Are you a Better Golfer than a Year Ago?

[bm85]

Much better, thank god. Since around spring or so I have consistently shot between a 5-8 handicap, with a few really low rounds, and a few bad ones.

I was always a pretty long hitter, but I didn't always feel too good. Discovered I had a VitB12 deficiency, and after taking care of that I started to make some significant strength gains. That combined with all my practice lead to me hitting really good/long drives which just made the whole game fun/easier.

It's been a busy year for me between school/work/rotations and a 2 year old, but golf is just my secret obsession. I love practicing every day, but getting to the range or playing rounds has been more difficult to do. In some ways that has helped. Because time is more valuable, I made more of an effort to be productive (i.e. less tinkering), and intend on continuing to improve how I practice in 2017.
 

[Strat-Pack Rick]

I think im better than i was a year ago. I can remember when i just wanted to get the ball airborne. This next year is gonna be big for me though. Im gonna focus on course management and short game since distance is never gonna be my strong suit. I think course management has improved a little by just recognizing its importance. Like everybody though, i know i need to work with my wedges ALOT. I hope to find a short game coach around here. I heard about a person that will only teach you if you are willing to start with wedges. It sounded weird at first but im starting to get it. He says "If your two foot swing is bad, imagine how bad your twenty-two foot swing is".  HAHA   Kinda makes you think. Hit Em Good Yall

[Dejan Damjanovic]

No doubt. I have improved my swing this year a ton since i have been practicing with my buddies who have 10+ years experience...I love these forums as they have provided great tips and il be passing some tips along my learning endeavor. 8.6 current - Ben Hogan has some useful tips which helped.

[CptShankapotamus]

I am proud to vote YES to both actually! Last year was the first year I really started to dedicate time ton playing. I struggled with a grip that was far too strong and a baseball-like back-swing which is a fantastic combination for a terrible hook. Last year I was about a 17 handicap.

Coming into this year, I practiced hours on hours of chipping at the range, slowing down my swing with my irons, and opening up my grip which felt terribly awkward at first. The result was starting off a round of 18 holes at 91 and slowly improving to a year best 83 mid-June until school and work took over. I look to shoot at least 2 rounds in the very high 70's next year while averaging about 84.

[newtogolf]

I started the season at a 21.2 and finished it at a 16.4 which I'm happy about but was hoping to be at 15.  It was a uneven season for me, I started out okay, then ran into difficulty mid season with my irons and all tee shots which lasted almost a month.  

To answer the question I'm definitely better than I was at this time last year.  My biggest problem is still my driver, only 52.4 fairways hit, which is the major cause of my average of 6 penalty strokes per round (includes OB, hazards, drop shots as well as bunkers and fairway sand), biggest portion of that is OB.   

Once I got past the issue with my irons I hit them well and improved my GIR% which improved to about 25% down from 17% earlier in the season.  Putting slightly improved from 40 down to 37.2 during that same time period.  

Plan for off season is to work on driver and putting but also improve flexibility and swing speed.  

[p1n9183]

I started playing again a year ago. They gave me an index of 3 and after a month i was in a 4. After that i get back to 2, and even 1 for a month. Now i´m at 2 again. The only difference it´s i´m more consistent than a year ago.

I´ll try to start practicing this year after work to achive scratch golf douring 2017.

See u in a year !

[sjduffers]

I voted "same" and "yes" (better next year). While the scoring and handicap are nearly identical as last year, I was sidetracked for over 3 months, since early May, with an illness that took some time and work to recover from: only in the last 2 months or so did I get the handicap back in the single digits where it spent most of last year.

I have continued with some lessons and greatly improved my swing and start to see the results, with increased GIRs and lower scores. The short game had suffered some too, but scrambling is now better than ever and the putting just a tad worse than before the illness. I rewarded myself with a new set of irons and wedges (Mizuno 900 forged and T7 wedges) and have pretty good hopes for next year!

[GolfLug]

I voted a year ago and I say yes because although I have not skinnied down to my best 7.2 (3 shots off at the moment, trending down fast) late summer last year I am playing down to it and I think I have made sustainable changes to stay there.

