Almost at my natural talent point

[Deleted member 18121]

I've been playing regularly now for the last 5 years or so, but with limited practice time due to family commitments I've had to rely on playing once a week and just hoping that I put in a good performance.

This summer things have been going a bit better, shooting some mid 80s scores in bounce games with the odd hole or two ruining a good score even though the occasional birdie(s) have been turning up.

Last weekend I signed the book to put a supplementary card in and finally a round came together.....I shot a +9 round of 80 to earn myself a 2.7 cut down to an official 14.5.

I'd always looked at myself and thought I had the natural talent to play to around 14.....so I'm pretty much there now. So now do I accept my lot or push on and find the time to put some serious practice in in the strive for single figures...... how did anyone in a similar situation manage it? What do I need to do to take that next step?

 

[ScienceBoy]

I would have said that of myself but quickly realised it's a silly mindset.

I've been down to 11 and shot in the 70s since.

Thinking like that will only hold you back and only serves as a self fulfilling prophecy.

 

[Alex1975]

I've been playing regularly now for the last 5 years or so, but with limited practice time due to family commitments I've had to rely on playing once a week and just hoping that I put in a good performance.

This summer things have been going a bit better, shooting some mid 80s scores in bounce games with the odd hole or two ruining a good score even though the occasional birdie(s) have been turning up.

Last weekend I signed the book to put a supplementary card in and finally a round came together.....I shot a +9 round of 80 to earn myself a 2.7 cut down to an official 14.5.

I'd always looked at myself and thought I had the natural talent to play to around 14.....so I'm pretty much there now. So now do I accept my lot or push on and find the time to put some serious practice in in the strive for single figures...... how did anyone in a similar situation manage it? What do I need to do to take that next step?

No way never give up!! A plateau is not necessarily the boundary of your talent! It does not sound like you are plateauing anyway, it sounds like your on your way down.

There are things you can do to lower your scores without added practice. Being honest with yourself about distances. Take a good look at the decisions you make on the course. Are you playing the holes the most straight forward way you can. That kind of thing.

Great work, congrats, enjoy!

 

[Hacker Khan]

I've been playing regularly now for the last 5 years or so, but with limited practice time due to family commitments I've had to rely on playing once a week and just hoping that I put in a good performance.

This summer things have been going a bit better, shooting some mid 80s scores in bounce games with the odd hole or two ruining a good score even though the occasional birdie(s) have been turning up.

Last weekend I signed the book to put a supplementary card in and finally a round came together.....I shot a +9 round of 80 to earn myself a 2.7 cut down to an official 14.5.

I'd always looked at myself and thought I had the natural talent to play to around 14.....so I'm pretty much there now. So now do I accept my lot or push on and find the time to put some serious practice in in the strive for single figures...... how did anyone in a similar situation manage it? What do I need to do to take that next step?

I'd do whatever makes you happy and makes the game fun. It's a pass time, a leisure pursuit, a pleasurable hobby.

If chasing a lower handicap will increase your enjoyment then go for it. But if it will make you frustrated and disillusioned then why bother? Golfers must be one of the few people that let their hobby frustrate them so much at times, often in the pursuit of an unrealistic dream. Yes everyone wants to better themselves. But life is short, so make sure you are getting the maximum enjoyment out of the considerable financial and time commitments you are putting in to it.

 

[Curls]

Agree with the above posters, not a mindset that will serve you well! If you shot +9 then you must be able to shoot +9. Not saying you should be a 9 handicap, but that that round is within your ability.

How many qualifiers have you played this year? I went through a season of only playing about 7 or 8 qualifiers thanks to massive work and travel commitments, when I did get to play it wasn't very good and I went nowhere. This year I've played about 20 qualifiers I reckon and it is a case of some weeks you'll really click and others you'll falter, but you have to keep at it regularly imo.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

How many qualifiers have you played this year?

None. I'm really not into playing competitions....also I normally play at 7-7:30am on a sunday morning, I've played in a couple of "fun" events (NQ) this year and getting a tee time of 10-12 just isn't any good for me, as golf then takes up an entire day.

 

[turkish]

None. I'm really not into playing competitions....also I normally play at 7-7:30am on a sunday morning, I've played in a couple of "fun" events (NQ) this year and getting a tee time of 10-12 just isn't any good for me, as golf then takes up an entire day.

Get a card in your hand and see how you get on..... it's a great test as there is a little bit of added pressure there which has taken me a year to start to get used to- the sooner you start the better.....

Not to mention Golf is a wonderful game to get out there and meet people

 

[pendodave]

How old are you? fitness? I would have thought that 14 was probably a tad high as a natural level for someone of middle age and decent fitness.

Having said that, unlike the previous replies, I have some sympathy for the 'natural level' theory. I'm off 12 atm, while I could see a couple of shots coming off if I was able to play or practice a lot more, I don't think that I'm ever likely to get to single figures for any extented period of time. It's a combination of all the factors in my game, including between the ears, but especially putting. I know practice is helpful with the short stick, but having played with good putters, you've either got it or you haven't.

I don't think it's a bad thing either. Being comfortable with one's self is a wonderful thing, especially on the golf course.

