Single Digit Handicap First Year

[Shorty]

2 hours ago, JP golf said:

I'm pretty disappointed in the negative unwelcoming approach by so many members.  Yes, it is possible.  I personally, 100% understand why someone who just started is asking strangers about their progress.  Why so many people doubt it can be done and call the OP a "troll" or "liar" is assuming, stupid, and ignorant.  You can't stereotype someone because what they are claiming is rare.

@jshanks26 Keep it up man.  Don't worry about people doubting you.

@Shorty WHY ASK STRANGERS? - because people you play with in person (that don't know you) get astounded that you have only been playing for 1 year and you are playing that well.  You can see the doubt when you tell them as soon as they ask how long you have been playing.  They don't believe you.  You are told by your friends and people that know you just how good it is that you progressed so fast.  By coming to a golf forum, you kind of expect people to be honest and ironically, not as judgemental (which is not the case).  In a way, your almost seeking validation that it's okay to progress that fast because you are being told that it's not.  So where do you go to talk to others that have done the same?  Where can you find some acceptance?  - Maybe a golf forum? -

- YES IT CAN BE DONE.  I'm offended because I was there.  I played almost everyday from the moment I picked up clubs and within a year of starting, I was playing high school golf (Ironically another HS teams coach saw me hitting range balls and told my HS golf coach- who happened to also be our baseball coach).  In my teams first match (My very first high school match), I shot an 8 over 78 (Ironically @Shorty  it was put in the paper even though I didn't win or medal in the tournament- I still have the article packed away too).  I knew 78 was good, I didn't understand how good because I was able to get there quickly.  My coach kept saying "Son do you know what you just did?" - of course I shot 78 - "Son do you realize that many people never shoot in the 70's"...  Yes- but I didn't realize how rare it was event though I was constantly being told.  WHY??? because I was doing it! 

What makes it even worse is the people that are doubting you act like you just picked up clubs and shot in the 70's without putting in work.  I can only speak from my personal experience in that I played more times in my 1st year that most golfers do in 5-10 years.  I was at the course practicing and having fun almost every day playing 36 holes and playing on the range trying different types of shots.  I worked hard on my game but it was fun.  SO YES- It PISSES ME OFF to hear people doubt a kid because the odds aren't in his favor - but don't call him a liar or say he doesn't know how to keep a handicap because you have no right to make that claim.

As a preemptive remark - I'm 100% aware I'm still only a 7 handicap right now so don't give me the "if you were shooting in your 70's in your first year why are you only a 7 now..."  - I don't play every day anymore.

Kudos! @jshanks26  and welcome to TST.  We actually have a lot of very knowledgeable members and a good group of core posters.  I apologize that you come in with people questioning you from jump street, but do understand that yes, your level of progress is very rare.

Keep up the good work and try to continue improving.  Don't take it too serious.  Don't get caught up in others expectations of you because of your quick start.  Have fun with it.

All this despite confirmation that he isn't a 7.7.

And buddy, according to my last 5 rounds i am a 7.7, this is the lowest its ever been. I calculate it on the USGA handicap calulator

Edited November 14, 2015 by Shorty

[newtogolf]

29 minutes ago, Shorty said:

All this despite confirmation that he isn't a 7.7.

And buddy, according to my last 5 rounds i am a 7.7, this is the lowest its ever been. I calculate it on the USGA handicap calulator

Exactly, If I just use my last five rounds I'm a 12 handicap.

[JP golf]

1 hour ago, Shorty said:

All this despite confirmation that he isn't a 7.7.

And buddy, according to my last 5 rounds i am a 7.7, this is the lowest its ever been. I calculate it on the USGA handicap calulator

Even so, there was no reason to negatively approach it that way and assume he was lying or inaccurate from his first post.  The point is that he progressed extremely fast.  If he was to estimate his handicap according to his last 5 rounds it's a 7.7 (I know it's not official and its a sample size and all that)  @Shorty I understand the skepticism, I do.  He has done a hell of a job if he's only played a year and he's progressed that fast which is the main point.

Rather than be welcoming and maybe use it as a teaching moment, the approach was to try to doubt and discredit and it came across confrontational.  I disagree with the approach that's all.  If we want to create a positive community on TST, we should be supportive to new posters.  If we doubt their claim, ask the basis of it.  If we see it's wrong, then yes, inform.  To simply call BS isn't really helpful to anyone when there was no ill intent in the OP.

