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Are Handicap Goals Limited?

Canadan said:
So I ask at this turning point of my golf life; Do you believe your handicap goals are limited? Is there a number you think you can achieve but don't see yourself going lower? If you're an avid player, what drives you to work on your game besides the pure enjoyment of golf?
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I think I can get to a single digit number but I seriously doubt it would be anything other than a number that starts with a 9.

I am an avid player. I am driven to work on my game by my kids - I want them to love the game and find that it is pretty easy to get them out playing games (as opposed to playing a round). So I created a bunch of short game games and we play them for ice cream. They get to try to win an ice cream off dad. I get short game practice and the knowledge that I'm tricking them into practicing :)
 
Canadan said:
So I ask at this turning point of my golf life; Do you believe your handicap goals are limited? Is there a number you think you can achieve but don't see yourself going lower? If you're an avid player, what drives you to work on your game besides the pure enjoyment of golf?
Click to expand...
At this point, I don't see a limit in sight yet. After a swing change last fall and this year working extensively on better course/self management and short game I see steady improvement and feel scratch or better golf is within reach. It's still a big jump but after a couple of even par rounds last month with a lot of mistakes made, I know I can definitely go there and even lower. The hard part, of course, is being more consistent so that you have the opportunities at really good scores more often.

I'm definitely an avid player, golf has been a huge part of my life since the age of 14. The thing that drives me to improve is that magical feeling when you're playing well and everything is clicking (for however long that may be) - your shots react just like you visualize them, you see the line of your putts like they're painted on the green, you don't think you just step up and hit the shots. It's a very zen like state, peaceful and very satisfying. There's also that feeling when you hit a pure shot "and that tuning fork rings in your loins".
 
I think I can realistically get to a 7.0 with my current swing and game if I put in the blood, sweat and tears. I think I would be happy with that but I've been wrong before.
For me to get down to a 4 would require so much time and money that I just don't think it's possible.
 
First, I would just like to congratulate you (and anyone else) on getting to the level that you have attained, it is something that is just a dream for a lot of golfers and I could never see myself being able to devote the time and money to get anywhere near that level

For myself, I am currently only able to get a round in every couple of weeks and due to my change of job, getting to the range for the last couple of months has been almost non-existent. Having said that, I am sitting at a 14 handicap and still shooting rounds in the mid 80s when I manage to get out so I am not going to complain about my playing as it is sitting right where my handicap says it should be. I know that being able to spend some more time on my game would quite possibly get me to my 2 goals that I have set myself of breaking 80 again and getting my handicap to single figures, but due to the amount of time I can devote to practice at the moment, I have removed any timescales by which I hope to achieve either of these goals

So I would say that at this moment in time I have probably hit my ceiling due to my personal circumstances, but if they change and give me more spare time then I can possibly re-evaluate my goals and how I would like to reach them

Regardless of time / money / ability my reason for playing golf has always been the enjoyment of being out on the course with friends away from the stresses of daily life, and there would have to be a significant incentive to take on the stress of trying to reach a particular level and possibly losing the fun of playing just to say I am a scratch golfer. That is in no way a pop at anyone who has reached that level, but having commited the time and energy to compete at a national level in another sport when I was younger, I know what it can take and I do not want to sacrifice the enjoyment of life now to do it again for golf
 
Goal last year was to get to 14. Hit that in September and actually ended just under. Goal this year is to get to a solid 12. Am tracking that way especially since I generally play my best golf in the fall. Long-term goal is single digit but honestly feel anything under an 8 is likely unrealistic given work commitments and time demands. I have also made a point this year to try and get a handicap that travels better away from the home course. Didn't get off to a good start this year in that respect but over the last 6-weeks I have been shooting very similar scores in outings away from the home course. Mostly because I got the driver swing under better control.

For the older guys out there. How much improvement were you able to make once you retired? I should be able to make that leap in the next 10-12 years but wonder how much the physical limitations that come from getting older impact ones ability to improve.
 
