Scratch Dreams

[Black Hulk]

I have been playing golf for a little over 3 years now and have really began to take it seriously within the last year. I really would like to be a scratch golfer, and think I can do it within a year. What should I be focusing on to make this happen!

[senorchipotle]

everything you're not good at.

[saevel25]

i have given up on short game... thats only an excuse for those who can't hit greens... though it helps, pro's hit the green 65% of the time, so they make birdies on those chances, because they scramble about 60% of the time. That is out of the 7 GIR they miss on average, they save par 4 times. That is they bogey 2-4 holes a round.

So, really get your GIR's up, and work on putting.

[trog2233]

Sorry to rain on your parade of getting to scratch in a year from where you are. But there isnt a chance in hell that's gonna happen. Take lessons.....practice practice practice....and see how well you can improve. Getting to scratch just isn't possible for some people.

[Shorty]

  Black Hulk said:

I have been playing golf for a little over 3 years now and have really began to take it seriously within the last year. I really would like to be a scratch golfer, and think I can do it within a year. What should I be focusing on to make this happen!

Reality .

If you think you can get to scratch within a year, you would have to be pretty close to it now. I'm assuming that you haven't updated your profile,which says 20. If you were at, say, 3 now, it might be possible. Are you playing par golf or close to it on reasonable courses? If you say you think you can do it within a year I would guess that you must have had quite a few par or sub par rounds. When you are breaking 80 virtually every time you play, you might be on the way. It is harder to get from 6 to scratch than from 20 to 10.

[Black Hulk]

No I'm about a 16 now, but I just recently started making this pledge!

[Black Hulk]

How is it impossible!

[walk18]

Scratch is a goal of mine, and I have no illusions about how far I still have to go. It won't be easy, but I will get there. I'm not going to put a time table on it. I'd recommend you do the same and just try to improve every time and enjoy the game.

[mck]

  Black Hulk said:

I have been playing golf for a little over 3 years now and have really began to take it seriously within the last year. I really would like to be a scratch golfer, and think I can do it within a year. What should I be focusing on to make this happen!

You should read "Paper Tiger" before making that kind of goal

[Shorty]

  Black Hulk said:

How is it impossible!

Because you say you're "about a 16 now".

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be the best golfer you can be. Make that your goal. There is a world of difference between a (genuine) scratch player, who plays to that handicap in competition and someone who plays off a genuine 5. Your goal is unrealistic and you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Take it one step at a time. If you are playing to 16 now, and yoiu got to 10 within a year, that in itself would be remarkable. You will not get to scratch within a year. Most people never could, no matter how much money or time they were able to devote to the pursuit of a scratch handicap. Many people on this forum think they could be professionals if only they had the time or the money. Most of them have never seen a pro hit a ball. As mck said, read Paper Tiger.

[saevel25]

want to become a scratch player, spend 50% of the time putting... 72 par on average, 28-32 putts, your looking at majority of your round is going to be putting.

That and keeping the ball in play, game management. Just keep playing if your committed you can do it.

[Harmonious]

Best of luck. I've been trying to get to scratch for the past 2 years. Dropped from 3 to just under 2. If you can get to a 10 from a 15 in a year, that would be super.

[Paradox]

the lower you get, the harder it is to move. I play generally 80's golf with the occasional 90's score and am at 12.2. I strike the ball reasonably well and all of that, but there is a world between me and a -1 or even a -5. I've been working to get from a 20 to 10 for a year...I suspect I've got 5 more maybe to get down to a 5.

[delav]

I've been playing for 15 years, and I'm still a 2.8. Scratch golf is about GIRs and short game expertise. Your can't hit GIRs if you aren't driving the ball well, although course management will help here.

Go see an instructor and fix your swing flaws now. Solid contact and proper impact position need to be at the top of your list.

If you are a 16 now, a single-digit handicap within a year of practice would be a HUGE accomplishment, scratch golf is a pipe dream.

[Paradox]

GIR is such a killer.

Someone has broken my aimer and messed up my golf game!

[kennay92]

  Paradox said:

the lower you get, the harder it is to move. I play generally 80's golf with the occasional 90's score and am at 12.2. I strike the ball reasonably well and all of that, but there is a world between me and a -1 or even a -5. I've been working to get from a 20 to 10 for a year...I suspect I've got 5 more maybe to get down to a 5.

thats ridiculous, my one year just rolled around at the beginning of this month, and well, you can see my hc to the left. so saying that'll take 5 years is straight outrageous.

[Harmonious]

  kennay92 said:

thats ridiculous, my one year just rolled around at the beginning of this month, and well, you can see my hc to the left. so saying that'll take 5 years is straight outrageous.

Get back to us in a year's time, and tell us how you did it.

I think you will find that shooting par or better at least half the time will prove to be a bit of a challenge. Hit a ball OB? Now, you have to make two birdies to cancel it out. Have a tough putting day where maybe 3-4 putts lip out? There goes that par round. Play in a strong wind, where 78 is a great score? So sorry, you still post 78. My estimate is that it takes an equivalent amount of time to cut your hdcp in half. By that, I mean if it takes you a year to go from 20 to 10 (very optimistic), it will take another year to go from 10 to 5, and another to go from 5 to 2.5. That's with all things being equal, such as your ball striking improving each year, your putting improving, your short game improving, your course management improving. Don't forget that at some point, you may reach your physical limitations. Where a 240 yard drive is fine for playing to a 10, you probably need more length to get to scratch, just because it's hard to score when you are hitting long irons into par 4's. Not trying to rain on your parade, just saying it's not quite as easy as you make it sound.

[delav]

  Harmonious said:

Get back to us in a year's time, and tell us how you did it.

Great points here. Also, a 5 over 77 is quite a bit different from 6200 yards than it is from 6700. As your handicap drops, you should be challenging yourself on the longer tees.