What's Preventing You From Playing Scratch Golf?

[Crim]

I just started last year so...inexperience really.

So far I've noticed that I'm kind of a streaky golfer, I'll play amazing today and horrible tomorrow. Hopefully practice time will correct this.

[Spitfisher]

If I made a couple of putts and a little tighter on a couple of shots I would be scratch, PB is 66, home course average is around 78

[bjfox10]

This may be too obvious but I need to hit more greens per round and the greens that I'm hitting the shots need to be closer to the hole. My best rounds tend to include many pars, not many bogeys and not many birdies. My rounds that aren't so good and have less GIR's and more bogeys and I never have enough birdies to offset. And if I start making doubles…=\

[bubble]

depends how a handicap is calculated in your country. there are some differences..

[David in FL]

depends how a handicap is calculated in your country. there are some differences..

Not really.......the term "Scratch Golfer" is specifically defined, and has nothing to do with how a handicap is calculated.  It's simply a somewhat arbitrary term used to define a golfer of a certain skill level.

Scratch Golfer

A " scratch golfer" is a player who can play to a Course Handicap of zero on any and all rated golf courses.

Also, I'd argue that the skill set needed to play at that level is the same, regardless of where and individual lives and how their handicap (if they even have one) is calculated.

[boogielicious]

We tend to think of handicap as a linear scale versus ability. It really is exponential.  To get from 12 to 6, I will need to work and play much more than twice as hard/smart than I am right now.  From 6 to scratch not only requires more work, but also more naturally ability.  I don't have the ability to get to scratch, but I hope I can work hard and smart enough to get to single digits.

An analogy would be doing a time trial in cycling.  To average 25 mph, you would need to put out roughly 250 watts of power over a course length.  To average 30 mph you need to put out almost 400 watts.  So for a 20% increase in speed, you need to put out 60% more in power! When I was racing, my best ever was 25 mph. I did not have the physical ability to do any better no matter how much training I did.

For golf, just replace power with ability.

[march11934]

We tend to think of handicap as a linear scale versus ability. It really is exponential.  To get from 12 to 6, I will need to work and play much more than twice as hard/smart than I am right now.  From 6 to scratch not only requires more work, but also more naturally ability.  I don't have the ability to get to scratch, but I hope I can work hard and smart enough to get to single digits.

An analogy would be doing a time trial in cycling.  To average 25 mph, you would need to put out roughly 250 watts of power over a course length.  To average 30 mph you need to put out almost 400 watts.  So for a 20% increase in speed, you need to put out 60% more in power! When I was racing, my best ever was 25 mph. I did not have the physical ability to do any better no matter how much training I did.

For golf, just replace power with ability.

Hey there. Your analogy of cycling makes sense from a physical perspective. So if you're trying to play courses where 300 yard drives are a must and you can't reach that, then i would agree with your analogy of producing net power on a bike like with a swing.

But maybe your selling yourself short when you say ability. Have you ever played the same course and birdied a hole in a beautiful manner one day and shot a double on the same hole at a different time? The ability never really changed. You didn't get weaker or less capable, setting weather aside. But some days seem better than others. I think the mental aspect plays a huge role in the game on golf.

If you mean mental as being part of that ability them i guess i understand. Maybe scratch golfers have a mental mindset that double digits don't.

Thanks

[boogielicious]

Hey there. Your analogy of cycling makes sense from a physical perspective. So if you're trying to play courses where 300 yard drives are a must and you can't reach that, then i would agree with your analogy of producing net power on a bike like with a swing.

But maybe your selling yourself short when you say ability. Have you ever played the same course and birdied a hole in a beautiful manner one day and shot a double on the same hole at a different time? The ability never really changed. You didn't get weaker or less capable, setting weather aside. But some days seem better than others. I think the mental aspect plays a huge role in the game on golf.

If you mean mental as being part of that ability them i guess i understand. Maybe scratch golfers have a mental mindset that double digits don't.

Thanks

True, but isn't part of ability consistency?  For golf, consistently striking the ball well is part of ability.

[KyleAnthony]

Hey there. Your analogy of cycling makes sense from a physical perspective. So if you're trying to play courses where 300 yard drives are a must and you can't reach that, then i would agree with your analogy of producing net power on a bike like with a swing.

But maybe your selling yourself short when you say ability. Have you ever played the same course and birdied a hole in a beautiful manner one day and shot a double on the same hole at a different time? The ability never really changed. You didn't get weaker or less capable, setting weather aside. But some days seem better than others. I think the mental aspect plays a huge role in the game on golf.

If you mean mental as being part of that ability them i guess i understand. Maybe scratch golfers have a mental mindset that double digits don't.