I think if I worked a little harder and carved out some more time I could get back down in the single digits. Beyond that I would need to move somewhere warmer. Having some THP events to focus on as helped keep me in the right frame of mind, trying to get better each day.
 
Like many others have said, I feel a "index goal" is/can be limited by three factors, ability, accessibility and desire.

One may have the desire to get to a certain number from where they are now.

1) Ability may be the widest range of limitations there. Someone like me who's age is catching up and limiting me physically from playing and practicing as much as I could have in the past, may be more limited than someone in his or her 20's and 30's who doesn't have any physical limitations.

2) Accessibility, the amount of time constraints due to work and family one has to practice and play as needed to get to the number you have set as a goal. The financial means to play and practice as well may limit some.

3) Desire, probably the biggest help in overcoming the first two or the largest obstacle to not overcoming the first two. If you desire or want something bad enough, you will find a way to work around your ability limitations and your time constraints.

If you don't want to work at it that hard or make the sacrifices, that's just fine. Then you need to realize you are probably at the best level you may reach, but if that's enough to enjoy the game and the people you play with, then you have reached a goal that many with more talent may have trouble reaching.
 
Great question here Dan.

Yes, my handicap goals are limited based on: existing talent & lack of time

I'm fairly content playing to a 10 handicap. I would really like to be a 6 or 7 and do believe I can get there.....but I will likely never get below 5 just due to that being an entire other level than a 7 and I just don't see myself putting in the effort to get there.
 
Cool thread Dan and congrats on your recent accomplishment.

For me I am chasing a number and have been since I started keeping a handicap which was 2 years ago, I started out as a 24. I have worked hard to get to where I am right now. I started this journey with a goal of 15 in mind and really wanted it to travel, no matter the course be able to shoot mid 80s. Since I am closer now then I have ever been. Do I have ceiling? I believe I do because I never practice and really should get some more lessons etc. I could go on and on but with developments in my life( I am beginning a family) my priorities are shifting. My number will probably be different this time next year......... haha

I love this game and will be playing for the rest of my life. I have almost accomplished what I set out to achieve and am going to enjoy it when I do. Part of me will always seek to get the number lower and I think a lot of us here feel that way even though it might be beyond our skill set.
 
Dan I am satisfied that I have met my handicap potential over the years and now I'm playing for the fun aspect of golf. I'm pretty sure my tournament days are behind me. Sometimes you have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. It's all a fun these days for me. When I stop having fun, I'll move on to something else.
 
Dan, it is a huge accomplishment to your achievements thus far. I also understand your stance on playing competitive golf in local events. Have you ever thought about participating in any USGA events?

As for me I would like to eventually get my cap under 5. I know the time and effort that will demand, and I struggle with that and missing out on the fun family activities with my wife and kids. Hence the 6am practice sessions. As my daughter begins to get older I see my time on the course increasing as she absolutely loves the game.
 
Right now I am dropping alot with minimal guidance and I am okay with that. I get a lesson every couple months. I would love to get as an ultimate goal into the single digits and have that handicap travel well. To get past that would require IMO more time than I have working on really fine tuning my putting and working ball striking of off of uneven lies (gets me a lot).
 
I know for me that my ceiling is limited given the amount of time and money I am able (or willing) to put into the game at this point. I'm not necessarily at that ceiling quite yet, but I can be quite content breaking 90 regularly. THP events are the only "competitive" events I am interested in playing, and given the choice of playing a variety of courses where my travel expenses are higher or playing more often, I'm ok with playing less frequently. May be a weird stance for some, but given the time demands, there are other family things that just take precedence for me right now. Now, when my kids grow up some, if they want to play more frequently, that could change my attitude, but while it has been fun to follow my handicap number for the first time this year, I don't plan on chasing it anywhere.
 
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I really have enjoyed your responses guys, thank you.

There are a lot of incredible people on THP, selflessly (or possibly selfishly haha) giving their time to their families first. I expected nothing less, but it's worth offering this small bit of credit. Kudos.
 
