My Quest to Break 80 in a Year (July 2016) from a 22 Handicap

[Lihu]

We all work pretty hard at this game. For normal people this is a really really hard game. . .

[JasonOwens]

@Lihu you seem To be implying something pretty heavy here. I'm going to leave this forum. Don't know what is wrong with people

[Lihu]

@Lihu you seem To be implying something pretty heavy here. I'm going to leave this forum. Don't know what is wrong with people

Wasn't trying to chase you off. Nothing heavy about just a simple statement. Golf is really hard, but you seem to have a lot of talent and that's great, but why would that make the OP feel better?

[Shorty]

If it makes you feel better I am down to a 2.5 and only been playing a little around 18 months. I believe I broke 80 my first year. I just practice more than any insane person. On course practice man. I play sun up to sun down. Aimpoint express helped me tremendously.

Manage your own handicap, do you?

[JasonOwens]

Nah, to neurotic for that. Woodlands County club and lac of FL. You guys helped get me there. Check out my swings section. Haven't updated in a while

[Lihu]

Nice job getting there. . .but I still fail to see why it would make Chris feel better?

[ChrisWev]

Not really fussed what anyone else has/ hasn't done, although I find getting to 2.5 in 18 month hard to believe but not impossible. It would be impossible to do that in the UK though. There's just not enough daylight and decent course conditions and is obviously harder if you have a day job.

[Lihu]

Not really fussed what anyone else has/ hasn't done, although I find getting to 2.5 in 18 month hard to believe but not impossible. It would be impossible to do that in the UK though. There's just not enough daylight and decent course conditions and is obviously harder if you have a day job.

It's very hard to do here as well, so it would take a tremendous amount of natural talent to get to a 2.5 in 18 months. With only 18 months of experience even playing day and night, he would need to depend upon a very strong long game by driving longer than a normal scratch player and hit approaches for "real" birdie chances 1/4 the time and still hit about 10 greens on average. 2.5 HC are impressive no matter what the handicap system.

[ChrisWev]

2.5 HC are impressive no matter what the handicap system.

Yeah I wasn't even thinking about the differing systems, now that would make it pretty much impossible here.

The main thing over here is the weather, it's just not warm enough here and we just don't get enough daylight to be able to play on grass enough to improve that quick. Where I live it's 20 degrees C on a good day for the three "summer" months of the year and the courses are good and you can play till about 9pm. We're at the end of that now, so my only chance of getting on the grass is maybe for an hour a couple of nights a week (for the next month anyway) if it's not raining, and now the courses are starting to get soft already.

Going to have to do a lot of long swing work over winter and just hope the chipping doesn't falter that much.

Anyway, I played 10 holes last Thursday (+11 after 10) and since my recent work my putting was A LOT better than previous, I went for 1.7 per hole (instead of the usual 2+) and could have even been less in all honesty. Didn't use my driver at all, teed off with 3 hybrid on most holes and missed every single green (first time this has ever happened, although I expected this). I've been messing a lot with my full swing so I was quite happy with the scores I made in the end, especially as I hit a few fairway bunkers. The short game was working really well and was good to have a bit of practice off the tee with the 3hy. Just probably need to go down the range with the driver and have a few more weeks working on long game and low 80's should be in touching distance for the first time. Felt a bit rushed for most of the round as playing with another guy I didn't know and there was a lad behind, I really need to learn to switch off to what is going on around and concentrate on what I'm doing.

[Lihu]

It's very hard to do here as well, so it would take a tremendous amount of natural talent to get to a 2.5 in 18 months.

Yeah I wasn't even thinking about the differing systems, now that would make it pretty much impossible here.

I am equating these two statements.

To get to a 2.5 in 18 months would take the kind of talent to be able to become a pro. Possible, but really hard for me to fathom. . .

[iTzJordyyyy]

You certainly talk a good 2.5 handicap. Well done for doing it. Did your handicaps come down in competitions?? Lets say you started at playing golf 18 months ago. You need to hand in 3 cards. There's no way you hit below 100 in your first 3 rounds. So by my estimate you have dropped 26 shots in 16 months. That's 1.6 shots per month. Between 28 - 24 it's 0.4 per shot below your handi cap. Easy. 24-12 i believe is 0.3 little harder where i fail to believe is sub 12. It goes from 0.2 to 0.1 so you would have to be consistently hitting 4 shots below your handicap in competitions week in week out. Unless, this is a phone app handicap. But if this is a genuine club handicap. I would go pro

[JasonOwens]

We play in club tournaments every Tues. We all keep each other's score. If it would really make you happy I would happily post pictures of our club and regional tournament cards. You know you try to be encouraging, but then get lit upon here for people being completely a holes. I never post on here because of people being rude. For people not trying to scare someone off, you guys are big dick heads.

