Are you a Better Golfer than a Year Ago?

[Double Par]

Last year I started out doing really well. The other guys in my league were very impressed. I dropped my handicap from last year by 4 points. Then sometime during the middle of the season the wheels fell off. I raised my handicap back up to "same old Double Par". So I feel your pain. 

[JoeB from Tennessee]

I've found having a swing I know every aspect of has helped me. Im not sub par but I've rebuilt my swing and now when I hit a shot not conducive to my wants I know why. Be you guys. Know your tendencies. I'm know swing guru but when you own it, good and bad, you improve. I think putting will be something I spend a lot of time on to improve now.

Great topic. 

 

[zipazoid]

From a year ago? Yes. From five years ago? No. Thus my challenge. Five years back I was breaking 80 regularly & 75 on easier tracks. Somewhere along the way my bad shots got...badder. Which is infuriating to say the least. But a year back I was a mess - I posted 3 straight rounds in the 90s & was lamenting (n Facebook) that I don't shoot f**king 94. But I was. 

So I've been putting in some good ol' fashioned hard work (within my schedule) to get repeatable & reliable again. And I'm getting results...on the range at least. I shot an 82 last month while visiting a friend in Ft. Myers on a course I never saw before. That's more like it. 82s are okay. 94s aren't.

[metbid]

I was improving, my HC had dropped several points to 11.3 last year.  I started this year pretty good, then had to have surgery to remove skin cancer on my arm and was laid up for over a month.  Since re-starting, my HC has blossomed to a beautiful 12.3.  Now that I am playing again I am still inconsistent, but believe I will improve my HC by a couple of points by season end............I hope

[Sierra Magica]

On 6/11/2017 at 11:53 PM, iacas said:

No, generally speaking, you can be "wrong" about things like that. It's "wrong" to recommend to most people that they spend 80% of their time working on their chipping and putting.

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I'm better than I was a year ago… but marginally. It's tough to come by improvement at my level and availability.

The true is. middle and high handicap spent 0.5% of chipping and putting. How many 3 or 4 putts in one round. How many topped or shunk chips. Because they have 80% of GIR they don't need to practice Chipping and putting. 

[SteveH]

This has been the most frustrating year of my past 7 since taking up the game. I was seeing gradual improvement and had my index in the mid 12's but since not having much chance to play last year, this year has been a disaster. I have relocated and am now playing in a different location at sea level with more humidity so distance loss has had quite an effect. The course seems to be a much tougher course than my old course and I have had several people tell me it's not uncommon to see new members taking a 5 stroke increase to hcaps. I have taken some short game instruction to help and my short game has actually improved but has not helped my scoring much.  I have gone from a mid 80's score to scoring in the 90's with only a couple of rounds in the 80's and even a few going over 100. Trying to remain positive though and work on my game.

What still baffles me is the fact that I can go to another par 72 course nearby and shoot much lower scores than the par 72 that i now play on a regular basis.

[kpaulhus]

This thread kind of gets me questioning if what I am doing is making me better or not. Last year this time I was a 2.7 index signing up for the Mid-Am, this year, I am hovering around a 6 index, but I wonder if it was just a really hot streak of golf last summer. For example, I only hit 3 fairways and 5 greens in regulation today, but instead of making a bunch of doubles I managed to save bogey all but once shooting an 81. I did have 2 birdies. I think mentally I am in a much better place on the golf course now versus last year, but mechanically I am a bit off as far as my swing goes. I can say if I stay around a 5-6 index, or better, until December, then this will be my best year of golf ever. We will see how things go as the tournament schedule ahead gets closer. 

[SLAMGolf]

I am likely going to stay the same or get worse.  I've gotten about 1mph slower with the driver with each passing year.  That adds up to higher scores unless I play from the forward tees.  But I fool myself by saying things like, "I'm just playing smarter golf."  

[Jeremie Boop]

Just to revisit this, I do feel like I'm a better golfer this year, even though my scores aren't necessarily a lot better/or even better at all. My ability to recover from bad holes/blow up scores is greatly improved. Mainly this has been a mindset change which caused this. Given the much fewer rounds and complete lack of practice, I'd have thought that my scores would have ballooned but they have stayed pretty consistent to last year and even with a lot more lower scores during my league rounds than last year when I was actively working on my swing a lot. I'm hoping I will have more time and drive to focus on improving again next year because if I can keep this same mentality I see no reason I can't have a decently significant improvement next year. And if I don't, then oh well, I'm just going to keep focusing on enjoying golfing.

[Rsuslow]

I feel I am worse.

I hate to say it.  But about a year ago, I lost my swing.  So I started taking lessons.  I think the lessons are giving me a better understanding of my swing, but I have yet to really see improvement.  It's been very frustrating.

[C low]

I gave up golf many years ago, its nice to be back.

[Onintoo3putt]

On 7/17/2017 at 9:41 PM, Rsuslow said:

I feel I am worse.

I hate to say it.  But about a year ago, I lost my swing.  So I started taking lessons.  I think the lessons are giving me a better understanding of my swing, but I have yet to really see improvement.  It's been very frustrating.

I'm in a similar boat.  I've gotten better and not getting so upset after bad shots and keeping a better attitude on the course.  

[mcanadiens]

After a grip change and ensuing battle with the shanks, I think I'm better. Let me tell you, that first month-and-a-half SUCKED. It was May before there was light at the end of that tunnel. The last six or so rounds have been reasonably solid and shank-free. I'm getting off the tee ok. Even the short-game stuff seems to be on the mend. The HI dropped on the last revision for the first time in awhile.

 I'll know if I'm better by about this time next month. My club championship comes up in early August. There are a few other events coming up. I'm cautiously optimistic. 

 

[BallMarker]

that old saying "if you can chip and put, you can score."....it's true.

[coop6]

I answered yes to both as I'm dedicated to get better and my swing has some flaws that I'm going to fix. Once those flaws are fixed my bad holes will reduce and my scores will improve. My last 6 rounds have been par or better. I didn't do that once last year. Very pumped about the progression of my game.

[Jack Watson]

I voted no and yes.  No on question 1 because last year I was a couple strokes lower (gulp).  I was playing much more though.  This year has kind of been an anti golf year for me with how little I have played.

I voted yes on question two because I work much smarter now and I am in a good place as far as improving my self understanding/swing.  For me as I age I want to play smarter not practice harder.  For me that means a little swing and making good decisions.  For me it's always make a little swing and then when I am doing well and let the shaft out successfully on a drive it's SWING WAY SMALLER IDIOT BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING STUPID.

I do well imagining a pro behind me during a range session berating me after each move going NO THATS NOT IT SHORTER SWING AND MORE LAID OFF.

I live in a strange world haha.  Good topic!

For me short game is short game.  If I want to really try to score I will arrive early and work on it.  I rarely lose strokes in short game even if I don't have high up and down percentage.  I am competent enough there and can be pretty good if I practice an hour...

Edited August 8, 2017 by Jack Watson

[Buckeyebowman]

At this point I'd have to say I honestly don't know! Played today and hit some really fantastic shots. Also hit some real clunkers! Scored about the same as I have recently. I'll be 65 in about a month, and I wonder if my days of "improvement" are behind me!

[iacas]

On 7/24/2017 at 0:30 AM, BallMarker said:

that old saying "if you can chip and put, you can score."....it's true.

Yeah, you can chip it close and one-putt for a seven. Woo!