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Trying to Become a Mid-handicapper Club

Nuevo_eph

Nuevo_eph

Member
Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
698
Reaction score
2
Location
New Mexico
Handicap
17.9
At the risk of running slightly parallel to the "Trying to Break 90 Club" I'd like to start a new club around the goal of becoming a mid-handicapper. Becoming one is my current goal as I've whittled my handicap down each period and am sitting on the cusp of dropping below 20 - my goal at the start of this year. Now I'm focused on breaking 18.

Unfortunately, the term itself is up for debate, so I'll leave it open to whatever the "members" decide for their goals. As I said for me it is now 18, since that represents bogey golf.

Some threads with thoughts on the definition, with many different opinions:

http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?15420-Low-Mid-High-Handicap-what-are-they

http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?19685-Low-Mid-and-High-Handicaps

I hope some others are interested in this and can add in with their thoughts and progress. Wish me luck on mine since this is going to be tough!
 
Good luck in your quest, Nuevo!

Hard to say what is a mid HCP, but I think 18 sounds right for the upper end.
 
Great to set goals. Good luck in your quest! Keep us posted on your progress.
 
Good luck on your goal Nuevo. Keep us up to date with whats happening
 
Then I guess I'd like to become a Mid-Low handi? Or a Low-Mid?

I'm at about a 16 right now and would like to get to around 12 by end of the year.
 
mbole said:
Then I guess I'd like to become a Mid-Low handi? Or a Low-Mid?

I'm at about a 16 right now and would like to get to around 12 by end of the year.
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That's an impressive goal. I recognize that hurdle after seeing how easy it was to go from say 26 to 22 (4 strokes off) compared to a 22 to 20. You can only find so much low-hanging fruit, I think.
 
I started out the year around an 18, goal was to get to a 14, I got to a 16 but am now trending upwards. Still hoping there is time left this year to get down to a 14
 
My goal at the start of the year was to get to a sub 15 HC from a 21. I am currently a 15.5 according to OOB. I'm hoping this becomes a reality very soon!
 
jefrazie said:
My goal at the start of the year was to get to a sub 15 HC from a 21. I am currently a 15.5 according to OOB. I'm hoping this becomes a reality very soon!
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Nice job! How does that relate to your course handicap if you have a particular course you always play?

One of the reason I started this vs. a breaking 90 club is that your handicap can be applied to any course versus trying to break 90 on a hard or easy course. At my course, getting to an 18 HC would still mean I got 20 strokes from my usual tees.
 
Really have no idea where mid cappers end and high cappers start. I'm around a 10 and consider myself a mid capper. I am happy here. To get lower would require a heck of a lot more time than I have.

Putting, Nuevo! Let Mr. Beasley show you the way!
 
Nuevo_eph said:
Nice job! How does that relate to your course handicap if you have a particular course you always play?

One of the reason I started this vs. a breaking 90 club is that your handicap can be applied to any course versus trying to break 90 on a hard or easy course. At my course, getting to an 18 HC would still mean I got 20 strokes from my usual tees.
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The normal course I play, I play from the back tee's and regularly shoot between 86-90. So that would be 14-18 strokes.
 
Nuevo_eph said:
That's an impressive goal. I recognize that hurdle after seeing how easy it was to go from say 26 to 22 (4 strokes off) compared to a 22 to 20. You can only find so much low-hanging fruit, I think.
Click to expand...

Yeah, youre probably right. A better goal might be to get to a 14.
After meeting with my instructor right now, I he thinks I should shoot in low 80s with the occasional break through to the 70s. Of course, he hasn't seen how bad my short game can be.
 
Nuevo - I'm just about with you there. I've lowered my index from 23-ish to 20.3 from the Spring to now. After some adjustment to new clubs and mental tweaks, I think I'm right on the verge of a breakthrough. I was plateaued around 22 for a while. Recently, I've notched some good (for me) scores. I shot an 88 at a course that previously vexed me, and then a 93 at another tough course last weekend. If I keep the next few rounds moving in the same direction, I think some older bad scores will drop off and I'll be in the teens. (fingers crossed) I'll be pulling for you, from one 20-index to another! Keep at it, and keep having fun! I know I am!

-C
 
Right back at you, SD Charlie. Good luck.

My biggest improvement of late has been my putting (Griff!) since I made sure to be a little more agreesive on my follow-through and not leave so much short. I've also used driver less to decrease my time in the rough.

My next step will be to bring the driver back into play (well, not just for the hell of it) and work more on my pitching/chipping. If putting and irons hold steady, this should give me another 5 strokes off my HC. I've really let the pitching/chipping practice go by the wayside after my wife got sick of me spending too much freetime in the backyard :D
 
Nuevo_eph said:
Right back at you, SD Charlie. Good luck.

My biggest improvement of late has been my putting (Griff!) since I made sure to be a little more agreesive on my follow-through and not leave so much short. I've also used driver less to decrease my time in the rough.

My next step will be to bring the driver back into play (well, not just for the hell of it) and work more on my pitching/chipping. If putting and irons hold steady, this should give me another 5 strokes off my HC. I've really let the pitching/chipping practice go by the wayside after my wife got sick of me spending too much freetime in the backyard :D
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:wink:

Sounds like you are on the right path. Put golf shoes on and explain that proper aeration of your lawn will ensure a beautiful and lush backyard. Time spend back there dethatching (swinging club) and walking back and forth (aeration) is key.
 
Whoah, did I ever get to eat slice of humble pie yesterday. I played up (shorter) a set of tees but I really have to blame my swing for shooting my worst round in over a year.

That said, I'd like to look on the bright side: In addition to giving me an excuse to drink a half a bottle of wine, it also renewed my focus on practicing. Off to the range for lunch.
 
Ah yes - the ole step back. I get those here and there. It's especially frustrating when it's a course where you should shoot well, at least according to the rating / slope. Like you, a bad round usually does point me toward areas that need to be practiced more!
 
How's everyone doing? I'm trying to reset my expectations and get my groove back so I took a lesson and skipped a tourney over the weekend. I'm curious to see how much my HC rises in a day after my two horrifically crappy rounds and 1 so-so one, but I am really trying to focus on some "re"-improvement in time for a best ball tournament in early October.

FWIW, the pro said I am moving off my CoG (aka moving my head and then body) and turning too far (a la Daly). The first issue is a new one for me to work with so I'm giving it some attention.

The recent scores I mentioned are a 110 & 112 (a lot of pissy attitude with picking up the ball and getting the ESC max score on holes where I lost my ball) and a 96 that was doing much better until I 3-putted for bogey on a par three and then went "exploring" the rough and sand on the last hole. The 96 was such an improvement over the previous rounds, though, that I found some solace in it along with the fact that I had zero penalty strokes. I still can't believe those 110+ rounds but I'm moving on.

Eph (rhymes with chief)
 
Well, here's a little update: Work got real, as they say, when a second project was dumped onto me end of August. Since I now have zero freetime I had to back out of a big tournament I was looking forward to. My handicap also looked to be stuck at 20.0 since I didn't have time to play or practice anymore. That got me down as I was so close to breaking 20 and reaching my year's goal.

The only reason I'm giving an update is because I went out and played a round completely cold this past Friday with my wife and my visiting mother-in-law. Thanks to a really lucky bounce of an OB tree on the 18th hole I stayed in bounds and carded a 92 which should almost certainly drop my handicap below 20. Woohoo! What a great way to cap an early-ending season for me. I think the rest of the year will be spent putting with my belly putter that I hope to pick up soon.
 
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