Are you getting better?

[CarlSpackler]

Sure you can, but it's also entirely possible to be improving while not seeing a significant improvement in scores, or a significant lowering of the handicap.

You can improve your full swing knowningly, while at the same time not necessarily improving your total GIR ... but perhaps just your proximity, and if you have a mediocre, but not great, short game that can get you on the green most of the time from within 30 yards or so, you're not going to see much difference in scoring.

Or you can be a mediocre-to-poor putter but not realize it because you're not hitting greens.  Everybody 2-putts from 15-20 feet.  Then you start hitting greens and now all of a sudden you're 35-40 feet from the hole and you start 3-putting all of the time.  (Something similar to this happened to me a year ago, before I got my Edel, and especially before Erik's decelerrate thread)

Lots of ways to get better, and know you're getting better, without it showing up in the scores immediately.

For me, score is the main thing that matters. If I am driving the ball great, but still scoring bogey or worse, then I am not playing better. That's just the way I see it.

[Slice of Life]

For me, score is the main thing that matters. If I am driving the ball great, but still scoring bogey or worse, then I am not playing better. That's just the way I see it.

Technically, you're correct. Ball-striking isn't a game, golf is.

If your hitting the ball better, but in turn, putting/chipping worse, or whatever it takes to score the same as before, you haven't gotten better at golf. You've gotten better at one aspect of it. Like they say, there are no pictures on the scorecard. If you have a great swing and average a 90, and some guy has a garbage swing but averages an 85...he's still better at golf than you.

Just like in baseball, you can improve the fundamentals of your swing, but if your batting average stays the same, you haven't become a better hitter.

[golf-noob-bruce]

For me, score is the main thing that matters. If I am driving the ball great, but still scoring bogey or worse, then I am not playing better. That's just the way I see it.

Oh well, different strokes. I'm still a beginner and play my local par 3 course frequently. My scores haven't really improved over the last few months, but I hardly ever have a gratuitous mishit in a round nowadays, so I definitely feel like I'm improving even though it's not reflected in my scores (yet).

To answer the question posed in the title: yes, I'm definitively getting better. There's a lot to work on in my mechanics, so it's easy getting better. I'm even getting to the point now where when I try my driver at the range I've got a realistic chance of hitting it straight and a reasonable distance. Happiness!

[mcanadiens]

What about the reverse of this question? Have you ever said that you are playing worse after your scores drop?

[whatwoodtigerdo]

What about the reverse of this question? Have you ever said that you are playing worse after your scores drop?

I have shot a low score and came away feeling like I played like dog poop. Of course scores is what we judge by but different things can raise or lower scores. Hit like crap but get up and down a lot...lower score, feel like worse golf. Striking the ball really well but 36+ putts...higher score, feel like better golf. I only say it that way because I think a lot of people judge their game based on driver and approach.

[Lihu]

What about the reverse of this question? Have you ever said that you are playing worse after your scores drop?

Yes. The better you get the worse you seem to play.

[Golfingdad]

For me, score is the main thing that matters. If I am driving the ball great, but still scoring bogey or worse, then I am not playing better. That's just the way I see it.

OK, but then I'd get really technical here.

PLAYING better and GETTING better are, or can be, two completely different things.

[billchao]

Lots of ways to get better, and know you're getting better, without it showing up in the scores immediately.

Not to mention that you can get better at ballstriking and still not score better because your shot zones changed. If you're starting to hit a push draw where you were hitting a pull fade, you might have some alignment issues for a bit, which would have a negative impact on your score. [quote name="CarlSpackler" url="/t/77295/are-you-getting-better/30#post_1058818"] For me, score is the main thing that matters. If I am driving the ball great, but still scoring bogey or worse, then I am not playing better. That's just the way I see it. [/quote]Yea, but you can improve at golf, it's not the same as scoring better. There are a lot of variables involved that go into ones score. You can hit a perfect shot and end up with a bad result, and a bad shot that ends up well. [quote name="Slice of Life" url="/t/77295/are-you-getting-better/30#post_1058821"] Technically, you're correct. Ball-striking isn't a game, golf is. If your hitting the ball better, but in turn, putting/chipping worse, or whatever it takes to score the same as before, you haven't gotten better at golf. You've gotten better at one aspect of it.[/quote]OP didn't ask if your scores improved, but if you improved. So I believe improving in specific aspects counts.

