How did you break into single digit HCP?

[JackLee]

I found some magic swing instruction. At least it seems like magic because it made good, consistent ball striking so easy for me.

[sonicblue]

I prefer to focus on the mental approach to something like this.  One could say, "to shoot lower, hit more greens," but that won't tell you HOW to.  One could tell you, "improve your ballstriking," but it's not like you can snap your fingers and do that.  That generally comes with improving your swing mechanics and fundamentals, but that could be the answer to "how do you get to XXX handicap" in general.  I'll share what I think got me to the point where, even when my swing is feeling off, I learned to contain my scores, so my bad scores have a pretty tight upper end, and when my swing is good, I found the ability to go sub-80.

A single-digit handicapper:

1) Avoids trouble off the tee - he's not a bomber, necessarily, or a shaper of shots, or laser-like accurate.  He is,however, able to know where the you're-dead spot is, and avoid it.  He can pick the half of the driving area (not fairway, just the driving landing area) and put his ball there safely a lot of the time.

2) Does not attempt heroic shots - He doesn't magnify errors.  Stuck behind a tree?  Punch out to a good spot.  260 carry over water?  Lay up.  A 2 or 3 can pull off those kind of shots.  A 7, 8, 9 takes his medicine and picks his spots to score.

3) Has a solid, all-around short game - While he may hole a chip here and there and stick a pitch to 6" occasionally, he's not deadly.  However, stubbing a chip, blading a sand wedge, leaving it in the bunker....these are rarities.  A straightforward chip-and-run, he'll get it close.  Pitch over hazard short-side, he'll play it smart and just get a putt.  Like before, no hero shots, just solid, no magnifying errors.

4) He's a good putter - Not universally lethal, not jaw-dropping, but he always seems to have good speed and rolls a solid putt.  He will make a whole lot of 4-5 foot putts, that a 15-18 handicap will knock knees over.

This probably sounds stupidly logical, but I think comparing these to a higher/lower handicap will show the difference.  For example, a high handicapper will generally lose several shots to penalties off the tee.  So I'm not saying a single-digit laces 280+ rockets (like a scratch likely does), just that they avoid trouble, by making a better mental plan and swinging more within themselves (which anyone, of any swing quality, can try to do).  A low handicapper, 2-3 say, WILL be a deadly putter, very likely.  A higher single-digit probably isn't, but their control is much better and they make the 3-foot comebacker, compared to the higher handicapper, who would routinely run a putt 6-feet by and be less than 50/50 to make the come-backer.  That comes from trusting alignment and focusing on speed, again, which anyone can make part of their approach.

In short, I think game and course management is something anyone can do to improve their scores, even with ballstriking and/or swing mechanics that aren't real great (I have some bad things in my swing that have haunted me, but I found that ratcheting everything down a notch means they show up, and hurt me, less).  I once shot a 76, and was convinced it was because some swing changes I was trying to make had taken hold.  I saw myself on video just a couple days later, and I looked exactly the same.  The difference that day was my tempo, my shot and club selections, and my putting.

[riddenhard]

Splifton, You did great to go from 21 down to 10 in one season, I've never seen anyone in my nearly 50 years playing do that. You must have just started out.  Now the same plateau effect occurs in all golfers, some get better, some actually fall back, most fall into their comfort range based on their athletic abilities. Many years ago I worked down from 15 down to 7 over 4 years and was stuck for three years at a 7. I thought 7 was pretty damn  good and I was happy to be there.Then I changed to a group of better players, I saw how they managed their game.They did not hit the ball further or straighter than I did, they just plainly made fewer errors and they chipped much closer. We also played for a lot more money. You either played better or went broke. No one was given any strokes, all the bets were two man best ball so two 4's might play against a two and myself at 7.  Long story short I went from 7 to 5 to 3 to 1 to plus 1 in the next four years. In golf you can always get better. Good advice in the post prioeto mine, You must be solid in all areas, work on it all, good luck

[BogeyBogey]

Originally Posted by riddenhard

Splifton, You did great to go from 21 down to 10 in one season, I've never seen anyone in my nearly 50 years playing do that. You must have just started out.  Now the same plateau effect occurs in all golfers, some get better, some actually fall back, most fall into their comfort range based on their athletic abilities. Many years ago I worked down from 15 down to 7 over 4 years and was stuck for three years at a 7. I thought 7 was pretty damn  good and I was happy to be there.Then I changed to a group of better players, I saw how they managed their game.They did not hit the ball further or straighter than I did, they just plainly made fewer errors and they chipped much closer. We also played for a lot more money. You either played better or went broke. No one was given any strokes, all the bets were two man best ball so two 4's might play against a two and myself at 7.  Long story short I went from 7 to 5 to 3 to 1 to plus 1 in the next four years. In golf you can always get better. Good advice in the post prioeto mine, You must be solid in all areas, work on it all, good luck

Hogan states in his 5 Lessons book that he instructed a club player from 90s to 70s in 5 months back in '38... implies it was all student dedication...It keeps me alive believing that it is true....

[fa2blk]

Every facet of the game is important to work on which others have already commented on. However, one consistent thing that I've noticed is that every low handicap player knows how to work the ball with both a fade and a draw.  If you are unable to work the ball it is hard to play smart golf and play either conservative or aggressive shots.  You need to be able to hit every club in the bag to play in the 70s from the tips on a challenging course. Scatch golfers are almost always great putters.