I wouldn't say they're limited...I think anyone can continue to improve. Are there some very big plateaus that require major changes to get past? Absolutely. Like you said, Dan, there's room to get to +2 or +3, but you're talking about a swing coach, possibly a short game coach, more and more time spent in the gym...golf goes from a very serious hobby to literally the only thing you do. It's not that you couldn't improve otherwise, but those are, to my mind, the sorts of things that are necessary for more than glacial improvement once you reach scratch or better.

I think it's up to each person to decide at which point the juice becomes worth the squeeze. When I'm down here in Arizona, playing the courses down here, I'd say a 7 or 8 handicap, playing to his index, could just about join any other three players and beat them on gross score. Next place I live it might be different. So I look at sub-10 as where I'd be happy to see my handicap. I'm happily self-limiting to hone my game and continue to really work to improve until I get single digits. That would just about guarantee a slot on any Army battalion or brigade's golf team, so that's alright with me. At the same time I wouldn't say I'm chasing it. I'm getting there while acknowledging golf is a hobby for me.
 
Man, I've thought about this question for years.

Yea, I think there's a ceiling for most of us, whether it's just innate ability, time constraints, money, or whatever. If work and lessons alone made you a good player, I'd think I'd be a very good player by now. In other words, I think there's more than just dedication involved.

Not that I've resigned myself to a certain number or anything. I just don't have the feeling that I'll be out there shooting par and that's ok. I can enjoy the rounds where more good than bad happens. I don't really know what my motivation is, but it's there and I don't really give up.
 
Heck, for anyone who's seen my swing, it's probably a miracle that I'm somehow below 10 as it is. Best not to get greedy haha.
 
I was in that chase a number mindset for a while, and honestly, it made the game less enjoyable for me. So, I don't chase it now, I still work, I still take lessons, I still try to improve, but in the end I judge golf by the joy its bringing me (and the release it gives me) moreso than the number on my index.
 
I think I got caught up in the chasing of the handicap this year, and it's been counterproductive for me. In the end, the better path for me I think will be to focus on the good swing, the good contact, and the good assessment of the upcoming shot. If I can do that, the scores will lower and so will my handicap. If I can eliminate myself as the source of bad scores (as much as possible) then that is all I can do.

I am also still very "young" interns of time as a serious golfer. I am still learning the limits of my game and learning to play within them. I remember Panda talking about how he has developed 3 shots for each club, basically giving him 27 shots to use. I have a full swing and a low punch for each club in my bag, but 4 of my clubs are tee-only for a full swing. I am working on half and quarter shots with my wedges, but the comfort level is not there yet like it is with the full swing. When I put myself in position to go with one of my comfort shots, my score gets lower. Lately I have been leaving myself in spots that don't work for those shots too often to score well. My one-putt percentage is awful as well, so I am not able to bail myself out on the greens too often. I like what I have read in Unconscious Putting so far, but there is a lot of practice there to be done.

I am hamstrung a little in that I do not have difficult courses around me, so it's my understanding that my score has less room for error, less forgiveness, when it comes to handicaps than somebody playing on a much tougher track.

Here is what I believe: I know I have it in me to get my scores much lower. Hand-eye coordination is something I have always been blessed with. And I like to practice. My game is better overall than it was even a month ago, and if I keep removing myself as the problem, the scores will lower. What that translates to as a handicap is out of my control.
 
It's been said several times through this thread already; there is most definitely a peak for us all to reach that is defined by a convergence of time, money, talent, desire, health.

I'm in my mid-40's so am older than quite a few on here. My average cap through my 30's was probably 14. Had a few years at 16, and a few at 12. I only reached single digits for the first time in June of 2012. For a long time that was my main goal, just to get to single digits. Inside my head I've always had a desire to get to a range of 4-7 as that was where my dad's index was but didn't really think it was possible. I hit the 7's very briefly last year (only 3 revision periods) with 7.3 being the low. I've just reached 5.0 for the first time with the August 15th revision.

Am I at my peak? I don't know. It's exciting for me to think that there may be lower goals to set. Its also scary thinking that this just may be a fluky time where everything has come together and it might be very fleeting. I might be back to 9 very quickly. I'm very interested to see where this goes!
 
