At what Handicap would you consider someone to be good

[WorldHandicapSystem]

Come play a round with me and my driving can disprove this theory for you

Short game is where it’s at for the lower handicap as that’s where scores are saved and made on bad days and that’s the main difference across the mid to low handicap areas. Then when you add in a good driving day the real low scores come and keep the handicap low.

The main difference across all handicap levels is approach play, followed by off the tee then short game then putting. In fact short game and putting combined account for about one third of the difference.

Yes short game is important but better players score better because they hit it further and hit it closer more often than the rest of us.

 

[HampshireHog]

According to EG an index of 11 will put you in the top 20% of golfers in England.

I think if you are there that makes you good, nothing special but relative to most golfers good.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Well, perhaps I should substitute driver for “ a wood off the tee”
Really meaning you have to have a good tee shot
If someone can’t get a straightish reasonable tee shot away, how does he get sufficient GIR?
And if he don’t get a fair number of GIRs he has to be phenomenal at chipping and putting to get your handicap , Lucifer.

I’ll bet that what you call a bad drive puts you where you can still hit second shots, an iron?, on to the green or around it most of the time.

(BTW, only way I get your handicap is when I’m dreaming. To play like that , 2.3, must be wonderful )

Best I played was 11. Now as an old man best driver is 210. Now imagine that distance going off piste into trouble. Other clubs are commensurate, so if I get my driver away ok I might get to 14 or so, cos the rest of me is reasonably straight.

Your distance is your friend , and mine is my problem.

No doubt , from what you say, among your handicap peers, your tee shot is iffy compared to theirs, but compared to this forum, I imagine it is one forum members will envy.

Enjoy your gift, Lucifer, it must be a very satisfying way to go round a golf course.
Long may it continue.
I do envy you.

 

[Orikoru]

Well, perhaps I should substitute driver for “ a wood off the tee”
Really meaning you have to have a good tee shot
If someone can’t get a straightish reasonable tee shot away, how does he get sufficient GIR?
And if he don’t get a fair number of GIRs he has to be phenomenal at chipping and putting to get your handicap , Lucifer.

I’ll bet that what you call a bad drive puts you where you can still hit second shots, an iron?, on to the green or around it most of the time.

(BTW, only way I get your handicap is when I’m dreaming. To play like that , 2.3, must be wonderful )

Best I played was 11. Now as an old man best driver is 210. Now imagine that distance going off piste into trouble. Other clubs are commensurate, so if I get my driver away ok I might get to 14 or so, cos the rest of me is reasonably straight.

Your distance is your friend , and mine is my problem.

No doubt , from what you say, among your handicap peers, your tee shot is iffy compared to theirs, but compared to this forum, I imagine it is one forum members will envy.

Enjoy your gift, Lucifer, it must be a very satisfying way to go round a golf course.
Long may it continue.
I do envy you.

This is the thing with distance. You might have a low player like Lucifer saying he's not good with driver, and that may be true - but he can probably knock a 3 wood 240 yards so it doesn't matter. I can only hit my driver 235 so I have to be good with it.

This is also why I wouldn't say 5-10 handicap makes you good at golf, as most people have voted in the poll. I've seen plenty of guys on YouTube golf and in real life who have achieved 8 or 9 handicap simply because they smash the ball a long way! They can catch one and hit it 290 yards, some of them will be monster slices, they might even top one, but enough of them will land in play that they have wedges into a lot of greens. It also means they're not missing as many greens from that sort of range, so they don't even need a good short game. I see a player like that who is single figures but I wouldn't say they are good. Whereas someone in the 0-5 range is much more likely to have a good grasp of all aspects of the game, including a good short games and so on.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In my near 30 years of single figures I can say I've been a decent driver of the ball for less than 7 of them...
When I first got there I was erratic to say the least
1997 arrived...as did the Great Big Bertha and I became a driving God for 4 years until an enforced break.
The next time I consider myself to be a decent driver is the last 2 or 3 years when I finally worked it out.
I was so poor with the driver that I didn't even have one for 5 years...won plenty of comps with a Cleveland Launcher 4 wood as my longest club..