[Patch]

Back in October 2015, I set some personal goals for improvement. I planned on dedicating the time for practice, and play to break 80 more often. I also wanted to get to something less than a 10 handicap. 

As of October 2016, I had not met those  goals due to some physical problems, that caused me to take some time away from golf. 

Now 2016 was not that bad for me from a golfing stand point. I played some pretty good  golf, but I had more than few stinkers in there too. 

Right now I am setting my sights on 2017 for some improvement in my game. After the holidays, I am going to put forth the effort, so that by May/June I will be hitting my desired scoring goals. 

[Marty2019]

I would say no, I am not a better golfer than a year ago.   The reason is, I had no solid plan of improvement other than banging balls on the range and practicing putting.   Maybe I am marginally better.  

I expect to be a better golfer a year from now because I have hired an instructor.  

Where I have improved from a year ago is I think I know my swing better than before, and I have a good idea of where I need to make some changes.   And I have a better plan of attack for lowering my scores.  

I have found that it is easy to break 90, but it is hard to break 80, and that's where I am stuck, in the mid to low 80s.   But like I say, I have a plan, and if I execute that plan, I will get below 80 eventually. 

[inthehole]

Definitely not better this year.    I find if I just play alot and don't actually practice, I will not improve, and I will not even maintain my playing level.   Playing alot is fun, but at least in my case, it won't make me better.   I'd just rather play if given the free time and opportunity ... thus I can't be too disppointed with the result I guess.    The few really good rounds always come down to stellar putting in my case, which I can't manufacture on a regular basis

[OrangeHog]

While my handicap is a little bit lower than last year I'm scoring much more consistently in the last 6 months.  Last year I was very high/low with my scores and some of that depended on the type of course I was playing.  Now I feel more confident hitting certain shots and I think that's helping me put up more consistent numbers.

Will I be at a lower handicap this time next year?  I think so...at least I hope so.  I play in at least one competitive tournament a month so I spend a lot of time practicing.  That practice is really paying off as of late and I think it will continue to do so over the next year, so it's hard for me to imagine my handicap not dropping.

[Hatchman]

Yes to better and yes to improving.  Seem to be getting a little longer and stronger after May surgery so improvement should continue.   Personal instruction through winter/spring should help. 

[NorCalHacker]

Yes I am better this year. This is my third year playing the game. I took my first series of lessons early this year. A month after the lessons I went from playing around 105 , averaging the low 90's with an occasional round in the high 80's. My goal for 2017 is to consistently play in the 80's I'm going to continue to work with the local pro and actually practice something besides hitting my driver. 

Edited December 19, 2016 by NorCalHacker
Misspelling

[Mico]

I have been playing at the same level for the past four years--bogey golfer who hits two out five fairways, one in five GIRs and saves, with a three putt 10% of the time. 

Gonna work to improve this year!

[roamin]

Started off the year with a handicap in the 20's and went from breaking 90 for the first time to struggling to break 100, but the last six months (since finding this site) have been great! The help and knowledge available here have been my game's saving grace. My index is down to 17 and some change, and I've shot sub-90 six out of the last seven rounds. Lord willing and a lot of practice, and I believe the trend will continue in 2017.

[mpb1472]

I have about the same the last few seasons, 12-14 handicap. Decided to initiate steps to perhaps improve that in the 2017 season as I am turning 60. Some of the advice that has been suggested to me here that I admittedly did not fully adhere to will now be used. I also am getting hands on instruction ( it has been a long time)and embarking on a stretching routine.

Edited January 10, 2017 by mpb1472
added information

[alleztom]

I compared my first round from this year to the first round from last year:

2016: 95 strokes, 39 putts, 5 greens, 7 near greens.
2017: 83 strokes, 34 putts, 8 greens, 8 near greens.

Improvements include putting (after a SAM lesson with my coach), and general improvement to the swing from lessons, mainly learning how to hit flighted approaches (again from lessons) which have allowed me to at least hit a green from 60-120 yards.