Is a scratch or low single digit HCP realistically attainable without tuition?

[rebelrob]

As per the thread title really.

I'm a young-ish (26) golfer who hasn't had any tuition at all. I first hit a ball through a friend's dad, at the age of about 12, because he wanted to keep us entertained and so took us to the range. He's never kept a hcp or played for anything other than recreation.

From the age 12 until say 18 I never played regularly, starting on par 3's playing a round of 9 holes maybe 10 times in a year, and then playing a municipal course (which plays to about 5600yds) maybe twice, but mainly just hit balls at the range maybe once a month max.

At around 18 I was given a set of second hand clubs from my uncle as he heard I was playing golf a little bit. Nothing special but more than suitable to my current talent. They were just a set of irons, an old 7 wood which is more like a new fashioned hybrid, and a putter.

I started hitting the range more regularly at the age of about 22, maybe going once a week during the summer, but back to once a month during the winter months. I didn't play regularly, but more frequently, say about 3-5 times a year on a full course and up to 20 times on the par 3 course with my friends who I was trying to get into golf. We didn't take it seriously, just a bit of fun.

Recently, I've started giving it some proper time and in the last year have probably been to the range once a week minimum, and the last 3 months about 3 times a week. I decided to bite the bullet and treat myself to a set of new clubs as I thought I wont want to leave a £800 golf bag sitting going to waste.

Long story short, from not really being bothered about a handicap, Ive played 3 rounds with my new clubs and input the scores into a hcp calculator (golfshake.com its probably rough, but must be fairly close as it eliminates blow up holes) and got a hcp of 17. From the .97 method (or whatever it is, you'll have the excuse the ambiguity) I worked out my hcp to 21.7.

Having never bothered taking much notice of my scoring apart from who won overall (My previous best score on a round was 105 on a par 68), after a little commitment and better equipment I feel I have seen a huge leap from where I used to be.

So, apologies for the waffle, I thought a little back story would be nice, rather than a bold and possibly idealistic question, but is a scratch or low single digit HCP realistically attainable without tuition?

I know it may seem a bold question to ask, but hypothetically if someone had a lot of natural talent, is it attainable without tuition? I mean excluding reading up on best practice, techniques, looking for tips,  etc...

And please feel free to say WHATEVER you think, I wont be offended. unless you're going to be picking up on grammar or something stupid, there's already a thread for that.

Thanks in advance.

[vangator]

I was a single digit HCP after 2 years and got it down to zero a few years back. Shoulder injuries have made it creep back up. I hate to say it, but I've never had a lesson. I think lessons would be a great idea if you could afford them. It would really jump start and hasten the progress. I assume that is what you mean by "tuition". You must be British since you also used a Pound symbol instead of dollars. I've never heard the word "tuition in this context. I think natural ability helps. With all due modesty, I'm a pretty fair athlete. I could have earned some spending money in tennis and bowling. My HS coach wanted me to try out for the Olympic Wrestling team back in the day. However, if Corey Pavin can win a major, anybody can. He is about as far for an "athlete" as any pro golfer I can imagine. I like Pavin, but he wouldn't strike fear in me in a back alley. :-) I believe desire is a huge determinant (along with some natural ability). So go for it!

[Lihu]

If you drive 250 yards on average and 3 or 4 putt everything for your 21 handicap, I would put your chances as very high. It's very hard to say otherwise.

[Patch]

I made it to single digits a some years ago in spite some of tuition, so I would say "of course it is pssible". I got to a 6  by learning why the golf ball does what it does, and working on my game with a specific practice regimen that I designed for my own game.

A car wreck sent my 6 out the window, and I had to start over at an 18. I am pretty sure I could have went lower than a 6, but I had other things going on in my life at that time that were more important than golf. I had no more, available  time to devote to golf to get lower.

I don't think every one can do it on their own, and I think even with quality tuition, some will never make it to single digits. It boils down to one's talent (genetics) for swinging the golf club. In my case I was a pretty good baseball player, and talented enough in other sports to be decent.

[Lihu]

I made it to single digits a some years ago in spite some of tuition, so I would say "of course it is pssible". I got to a 6  by learning why the golf ball does what it does, and working on my game with a specific practice regimen that I designed for my own game. A car wreck sent my 6 out the window, and I had to start over at an 18. I am pretty sure I could have went lower than a 6, but I had other things going on in my life at that time that were more important than golf. I had no more, available  time to devote to golf to get lower.  I don't think every one can do it on their own, and I think even with quality tuition, some will never make it to single digits. It boils down to one's talent (genetics) for swinging the golf club. In my case I was a pretty good baseball player, and talented enough in other sports to be decent.

Some of us are not that gifted. No way could I have learned even to get to my current level without any instruction. There are plenty of less expensive ways to get the instruction, such as those offered on this website. We even have free ones if you start a my swing thread. Start a my swing thread, and you can get some instruction right away.

[RH31]

Sure you can do it. I got down to a 5 handicap back in the early 90's with only a few lessons and that was before the www. was up and running.

There's so much info out there now, just have to pick what feels right for you and go with it.

[rb72]

I was a single digit HCP after 2 years and got it down to zero a few years back. Shoulder injuries have made it creep back up. I hate to say it, but I've never had a lesson. I think lessons would be a great idea if you could afford them. It would really jump start and hasten the progress. I assume that is what you mean by "tuition". You must be British since you also used a Pound symbol instead of dollars. I've never heard the word "tuition in this context.

