how long to get to scratch?

[donkba]

i was just woundering if anyone has any goals, like getting to scratch handicap before a certain age. i here about people who have played all there lives and never improve, yet other people getting to scratch in about 3 years so surely if you put the time and effort in, this can be achieved. i am 26 and have been playing golf for 6 months, and although off 26, i can now shoot low 80s thanks to a swing change. i practice way more than most and my goal for next season is to get down to at least 12, and hopefully get to scratch in about 5 years.

[questforscratch]

This is what I am trying to do. I started playing relatively late (after college) and loved the game. I thought I could get to scratch without taking lessons for the longest time. I got to the mid eighties but that was it. I finally broke down and took 6 months of lessons (once a week) and it made a difference. I can now shoot in the 70's for the first time ever. Although of course I will have my bad days and it also depends on how often I can play now. There are just some things that you need an expert to teach you.

[flash]

i was just woundering if anyone has any goals, like getting to scratch handicap before a certain age. i here about people who have played all there lives and never improve, yet other people getting to scratch in about 3 years so surely if you put the time and effort in, this can be achieved. i am 26 and have been playing golf for 6 months, and although off 26, i can now shoot low 80s thanks to a swing change. i practice way more than most and my goal for next season is to get down to at least 12, and hopefully get to scratch in about 5 years.

I was a scratch player for 20 years,got down as low as +3,and then BAM,kids became priority which I'm very cool with.They are grown up and on their own now .anyways....... my point is putting is the determining factor.I use to practice 2-3 hours a day. then for reasons stated...very short if not none at all time to. IF you want it,You can achieve IT. I wish you good luck

[FIJIGolf23]

I IF you want it,You can achieve IT. I wish you good luck

Absolutely. That's it in a nutshell for the most part. You have to have the drive, the wallet, and athletic ability doesn't hurt, either.

Scratch was my goal for this season(5th season), and I'm pretty sure I will reach that goal when my handicap revisions are posted this Friday. I practiced a ton this summer and matured a ton on the golf course as well. Course management and short game are the two most important things in golf, IMO. Both come with practice and playing rounds on the course.

[donkba]

do you think it is worth just practicing the short game over winter so that i can almost guarantee getting up and down from any situation so that if i miss a green in regulation, i can save par in most situations or if i hit a green in regulation, having greater chance of making putt for birdie. i am not short of practice time: everyday (about 5 hours each day) during summer, in winter every weekend (again about 5 hours a day) and the odd few hours midweek. would you concentrate on practicing with wedges so you can knock it close enough to make the putt or practice putting so that if you do leave a long putt from your approach you can make the putt. what would you spend the time practicing on if you were me and had the same amount of time?

[donkba]

i am quite a long hitter so have no problem reaching par 3s in 1, par 4s in 2 and par 5s in 3 although i do not always hit GIR and my short game is ok to bad

[lamebums]

I'm about 14-15 now. I'm shooting for 5 next year, 2 the next, and scratch in three, hopefully. Total time, four years. Probably over-optimistic but it's certainly possible. Length isn't my problem, rather consistency and putting.

[KIDDEREK]

i am 26 and have been playing golf for 6 months, and although off 26, i can now shoot low 80s thanks to a swing change.

WOW, low 80s after 6 months?

[nyjets2806]

id say work on distance control and short game (chipping, putting, sand play) so that you can get approach shots close enough to the hole for birdie chances and get up and down if you do miss a green. those 2 things are the things that seperate the + handicap golfers from scratch and low digit handicappers in my opinion. thats what ive been working on for the summer and it helped me alot. i started the summer at around 14 handicap and right now im between 3 and 4 but i also practiced alot everyday.

[Socrates]

WOW, low 80s after 6 months?

I was pretty impressed with this as well. I'm not going to say you didn't do this because it is possible among a rare group, but it reminds me of playing a couple of weeks ago. I asked a guy I was playing with if he wanted to take a Nassau bet, then I quickly asked what he shot. He told me mid 80's so I just chuckled and declined as I'm in the 90s most of the time.

Anyway, as we get through a couple of holes he reports his scores. After about 3 holes I start paying more attention to his scoring. The guy doesn't take strokes for balls hit OB from the tee, if he drops he doesn't count it (i.e. tee to water, drops and says he's hitting 2). So I found a nice way of bringing this up and to his defense, he said he honestly didn't know he had to take a stroke when dropping, re-teeing etc... My point is that I've met a lot of people like this and they are either dishonest to themselves and the game or they are just ignorant of the rules. Its like the guy who addresses his putt and accidently taps the ball and does not count that stroke.

