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Are Handicaps Actually Dropping?

2Bad4u

2Bad4u

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I keep reading/hearing from multiple sources that the average handicap in golf today really hasn't changed that much over the last several decades. This is despite the fact that there are; better balls, better equipment, launch monitors, improved course maintenance, newer teaching techniques, more training aids, high speed video cameras, and so on.

I'm not sure that the average handicap hasn't dropped, but I keep on reading that it hasn't.

What are your thoughts?
 
All the technology in the world won't help someone who doesn't practice. The "average" includes pretty much everyone who plays or just plays casually. IMO nothing will ever drop the average handicap because it isn't related to the product, it's the person using it that has to change.
 
i'm not sure if it has dropped really. i believe the number of golfers has dropped, and maybe took some of the higher handicaps away which may have had an effect on the overall handicap maybe? but even with all the new clubs i think everyone i play with shoots the same as they did 5, 10, or more years ago.
 
Its a three pronged answer to me.
Millions that play golf dont keep a real handicap.
Those that do keep one skew on the age demographic slightly older.
Courses have become longer, greens have become faster and rough has become thicker.
 
Next time you are at the range look to see how many are banging balls - normally with driver - vs working at the short game area.

Most people care too much about having a perfect swing and not enough about course management and scoring.
 
JB said:
Its a three pronged answer to me.
Millions that play golf dont keep a real handicap.
Those that do keep one skew on the age demographic slightly older.
Courses have become longer, greens have become faster and rough has become thicker.
Click to expand...

...and people still have to play out of stupid divots :alien:
 
Equipment doesn't make anyone better by itself. If that was the case we would all be pros by now. It does make becoming better a little easier to attain but it still comes down to one factor, the player. If you hand someone the best of everything and they still don't put in the time to practice and get better then they won't see much of a change in their handicap. I believe the same amount of people in general that put in the time vs those who don't are at the same ratio as always and therefore you won't see much change overall.
 
JB said:
Its a three pronged answer to me.
Millions that play golf dont keep a real handicap.
Those that do keep one skew on the age demographic slightly older.
Courses have become longer, greens have become faster and rough has become thicker.
Click to expand...

Agree with all of this. Whenever I go out to a muni I see tons of folks whose caps would be 25-30+ if they kept one, but they don't. And whatever equipment advances have happened for skilled players are mostly offset by the higher course difficulty and length in higher end courses.
 
Clubs have gotten better, groundscrews have gotten better, and course designers have gotten better. The only things that can't get better are the untrainable traits of golfers.

I am a big believer that hand eye coordination, fast twitch muscle recruitment, and spacial awareness are largely genetic. There are no club designs that can improve a golfer's hand eye coordination. Nothing a ball's cover can do to put the club in better positions for a powerful swing. There are no launch monitors that get a person to the same position consistently. There are no wedge grinds that can make a golfer's eye see chipping distances and landing areas accurately

That's up to the golfer's natural abilities and, I believe, for the most part, there is only so much a person can do.
 
2Bad4u said:
I keep reading/hearing from multiple sources that the average handicap in golf today really hasn't changed that much over the last several decades. This is despite the fact that there are; better balls, better equipment, launch monitors, improved course maintenance, newer teaching techniques, more training aids, high speed video cameras, and so on.

I'm not sure that the average handicap hasn't dropped, but I keep on reading that it hasn't.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
The bold area really doesn't matter if people can't use the newer equipment or seek out teaching tips.
 
Is there a thread that has looked at trying to track THP'ers handicaps over the course of a season? (Similar to a biggest loser contest?)
 
blugold said:
Clubs have gotten better, groundscrews have gotten better, and course designers have gotten better. The only things that can't get better are the untrainable traits of golfers.

I am a big believer that hand eye coordination, fast twitch muscle recruitment, and spacial awareness are largely genetic. There are no club designs that can improve a golfer's hand eye coordination. Nothing a ball's cover can do to put the club in better positions for a powerful swing. There are no launch monitors that get a person to the same position consistently. There are no wedge grinds that can make a golfer's eye see chipping distances and landing areas accurately

That's up to the golfer's natural abilities and, I believe, for the most part, there is only so much a person can do.
Click to expand...

While I agree the biggest issue I see is simply playing from the wrong tee's. How many people could break 90 if they were to play at 6,000 or less??
 
Sweethebs said:
Is there a thread that has looked at trying to track THP'ers handicaps over the course of a season? (Similar to a biggest loser contest?)
Click to expand...

There is a handicap watch thread, but it doesn't really track it per say.
 
Golf is a game of accuracy, unfortunately many I golf with who have been golfing much longer than I have don't seem to get that. They change equipment as often as they can afford to, sometimes bagging 2 or 3 drivers in a single season. How they expect to gain proficiency with a new driver every 60 days I have no clue. If your aren't consistent with YOUR equipment to repeatedly put the ball where you need it consistently(on the green and in the hole) you likely need more practice with said equipment. I think more of them should look at what the Marine core does to improve accuracy in new Marines than what new equipment might fix their game.
 
Would be interesting to see how many collective strokes THP'ers could drop from say May 1 to November 1.
 
2Bad4u said:
I keep reading/hearing from multiple sources that the average handicap in golf today really hasn't changed that much over the last several decades. This is despite the fact that there are; better balls, better equipment, launch monitors, improved course maintenance, newer teaching techniques, more training aids, high speed video cameras, and so on.
Click to expand...

