What does it take to arrive?
What does it take to maintain?
Does tee box or Course length come into consideration?
What does it take to maintain?
Does tee box or Course length come into consideration?
Single Digit Handicap
Short game short game short game. Once you can confidently get up and down 90% of the time your HC will drop A LOT. At least for me it did.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, if you don't have a good short game it will be hard to get there. Putting I think is also a go to for lowering and keeping it low, you have to be able to make those short putts after missing the green and chipping close.
You don't have to hit every fairway, but you need to be able to make good recovery shots if you miss.
Does distance make a difference, yes it does IMO. My driver average is around 235-245 I keep my course length to 6200 yards and under. I am also older so that makes a difference.
You don't have to hit every fairway, but you need to be able to make good recovery shots if you miss.
Does distance make a difference, yes it does IMO. My driver average is around 235-245 I keep my course length to 6200 yards and under. I am also older so that makes a difference.
Luchnia
You will never conquer golf.
Somewhere between 125000 - 250000 purpose driven ball strikes a year - maybe even more.What does it take to arrive?
What does it take to maintain?
Does tee box or Course length come into consideration?
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2014
- Messages
- 14,791
- Reaction score
- 8,575
- Location
- Webster Groves, MO
- Handicap
- 8.1 GHIN
Short game as others have said. My GIR sucks but I’m a very good wedge player and better than average putter - 3 putts are rare. If I miss the green, I’m getting up and down more often than not and when I hit the green I’m am going to birdie that hole or 2 putt almost every time. It doesn’t matter whether I’m playing from 7,300 yards or 5,900. My short game is what saves me.
Now for sake of handicap, an 85 looks a lot more impressive on a 7300 yard course than a 5900 yard course and the Slope may actually make that +13 gross into a net par. At the same time, a +13 on a 5,900 yard course will usually shoot my handicap way up.
Now for sake of handicap, an 85 looks a lot more impressive on a 7300 yard course than a 5900 yard course and the Slope may actually make that +13 gross into a net par. At the same time, a +13 on a 5,900 yard course will usually shoot my handicap way up.
I am about a 12 hc now. My lowest was 10.something. My goal is to get into single digits this season. If I get there, it will be based on the work I have put into my short game, no doubt. But I will also need to make better on course decisions. Nipping a couple of strokes in a round can sometimes come down to a couple of shots where I play with a little more strategic purpose. I love to work on my swing and ball striking, and yes that will help, but not nearly as much as I hope. I move the ball well enough if I don't get stupid and go for crazy shots. And then when I have a wedge or putter in my hands, the real game begins. At least that's how I plan to approach this season.
Course management is another key. You have to know when to go for pins and when to not. You also have to know when to leave the driver in the bag and tee something you know for sure you can hit the fairway with.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2012
- Messages
- 54,274
- Reaction score
- 19,713
- Location
- South Georgia
- Handicap
- Cold Temps
Short game and course management are the things that got me there and keep me there. If I had to rely on ball striking and putting from 6 feet or more for scoring, my handicap would probably be double what it is now.
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2015
- Messages
- 24,445
- Reaction score
- 13,062
- Location
- Southeast, South Dakota
- Handicap
- 7.6
Two things really helped me get to single digit:
1. I learned how to keep the ball in play and out of hazards. That was the biggest one because I used to spray the ball all over and cost myself a ton of strokes.
2. Short game. I became quite good with a wedge so I could save myself when I missed greens, which I still do way too often.
I'm constantly trying to work on the rest of my game but those two are how I got to where I am.
1. I learned how to keep the ball in play and out of hazards. That was the biggest one because I used to spray the ball all over and cost myself a ton of strokes.
2. Short game. I became quite good with a wedge so I could save myself when I missed greens, which I still do way too often.
I'm constantly trying to work on the rest of my game but those two are how I got to where I am.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2014
- Messages
- 14,791
- Reaction score
- 8,575
- Location
- Webster Groves, MO
- Handicap
- 8.1 GHIN
Matthew
Well-known member
Mine handicap went down when my short game improved. It's taken a fair amount of work to keep it there.
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2015
- Messages
- 24,445
- Reaction score
- 13,062
- Location
- Southeast, South Dakota
- Handicap
- 7.6
2/short game is an easy answer, practiced the heck out of it. I would spend a lot of time in my back yard hitting to targets and trying different flights to do it. These days I try getting to the short game practice area at least once every other week.