[Stuart]

It took me a year to get from 28 to 5.8. My swing is definitely not great, and could never be called pretty, but my hand eye coordination is very good so I'm pretty consistent despite not having a swing that I am happy with when i see it on video (my brother's phone). I would have to say that chipping and putting are the most important aspects of the game and that's what I will focus on in this coming year. My putting is quite terrible. The other day i shot a 74 and missed 10 out of 11 birdie putts. I hardly ever practice on the range, but do play at least 4 times a week (2 rounds of 18 and 2 rounds of 9). I never practice putting and rarely chipping so its not rocket science that I need to. I am so addicted to playing golf that I find it hard to drag myself over to the range. It doesn't help that the range at my club is total crap. I hope that with a bit more discipline that I can get down to scratch by this time next year. Even if I don't, that's ok, because I am enjoying being out there so much and that's what its all about really...at least for me.

[Quinn07]

I am not near scratch (maybe one day) but you always hear that the last few strokes are the hardest to eliminate.

[donkba]

socrates: i can assure do not cheat, when playing in the club comps at my club, we all tee off in 4balls and swap scorecards so i cant mark a 4 down if i got a 7 because i dont hold on to my card. i have only played for 6 months, yes it may seem like a short period of time but i had a few lessons, practice every day and played in 2 comps per week from mid june until present day.

[TourSpoon]

Once you get some good fundamentals then you can look at the following areas to start knocking your handicap down:

1. Getting up and down (Everyone misses greens. The pros get it up and down the majority of the time. The better you get at this the more confidence you will have on your approaches).

2. Distance control (Hitting your approaches hole high or below the hole is a huge help).

3. Know your distances (Knowing how far to the front, to the hazards etc, will help with strategy).

[Flopshot]

Im gonna work on my full swing and all areas in winter, in the summer i concentrate on chipping and putting those are key. i have limited facilities where im from i swear if i lived in the states i'd be on tour hahaha

[Rearden]

I believe that low 80's is possible after 6 months, as I shot an 87 last week and I have been playing for 4 months. Course was short, but I kept all balls in play and got up/down great all afternoon. I also didnt pull my drive out once, I teed off with my 3/4 irons all afternoon as I hit them very well.

I practice a minimum of 2 hours a day 6 days a week, 30 min on tee shots, 1 hour on pitching/chipping, 30 min on putting. During these sessions I do as recommended by Rotella and practice mechanics for 30% of the time, and 70% of the time I go through my routine, target.pause.ball.pause.swing - trusting my golf swing and thinking only of the target. I use a lot of visualization in my preshot as well. I also play 18 at least once per week. I try to get in two rounds if possible. i have an instructor, and several of my collegues shoot in the 70s so I have a good support team and knowledge pool.

I would have to say though that the reality is because I don't have a certain depth to my experience it is possible that I could go out tomorrow and shoot 30 over. my swing is mechanicly sound, but not fully grooved yet. This takes time and 1,000's of balls. This is the toughest sport I have ever played, and I love it. I have a ton of respect for those who have put in the hours, and have the committment/focus/resilience that it takes to excel at this game.


I am interested in hearing the fastest that anyone on the board has made it to or close to scratch? When I started everyone told me it could take up to a year to shoot in the 90s when in reality it took me a little over 3 months. I shoot in the 90's consistently now, and tend to shoot low 90's. It would seem that with golf being such a mental game, its best not to tell yourself that you "can't shoot in the 80's" because it should take "x" time. We should be confident and aggressive, believing that if we train in the right way, and stay focused anything is possible? I dont like the negativity associated with putting those types of restrictions on what people can do. People can accomplish amazing things when they believe in themselves and stay positive.

Glad to be on the board and look forward to getting to know some of you. Especially those in the Houston area, as it would be great to have some more golf buddies.

cheers
MJ

[Cizzle]

I can see making scratch in under two years. I started playing middle of July this year and can shoot mid eighties when everythings working. Then again, I've seen my brother who started playing around the same time and his game looks like a mess. I think if I focus on my problem areas (mainly problems chipping, and still have a wicked slice drive once a round), I could possibly shoot low eighties by the end of the year (live in Arizona, the highs are still 85, couldn't be happier). Also, I've never taken lessons although I plan to, so that will help.

So basically, I think scratch isn't that farfetched of a dream.

[artfulgolfer]

I started playing regularly 2 1/2 years ago at 46 years old and after starting off as a 16 (got into the 80's very easily), getting down to 8 after my 1st year (playing once a week), and 4 after 2 years (playing 2-3 times per week), I thought I could get to 2 this year. However, the best I've done this year is get down to 3.3. I've found it's a LOT easier to go from 16 to 4 than 4 to 2! Getting down to 2 or scratch looks possible only with a TON of time practicing. Since I work and only practice 1 day a week, that doesn't look possible - unless I find some way to retire ;) Right now, even as a 4, I still shoot in the low 80's half my rounds and have only shot a low of 71 (3 times). Don't underestimate the difficulty of getting to scratch. Very few have the time, talent, and determination to do so. btw, I've taken 1 lesson.