Thanks

my instructor said the difference between amateurs and professionals is that pros can shut their mind off and not over analyze everything. they know their distances and what shots they can play and just go out and do it. maybe i'll actually try that next time

[iacas]

my instructor said the difference between amateurs and professionals is that pros can shut their mind off and not over analyze everything. they know their distances and what shots they can play and just go out and do it. maybe i'll actually try that next time

Hopefully your instructor knows quite a lot more about the differences between the best and worst than just that… :D

[Dave2512]

Lol no doubt.

[flopster]

my instructor said the difference between amateurs and professionals is that pros can shut their mind off and not over analyze everything. they know their distances and what shots they can play and just go out and do it. maybe i'll actually try that next time

Exactly, they play "golf" not "golf swing". More than ever before I'm dealing with way too many swing thoughts and I feel I have to eliminate them from my mind at the range before a round until I'm down to 1 or 2 swing thoughts and that's it.

[MS256]

Exactly, they play "golf" not "golf swing". More than ever before I'm dealing with way too many swing thoughts and I feel I have to eliminate them from my mind at the range before a round until I'm down to 1 or 2 swing thoughts and that's it.

I've always played golf using this philosophy.

"Practice your swing off the field. Trust your swing on the field." (Ron Polk, Mississippi State baseball)

When I'm playing I'm just playing a game, calculating odds on every shot, and choosing the right shot for the game situation. Those odds are constantly re-calculated based on what I'm doing well at the time, what the shot calls for, and what I need to do to win.

I'm sure it's fine for some people to have a swing thought or maybe two in their mind while playing but that never worked for me. When I start thinking about my swing I might as well go home.

The scratch players I know don't have to do much re-calculating because they are consistent through the bag. They may choose between a 3 wood and a driver based on the odds the hole presents whereas I have to include how I am hitting the ball at the time in with those odds.

[KyleAnthony]

I've always played golf using this philosophy.

"Practice your swing off the field. Trust your swing on the field." (Ron Polk, Mississippi State baseball)

When I'm playing I'm just playing a game, calculating odds on every shot, and choosing the right shot for the game situation. Those odds are constantly re-calculated based on what I'm doing well at the time, what the shot calls for, and what I need to do to win.

I'm sure it's fine for some people to have a swing thought or maybe two in their mind while playing but that never worked for me. When I start thinking about my swing I might as well go home.

The scratch players I know don't have to do much re-calculating because they are consistent through the bag. They may choose between a 3 wood and a driver based on the odds the hole presents whereas I have to include how I am hitting the ball at the time in with those odds.

i think I'm going to try this my next round. when i don't think on the range i do well. when i over think on the course i mess up. lol

[march11934]

my instructor said the difference between amateurs and professionals is that pros can shut their mind off and not over analyze everything. they know their distances and what shots they can play and just go out and do it. maybe i'll actually try that next time

He makes a good point. I think he would be referring to what they call muscle memory and a pre shot routine. Pro's get the advantage of practicing those for hours each day. We don't. We rely on what we remember from a week ago or more. I would ask your instructor to build on that with more detail of what he means if he has it to offer.

[march11934]

True, but isn't part of ability consistency?  For golf, consistently striking the ball well is part of ability.

I agree, I guess ability encompasses so many things. Physical, mental, etc. I was trying to build on your analogy about the biking. From a billiards perspective there really is very little physical aspect, yet consistency is one of the greatest aspects of a champion billiard player. Considering a golf swing has a combination of generating extreme force and mental control of doing it consistently. Thoughts?

[mvmac]

my instructor said the difference between amateurs and professionals is that pros can shut their mind off and not over analyze everything. they know their distances and what shots they can play and just go out and do it. maybe i'll actually try that next time

Hopefully your instructor knows quite a lot more about the differences between the best and worst than just that… :D

I guess this is why we have sports phycologist marketing books and dvds to the average golfer that "it's all in their head".  It's not.  Go to any range and you'll see golfers that have no low point control, hitting it fat, thin, high, low, left and right.  Pros know how far they hit it because they are hitting each shot pretty solid, tough to guess how far you hit a 7 iron when there is no consistency with contact.  To say that pros are vastly better because they can shut their minds off is ridiculous.

Like I said earlier, it's lack of Keys.  Pros own the first 3 Keys, amateur golfers don't.  Obviously I'm excluding amateurs that are low/plus handicaps.

* I'm not picking on Kyle or even his instructor, just that way of thinking because I know some people, even instructors seriously think it's all mental.

[Hairy Feet]

I started the year on 6.3. Had a fantastic year, shot under par twice and level par several times and beat my handicap several times more. End result 4.4. Can you get to scratch? Possibly, but you are going to have to shoot phenominal rounds pretty much every time out.