Really good thread Dan! I sit somewhere between about a 9-12 depending how much short game work I can sneak in. I know I could improve quite a bit if I dedicated some time and resources to an improvement goal. I also know that in golf, satisfaction is fleeting, and not usually reached at the end of a round. No matter what number I post there are always a few that got away. What I try to remember is that I likely got a few good breaks along the way as well and that the "rub of the green" stuff usually balances out in the end.

It is hard because I really do want to get better, I love golf, I love putting in the work and then executing on course. My wife is a saint for putting up with golf as much as she already does. I play pretty much once a week, every other week when things get busy during the summer. If I were to add in range time two nights a week, that wouldn't be fair to my wife, and would put some stress her and us. With three children under the age of 6 getting better at golf just has to take a back seat at this point in my life.

Dan, we are very different golfers, you are good at golf...I am well...not so good, but I differently understand where you are coming from with this thread!

Currently my goals are to improve the areas of my game that don't require hours on the practice grounds. Making good choices on the golf course, managing the bad shots turning the poor ball striking days into average scores. I have realistic expectations based on the amount of work I am able to put in, I really enjoy every opportunity to get on the course.
 
Do I think I can still improve? Yes. Is there a level where I know I'll never get better than that? I think so.

In the past year, I got super serious about my game and handicap, even paying close to 1k in lessons. The lessons were HUGE to my improvement and my HDCP dropped from a 12 to a 7 in the matter of a few months. I was playing at least 3 or 4 times a month and always trying to get better. I will say that I burned myself out a little and took a couple of weeks off. It showed me how much drive the pros must have to be as good as they are.

So while I know there's still room to improve, I know that there is a limit to as good as I want to be. I never see myself spending time at the range everyday and hiring a swing coach and stuff like that, so while the improvement is fun, I know that I still need to focus on fun. Even my worst days on the course, I still have a good time.
 
I know there's a number where I'm limited, at least with the time I'm able to commit to the game right now (1-2 practice sessions and a round a week, with semi-regular lessons [I've had 5 so far this year]), but I couldn't tell you exactly what that number is. I've had clean iron rounds and shot in the high 70's before, and could have putted better even on those days. I don't have a ton of distance on my side either, and I don't see myself doing golf-specific training to increase that. So I'm gonna say that with enough time at practice at my current rate, I can probably get to around 6 or 7. Anything beyond that is quite frankly more than I could ever expect to accomplish, and would just be icing on the cake.
 
I started 2 years ago with a goal of consistently shooting in the mid 80's. I'd been a 90's player for a long time. About a year passed and after a significant amount of work on the range I got what I was looking for. I am consistenly in the low - mid 80's. Being the ultra competitive person I am, my goals changed during that time. I saw alot of improvement in a rather short amount of time and immediately said, mid 80's isn't good enough. I want to be consistently in the 70's now. This year has been very very frustrating for me. I made an equipment change at the end of last year that just simply didn't work out. I've recently been fitted and had a custom set of irons built to my specs and we're now tweaking some of the other clubs. I've worked a good bit on my short game and have alot more confidence chipping and pitching, but I've neglected putting and it shows. My ball striking is pretty good most of the time. My trouble areas are off the tee and putting. This winter I am going to dedicate the majority of my practice time to those two areas with the major focus being on putting. I would love to have more time to put into this game, but in the end it just isn't worth the loss of time with my family. As my son gets older and if he decides he likes golf and wants to play then I may have more time to dedicate to it with him. Sure most of us are competitive in that we always want to strive to get better but you just gotta weigh the plusses and minuses to the time required.
 
During college I worked at a golf course and therefore I played and practiced a ton. My handicap hovered right around scratch (as low as +1 to highs around 2). This year I've been playing some good golf, I've only shot in the 80's once this year and it was right towards the beginning of the year after 5 months of not playing. So my handicap according to OOB is I believe a 3.8 or something, which is right around where I should be. I think in order for me to get that lower, I'll need to commit more time to practicing, which right now there is just too much going on with my life to do that.
 
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