Chipping Away at the Handicap - What have you observed?

[JDMAC]

I was wondering if the better players and all of the fine teachers here would share their experiences with improvement?

Players:
What would you say you lacked or what did you improve upon and what were the major differences between you as a 10 HCP, 5 HCP, Scratch, +HCP?

If you are not a + HCP (as few are), where did you stall? Can you identify why you stalled?

Teachers:
What do each of these players (10,5,0,+) do well?
What do they typically lack?
Can you identify why they typically stall?

 

[fronesis]

I'm stalled between 1-5. What I think I lack is the time to play more golf and work harder on my game.

 

[JDMAC]

I'm stalled between 1-5. What I think I lack is the time to play more golf and work harder on my game.

What do you see as the difference between you playing as a low capper and a plus golfer? Is it the consistency of ball-striking or short game play, something else that would come from the more practice time? What do you see as the difference between your game and that of a +3 e.g.?

 

[Matt 4-L]

I'm also stuck in the 1-5 group. I would say putting is the number one problem, I almost never have less than 30 putts, secondly my short pitches around the green, I don't get up and down at a high enough rate which also reflects the higher putts taken. Thirdly, my wedge game is not tight enough, when I am within 100 yards I don't knock the flag down enough.

I am not sure if it is lack of playing time or if it is lack of talent.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

GIR / Short Game / Putting with a splash of course management.

If you can hit greens and hit putts you should keep the score low and if you miss greens and/or a lot of fairways wedge/short game should bail you out a decent amount of times. Also, start thinking from green to tee meaning:

Where is the flag today?
Where do i need to leave this ball (on the green) to have a shot at par or better? (or bogey or better or whatever your skill level)
Where can i NOT leave this ball if i miss this green?
What angle from the fairway gives you the best chance of getting it to the right area of the green?
What club do i hit from the tee to get to that spot in the fairway?

It's a lot to think about but it really works if you take the effort to really think out your strategy.

Case in point:

Had a playing lesson this weekend, long time student multiple times playing. Scored one of his best rounds ever yesterday at his course; for him he hit more fairways which allowed for him to hit more greens which is very important at his course because he has some of the toughest greens i've ever played on. His short game & putting was much better than average and he scored 77 with a double on 18. Normally he is in low 80s.

 

[Lindsey Newman]

I agree with Jim. Course management, putting and pitching are where I improved when I went from about 2 to a +1. Experience in judging short game lies around the green is another thing. Practicing technique is worthless if you cannot assess the lie correctly.

About 2 years ago I started really practicing my short game differently and it has paid off. Rather than hitting the same shot over and over, I started grabbing my 60 degree and pitching wedge then throwing balls all over the place. I will then have to make the call on whether I would pitch it or chip it. The club selection forces you to decide both technique and shot choice.

 

[bcoak]

Getting up and down. Similar drill as above, but I like to spread balls around and pick the wrong club for the job (6 iron instead of a SW)and try and figure out a way to get it up and down. More focus on the shot and not technique and helps you learn to control the face and trajectory.

 

[golfball323]

I like Lindsay's post. Practice like you play.

I re-dedicated myself to my short game this year and came up with the following:

1. Pick three holes in a practice green to pitch/chip to.
2. Hit 3-5 balls to each hole hole from different places/lies around the green.
3. Don't leave until you get them all up and down.

 

[ZAP]

Well I have had sort of the opposite this year. My game has slipped a little bit. I can pretty much base it all on short game and putting.
I spent the better part of the year trying to transition from a major handle dragging chipping motion and struggled with it a bit. Then my putting confidence went south in a big way which ate it's way through my entire game.

My plan for next year is to dedicate myself to my short game and in particular my putting this winter.

 

[Kevin Shields]

It's very hard to go from a 10 to a plus as an adult. If you didn't learn to go low early on its really tough to do the things you need to learn later in life.

 

[Bonesy]

can an adult go from a 15 to a 10?

 

[hp12c]

It's very hard to go from a 10 to a plus as an adult. If you didn't learn to go low early on its really tough to do the things you need to learn later in life.

No, No, dam Kev dagger in the heart, guess I will be a double digit capper for ever! Oh well at least I can still smack the feathery!

 

[trashpar]

It's very hard to go from a 10 to a plus as an adult. If you didn't learn to go low early on its really tough to do the things you need to learn later in life.

Hard but not impossible. I went from a 5 to a plus 1 a few years back. Now back to 5ish. Big difference was time practicing short game and playing darn near everyday. Unfortunately can't do that now, but it was nice while it lasted

 

[dbl]

Bonesy I went from about an 18 to an 8*. If you are going to shoot for 10, shoot for 9 or better to be a "single digit."

But I can say that was my downfall too, in that my goal was to be a single digit h/c and once achieved then I sloughed off from my constant work and practice. Now almost no practice, and I'm a 14.

*For completeness, at age 48.

 

[ParHunter]

Are there anywhere stats (GIR, scrambling, putts, 3 off the tee per round ;-) listed for the different handicaps? I know everyone is different and someone will get to a certain handicap with a high scrambling rate while the other one has a good GIR rate but it would be nice to have a specific target.

 

[birly-shirly]

There's some research (google Riccio) suggests that GIR and scoring relate like this: Score = 95 - (GIR x 2).

You can draw some further loose conclusions from that formula about putting and scrambling - although you need to make some assumptions about lost balls, penalties and train wrecks.

 

[Kevin Shields]

can an adult go from a 15 to a 10?

Of course. I'm just saying you better be prepared to do hours and hours of short game practice to go from scratch to a plus if you've never been there before. Thats where some are at a disadvantage as an adult. Also, as you get your physical game better through practice, your mental game better come with it. If you now have the skill set of a 4 handicap you can't still act and think like a 15.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Which reminds me.....IMO, it's best to learn how to shoot the lowest you can with the current set of physical tools you have (I.e., mental game and course management). Then it's a thousand times easier to get the handicap down when you make a technical improvement.

 

[JDMAC]

It's very hard to go from a 10 to a plus as an adult. If you didn't learn to go low early on its really tough to do the things you need to learn later in life.

Can you share what it is you need to do to go from a 10 to a 5 to scratch to 0 to plus? Or if too much to ask of you, just what you think it takes to go from low single digit to scratch to plus? What do you learn to do as a youngster that is harder to learn as an adult? Is it a mental thing "going low"?

 

[ParHunter]

There's some research (google Riccio) suggests that GIR and scoring relate like this: Score = 95 - (GIR x 2).

You can draw some further loose conclusions from that formula about putting and scrambling - although you need to make some assumptions about lost balls, penalties and train wrecks.

Thanks birly-shirly,
I've found this blog which seems to be based on Riccio: Wounded Duck Golf Blog: "How to break 80" is not as simple as it looks Basically you need 8 GIR to break 80 or you better have your a putting game.