[Lihu]

OK, but then I'd get really technical here.

PLAYING better and GETTING better are, or can be, two completely different things.

Of course!

[CarlSpackler]

I would say that playing better can be detached from scoring better if you are playing for the heck of it and don't care what your score is. I don't want to play in a tournament where there are judges holding up signs like figure skating, ballroom dancing, gymnastics, etc. I'm just saying that score is the only meaningful measurement. Lower score = better. Higher score = worse. Anything else is subjective.

[Slice of Life]

OP didn't ask if your scores improved, but if you improved. So I believe improving in specific aspects counts.

It's an ambiguous question. Improved at what? Since this is a golf forum, one would assume he meant golf. If your scores are the same, or worse...technically you have not improved at golf.

That's just the Devil's advocate side of me saying I see where that opinion is coming from. I feel I've improved even though my score hasn't always reflected it.

[CarlSpackler]

It's an ambiguous question. Improved at what? Since this is a golf forum, one would assume he meant golf. If your scores are the same, or worse...technically you have not improved at golf.

That's just the Devil's advocate side of me saying I see where that opinion is coming from. I feel I've improved even though my score hasn't always reflected it.

I also believe that my swing is better, but my scores are higher than Tommy Chong at a medical Mary J convention, therefore, I am getting worse at golf.

[isukgolf]

I can see improvements in my "game" without significant lower score ... I used to slice like crazy out of the tee box and I was short off the tee ... Have not hit house in awhile and am a few yards longer and closer to the fairway than ever ... I was usually struggling like crazy on par 4 to get there in 3 ... Now I am there a lot easier ... But I still putt like crap ... Thus about the same score'ish ... But thanks to lessons and practice, some days the gods smile and I break 90 ... Now to improve my ability to "read" a green ...

[Lihu]

I can see improvements in my "game" without significant lower score ... I used to slice like crazy out of the tee box and I was short off the tee ... Have not hit house in awhile and am a few yards longer and closer to the fairway than ever ...

I was usually struggling like crazy on par 4 to get there in 3 ... Now I am there a lot easier ... But I still putt like crap ... Thus about the same score'ish ...

But thanks to lessons and practice, some days the gods smile and I break 90 ...

Now to improve my ability to "read" a green ...

Right, this is yet another way that you would know you have made improvements without a lower score. Probably saves you some money on repairs, too.

[golf-noob-bruce]

I would say that playing better can be detached from scoring better if you are playing for the heck of it and don't care what your score is. I don't want to play in a tournament where there are judges holding up signs like figure skating, ballroom dancing, gymnastics, etc. I'm just saying that score is the only meaningful measurement. Lower score = better. Higher score = worse. Anything else is subjective.

You're absolutely right. But my scores are weapons grade depressing. By working on ball striking and taking the positive from well hit shots I at least feel like I've got a chance of being able to play this game for real some day.

[CarlSpackler]

I can see improvements in my "game" without significant lower score ... I used to slice like crazy out of the tee box and I was short off the tee ... Have not hit house in awhile and am a few yards longer and closer to the fairway than ever ...

I was usually struggling like crazy on par 4 to get there in 3 ... Now I am there a lot easier ... But I still putt like crap ... Thus about the same score'ish ...

But thanks to lessons and practice, some days the gods smile and I break 90 ...

Now to improve my ability to "read" a green ...

::cough cough:: Aimpoint ::cough cough::

[CarlSpackler]

I have found THE solution.

[krupa]

I think I have gotten better this year.  Instead of crap every time I play, it's every other time and if I can get loosened up, I hit the ball pretty well (relatively speaking, of course).

I took some lessons this year from a couple different people but wasn't happy with either of them.  I felt like they were spending the whole time trying to impress me with knowledge instead of looking at what I was doing.  I came away having learned some important and useful stuff, but I just wasn't comfortable with them either.  I don't know what I'm going to do next year.  I currently have approx 5 weeks left to the season (weather dependent) so for now I'm just trying to enjoy my time on the course.