How To Improve My Handicap in 21 Days...

[Jameson]

I was hitting balls yesterday, with good feelings from P to 6 or 7. The long irons and more were not that good... I don´t hit long enough, I think I´m not making good contact, maybe because of the lag. Is hard to know...

[westerndevon]

I was a high handicapper and ambitious over achiever thinking I could play well above my means but I did manage to knock several shots off my handicap (32 > 21) by removing danger clubs from my bag in a short while

My driver for instance if I made perfect contact I could hit a very long straight drive yet 95% of the time I was slicing, hooking or topping the ball so that was ditched. The 3 wood similar results yet may hit a better drive70% again ditched until I settled on my 5 wood, this I could hit consistently, although forfeiting distance I was confident I'd have a decent second shot, that said this was often left in the car and I'd opt for a 3 iron

My iron play was pretty good and reliable until I got down to my wedges around the green where I was trying to play chips so cute and perfect you'd struggle to place the ball any better and most of the time the this was far from the truth often blading little flop shots, over hitting small chips so I reverted to an 8 iron for all short work and ditched the wedges, not the most conventional route but a long bump n run is far better than bladed chip shooting 20yards past the green

Although on some holes I'd need to take an extra shot to reach a green my whole attitude towards my game had changed as I wasn't making as many self forced errors trying to play beyond my means which in turn would often lead to another over played shot trying to make up for the previous

The driver, woods and wedges are now back in the bag and I'm hitting them with regular consistency but there are still days where a quick return trip to the car to drop them back off before the mistakes start creeping back in and ruin a scorecard or match, but this game is constant learning curve that I'll never fully master

[Jameson]

I was a high handicapper and ambitious over achiever thinking I could play well above my means but I did manage to knock several shots off my handicap (32 > 21) by removing danger clubs from my bag in a short while

My driver for instance if I made perfect contact I could hit a very long straight drive yet 95% of the time I was slicing, hooking or topping the ball so that was ditched. The 3 wood similar results yet may hit a better drive70% again ditched until I settled on my 5 wood, this I could hit consistently, although forfeiting distance I was confident I'd have a decent second shot, that said this was often left in the car and I'd opt for a 3 iron

My iron play was pretty good and reliable until I got down to my wedges around the green where I was trying to play chips so cute and perfect you'd struggle to place the ball any better and most of the time the this was far from the truth often blading little flop shots, over hitting small chips so I reverted to an 8 iron for all short work and ditched the wedges, not the most conventional route but a long bump n run is far better than bladed chip shooting 20yards past the green

Although on some holes I'd need to take an extra shot to reach a green my whole attitude towards my game had changed as I wasn't making as many self forced errors trying to play beyond my means which in turn would often lead to another over played shot trying to make up for the previous

The driver, woods and wedges are now back in the bag and I'm hitting them with regular consistency but there are still days where a quick return trip to the car to drop them back off before the mistakes start creeping back in and ruin a scorecard or match, but this game is constant learning curve that I'll never fully master

Thank you very much. I will follow your advice, principally in the fact of using an 8i instead a wedge (58, 52) around the green. The best shot with these is fantastic, but the worst... while the worst shot with an 8i around the green is not so bad... So maybe, I could improve a bit more this way. Everything counts.

[westerndevon]

Thank you very much. I will follow your advice, principally in the fact of using an 8i instead a wedge (58, 52) around the green. The best shot with these is fantastic, but the worst... while the worst shot with an 8i around the green is not so bad... So maybe, I could improve a bit more this way. Everything counts.

You need to remember the aim of golf is to get from point A to B in the fewest strokes possibly there are no extra prizes for a sexy shots, and this is what I forgot. I was trying to play as if I were a scratch pro with every possible shot in the bag and not the weekend hacker I really was who got over excited getting the rare birdie on a card

[David in FL]

@Jameson , your hcp should have updated yesterday. Any change?

[Jameson]

@Jameson, your hcp should have updated yesterday. Any change?

The last update was 2 days ago, -0,4. I have the latest right now, 18,6.

Going to practise today, time is ticking out !!!

[Jameson]

I´m feel that I´m improving my Driver, however, I´m hitting my irons worse than I used to did... Yes, I´m changing somethings on my swing, maybe this is the reason why. I´m improving also my putt, which is actually, real good. I have still to improve my long irons, and keep working with the Driver.

One of the most hardest things in gof, is that you have to choose a 'method' (teacher, drills, swing, way of training, ....) and stick to it, although you don´t see results and you always keep doubts about the method you´re following...... At least, this is happening to me most of the time.

Seems like I never feel that I have the good swing I want... For example, I want to make a fitting and get a new clubs, however I think, ok, wait until you have a consolidated swing , and then it´s the moment. . . Today I think, I´m never going to get these new clubs !!

[Lihu]

I´m feel that I´m improving my Driver, however, I´m hitting my irons worse than I used to did... Yes, I´m changing somethings on my swing, maybe this is the reason why. I´m improving also my putt, which is actually, real good. I have still to improve my long irons, and keep working with the Driver.