I think natural ability helps. With all due modesty, I'm a pretty fair athlete. I could have earned some spending money in tennis and bowling. My HS coach wanted me to try out for the Olympic Wrestling team back in the day. However, if Corey Pavin can win a major, anybody can. He is about as far for an "athlete" as any pro golfer I can imagine. I like Pavin, but he wouldn't strike fear in me in a back alley.

I believe desire is a huge determinant (along with some natural ability). So go for it!

I wonder if you would like to elaborate. I'm not saying you are blowing smoke....or your HS coach was blowing smoke..... but the fact that you don't "try out" for the Olympic Wrestling team until you're qualified to do so through a series of regional, national and international competitions and any HS wrestler who's coach has suggested that route to him must have been phenomenal in HS (see; Henry Cejudo, Chance Marsteller and Aaron Pico) in which case you would have been nationally famous in the world of scholastic wrestling and I may have heard of you. Just curious.

[Lihu]

I wonder if you would like to elaborate. I'm not saying you are blowing smoke....or your HS coach was blowing smoke..... but the fact that you don't "try out" for the Olympic Wrestling team until you're qualified to do so through a series of regional, national and international competitions and any HS wrestler who's coach has suggested that route to him must have been phenomenal in HS (see; Henry Cejudo, Chance Marsteller and Aaron Pico) in which case you would have been nationally famous in the world of scholastic wrestling and I may have heard of you. Just curious.

Sometimes the kids show the talent, but end up losing a match in the regionals. My cousin beat one of these kids in at some "final" level, but the kid was still approached by an AAU coach to play in a qualifier. So, who knows? BTW, my cousin is not that great a wrestler, just has really fast reflexes. He's now an artist.

[Golfingdad]

I know it may seem a bold question to ask, but hypothetically if someone had a lot of natural talent, is it attainable without tuition? I mean excluding reading up on best practice, techniques, looking for tips,  etc...

The answer to this one is an easy yes.  Like some have already mentioned, so much good information is available out there now (and I have no qualms about telling you that most of it is actually in here) that if you know where to look, and are decent at evaluating your swing, it is most definitely attainable.  Is it likely?  Probably not.  But its certainly possible.

[billchao]

Didn't Nick Faldo become a scratch player during his first year of playing, or something like that?

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billchao

Didn't Nick Faldo become a scratch player during his first year of playing, or something like that?

Well, he did start when he was 13.

Quote:

Early years

Faldo was born in Welwyn Garden City , England. After watching Jack Nicklaus play the 1971 Masters on television he was inspired to take up the game of golf at the age of 13. Four years later, while working as a carpet fitter, Faldo won the English Amateur and the British Youths Championship in 1975. After playing on the University of Houston golf team for a year, ^[3] Faldo turned professional in late 1976.

[MS256]

Larry Nelson didn't start playing golf until he got home from Vietnam and shot a 70 in 9 months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Nelson

[Shorty]

Sure you can do it. I got down to a 5 handicap back in the early 90's with only a few lessons and that was before the www. was up and running.

There's so much info out there now, just have to pick what feels right for you and go with it.

So you get a scratch handicap on the internet now, do you? That's good news.

Makes you wonder how Norman and Nicklaus etc. managed to do what they did.

I believe that there is TOO MUCH info out there.

[Shorty]

Larry Nelson didn't start playing golf until he got home from Vietnam and shot a 70 in 9 months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Nelson

Which proves that Larry Nelson is incredibly gifted. Not that "it's possible" for anyone with a similar desire.

My suggestion top the OP is to play as much as you can and most of all enjoy it.

By setting a goal that is extremely hard (almost impossible) to achieve, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

There is virtually no chance that you will attain a scratch handicap.

There is every chance you could become a 10 or 12 marker and enjoy the game for the rest of your life.

[MS256]

Which proves that Larry Nelson is incredibly gifted. Not that "it's possible" for anyone with a similar desire.

Ya think?

I would figure that would go without saying.

[David in FL]

Yes. Absolutely.

[joekelly]

If you, OP, had played the piano at age 10 and could play simple tunes, TwinkleTwinkle and 3 BlindMice very well,  but then switched to football for 5 years, then to archery till age 22, then took up computer programming, and now at age 26 wanted to be a competent concert pianist and hoping to earn your living doing that,  what would you rate your chances? Impossible or only very unlikely?

Shorty says it best: play well and enjoy.

[WUTiger]

... I know it may seem a bold question to ask, but hypothetically if someone had a lot of natural talent, is it attainable without tuition? I mean excluding reading up on best practice, techniques, looking for tips,  etc...

And please feel free to say WHATEVER you think, I wont be offended. unless you're going to be picking up on grammar or something stupid, there's already a thread for that.  ...

I was s self-taught golfer until about age 20. From 20 to 27, I had about three golf lessons. I have shot 77 twice in my life, the last time when I was 27 years old.

Anyway, I gradually crept from the low 80s to the low 90s.

Then, I got fitted for golf clubs - Pro Tour component heads, a Ping Eye2 clone - with Dynalite S300 shafts.

The pro/clubfitter put me at 2* flat on the irons, and gave me lessons also.

His advice: "If you can hit 400 balls a day, you can swing pretty well any way you want. But, when you grow up and life intervenes, and you can only play three times a month, you better have good swing basics if you want to score well."

His lessons and the new clubs got me down to the mid to upper 80s during the mid-1990s.

Then, there's players like Moe Norman (1929-2004) and Bubba Watson (current players) were self-taught, but most players need to take lessons.

If you don't break 90 most of the time, I think you would benefit from lessons. Jack Nicklaus took lessons from Jack Grout, and Tiger Woods worked with his father and other swing coaches.

Take lessons!