We've launched the new forums! Read more here

To scratch in a year!

married w/ 2 kids = nope...unless you are very wealthy, you can hire a nanny or 2 & your wife plays golf as well
 
I believe just getting to single digits would be a major accomplishment from where you currently stand and with your family and work obligations. I certainly wish you luck in your endeavor to reach whatever goal you set for yourself.
 
I say you shoot for scratch as a goal and see just how low you can go, if you get there then man you did it! if you get half way there then at least you got farther in the game than most will ever see and that in itself deserves a hell yes of infinite proportions. In the end the only voice that matters is the one inside you that says yes you can do it or no you can't, never it let it say you can't do anything.
 
Not saying it couldn't be done, but it would definitely be tough to do. Heck, I've been at this over 20 years and I can't seem to make it to scratch lol
 
I went from 12 to close to a 2 this season. Only took 5-7 rounds a week, about 10 hours of practice and about 1 hour of putting every day. Good luck to you, very possible yet very very hard and unlikely.
 
fupresti said:
The effort to drop a stroke from your handicap gets infinitely harder as you get closer to 0. I dropped from a 15 to a 5 in less then a year and I have been hovering at a mid-3 for 18 months.
Click to expand...

That's impressive, congrats! I'm a 15 now and would love to be a 10, how did you drop so fast?

cbaker2882 said:
If you're extremely hand eye coordinated and have a very good understand of your body physically, you're going to be able to improve at a much much faster rate than someone who isn't very coordinated to start with. Is it possible to reach scratch in a year with where you are starting? Probably not. But depending on how high your physical awareness is and how much hand eye coordination you have, you could improve a good amount.
Click to expand...

My new swing coach said, then demonstrated that you can consistently and successfully hit a golf ball with you eyes closed with a fundamentally sound swing. He then did it left handed (opposite his normal stroke) which blew my mind. I can't quite explain it all but it made sense as he was going through it with me.
 
Yes it is possible for a person to go from beginner to scratch in a year. I watched one of our best golfers go from a complete newbie to scratch in just under a full year. He practices at least 2 hours a day no matter what. Dosent matter if its raining, snowing, windy or scorching hot. He is there every day. I have seen him practice for 10-11 hrs in a day on multiple occasions.
 
AG47 said:
Yes it is possible for a person to go from beginner to scratch in a year. I watched one of our best golfers go from a complete newbie to scratch in just under a full year. He practices at least 2 hours a day no matter what. Dosent matter if its raining, snowing, windy or scorching hot. He is there every day. I have seen him practice for 10-11 hrs in a day on multiple occasions.
Click to expand...

There are exception to every rule. The norm for someone with out two hours a day is that they won't become scratch.
 
Hi Guys. I agree with all your viewpoints mentioned. I dont think it can be done. I think I will be very lucky to get it into single figures in one year.

Ive created a Facebook page to keep track of my progress. Please visit, like and share the page at www.facebook.com/chasingscratch. There you'll see when I practice, what courses I play, what equipment I use and how I progress.

I will give this an honest to see how I improve. Lets see how it goes!

My first step will be to get a new set which will happen in the next few weeks. I will keep you posted.

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
 
short game/putting work will make a huge difference in getting to lower scores. Its one of the things that helped me this year drop 5.5 pts on my index.
 
I think that it is very doable to go from a 12 to a 5 handicap in a year but IMO it is much harder to shave strokes of an index once you get down to in the 3-5 range. Going from a 10 to a 4 is much easier than going from a 4 to a 1. I also think many don't possess the God given talent, wether it's physical or mental, to be a scratch golfer. I've seen a lot of guys work extremely hard at this game and never get past being a low single digit player.

The time normally required is also a big barrier. I practiced 30+ hours a week plus played 6 or more days each week all through my teens and early 20's.
 
The dedication you need is probably more than you can spare given the family, but you can certainly give it a shot.

Sent from my ONE A2005 using Tapatalk
 
PrinceVlad said:
Hi Guys. I agree with all your viewpoints mentioned. I dont think it can be done. I think I will be very lucky to get it into single figures in one year.

Ive created a Facebook page to keep track of my progress. Please visit, like and share the page at www.facebook.com/chasingscratch. There you'll see when I practice, what courses I play, what equipment I use and how I progress.