Why do you assume that the balls and equipment are better? I would contend that the equipment and ball are not conducive to helping golfers become better and more accurate ball strikers.
 
2.ooohhh said:
Golf is a game of accuracy, unfortunately many I golf with who have been golfing much longer than I have don't seem to get that. They change equipment as often as they can afford to, sometimes bagging 2 or 3 drivers in a single season. How they expect to gain proficiency with a new driver every 60 days I have no clue. If your aren't consistent with YOUR equipment to repeatedly put the ball where you need it consistently(on the green and in the hole) you likely need more practice with said equipment. I think more of them should look at what the Marine core does to improve accuracy in new Marines than what new equipment might fix their game.
Click to expand...
I have never believed in forcing equipment to work. Or, that equipment needs to be broken in, likewise I don't believe there should be any break in period for new clubs. Either it works for you or it doesn't. No reason to hold onto a set of irons or a driver that isn't performing. Too many great options to have to endure that.
Sweethebs said:
While I agree the biggest issue I see is simply playing from the wrong tee's. How many people could break 90 if they were to play at 6,000 or less??
Click to expand...
I always shake my when I hear l, "I just can't play from less than ______ yards." or even better, "if I played from the forward tips I would destroy my course."
 
It's not on average, because people aren't actually serious (as a whole) to get better. Otherwise the market for lessons would explode. I'm a perfect example. I went 18 years before taking a lesson, so i ploded along with poor scores, a terrible swing and beat up golf clubs. Started taking lessons, and i guarantee my scores will drop. During that entire time i spent money on clubs, and golf balls and it didn't seem to make a ton of difference in my case. i just hit it further out of bounce, or whatnot.
 
57Staff said:
Why do you assume that the balls and equipment are better? I would contend that the equipment and ball are not conducive to helping golfers become better and more accurate ball strikers.
Click to expand...

Have you ever tried equipment from this decade?
 
blugold said:
I have never believed in forcing equipment to work. Or, that equipment needs to be broken in, likewise I don't believe there should be any break in period for new clubs. Either it works for you or it doesn't. No reason to hold onto a set of irons or a driver that isn't performing. Too many great options to have to endure that.
Click to expand...

Not so much forcing the equipment to work, rather correcting the errors in the golfer or the swing with more lessons and frequent competent practice rather than constantly blaming the equipment, fit, ect.
 
57Staff said:
Why do you assume that the balls and equipment are better? I would contend that the equipment and ball are not conducive to helping golfers become better and more accurate ball strikers.
Click to expand...

Common sense.
Manufacturing abilities.
Materials
Technology

All three things have gotten better. Whether someone likes it more is up to the golfer, but in every measurable sense involving technology, the clubs and balls are better.
 
SkiBumGolfer said:
Agree with all of this. Whenever I go out to a muni I see tons of folks whose caps would be 25-30+ if they kept one, but they don't. And whatever equipment advances have happened for skilled players are mostly offset by the higher course difficulty and length in higher end courses.
Click to expand...

I came to post this. Most "average American 15 handicapper" golfers on course prove to be a 25+. I think the average American golfer does not have an official handicap, and many that track their handicap in some form or fashion cheat (themselves) for a vanity handicap. They don't count the 3 balls they just hit OB before writing down their mullipar, they don't take a stroke for using their foot wedge, etc.

I'm not saying golfers are worse now than they use to be. I am saying that I believe the collective have always been worse than surveys show.
 
Tadashi70 said:
The bold area really doesn't matter if people can't use the newer equipment or seek out teaching tips.
Click to expand...
No piece of equipment could correct my hook. It took my instructor reworking my grip and had me pay attention to my clubface at address as it was closed even before I started my swing. I could have purchased thousands of dollars in clubs and the most forgiving club in the world could not correct that issue.

I play as a single all the time and the bad mechanics I see has more to do with it than the type of equipment one plays.
 
cbaker2882 said:
Have you ever tried equipment from this decade?
Click to expand...

Yep, got a couple toasters on a stick sitting in my garage and my '69 Macs have new Rifle 6.5 shafts in them.

Trouble with most modern clubs is that they remove feel and it is by feel that we play the game.
 
I'm not surprised that golfers aren't getting better. Sometimes I think it's almost a disadvantage when learning the game with how forgiving the woods and irons are and how straight the golf ball flies today. I was punished severely when I was learning the game in the 1970's every time I missed the sweet spot. I was forced to learn how to find the sweet spot. Now some of the high school players I've played with have no idea where they are hitting the ball on the face. They can shoot in the 70 on a good day but when they are off they are waaaay off. I watched one yesterday during a match not clear a water hazard on the 2nd hole that is maybe a 75 yard carry. They are all swinging so hard they just don't even think about where on the face they are hitting it.

Another problem is most golfers won't focus on the short game and putting that is 65% of their strokes taken. I'm certainly guilty of spending too much of my practice time on the full swing. Most won't learn the course management part that is a big part of getting to a single digit index.

I also believe that swinging a golf club consistently at 100 mph while accounting for lie, turf, and wind adjustments while not letting your brain get in the way is damn hard and many don't posess the God given coordination and/or brain chemistry to be a single digit index. I see lots of guys each week at my club that work very, very hard and never get much better.
 
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