Improving my High Handicap

[Kalnoky]

13 minutes ago, CptShankapotamus said:

Focus on the input you put into your swing, feel every angle your arms take and every shift in weight through your legs, and watch the output in the ball flight. 

Personally, I've deleted the slo-mo swing apps and stat trackers I have and simply feel my swing, hear/feel the contact, and watch the ball. By doing that and just playing more, I improved from a 18ish handicap to an 11 in about a year. 

I agree with this ^^^ after a while you can really feel it when the contact is good. The ball flight and the spin are different. It's a unique feeling but there is no mistaking it. You will know it when you do it right. 

@lee34 do you have a "knockdown" shot in your repertoire? This is a very easy shot to execute which will keep the ball relatively low and get you onto the green in 3 and maybe save some pars..

I would say one (1) advantage of trying to teach myself golf last year is I developed a myriad of short game shots to compensate for my awful ball striking. I have made some super ugly pars, nobody would believe.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Kalnoky

[Hatchman]

On 12/13/2016 at 9:54 AM, Club Rat said:

This will be beneficial in several matters.
A. You will be more likely to "relaxed" on the tee
B. You should develop a better tempo
C. It will build confidence
D. When you progress and become comfortable, step up with a longer iron.

Building a platform for progression will help you identify your strengths which trend to other aspects of the game.

Agree 100%.  Good points.

[paininthenuts]

On 12/12/2016 at 0:34 PM, lee34 said:

Been back into golf for the last 6 weeks and have got the bug back big time. I play and practice at least once a week.

I am 36 years old and playing off a miserable 27.1 handicap (uk). I've played rounds with a few recently and all have said there is no way you are that handicap. However I am and quite often score to (93 is my best round) high 90s and low 100's. Which is what a 27 handicapper should score.

I am constantly trying to improve and track my stats using Golfshake current course stats are......

Average score - 98.5

FIR - 14%

GIR - 8%

SCM - 9%

Putts - 34

So just looking at the above stats and its pretty clear all of my game needs work. I dropped the driver for my 6 iron off the tee to try and cut down on penaltys and trouble my tee shots get me into. This has improved slightly but my stats or score haven't really improved.

I know putting is a problem and am going to see a Edel fitter for a lesson in the next few weeks. I regularly miss 3 footers.

I am getting Lowest Score Wins for xmas which I'm hoping will help. In the last 6 weeks I have had about 6 lessons. I'm getting a hybrid at xmas to help off the tee until I can consistently hit driver off tee a bit better. This should gain more yardage off the tee than my 6 iron and should help with accuracy.

Im thinking of game golf to analyse my game a bit more in detail. 

I had a lesson a couple weeks ago where using a launch monitor on the range I got my yardages done for every club to help with club selection on the course. This has definitely helped me but once again my scores dont show this.

I was hoping that my handicap would come tumbling down and was only a matter of time however this just hasn't happened. In fact my handicap went up yesterday to 27.1

I just don't get why my scores are not coming down unless I just have to accept that I am a 27 handicapper and am kidding myself to think otherwise.  I played against a mate the other day that plays off 15 and matched him shot for shot until I took a 14 on one hole and he ended up beating me by only 4 shots, so I know somewhere in me there is a half decent golfer.

Anyone got any ideas or suggestions, have been looking at game golf but have thought this would be more beneficial for a mid to low handicapper than myself.

Many thanks

Lee

I suggest you do what I did, and that's to retire and play 5 times a week. It's surprising how quickly you get better

[lee34]

On 16/12/2016 at 10:27 PM, CptShankapotamus said:

I think the first thing is focusing on just playing the game before focusing on the numbers. Its not a cop-out answer and here's why:

I understand the importance of the stats and analytical take on everything but really anything above a 10ish handicap can most benefit from having a positive mentality toward the performance on and off the course. Golf is 98% mental and recognizing that you're playing at "a miserable handicap" is really something that is already working against you.

Looking at the numbers and wanting them to drop after analyzing and changing your approach to the game simply is not something that will benefit you at a high handicap. I understand no golfer is the same, but the best thing you can do is to study yourself and the input and output you see in the ball at the range, course, or backyard. Numbers are great and all when you are really at the precision of taking analytics into your play but if I were to give you a tip it would just be to play the game, feel your swing, and watch your ball. Forget the numbers because they set this mentality of minimal improvement despite immediate changes. Focus on the input you put into your swing, feel every angle your arms take and every shift in weight through your legs, and watch the output in the ball flight. 

Personally, I've deleted the slo-mo swing apps and stat trackers I have and simply feel my swing, hear/feel the contact, and watch the ball. By doing that and just playing more, I improved from a 18ish handicap to an 11 in about a year. 

Good advice I did wonder when I'm shooting so far over par is it really worth analysing so much of my game.

[lee34]

Played yesterday at Wexham Park. Not ideal as was very foggy.

