What are you doing to lower your hdcp?

[Grins]

Im still getting better after my return to the game. I have decided to take it alot morr seriously this year. My hope is to gr back down to a 2 or 3.
As far as how. : my main focus has been working on my swing. Ive gotten to a point now where im confident in it and will be moving more in to a fine tune aspect.
More short game work
Putting.
Ive also decided that weather permitting im going to get some video of my swing for the panda to look at.
Ive already contacted a SPi instructor and are communicating about a fitting and maybe the SPi program

This! Just doing this will be huge, Jeremiah! Even if you don't game a SeeMore, just learning how to putt better will be a game changer. You will not regret it!
Wait - you're with Cobra/SeeMore for the MC? Awesome!

 

[dcbrad]

My main focus this year is becoming consistent at making good impact. Impact (for the most part) is king. If you can consistently make good impact, good things will happen. I'm not gonna sweat the small things if I am seeing results on the course.

Short game and putting are going to be huge points of emphasis once the snow melts. Unfortunately, really can't do much short game practice other than putting with just a net.

Those are my goals this year.

 

[Hawk]

Good question Freddie.

Index can be deceiving I think. The Grandaddy really opened my eyes there. I really saw the difference between a comfort golf index and a traveling index. It gave me some motivation to really change how I approach the game in 2014. I rely too much on my short game and course knowledge, which works sometimes and at courses you know well, but at some point you have to do a few other things well to have any sort of shot.

My plans for 2014 are

1) regular lessons to build a swing that works better under pressure
2) focused practice
3) maintaining short game and putting abilities
4) playing longer and harder courses more often

Even if that only drops my index by 3 points in six months, I'll be happy if it's a drop that I can play consistently with under pressure and at different places.

 

[Baldcopper]

Given my recent lower back woes, I've put together a daily stretching regimen and yoga daily.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Trout Bum]

I see a lot of post about getting better and getting to scratch or single digits. It's great to talk about but if like to know what everyone is doing to lower their handicap.

Are you happy with just lowering at your home course or do you want a traveling handicap, made up of different courses? Are you taking lessons? Getting a fitting? Video tips? Panda tips? What do you do to get the ole Cap lower? And how low do you want to go?

I want to go scratch, I'm fine tuning a couple swing flaws with an instructor that got me low before and I think gaming some different equipment is going to be a big part of it. My game usually travels well so that's not entirely as important as repetition is for me. I will say though my lowest scoring period came when I belonged to a course and developed a ton of consistency hitting similar shots, I was able to bring those shots anywhere I played, that is on my radar as well.

 

[Johnny mojo]

This is an awesome topic and its cool to see how others are approaching improvement and what is important to THEIR goal achievement.

JM

 

[bellairemi]

Good question Tadashi. I'm committed to returning to the swing of my younger years and stop chasing the more body oriented (rather than arms/hands led) one now more customarily taught. Even though I have had great instructors (including Adam Schreiber who has several PGA and LPGA players in his stable), it takes too much of my limited time trying to maintain that swing and fight my natural tendencies. Sure my impact positions might be slightly better with the more modern swing but I just do not have 6-10 hours a week to dedicate to range time.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

It all comes down to putting for me. I was fit for all my clubs and most were adjusted. From there, it is about my short game and putting. I dropped an average of 3 putts per round last year. If you have an existing handicap, you have an course handicap no matter where you play. I do all of my "improvement" work with our PGA Teaching Pro. I only want a live set of eyes telling me what to do or what I need to do. I've never taken swing advice from books/magazines/internet.

 

[PirateJim]

2013 was my first year back to golf, and although I played some as a kid and occasionally as an adult, in many ways 2013 was my first year of golf because I wanted to be playing golf rather than because someone else wanted me to. When I got my handicap established it was slightly over 20 and my goal for the year was to get it down to 15. I actually got it down near 10 through lessons and steady practice.

I'm not sure I can halve my 'cap again, but I would like to for 2014 and I think I can get most of the way there by improving my putting, so:

1 - I believe I have settled in on a putting style that works for me. I am going to quit changing things every few weeks and just practice this method for at least the next three months. I am going to try to put in at least half an hour putting practice each day; on grass when I can, on the mat at home when I must.