[iTzJordyyyy]

Yawn. This is a thread to break 80, not to brag about how good they are at golf. If you can't take critism for something that sounds like it could be made up then don't post stuff on open forums whish people are gonna pick apart and voice there opinions. I'll see you on the tour

[bm85]

I never cared about the weather until I started playing golf. Dreading my first golf winter. Feel for you Chris.

[kpaulhus]

Good luck, Chris. It will be tough. I have been playing for almost 10 years and its been 7 years since I started keeping a handicap. I was a 15 then, and am now an 8. I shot my first 79 when when I was a 13 handicap. I typically shoot in the low to mid 80's but every now and then I can shoot a 75-78.

If you haven't already, buy Lowest Score Wins. It really helps you with the mental part of the game.

[ChrisWev]

Played 8 holes yesterday and was 8 over (one par, one double), never hit one green and teed off on every par 4 and 5 with the hybrid and missed the green on par 3's with irons. Generally hitting it about 200 carry with about 10 roll, and all were fairway or first cut. They've changed the mowers on our course recently so the ball really sits into rough which makes it difficult to get a clean strike out, so I've been trying to avoid that at all costs. I've not been down the range with my driver in months so not worth risking at the minute.

I've been striking my irons erratically as I've been changing a few things so effectively layed up about 10-20 yards short of each green to avoid bunkers and any trouble. Pitching, chipping and putting has been pretty good. Didn't really make many mistakes and was basically accepting a bogey each hole by laying up and hoping to get close with the pitching/chipping and get a 1 putt. Had about 3 x 6 footers and sunk one of them (would have hoped for two) but anything else I putted landed within 3 feet, no three putts.

If I get these irons sorted and do a bit of work on my driver I'm feeling like I'm not far away. I've been hitting my hybrid and 3w off the deck very well, which will certainly save me some shots when I get my irons and driver back to average. Had one hybrid out of the first cut which went 240 yards!

Going to try and get out of work early for 18 holes this afternoon.

[inthehole]

To get to a 2.5 in 18 months would take the kind of talent to be able to become a pro. Possible, but really hard for me to fathom. . .

I guess I could see if a person a naturally gifted - it's possible to get the full swing stuff down with excessive practice to get to a 2.5 level.    What I can't get my head around is getting that good at the short game stuff so soon.    Getting so good at chipping and pitching so you're getting most everything tight to the pin - every time.   Developing an excellent lag putting game.    Getting up and down from the sand.   To be a 2.5, you just don't make mistakes - ok, very very few mistakes.   Those are the fine skills that seem to just take time to simmer - regardless of practice - just takes years of seat time for most people to get reasonably proficient at, no less what a 2.5 hcp requires.  Not saying it's impossible, just very hard to believe.   If it's legit, I think a new career path is in order ...

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

To get to a 2.5 in 18 months would take the kind of talent to be able to become a pro. Possible, but really hard for me to fathom. . .

I guess I could see if a person a naturally gifted - it's possible to get the full swing stuff down with excessive practice to get to a 2.5 level.    What I can't get my head around is getting that good at the short game stuff so soon.    Getting so good at chipping and pitching so you're getting most everything tight to the pin - every time.   Developing an excellent lag putting game.    Getting up and down from the sand.   To be a 2.5, you just don't make mistakes - ok, very very few mistakes.   Those are the fine skills that seem to just take time to simmer - regardless of practice - just takes years of seat time for most people to get reasonably proficient at, no less what a 2.5 hcp requires.  Not saying it's impossible, just very hard to believe.   If it's legit, I think a new career path is in order ...

Right, all these things you listed and also game management. It basically  takes someone who can really hit 300 yard straight drives right off the bat to make up for all the other skills needed to become a 2.5 in 18 months.

@saevel25 drives 300 yards and pretty much did off the bat, but not straight.

To be able to drive 300 yards straight takes a huge amount of talent. No matter how you dice it, it won't make the OP or anyone who is struggling to break 80 feel any better. It's just boasting that he is just such a talented person.