 

[jamielaing]

As Curls said, you have played to 9 over. One thing that I struggled with was breaking 80 in comps. When it clicked and it happened my mindset changed from being something I am chasing to something I know I can do. 80 is generally a bad round for me now because I cracked it and now it is the norm. I am working on breaking 75 now and am confident that, once I break through that a couple of times I will know it is achievable.

Golf is about mindset mainly. I play knowing that I can get 3 birdies in a round reasonably consistently. I also know that I can par every hole just not in one round. Because of this I don't see any holes as 'hard' as I know I can do it.

One other thing to do is pick out the parts of your game that you feel are poor or you have less confidence in. For me this was putting. I worked on it, found a better stroke and now, instead of hoping to 2 putt I am trying to make it. Having that confidence transforms your game.

 

[pendodave]

It's lovely to see all the positive encouragement on this thread, but I just don't buy it !

Extrapolating from personal experience of success is statistically dubious. I am good at some sports, less so at golf. From this viewpoint I can see that being good at a sport is not easy, and that each of us has physical and mental abilities which may suit one, but not another. Or in some cases, none at all.... I certainly don't think that the ones I am good at would be easy for everyone.

Golf is hard. It takes a particular kind of physical and mental ability, as well as a lot of time. I'm amused that so many think that it is easy to change one's mental ability at sport. If it was that easy, why is it so clear that the best have 'got' it and others have not, even at a professional level.

 

[jamielaing]

It's lovely to see all the positive encouragement on this thread, but I just don't buy it !

Extrapolating from personal experience of success is statistically dubious. I am good at some sports, less so at golf. From this viewpoint I can see that being good at a sport is not easy, and that each of us has physical and mental abilities which may suit one, but not another. Or in some cases, none at all.... I certainly don't think that the ones I am good at would be easy for everyone.

Golf is hard. It takes a particular kind of physical and mental ability, as well as a lot of time. I'm amused that so many think that it is easy to change one's mental ability at sport. If it was that easy, why is it so clear that the best have 'got' it and others have not, even at a professional level.

Natural talent only takes you so far. I believe that if we all played from a young age, didn't work and committed all our time to the game we would all be single figures. I believe if I did this I would be a scratch golfer. Realistically we can not do this but the time point in helps us. If I could commit 10 hours a week to practice in addition to my playing time that I have now I would be cat 1. This is something I intend to do over the winter.

Golf is 90% mental. The mental side of golf is well documented and, while we can not just flick a switch to change our mindset we can do certain things to help us. For example, stroke index 1 at my course is a 440 yard par 4 uphill. A hole that you would take a 5 and run. Changing my mindset from '5 will do' to 'I can par this' means that I can par it more than before, take 5 the rest of the time and near enough get rid of the 6s and 7s. So much so that even with wild drives I can still make par and am confident in doing so.

Changing small things in your approach to the game help you to focus. I played at the weekend and played well, getting a handicap cut. The next day I went out with some friends for a bounce game and did not practice some putts before hand or warm up. I was talking during my pre shot routine and enjoying the company rather than the golf. At the turn I was 7 over par. I then forced myself to focus and play as I normally would and finished with an 80.

Don't underestimate the mental side of golf.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Natural talent only takes you so far. I believe that if we all played from a young age, didn't work and committed all our time to the game we would all be single figures. I believe if I did this I would be a scratch golfer. Realistically we can not do this but the time point in helps us. If I could commit 10 hours a week to practice in addition to my playing time that I have now I would be cat 1. This is something I intend to do over the winter.

Golf is 90% mental. The mental side of golf is well documented and, while we can not just flick a switch to change our mindset we can do certain things to help us. For example, stroke index 1 at my course is a 440 yard par 4 uphill. A hole that you would take a 5 and run. Changing my mindset from '5 will do' to 'I can par this' means that I can par it more than before, take 5 the rest of the time and near enough get rid of the 6s and 7s. So much so that even with wild drives I can still make par and am confident in doing so.

Changing small things in your approach to the game help you to focus. I played at the weekend and played well, getting a handicap cut. The next day I went out with some friends for a bounce game and did not practice some putts before hand or warm up. I was talking during my pre shot routine and enjoying the company rather than the golf. At the turn I was 7 over par. I then forced myself to focus and play as I normally would and finished with an 80.

Don't underestimate the mental side of golf.

I agree that the mental side is very important. But people become good at things because they practice effectively, natural ability is over rated in a lot of cases. If you practice well and have a good attitude then chances are most people will get better. One without the other will only get you so far, which I think is the reason the average handicap is around the mid teens or something like that. As most golfers just do not have the time to practice enough and may well not have the perfect attitude.

 

[ScienceBoy]

The first step is believing, if you want to lower your handicap, shoot your best possible score on any given day or just go out and have fun.

If you convince yourself your not going to have fun, score well or not get under a certain handicap your are more than likely not going to.

I'm not that bothered about handicaps, my main aim is to have fun. If I convince myself a day might not be fun my brain is probably going to find a way to sap the enjoyment out of it.

 

[keithc33]

I think you should aiming for single figures, and by the sounds of it you are more than capable.