I will give this an honest to see how I improve. Lets see how it goes!

My first step will be to get a new set which will happen in the next few weeks. I will keep you posted.
Click to expand...

A lot of THP members like to share their journey to improvement with everyone by starting a thread here on THP. It serves as a great support group and you'll probably see a lot more activity on THP rather than another outlet. We've also got a few threads like "breaking 80" that might suit your conversation as well!

I wish you the best of luck in pursuit of single digits!! As someone who has worked tirelessly on their game, I hope reaching milestones brings you as much joy as I have enjoyed.
 
PrinceVlad said:
I know its been discussed at length before all over the internet.....can you become a scratch player in a year.

I attended the first round of tge Nedbank Golf Challenge yesterday and it became clear to me. The two things (in my mind) which separate the pros from an amateur is consistency and the short game. They can just play good shot after good shot and repeat it over and over.

That consistency comes with lots of time, practise and effort.

So the question is....can you become a scratch golfer in a year...not a pro....just a scratch golfer. I dont believe you can, but so many have ask the same question....can I become a scratch golfer in a year and the answer has always been a resounding no.

So I decided instead of asking the same question and getting the same answer, I'll turn the question around....what handicap can I reach in a year. That will hopefully answer the question of so many.

Just a bit of background. I am 36, married, two children and self employed. I played off a 12 about 10 years ago and quit. Played 2 rounds recently for the first time again and shot a 88 and a 90. I also dont have an official handicap as yet.

So against that backdrop and under that circumstances I'll put as much time as I can into the game (juggle it with family life, employment and life in general) and see what handicap I am at the same time next year. Maybe I'll even blog about it in order to answer so many guys' burning question.

Let the game begin......

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

No. Shooting an 88 and a 90 show you may be reasonably athletic. However, being married, two children and self-employed indicate that you are not independently wealthy. To get to scratch in a year you would need to hit 500 to 1000 balls a day at the driving range and afford quality instruction. In addition, you would have to get in at least two rounds of golf a week. That is not in the cards. Plus you are 36.

The skills you will need to be scratch:

* drive the ball about 260 - 270 yds. and hit >55% fairways. Those you miss you cannot miss by more than 5 to 10 yds. Drives are #1 separation value. The longer you hit your drive, the easier your approach shot. This will give you about a 103 mph SS or that of a teaching pro. Most teaching pros are + to +3 HC in reality.

* Approach shots. Mid-game. The longer you hit your drives, the more accurate club you can select for your approach shots. You might be able to select a PW for 135 yds whereas someone else might be hitting an 8 iron. You need to hit these shots consistently within 5 club lengths of target.

* Short game - under 100 yds. 4 hours of practice in a bunker will get you decent here. Then there's chipping and pitching. This game has to be dead accurate, but it isn't that difficult because you're closer to the hole. Nerves cause it to be difficult. Chipping is easy if you just remember to follow through and not decelerate. The same with pitching. Find one club you're comfortable with and use it.

* Putting. This is probably the easiest skill you have to learn, believe it or not. Just learn how to be accurate within 6 feet and lag putt everything else. That will get you to 5 HC. Getting to scratch you'll have to learn to putt 8 footers.

My pro told me to divide my practice 65% full swing; 20% short game; 15% putting. Putting is the easiest skill to learn. You're closest to the hole. Your short game is to bail you out when your mid-game fails you. These are your pitches, bunker shots, and chips used to save a hole.

The problem with most amateur's scrambling percentages being so poor isn't a result of a poor short game, it's the result of a poor mid-game or poor long game. By the time they're using their short game they're scrambling for bogey, not par, and when they do that, it doesn't count as scrambling.

In short you may get to a 10 HC, and it will take a while. You'll need to join a men's club, or play with a one or more people each round to get an official handicap because you'll need to play with a group to record your scores. Solo rounds don't count. But remember, a 10 HC is a decent golfer. You'll have a lot of fun. It'll still take some work to get there.

Good luck.
 
Best wishes!!! It is definitely possible...

Look forward to hearing about the journey....
 
cool idea with the facebook page, I have thought about doing something similar with my golf game. Wish you the best of luck with your journey to scratch!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top