One of the most hardest things in gof, is that you have to choose a 'method' (teacher, drills, swing, way of training, ....) and stick to it, although you don´t see results and you always keep doubts about the method you´re following...... At least, this is happening to me most of the time.

Seems like I never feel that I have the good swing I want... For example, I want to make a fitting and get a new clubs, however I think, ok, wait until you have a consolidated swing, and then it´s the moment. . . Today I think, I´m never going to get these new clubs !!

Set realistic goals. If you exceed them, that's great.

I looked back at my track record and did actually drop 2 strokes in a couple months, but I wasn't trying. What I improved was my distance and accuracy with all my clubs. The handicap was just a side effect. Actually, I don't really care about my handicap. The way I look at it the higher the better, but without cheating.

Look towards making solid changes in your swing, and I think you will drop your handicap as a side effect of that improvement.

Good luck with your improvements this season. . .

[No Mulligans]

In post #4 of this thread I talked about how difficult it would be to lower your HI that much in that short of a time.  Ironically, I just happened to do it myself.

HI at 5/15/15 revision, 21.1, HI at 6/01/15 revision, 18.6.  And, I only played four rounds.  Just so happens that three of those rounds had differentials of 17.8 17.2 16.9 which replaced a couple of high differentials.

Unlike @Lihu , HI is important to me.  HI is my yardstick for how I'm doing, and it's fun and motivating to see it go down.  I don't play tournaments, and only bet for breakfast or lunch where HI doesn't even come into play.  So the traditional purpose of an HI doesn't come into play for me.

[Lihu]

In post #4 of this thread I talked about how difficult it would be to lower your HI that much in that short of a time.  Ironically, I just happened to do it myself.

HI at 5/15/15 revision, 21.1, HI at 6/01/15 revision, 18.6.  And, I only played four rounds.  Just so happens that three of those rounds had differentials of 17.8 17.2 16.9 which replaced a couple of high differentials.

Unlike @Lihu , HI is important to me.  HI is my yardstick for how I'm doing, and it's fun and motivating to see it go down.  I don't play tournaments, and only bet for breakfast or lunch where HI doesn't even come into play.  So the traditional purpose of an HI doesn't come into play for me.

I think it depends upon where you are at the moment. I currently use the number of GIR, nGIR and the average distance error of nGIR, because HI was too coarse a metric. Several months ago I was looking at distance left to the pin. Now, more of my shots on the courses I play are pin high, but left/right. Maybe some day it will be several things? IDK, yet.

[westerndevon]

Another thing I've done in the past is play fictional match play against the course at £10 per hole. I always played the course wins at 1 over so any hole I win I'd pop a tenner in my savings and stopped treating myself to anyting new I wanted until I'd won enough through my fictional match play plus it made me appreciate it more instead of just going out and paying for it as and when I wanted a new toy

[Jameson]

Played 18 yesterday and were not bad. One birdie, and good sensations, it looks like my irons are coming back. Hope I can drop a bit in the tournament tomorrow... Today gonna practise my driver and short game overall.

[Jameson]

Good sensations overall, played few times and hitting some great balls. However, played a tournament, and I was only able to make 32 points. The putt did not work well, and neither did my mental game... Stuck at 18,6. And only 3 tournaments left.......

[Jameson]

Yesterday I was at the range, and the sensations with my irons was really good. However my drive felt awful. Since there were carpet on the range (not real grass) I was not able to adjust the tee high, and all my drivers were high, really high. I couldn´t hit the center of the face, and felt bad... Hope it´s bad of the tee high, will test it today again over real grass. Anyway, I´m starting to think I´m not going to win the battle against my driver !! -keep working on it-

[JoeSeaton]

I have just stumbled across the thread and I wish you good luck but this should be a natural process rather than planned. I am 14 years old and 1 month ago was playing not my best but off 12.6. I then set a plan to get cut to single figures before the Aussie season restarts fully again in September then 3 weeks later all this work and planning had me at a 15.7 handicap I was gutted. I scrapped my schedule and now just review my rounds and practice extra the worst part of my game that week I'm now back down to 13.9 in 2 weeks and am Getting cut by the week with just under 3 months to go. So my point is don't pressure your game to much but with 6 days left to get your target all the best!!

[Jameson]

I have just stumbled across the thread and I wish you good luck but this should be a natural process rather than planned. I am 14 years old and 1 month ago was playing not my best but off 12.6. I then set a plan to get cut to single figures before the Aussie season restarts fully again in September then 3 weeks later all this work and planning had me at a 15.7 handicap I was gutted. I scrapped my schedule and now just review my rounds and practice extra the worst part of my game that week I'm now back down to 13.9 in 2 weeks and am Getting cut by the week with just under 3 months to go. So my point is don't pressure your game to much but with 6 days left to get your target all the best!!

[JoeSeaton]

Can I ask what is the problem with your drives I may be able to help I can drive the ball pretty well

[Jameson]

Can I ask what is the problem with your drives I may be able to help I can drive the ball pretty well

Of course!! I tend to slice the ball, I´m trying to gain speed and coming from the inside to fix this issue. Other problem it´s that sometimes the ball goes real high... And because of this, loose a lot of distance.. And sometimes it´s even worse... (out of bounds)