Front 9 I hit every FIR but still ended up with a 50 going out. Coming back in was worst with a 55 resulting in another miserable 105. Have gone from being confident of breaking 90 and now I can't even get near breaking 100.

So game analysis.......

Tee Shots - 3/5 hit every fairway front 9 struggled on back 9.

Approach - 1/5 from the fairway I then ended up in trouble due to a poor 2nd shot.

Chipping - 3/5 ok nothing great nothing awful.

Putting - 0/5 just absolutely abysmal.

Went up driving range this mornings and was hitting balls well so don't know why I'm struggling on the course. 

Am playing Richings Park tomorrow on my birthday so hopefully il be back in the 90s again.

have switched back to my heel weighted Taylor made putter and spent an hour on the putting green today. Feel much better after a good practice session. Hoping this translates on the course tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone chipping in on this thread and for good advice.

[RandallT]

13 minutes ago, lee34 said:

Good advice I did wonder when I'm shooting so far over par is it really worth analysing so much of my game.

There's seems to be a little anti-analysis mood going on in the thread. Personally, I think that's nuts, but I do think everyone should do what they're comfortable with and what they enjoy. I'm not trying to sway anyone who has said analyzing the numbers isn't useful until you're a better player, but for those on the fence, my rebuttal is:

1. Analyzing your game doesn't have to be that hard. Usually a back-of-the-envelope type thing gets you ballpark.
2. Since it's quick- it doesn't have to be overly analytical, nor distract you from playing. 
3. Even if the answer for high handicap players is that you need to work on your swing, at least you'll see the magnitude of the problem, relative to the other areas. No harm in that, and it gives you some insight into your future development.

I do agree that the key is to get out there and change your game. Find someone qualified to analyze your swing, and do the things you need to make a positive change. That's critical- don't just keep doing minor tweaks at the range because of the latest "thing" you think you felt on the course and then expect the next round to solve that because you were grooved at the range. It doesn't work that way.

Improvement is finding a big picture problem. Then putting in the reps to fix that flaw- usually a fundamental form flaw that leads to inconsistent strikes. If numbers help you find which area to look, great. If you feel you know it without a review, that's fine too. 

It's not necessarily true, however, that taking a look at the numbers is a waste of time. Not for everyone. There's a player recently who I helped dive pretty deep, and we found that his iron play from outside 120yds was killing him. Opened his eyes, and since then he has improved 5 strokes- much of that due to the focus on the area that was killing him most. We haven't done a followup to confirm that, but he's nevertheless more confident in the area we found was a weakness (because he's put in hard work there), and that can't hurt.

 

[lee34]

6 minutes ago, RandallT said:

There's seems to be a little anti-analysis mood going on in the thread. Personally, I think that's nuts, but I do think everyone should do what they're comfortable with and what they enjoy. I'm not trying to sway anyone who has said analyzing the numbers isn't useful until you're a better player, but for those on the fence, my rebuttal is:

1. Analyzing your game doesn't have to be that hard. Usually a back-of-the-envelope type thing gets you ballpark.
2. Since it's quick- it doesn't have to be overly analytical, nor distract you from playing. 
3. Even if the answer for high handicap players is that you need to work on your swing, at least you'll see the magnitude of the problem, relative to the other areas. No harm in that, and it gives you some insight into your future development.

I do agree that the key is to get out there and change your game. Find someone qualified to analyze your swing, and do the things you need to make a positive change. That's critical- don't just keep doing minor tweaks at the range because of the latest "thing" you think you felt on the course and then expect the next round to solve that because you were grooved at the range. It doesn't work that way.

Improvement is finding a big picture problem. Then putting in the reps to fix that flaw- usually a fundamental form flaw that leads to inconsistent strikes. If numbers help you find which area to look, great. If you feel you know it without a review, that's fine too. 

It's not necessarily true, however, that taking a look at the numbers is a waste of time. Not for everyone. There's a player recently who I helped dive pretty deep, and we found that his iron play from outside 120yds was killing him. Opened his eyes, and since then he has improved 5 strokes- much of that due to the focus on the area that was killing him most. We haven't done a followup to confirm that, but he's nevertheless more confident in the area we found was a weakness (because he's put in hard work there), and that can't hurt.

 

Agree with everything you said.

I am still going to analyse my game as much as I have been recently. I record FIR/GIR/PUTTS. There is no point in me over analysing until I'm a better player as every part of my game is bad.

I love stats and hopefully this will grow once I've read LSW. 

Ive dropped driver off tee as it cost me on average 4 penalties a round. My 6 iron off the tee has really helped bump up my FIR, however this has not translated in better scores in fact it's made it worse. The 2 big problems for me are approach (2nd shots) from 150 yards in and putting which has been so bad it's untrue like it's 50/50 on if I'd hole a 2 footer.