2 - I'm getting fitted for some new Titleist AP1 irons, partly because even if my Pings were fitted to me properly in late 2012 I know my swing has changed enough I seriously question how well they currently fit and mostly because I want some new toys. I'm hoping the Titelists will give me a bit more versatility in shot making while continuing to provide a good bit of forgiveness.

3 - Regular range time, which is fine because I'm one of the weird people that likes spending time at the range.
3a - Hitting each shot on the range with a purpose.

4 - Lessons periodically, both to address specific issues and to make sure I don't drift into nasty habits I didn't notice.

I have a golf course real close by to my home where I spend most of my golfing time. It's not a great course, but not horrid either. This coming year it is my intent to branch out and play more courses in the general area and I'll record my scores for those outings, but I honestly don't fret about a "traveling handicap" to tell the truth. I'm highly unlikely to travel for competition, so I don't much care that my handicap is based largely on my homebody ways.

 

[Grins]

Good question Freddie.

Index can be deceiving I think. The Grandaddy really opened my eyes there. I really saw the difference between a comfort golf index and a traveling index. It gave me some motivation to really change how I approach the game in 2014. I rely too much on my short game and course knowledge, which works sometimes and at courses you know well, but at some point you have to do a few other things well to have any sort of shot.

My plans for 2014 are

1) regular lessons to build a swing that works better under pressure
2) focused practice
3) maintaining short game and putting abilities
4) playing longer and harder courses more often

Even if that only drops my index by 3 points in six months, I'll be happy if it's a drop that I can play consistently with under pressure and at different places.

Hawk, canyou please explain the difference? Is a traveling handicap based on scores from lots o different courses, vs. using only scores from your home course? I just want to be sure I'm on the same page, because I haven't really heard the term "traveling HC" before.

 

[Bullitt5339]

Hawk, canyou please explain the difference? Is a traveling handicap based on scores from lots o different courses, vs. using only scores from your home course? I just want to be sure I'm on the same page, because I haven't really heard the term "traveling HC" before.

It's when you can't ever seem to play to your handicap when you're away from your home course. When you play a lot of rounds at the same course, your handicap naturally comes down because you are so familiar with the course. When you play a lot of different courses all the time, your actual handicap may be a bit higher, but you can actually take your handicap with you and expect to play near it because it's factored in a bunch of different and sometimes unfamiliar courses.


I am especially guilty if this one. I can shoot low 90s at my home course and then struggle to break 100 whenever I'm playing away from my home course. It's just because I know the course so well that I'm pretty much on autopilot when playing out there and find myself in a lot less trouble.

 

[Drumdog]

My goal this year is to get my ghin down to a 1 or better. I know the last few points are the hardest.
I will be working hard on my approach shots and long irons. Those are the 2 spots that I think could get me to my goal.
Finding an instructor is my first task. Then on to lots of work and lower scores.

 

[Hawk]

Bullitt explained it well Grins.

Another thing I noticed was that In match play especially, the 12 handicap that can hit the ball far, hit a decent number of fairways and greens, but has a few bigger numbers every round is hard to beat. Especially when you're a grinder and especially when it's a handicapped event.

 

[#Cookie]

Bullitt explained it well Grins.

Another thing I noticed was that In match play especially, the 12 handicap that can hit the ball far, hit a decent number of fairways and greens, but has a few bigger numbers every round is hard to beat. Especially when you're a grinder and especially when it's a handicapped event.

Haha, that's me minus hitting it far. I can have 10 pars, 1 birdie, 1 bogey, and 6 doubles.

Lowering my handicap means eliminating the blow up holes. Really need to try and have no worse than 2 doubles (hopefully nothing worse) per round. That alone would take me down 2-3 strokes on the index.

 

[Hawk]

Haha, that's me minus hitting it far. I can have 10 pars, 1 birdie, 1 bogey, and 6 doubles.

Lowering my handicap means eliminating the blow up holes. Really need to try and have no worse than 2 doubles (hopefully nothing worse) per round. That alone would take me down 2-3 strokes on the index.

