Are you a Better Golfer than a Year Ago?

[Let it Fly 72]

Voted "almost the same" over a year ago.  Scores are higher, but also playing in a Men's Club & keeping a handicap for the first time.  Playing lost balls as "stroke & distance" versus "gentlemen's golf" has inflated my gross scores over last season.  Probably could have answered "Yes" in the sense that I'm actually a golfer now...

Expect to be much better this time next year.  I've made a concentrated effort to improve my current swing path, which has caused too many of the above-mentioned lost balls...primarily off the tee.

[bkuehn1952 661]

I voted "about the same" compared to last year.  At this point in my life, staying the same is a victory.  My index rises in the Spring and then starts a slowly improving trend each year.

Looking to the future, I voted "Same" for next year but a couple changes might lead to an improvement.  I have committed to getting fitted after years of "off the rack" purchases.  I also have a certain book that holds some hope in improvement via strategies for practice and on course management.

[Golfingdad 2,035]

I voted yes and yes.

On the first question, I said yes because I was a 5.5 last year on this day and I'm a 5.0 now.  I've been as low as 4.8 in between, and that was a personal low.

On the second question, I say yes, because if you go back to May 2014, I was a 7.8 and I'm not doing anything really differently now than I have been over those last two years.  Still playing and practicing as much as I can (not a lot unfortunately though), so hopefully I'll continue to improve.

[rehmwa 597]

My scores are still in the range of what I did last year, but I'm seeing a higher percentage in the 70's than the 80's vs last year.  So it's tightening up nicely.  Very happy.  Main changes over the winter was exaggerating the 'straight spine' and 'shorter backswing' (a third minor change was a more balanced set up vs the 'pre-loading' of my right leg that I was doing - pressure YES, lean NO).  Big wins.

I need to improve my putting now.  More GIRs means (to me) - longer average 1st putt.  That's next.  It's less fun, so unlikely I'll get better next year, but I do hope to solidfy the progress I'm making now.

 

[pecos24 7]

I voted about the same as last year and yes for next year.

Looking at my handicap index I have improved 1.2 from a year ago but for a high handicapper such as myself that is not much of an improvement.

I have been working on my driver a lot this spring and I am definitely seeing improvements but of course my iron play is suffering.  Hopefully I get enough practice and play in this year to make a significant improvement.

[No Mulligans 294]

Last year at this time I was a 21.1 HI.  Now, 17.3 and I feel that's a bit high for me (my GG handicap is 13.2 at this time, I don't know what to make of this big difference).  

The reason I feel my current handicap is high at the moment is I've gained about 25-35 yards with my driver in the last month or so.  And, I've improved my putter setup and think I'm seeing recent improvement with my putting.  And, I'm getting better at Aimpoint express.  I'm guessing a year from now I'll be a 15 or better.

Another area of improvement from a year ago is that I can more frequently figure out what's going wrong with my swing on the course and make quick corrections.  Most of the time it's my priority piece that I've identified in practice and most of the time my priority piece is key #1.  

In the last several months I've gotten rid of my slice and more often I am straight or drawing the ball.  Having a draw be my natural flight pattern is my goal for 2016.

[Groucho Valentine 307]

I feel like I've been about the same player for many years. I made a big jump in skill when i was like around a 2 - 3 handicap to +2 in a span of a year or so. But ever since then it seems like I've floated between +1 and 1 handicap golf. I don't know how to quantify ball striking skill. Sometimes i hit good ones, sometimes i don't. I only know if i take 29 or fewer putts, it seems like i shoot par or better. 30 or more it seems like i shoot in the mid to high 70's a lot of the time. 

[SLAMGolf 4]

Definitely better.  Handicap for one has gone from 4 to 2 to 0.6 over the three years '14 to '16.  Increased GIR from 64.1% to 71.9% over that time, for probably the most telling stat.  Also instructive is that what I focus on in order to improve has also changed a bit over that time from solid ball striking to get from 4 to <1 to where now I'm focusing more on landing spots and yardages and wedge distances and green complexes.  While I certainly don't take anything for granted in this game, it feels now like a given that I'm going to hit the ball long and straight with the right shape.  It's more a matter of controlling the spin, reading the wind, and choosing the right landing spots.  I play within myself nowadays and spend a lot of time staying patient until a few putts start dropping and other good things happen.  Bit of a different game now, but still a lot of grinding, just on a different level...

[GolfLug 481]

Voted No and Yes. Oddly my biggest issue last year was my driver. This year has been a huge improvement both in FIR and tad bit more length. But irons are not as sharp currently and chipping is horrible. Taking a break from playing too many rounds. Practicing on the range more regularly (2-4 times a week - 15-20 mins). Priority has not changed.

[bmartin461 56]

Voted yes and yes.  My index has dropped a few points from last year and I expect a few more to fall off this year with the help of this site.

[Mulligans 0]

My overall game is probably better...my scores haven't been better though, I've only been out about 20 times this year and it always seems like I have a bad break or a hole collapse. 

[RH31 34]

Same and No. My wedge play is much better but my driving is worse. I don't expect my ball striking to get significantly better and stay better. Same old, same old, I'll hit it better for a week or two then won't be able to keep it out of the trees.

[Lastpick 20]

I am better.  Struggled early in the year due to having to give up the broomstick.  I just assumed that every golfer thinks that they will be better in the future.

[CarlSpackler 427]

I voted no on both accounts. Not enough time to practice OR play. I only voted that way because Hell No was not an option.

[mvmac 2,379]

Yes I'm definitely better now than I was a year ago. Both mechanically and score wise. My misses are much tighter and I'm hitting it more solid on my good shots. I think my swing is in a decent place but playing on a regular basis has ben a big part of it. I'm also hitting it about a 1/2 club longer with my irons and 10 yards farther with my driver. Played in a tournament with my dad last week and it was a lot of fun to hit it in spots I've never been before.

 

 

[chilepepper 147]

Instruction, practice with a purpose and a regular rounds have lowered my index. Tracking my performance on the course exposes the holes in my game i need to work on. Went from a 19 to a 15.9 so far in 6 months of index tracking via Ghin.

[CoachCad8 4]

I voted Yes and Yes. Last year I was shooting mid to high 90s. This year I started keeping a handicap  for the first time and have been shooting low 90s and have shot in the 80s the last 3 times out. The big thing for me is staying with it and practicing consistently. I coach football so once that season starts I will have very little time to play. That is where I lost my momentum last year. This year I plan to practice through and hit the driving range late in the evening after practice some days. 

[GangGreen 19]

I voted yes and yes.  I definitely feel I'm playing better so far this year but, since feel ain't real, went back to look at my year-to-date stats from March 1 to now for this year compared to last. Most of my early season rounds are played on the home course so the stats are relatively comparable, a couple of notables:

Rounds played:  11 so far this year compared to 6 last year

Fairways:  36% vs. 20%

Greens:  17% vs. 13%

Average Par 3 Score:  4.2  vs. 4.0

Average Par 4 Score:  5.2 vs. 5.7

Average Par 5 Score:  5.6 vs. 6.3

Average Score:  +20 vs. +26

Low Score:  +13 vs. +18

Still a lot to work on, but I like the trajectory I'm on for the season so optimistic these will look continue to look better by peak season and into next year.  Biggest key has been continuing the lessons, keeps me on track for sure.