I started playing regular golf 3 years ago:

2013 - 24
2014 - 18
Current - 12

My aim was to get to 12 but now I am there I want to hit single figures, if I hit 9 then I will want to be off 5 and if I get to 5 then I will want to be off 2 and so on.
When I was at 16 I felt like I had hit a brick wall so I went for some lessons, the guy I used didnt change my swing, stance or anything like that, instead he felt my mental game wasn't good. He pointed out that I was taking on silly shots when I didnt need to. Since these lessons I have managed to get down to 12 which I am really pleased with.

I went back to him last week and he came out on the course with me again, he told me that if I wanted to get down to single figures I needed to work on my putting so this will be the next area to practice and hopefully it will pay off for next year.

I know I will never be a pro but I do like to beat my own personal targets as it helps me improve.

One thing I have learnt this year though is not to get to hung up on getting your handicap down, if you go out and enjoy the game you will probably find that you will play better, this advice probably isnt for everyone but hopefully it has been useful.

Keith

In the bag:

Driver - Titleist 915
3 Wood - Titleist 915
2 Hybrid - Titleist 915
4 Hybrid - Titleist 915
Irons - 5 to PW - Mizuno MP-15
Wedges - 52,56,60 - Mizuno MP-T5
Putter - Scotty Cameron GO-LO (S5)
Balls - Callaway Chrome Soft

Handicap - 12

 

[Jates12]

It's lovely to see all the positive encouragement on this thread, but I just don't buy it !

Extrapolating from personal experience of success is statistically dubious. I am good at some sports, less so at golf. From this viewpoint I can see that being good at a sport is not easy, and that each of us has physical and mental abilities which may suit one, but not another. Or in some cases, none at all.... I certainly don't think that the ones I am good at would be easy for everyone.

Golf is hard. It takes a particular kind of physical and mental ability, as well as a lot of time. I'm amused that so many think that it is easy to change one's mental ability at sport. If it was that easy, why is it so clear that the best have 'got' it and others have not, even at a professional level.

For me, this is far to defeatist. This chap has played to 9, and is now off 14. He can clearly play to 9 and has done. Im off 14 and have played to 8 at my home course, I know i can do it and i know that i havent reached my peak, i just need to work harder. Professionals dont just have it, they work at their game (Be it golf or any other sport) they all practice and re shuffle and have mental downers but they all get back on the horse because they know they can do it. Once youve proved to yourself you can do it, its simply just analyzing what you did well, putting that into practice and trying to get it all back together.

 

[keithc33]

Mental side is a huge part of it:

I recently played in a competition with a +3 handicapper at our club, on both of our par 5's he took a 4 iron off the tee, as he can consistently drive the ball 300 yards it took me by surprise. When we got back to the bar I asked him if he always took a four iron off the tee on those holes, he said that his driver would cause him trouble with his second shot, he also said that his strength was in his wedges and he knew he had a good chance of making birdie if he played his second shot to 100 yards from the pin.

I couldn't argue with this as he birdied both holes....and many others, it was a joy to watch such a good golfer and to understand how they think on the course

 

[Canary_Yellow]

None. I'm really not into playing competitions....also I normally play at 7-7:30am on a sunday morning, I've played in a couple of "fun" events (NQ) this year and getting a tee time of 10-12 just isn't any good for me, as golf then takes up an entire day.

Are you not free to choose the time that suits you in medals / stablefords?

At my place, we just sign up for our normal tee time, pay our entry fee and play. Nothing more to it.

Only bigger comps are drawn (Spring Meeting, Club Champs, Autumn Meeting). Even then you can choose within 1 hour blocks.

Like you, if I couldn't choose exactly when I played it wouldn't work for me.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Are you not free to choose the time that suits you in medals / stablefords?

No, they are all drawn. Unfortunately.


EDIT - I say unfortunately but don't really mean it. I'd still rather play with my mates each week as golf for me is as much about time with them as it is shooting good scores.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

No, they are all drawn. Unfortunately.


EDIT - I say unfortunately but don't really mean it. I'd still rather play with my mates each week as golf for me is as much about time with them as it is shooting good scores.

Well if they weren't drawn you could play the comp with your mates and for me that's the best of both worlds. Others will likely disagree, suits me down to the ground though.

 

[duncan mackie]

I'd always looked at myself and thought I had the natural talent to play to around 14.....so I'm pretty much there now. So now do I accept my lot or push on and find the time to put some serious practice in in the strive for single figures...... how did anyone in a similar situation manage it?

What do I need to do to take that next step?

Look at yourself differently.

If you can get round to that handicap you have the raw capability to get round in a lot less - let's face it kids and grand parents can chip and putt!

Most fail to get to (say) 9 because they try and play shots that fall it side their 80% category ie shots that have an 80% likely hood of a reasonable result - maybe 8% no damage and 2% 'whoops' outcomes. Stop those and your 14 becomes 9.

However, as many on here have (and will continue to) posted where the fun in playing like that?

Just read your post at 1505 - if that's what golf is for you then you are asking the wrong question in your first post ! The answer is to really care about the result of every shot and it's effect on your score.