How long till your handicap fell?

[Davie81]

Just wondering how long it took for peoples handicap to get reduced?

It's taken me a year to get down from 28 to 26 and wondering if that's too long? (If I'm really as bad as I think then that'll explain it).

I'm playing roughly 3 times a month but hitting the range around twice a week.

[RetroJFrancisco]

Took me 8 years to get down from 36 to my low of 0 , I played in the range and stuff for about 3 - 4 years before I actually stepped on a course, so 12 years overall

[dave s]

I guess a good question for you would be, 'what are your practicing three days a week at the range?'

Personally, I'm not much a range rat, but more interested in identifying where shots are being squandered during a round.  I've put many hours of work on my short game.  Pitches, chips, lots of putting and hours and hours on putts inside 5 feet.  It's paid off to the tune of about 10 shots improvement every 18 holes. And it's free to practice your short game.  Go to your nearest course with a practice green that allows chipping.

Right now, the worst part of my game are shots 180 to about 110 from the green.  I know this so I will continue spending time scoping range targets at distances in this range.  With significant improvement in this aspect the game, I expect it to pay off in the range of 6-8 shots a round.  This includes being MUCH more accurate on par-3 tee shots.

What I'm getting at for you Davie81 is understanding where your game is will definitely outline practice opportunities that will pay off in lower scores and lower hdcp number for you.

For example, if I can work toward improving those 2nd shots and par-3 tee balls this year, breaking 80 is very realistic for me.  And this is coming from a guy who can bomb it off the tee a whopping 230 yards on his BEST day!  Beating balls at the range with my driver isn't going to make me hit it 270 and I know it.  So I don't waste practice time on it. Improving in the areas of the game where I CAN improve is going to allow me to break 80 this year.

dave

[saevel25]

120+ First year playing

100-110 until pre golf lesson

90's for the next year

upper 80's the year after

mid to upper 80's the next 10 years (i played golf sparingly, maybe on round ever other month)

Lower to Mid 80's 1 year after picking up playing golf a lot, after college

upper 70's to low 80's 3 years ago till now

So, that would be 2.66 strokes a year, but very fast returns early, and diminishing returns later So really, i would say, 10 strokes a year for the first three years, then the next 10 strokes over the next 10 years. (but i did take a 5 year break, due to college, just didn't play, maybe 1-2 rounds a year, now i play about 20-30 rounds a year)

[Unkynd]

1st Year - No Practice , playing once a week - 36 handicap

2nd Year - Practice 1-2 times a week, playing 1 time a week - 26 handicap (broke 100 and 90)

3rd Year - Practice 2-4 times a week, playing 1-2 times a week 19 handicap (broke 80 twice)

4th Year (6 months in) - Practice 2-4 times a week, playing 1-2 times a week 13 handicap

Playing more tournament now, 3 years, 6 months into my golf "career".  Tournaments have definitely motivated me to practice more.

[clearwaterms]

I believe that golfers will have breakthroughs.  The first major breakthrough is the ability to break 50 a side / 100 a round.

Once you figure out how to get into the 90's I think most people are able to break 90 fairly quickly after that.

This is why I think you see a lot of golfers in the 25+ handicap range, and then again in the 14-18 handicap range.

That being said, some people will break into the 14-18 range in one season, others will spend a few seasons to get there.

[MS256]

Everybody is different. I didn't have much trouble at all hitting a golf ball fairly well from day one and could score fairly well. Of course I wasn't using anything that resembled a golf swing. Just the same baseball swing that I had hit at least 200 balls a day with in my batting cage for years and years. I just thought of it as hitting a line drive or a fly ball to center field.

I understood what made a ball curve either right or left and just thought of my club face as a ping pong paddle or a tennis racket.

I only played because I thought it would be something fun to do with my son since he was no longer playing baseball in college and he wanted to play golf. If I hadn't been pretty good at it immediately I probably wouldn't have played very much and may have even quit altogether.

My son and I practiced and played ALL the time. We hit our drivers down into the hay field until we got tired and then stood about 100 yards apart and hit the ball back and forth to each other for hours and hours anytime we weren't on the course (and we were on the course a LOT). We put an old mattress on the wall of the barn and would hit balls until late at night.

The club we joined had very few members and on the average day we might see only a handful of other golfers on the course in the money game at 12:30 and on days they didn't play we were the only ones out there all day. We were able to play every day during the week and from daylight to dark on the weekends getting in 4 or 5 rounds a day.