Driver is a little tougher. Finding the right driver that fit me well was helpful. Finally not swinging out of my shoes and just working on a controlled driver swing was the other. It's still somethingI struggle with occasionally but it's way better.
Luchnia
You will never conquer golf.
Ok, that is basically what I do. I have a 100 yard pitching area at my house divided with small flags every 10 yards, plus I pound a chipping net as well. I think that has greatly affected my short game. I hit the putting greens hard and have a putting area in my shop. I also practice my drives in my shop with a net and swing caddie and do some range attendance when possible. When weather is nice I am on the course more because I think practicing and playing (with purpose) have the greatest benefit.
I’ve got nothing to add since I’m no single HC but I want to follow.
I with most of the guys who already commented, especially @Architex . My largest hdcp improvement was pretty directly related to a sizable increase in my scrambling percentage. It was shortly after I was injured and could do nothing but pitch and putt for a couple months. Lots of pracice. It started to wane a little at the end of the season again though, because I didn't have practice time, and honestly, if you're hitting a lot of greens, you don't get a lot of work in on the course. When it's good though, to me its value is more in being able to and confident that you can minimize any mistake with your wedge and putter. Saves strokes obviously, but also frees you to be more aggressive on approach too.
And yes, tee box and course length can have a large effect too. I play 6400 and 7000+ pretty closely in terms of score related to par. The hdcp differentials are quite different though.
And yes, tee box and course length can have a large effect too. I play 6400 and 7000+ pretty closely in terms of score related to par. The hdcp differentials are quite different though.
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2010
- Messages
- 19,618
- Reaction score
- 4,085
- Location
- Liberty Lake, Washington
- Handicap
- GHIN 7.1
I agree completely. My scrambling and putting is the strongest parts of my game. If I could improve my GIR and proximity to the pin, I would be downright dangerous.
I knits of knew I need to spend a lot more time practicing chipping.
That seems like a ton of balls. I don't think I'm any where close to that. I figure I play around 100-125 rounds per year. 125 x 80 =10,000. I usually hit around 30 balls to warm up which is around another 3,750. Round that up to 5,000 to figure in a few range sessions and I'm around 15,000 per year including chips and putts.
I think 125,000-250,000 would be tour pro numbers.
SunnyWalker
Well-known member
If you shooting for single digit 8-9ish thats not as tough as the low singles.
Hit it in play, hit it on or around the green and make par or better more often than you make bogey.
Obviously the better you chip/pitch and putt, the easier it is to make up for ball striking mistakes.
You kind of have to be able to do everything reasonably well, but not necessarily great, to be a single digit player.
Playing the blue tees instead of the whites, would probably add 3ish shots to my handicap.
An old pro told me, to break 80 have a club in your hand everyday.
I think it was Snead who said something like "Driver, wedge and putter are the most important clubs in your bag. work on them the most."
Hit it in play, hit it on or around the green and make par or better more often than you make bogey.
Obviously the better you chip/pitch and putt, the easier it is to make up for ball striking mistakes.
You kind of have to be able to do everything reasonably well, but not necessarily great, to be a single digit player.
Playing the blue tees instead of the whites, would probably add 3ish shots to my handicap.
An old pro told me, to break 80 have a club in your hand everyday.
I think it was Snead who said something like "Driver, wedge and putter are the most important clubs in your bag. work on them the most."
Sounds so logical and simple but not easy.
This is WAAAAAAY over the top. I got down to a low single digit playing once per week and practicing once per week. I MAYBE hit 15000-20000 shots per year.
Luchnia
You will never conquer golf.
You are probably right. Really my point was a lot of purpose driven practice hitting a lot of balls. I am a high capper so for me I simply have not played enough to even really find a groove. Even the roughly 35-40 rounds I have played this year has shown improvement. Not always by leaps and bounds, but gradual which is probably better anyway.
I, like many others, probably think we should be improving at a much faster pace because it is hard for us wannabes to be patient and putting in the time required. As an older golfer who really only starting playing in 2019 (had a few lessons around 4 yrs ago, but never played much at all), I am certainly lacking patience because I have a level I would like to play at. I kind of set high expectations on myself.
I have a friend that became quite a good golfer, but he played in high school and even got a college scholarship to play golf. He never really made a career out of it though as life changes sent him down another path. He did keep playing golf though up until a few years ago. I don't remember all the details, but the thing is he told me of all the time he had to put in to become the player he was.