I'm not trying to seem on my high horse or act like I'm perfect because I'm sure I've been in the same boat as you and probably responded to some post exactly as you did when my gut was that the information being provided wasn't accurate or was false-

I've seen a bunch of your post Shorty and know your a good member and all...  and I guess I was a little offended too because the OP could have been my post when I started. 

Again, to @jshanks26  Major kudos for progressing so fast.  You should definitely establish an official handicap though as it will really help you see just how much and how fast you are truly improving.  Hang around and check out the site, start a "My Swing" thread.  Welcome to The Sand Trap.

 

[Shorty]

1 hour ago, JP golf said:

 

Rather than be welcoming and maybe use it as a teaching moment, the approach was to try to doubt and discredit and it came across confrontational.  I disagree with the approach that's all.  If we want to create a positive community on TST, we should be supportive to new posters.  If we doubt their claim, ask the basis of it.  If we see it's wrong, then yes, inform.  To simply call BS isn't really helpful to anyone when there was no ill intent in the OP.

 

I get where you're coming from and the points you make are very fair. I was unfair to him because he doesn't have the historical bias that I do from seeing fifty first post like his. 

But....this is just one in a series of dozens of posts from new members who come from nowhere thinking that they are prodigies and hoist themselves by their own petard by saying things like "And buddy, according to my last 5 rounds i am a 7.7, this is the lowest its ever been. I calculate it on the USGA handicap calulator" If you have played for 6 months over an 18 month period and think your handicap is 7.7, you are wrong. It isn't.

My point in my first post was that he needs to familiarise himself with how the handicapping system works. None of these guys ever provide any verification, they just seek approval from people they've never met who've never seen them. That makes no sense.

 

[iacas]

2 hours ago, JP golf said:

Even so, there was no reason to negatively approach it that way and assume he was lying or inaccurate from his first post.  The point is that he progressed extremely fast.  If he was to estimate his handicap according to his last 5 rounds it's a 7.7 (I know it's not official and its a sample size and all that)  @Shorty I understand the skepticism, I do.  He has done a hell of a job if he's only played a year and he's progressed that fast which is the main point.

Rather than be welcoming and maybe use it as a teaching moment, the approach was to try to doubt and discredit and it came across confrontational.  I disagree with the approach that's all.  If we want to create a positive community on TST, we should be supportive to new posters.  If we doubt their claim, ask the basis of it.  If we see it's wrong, then yes, inform.  To simply call BS isn't really helpful to anyone when there was no ill intent in the OP.

I'm not trying to seem on my high horse or act like I'm perfect because I'm sure I've been in the same boat as you and probably responded to some post exactly as you did when my gut was that the information being provided wasn't accurate or was false-

I've seen a bunch of your post Shorty and know your a good member and all...  and I guess I was a little offended too because the OP could have been my post when I started. 

Again, to @jshanks26  Major kudos for progressing so fast.  You should definitely establish an official handicap though as it will really help you see just how much and how fast you are truly improving.  Hang around and check out the site, start a "My Swing" thread.  Welcome to The Sand Trap.

@Shorty, you're being a bit of a jerk.

I could easily see getting down to a 7.7 (legit) in a year. I nearly did and I did so in an age when all I had was a few books and magazines and a lot of time on my hands. I'm fairly athletic and coordinated, but I'm not in the top 5% of people in the world in that sense (top 15 or 20 pretty solidly, I'd argue…).

This isn't someone asking if they can go pro while they just broke 90. It's someone who shoots in the low 80s after a year.

Chill out.

To @jshanks26, @Shorty is the known grumpy cat here. You'll note that despite over 4,000 posts he's not a Forum Leader.

Lighten up, @Shorty. I love the game of golf and want others to love it too. Your post(s) in topics like these do the opposite.

[Lihu]

4 hours ago, newtogolf said:

Exactly, If I just use my last five rounds I'm a 12 handicap.

If half your lowest scores put you at a 12, and the other half average those to put you at a 20 then you might have some seriously low hanging fruit to pick to lowering your scores. . .