I had the same problem I've had in every sport I ever played. Way better than I should have been at first but not very much improvement and stalled out pretty quickly. My son was just the opposite. Not very good at all at first but has steadily improved over the years and he is a +1.5 now.

I don't keep a handicap but if I did I would probably have a hard time keeping it around a 5 or 6. Too many swings in my scores. When it's good it's really good and when it's bad it's awful.

[ponyboy]

Started playing Golf since three months. After one month of range and short game practice scored 98 on my first round. This month last 8 rounds have scored an average 87 , being a hockey player may have helped. Currently 32 years old and am wondering if I practice everyday how soon can I be a scratch golfer?

[atxpkrgolf]

I firmly believe that a vast majority of high handicap players can shave 10 strokes off their round with using optimal strategy. For one, if you aren't < 10 handicap I don't think u should EVER aim for the pin and only aim at the center of the green. Second, I don't think 99% of golfers should try to hit the max club. Say if u pure your 8 iron it goes 150 and you come up to 153 yrd par 3. Most golfers hit the 8 which is crazy. Hit the 7

Finally and most importantly, don't try shots with low probability. If you are trying to cut a dogleg to have a shorter iron in and there is a pasture of fairway and safety USE IT. They mostly hit it into the trees, lose their ball , and bemoan their bad luck while they card an 8 when all they had to do was play safe.  Tons will say that playing safe isn't fun but what's really fun is scoring low and making goals.  My .02

As far as OP's question

1st year just hacked it around for fun, didn't keep score etc

When I started taking it seriousy I was shooting 90-105

2nd year serious 83-90

after that 78-88 for years and years

Lately mid 70s to high 70s

[ponyboy]

Thanks these are very useful tips. If I may ask what is your current average driver distance? Or to put it this way how much time does it take to hit a driver 270+ yards.

[atxpkrgolf]

Thanks these are very useful tips. If I may ask what is your current average driver distance? Or to put it this way how much time does it take to hit a driver 270+ yards.

I'm 6'6 and 290. I used to be 240 when I played college ball and always very athletic. Now I am getting older (everyone is duh) and 42 yrs old and I carry my driver about 270-280 and ends up 290-300.  Youtube or find golf channels golf tips if u are looking for xtra distance off tee. This month is long drive month on the golf channel and they had Jamie Sadlowski who hits it a country mile on giving tips. Flexibility is key and there were some pretty cool drills.  Good luck

[MS256]

Thanks these are very useful tips. If I may ask what is your current average driver distance? Or to put it this way how much time does it take to hit a driver 270+ yards.

I know a guy that's been looking for that carry for 40 years. He looked for it when he played college golf and when he made an attempt at pro golf and he's still looking for it today. He's so much better at golf than I am that it's like I'm in elementary school and he's in college...But I can hit the ball farther than he can (and always could).

There is no time schedule for distance.

[MULVn8tor]

I don't know my handicap but each year I lower my score by 7-10 strokes a year. Was shooting 110 couple years ago now down to consistently high 70s. This is without practice and golfing 2-3 times a month. Once you find your swing it will come down in bunches

[Jodastra]

Well as it goes...my handi cap looks like this through the years I've been tracking it....

38 to a 35 in 2008 ...went and got lessons...

35 to a 21 in 2009

21 to a 16 in 2010

18 thru         2011

18 to a 22    2012... fitted clubs (bitch...I am supposed to hit these I was sized for them, blah blah blah)

21 to a 17    2013...and I'm not done yet

+20 to +40   2112...when the meek... shall.... inherit.... the.. earth....

[SoundandFury]

I don't think you can put a time frame on distance.  First of all it's all about efficient swing mechanics. Long drivers deliver the club to the ball with maximum efficiency.  After that, flexibility and core strength.  Wanna get longer? Do yoga and functional core work...a lot.

[rcwkent]

I started playing in May and my first official hcp was 32.6.

It's now 27.5.

I analyze each round I play and the areas that could take the most

strokes off are putting and chipping.

When I go to just practice, I'll hit a small bucket...3 to 4 balls per club.

Then chip for 20-30 minutes. Then putt for 30 minutes.

If I don't break 100, I can count on having had too many three putts,

and not getting the ball on the green on the first try when 50 yards or closer.

[BuckeyeNut]

Everybody is different.....Everybody hits brick walls they never think can be breached.....  I've been there and done that.  I've been stuck against a wall for nearly a decade in the past, and then blew it to smithereens.  Don't lose faith....the wall can be broken through.

[sopel10]

5 years to get down from 26-28 to 14. I was at 14 last year but decided to change my swing, new swing is capable of so much more :-)