionally. I just try to keep the game fun, and for me, range time is too much like work.

[martytilma]

Didn't start playing regularly until I got out of the Navy in 96'. That's what got me hooked. Had a course on our base in San Diego. Very cheap for service members!! Anyway once I got out I got into a league and have been in one ever since. Always shot pretty well in league play, but never established an USGA handicap. Started doing that about 5 years ago and have been single digit ever since.

[sacm3bill]

9.5 is 9.5.

Yep. 9.9 and below is single digit. Good job.

[IcemanYVR]

Once I got serious after university and joined a club, I dropped pretty fast. When I joined the club, my index was 16 or 17. For the first year I just played and my index dropped to around 14 or so. I started working on all aspects of my game during the off season... lessons, short game, putting, and mental. I could never seem to put it all together. Nothing worked, got too worked up on the course... whatever.

Finally something clicked (I discovered the secret to golf ) and within a couple months my handicap dropped to six. By the end of the year my Index was less than 1. I started playing competitive golf as well, that really helps... over the next two years I got my handicap as low as +2.4. I kept it (+) for a couple of seasons before I quit playing.

So just a year or so from when I started taking it serious to get into single digits, and it took 3 years from me being a 16/17 to get to +2.4.

[Paz]

Once I got serious after university and joined a club, I dropped pretty fast. When I joined the club, my index was 16 or 17. For the first year I just played and my index dropped to around 14 or so. I started working on all aspects of my game during the off season... lessons, short game, putting, and mental. I could never seem to put it all together. Nothing worked, got too worked up on the course... whatever.

Simply fantastic I would be estatic if I ever achieved the level of success you did, especially that quick.

I played from ages 14-18 with my father, maybe 4-5 rounds a YEAR. No range work, no putting. Roughly ~20 rounds in that period and I always shot in the mid to high 100s, only breaking 100 for a 97 or 98 a few times. Started playing more seriously in March 2010 where I shot mid 100s twice, then some mid-low 90s in late March and an 86 on April 1st (this is no april fools joke, the golf ball doesn't joke around). I've shot mid 80s consistently and just recently in the end of May broke 40 (38) on 9 holes. My lowest full round to date is an 82. I've had one half hour lesson where the pro worked on my posture, leg stillness for coil strength, and balance. Everything else has been self taught through this forum, books and various videos. I started my handicap in the middle of May and it's at a 5.7. I've played 18 rounds since March and been to the range and practice facilites an equal amount of times. Playing rounds is just as important as practice work on the range/green. I absolutely love this game. My mental strength and emotional control both on and off the course is increasing with every round and that's one of the things that keeps me going. Not only is playing golf fun, it's very good at increasing one's ability to deal with adversity. What's that secret by the way? Making it so your 2 putt is no more than 3 feet? Yes, that is the secret me thinks...

[senorchipotle]

took me about a year. started playing when i was 14. i used to play 36 holes a day during the summer back then. damn, i miss that.

[Lefty-Golfer]

I started playing weekly in in the fall of 08 and was a 15 to 17, last adjustment my index was 9.4. In my mind that still isn't singl;e because i play to an 11 on my home course but it is getting close. Lets call it two years for a time line. I should be there by the fall.

[shades9323]

Hey fellow trappers.

I have been playing for 25 years and still haven't. However, I have never really practiced. Maybe hit the range 1x per year.

[mrmiller8]

Played College baseball and realized my knees would never last in slow pitch softball so sided with Golf instead. It's tough to get rid of that baseball swing and slice. Have been playing for three years (summers essentially; lived in indiana and just moved to Jax less than two months ago so) Started playing and putting in some practice time and have already shot a 73 down here and have been consistently in the low eighties....

[Shripe]

It's tough to get rid of that baseball swing and slice.

Indeed. I'm going through the same issue from playing slow pitch softball as well :P

[k14]

Started playing more seriously in March 2010 where I shot mid 100s twice, then some mid-low 90s in late March and an 86 on April 1st (this is no april fools joke, the golf ball doesn't joke around). I've shot mid 80s consistently and just recently in the end of May broke 40 (38) on 9 holes. My lowest full round to date is an 82. I've had one half hour lesson where the pro worked on my posture, leg stillness for coil strength, and balance. Everything else has been self taught through this forum, books and various videos. I started my handicap in the middle of May and it's at a 5.7. I've played 18 rounds since March and been to the range and practice facilites an equal amount of times. Playing rounds is just as important as practice work on the range/green.

Gee what system do you use? If you haven't broken 80 but have a handicap of 5.7??

I am still around 18, getting some lessons at the moment and can sense that I am starting to get things together. It's winter here at the moment so things are a little tough to get out in the cold temperatures. Reading these posts are quite encouraging, I am sure I can get down there towards the end of this year. Will have to wait and see.

[double_j]

Still not quite there for me. Played a lot of golf for the first 5 years out of college but never really took it seriously - the normal 1-2 times per week with buddies, lots of beer, and zero range time. HDCP was in the high teens (low-mid 90's) and never moved much. Stopped playing when I needed to devote more time to work/grad school and didn't touch a club for the next 5 years.

Got back into the game just last year - I was making a career change and decided to give myself a summer vacation. Probably played 4 times per week on average from June through September and was able to use that time to actually learn things about my swing, practice the short game, etc. Got down to a 9 (still with zero lessons and zero range time) before I started work again in September.

After a winter off, I'm still not quite to where I was at my best last year - my schedule only allows 1 round per week on average nowadays and I just haven't been able to find my touch just yet (I still hate to practice and barely ever go to the range). I haven't kept up with my HDCP this year but my scores have been fluctuating around the mid 80's, so that would most likely put me somewhere between a 10 and an 11.

To answer the question - it took 4 months of constant playing to get me to a single digit (but I already knew the basics). I would never have gotten there with my casual 1X per week golf/no practice routine, although my goal this year is to drop below a 9.