I agree that it totally seems possible, and as it turns out it was possible for the OP. 5 scores and 10 scores of your best half is not normally going to be all that different, unless you're like @newtogolf. I have no reason to doubt @newtogolf's claim either, I just think he has something or things that are really easy to fix to lower his handicap unless he's a club sand bagger?

 

[rkim291968]

Come on folks.  5 scores is a very, very small sample for HI calculation.   If I pick any 5 scores, and count best 2 or 3 of the 5 as my handicap, I can claim a significantly lower HI than 17.7 I have now.  

How many posts like this have we seen?  How many of those posters hung around in the forum?   How many provided any evidence of their claim?    This is how these post starts and ends.

• Hi, I am so many years old and playing golf for XYZ short months/years.  I have been really doing well but I can't/won't offer you any proof.  I think I can make it to scratch or PGA in ABC years.   Can I do it?
• Many doubtful and a few "yeah, knock yourself out, pursue your dream" replies are given.
• The OP and a few posters protest, and criticize the "skeptics."  A few even gets mad at realistic assessment and advice by well meaning members.  How could you be so mean?  How could you try to snuff out my dream? 
• After a few more back and forths, the OP goes away without providing any evidence, without posting his swing on swing thread, without posting in other threads/forums, , ....   Yup, I just wanted to tell you how good I was getting good at golf or I was just trolling (gotcha!).   Now I told you how much talent I had, I no longer need to post in this forum.  Good bye.
• How many of these posters ever came back and said, "hey, I told you so.  Look at me, I am playing in Web.com tour."

 

We should have a sticky post of the following: Before you post how good you are in golf as your 1st ever post, please check these previous threads of the same topic.   If you have real evidence to offer and wants serious reply, please provide evidence, e.g, GHIN ID.  If not, stick around if you have things to contribute to this forum. 

[Lihu]

Some people are going a little overboard. The OP stated that based on his last 5 rounds, he's a 7.7. Not the best of his 5, but all 5.

Stop daydreaming about taking your best 5 of your last 20 and being 6 or 10 strokes lower. If so, you should really look at what obvious thing you are doing wrong. . .

[Landres62]

To be honest with you, I have been playing for 3 long years 7 hours a Day were my hands, fingers shoulders, legs and everything hurt like crazy, and is not because of my age but the amount of time, drills and instruction I put on the game. My game has gone to single digits but it took hours of work 7 days a week rain, sun, bad and good days. I’m not trying to earn your respect, I just saying is very hard to become good  player in a short period of time as the game is an unnatural sport and you have to learn all the moves, positions and tricks of the trade. Counting long medium and short shoots, draws, slides, back spin flop shoots bunkers, high low medium flight of the ball, etc, The different terrain with different lies and grasses. Hours of productive technique in putting, plus the rules and everything else. Not only that but spending money on equipment, balls, instructors, gloves bags, shoes, tools and going to different golf courses. Getting rid of fear playing against other good players that can take your game to higher level, or destroy your confidence competitive golf takes more out of you than recreational Golf. 2 to 3 days a week 1 hour a session don’t cut it to become a fair player in less than 3 years. When sounds too good to be true guess what my friend.....

good luck to all of you as this is one of the most difficult sport I have ever practice.

 

 

[Lihu]

30 minutes ago, Landres62 said:

To be honest with you, I have been playing for 3 long years 7 hours a Day were my hands, fingers shoulders, legs and everything hurt like crazy, and is not because of my age but the amount of time, drills and instruction I put on the game. My game has gone to single digits but it took hours of work 7 days a week rain, sun, bad and good days. I’m not trying to earn your respect, I just saying is very hard to become good  player in a short period of time as the game is an unnatural sport and you have to learn all the moves, positions and tricks of the trade. Counting long medium and short shoots, draws, slides, back spin flop shoots bunkers, high low medium flight of the ball, etc, The different terrain with different lies and grasses. Hours of productive technique in putting, plus the rules and everything else. Not only that but spending money on equipment, balls, instructors, gloves bags, shoes, tools and going to different golf courses. Getting rid of fear playing against other good players that can take your game to higher level, or destroy your confidence competitive golf takes more out of you than recreational Golf. 2 to 3 days a week 1 hour a session don’t cut it to become a fair player in less than 3 years. When sounds too good to be true guess what my friend.....

good luck to all of you as this is one of the most difficult sport I have ever practice.

Nice job!

Keep up the good work.