I was thinking about you too as I wrote that. You're already a tough match. Imagine what losing those blowups would do for you.

Ethan at Callaway was a tough one. He'd have a blowup or a bad shot on a hole, but the rest of the time he hit it 270 in the fairway and then on the green.

 

[T2GRN18]

Bullitt explained it well Grins.

Another thing I noticed was that In match play especially, the 12 handicap that can hit the ball far, hit a decent number of fairways and greens, but has a few bigger numbers every round is hard to beat. Especially when you're a grinder and especially when it's a handicapped event.

Handicaped match play is a beast in itself. Especially if your giving pops along the way. It doesn't take long to get behind with a few bad holes. I know! I've been there done that.

 

[Grins]

I forgot to add:

#9) Practicing my putting every day on my Birdieball green - really applying the SPi techniques and getting my setup, routine, & stroke dialed in.

 

[Smallville]

Right now, just playing. I work on things while I am out there, but my golf time is limited, so I don't "practice" much.

 

[Floor-is]

I see a lot of post about getting better and getting to scratch or single digits. It's great to talk about but if like to know what everyone is doing to lower their handicap.

I focus on my shortgame mostly, everything 100 meters and in. I think I spend about 60-65% of my practicetime on the putting and chippinggreen. I've already seen major improvement: if I miss my put it's either short or I've read the line wrong (or it's a >7m put). Chipping has improved greatly and even the shorter pitches are going well.

Are you happy with just lowering at your home course or do you want a traveling handicap, made up of different courses?

I'd like a travelling handicap, but I don't have the funds to get one.

Are you taking lessons?

Not right now, in the sense that I don't have lessons with a pro. But I have a couple of friends that give me pointers now and then during our weekly training sessions.

Getting a fitting? Video tips? Panda tips?

I've been fitted, should get a putter-fitting done, but don't have the funds. Do use video (ubersense) quite a bit. Don't know panda tips.

What do you do to get the ole Cap lower? And how low do you want to go?

I just play a lot, train much. And I decided to change up course management a bit: no more going for the green on the shorter par4's: saves me a lot of trouble

I'd like to drop under 7 the coming season, but I'd settle for anything sub 8.5

 

[O'Carroll]

Currently: lessons, playing on a simulator and putting on a birdie ball. With subzero temperatures and 10 inches of snow on the ground, it's all about putting the center of the face on the ball consistently for me.

When it warms up and the snow melts, I will continue lessons; practice with purpose (90% on and around the green, 10% working on drills on the driving range); and playing different courses. I played 30 different courses in 2013, I hope to hit 40 in 2014. I also plan on joining the New York State Golf Association and participating in a few of their State Day Tournaments. Anything to challenge me and take me out of my comfort zone.

Lastly, something I've already started working on, is getting in better physical and mental shape. The physical ability to grind out rounds, and the mental ability to forget bad shots (or great ones by opponents) will go a long way in helping my game.

 

[robmypro]

Quite a few things, actually. Living in Colorado means indoor practice. Our guest room, which is perfect for swinging clubs, just got converted to a driving range. I went with a Sklz net, and have a putting green on the side. So every day I go to the driving range upstairs. I also have a Swingbyte 2 setup, so I can analyze my swing. Thinking of getting a lesson or two before April, when group lessons start. Also putting together a routine I can do each day.

 

[SkiBumGolfer]

My biggest efforts to drop my cap are going to be continuing to take lessons to get my full swing locked down (I feel like I'm getting close here) and drilling the short game HARD, especially once I have enough daylight to head over to the course after work and hit the chipping and putting greens. I really feel like I can get to single digits or very close this year, and I don't plan on resting till I get there!

 

[Trout Bum]

That's a great goal Ski Bum, and the short game is one of the quickest ways to get there.

 

[Six4three5]

- Lessons
- Practice
- Improve the short game
- Practice
- Putting

One thing I want to focus on while trying to lower my handicap this year is have my low handicap travel with me. I want to play well every where not just my home course.

 

[DevRickus]

Taking my game serious for the first time in my life. Lessons, practice, practice practice practice playing practice practice practice.