You and me very similar.

With the swing I had I could barely get tee shots with my persimmon MacGregor driver off the ground - so from 1985 I used a persimmon 3 wood to great effect - and with that I got down to 6 and stayed 6-8 with it until I bought my Callaway Big Bertha driver in 2004 (or thenabouts). My driving with it became a strength, hitting a longish low draw. I've since changed my swingpath and now play a relatively high fade with my 12° Ping G410. My pro set the loft high to encourage my flight and transition to new swingpath...and despite, or indeed because of, the loft I am very steady, straight and with reasonable length off the tee and can easily hit a nice high fade if I want.

However, my pro has advised that it's unlikely with my swing speed etc (he does say age also) it's unlikely I'll be able to get my handicap down to low SFs...however my overall game is good enough to be a good, decent mid SF handicapper for some years. That sort of good will do me.

 

[Pin-seeker]

Feel like this thread was started to massage someone’s ego

 

[wjemather]

scratch (& better) is elite
0-5 is extremely good
5-10 is very good
10-15 is good
15-20 is average
20 plus is below average

 

[Orikoru]

Feel like this thread was started to massage someone’s ego

He just wanted an update from a year ago, what's wrong with that?

 

[PaulMdj]

This is the thing with distance. You might have a low player like Lucifer saying he's not good with driver, and that may be true - but he can probably knock a 3 wood 240 yards so it doesn't matter. I can only hit my driver 235 so I have to be good with it.

This is also why I wouldn't say 5-10 handicap makes you good at golf, as most people have voted in the poll. I've seen plenty of guys on YouTube golf and in real life who have achieved 8 or 9 handicap simply because they smash the ball a long way! They can catch one and hit it 290 yards, some of them will be monster slices, they might even top one, but enough of them will land in play that they have wedges into a lot of greens. It also means they're not missing as many greens from that sort of range, so they don't even need a good short game. I see a player like that who is single figures but I wouldn't say they are good. Whereas someone in the 0-5 range is much more likely to have a good grasp of all aspects of the game, including a good short games and so on.

I agree with the 0-5 range and voted for it, but using me as an example of someone who has been 5-10 and now just outside or inside (depending on Tees, time of year) I’d say I’m an exception to your theory of that handicap range smashing it a long way.

In my experience they are not long enough off the tee, but manage to keep it play and have a reasonable all round game.

The 10-15 make too many mistakes, the 0-5 make very few mistakes and the 5-10 make some.

 

[Orikoru]

I agree with the 0-5 range and voted for it, but using me as an example of someone who has been 5-10 and now just outside or inside (depending on Tees, time of year) I’d say I’m an exception to your theory of that handicap range smashing it a long way.

In my experience they are not long enough off the tee, but manage to keep it play and have a reasonable all round game.

The 10-15 make too many mistakes, the 0-5 make very few mistakes and the 5-10 make some.

For clarity - I was not saying everyone in the 5-10 range is playing that way. What I meant was, I can't class that range as 'good' because I have seen plenty who only got there by smashing it. I've also seen plenty in that range who never miss a fairway and would be lower than 5 if they could hit it more than 200 yards. It takes all sorts.

 

[Pin-seeker]

He just wanted an update from a year ago, what's wrong with that?

Nothing at all,some just need it

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Well, perhaps I should substitute driver for “ a wood off the tee”
Really meaning you have to have a good tee shot
If someone can’t get a straightish reasonable tee shot away, how does he get sufficient GIR?
And if he don’t get a fair number of GIRs he has to be phenomenal at chipping and putting to get your handicap , Lucifer.

I’ll bet that what you call a bad drive puts you where you can still hit second shots, an iron?, on to the green or around it most of the time.

(BTW, only way I get your handicap is when I’m dreaming. To play like that , 2.3, must be wonderful )

Best I played was 11. Now as an old man best driver is 210. Now imagine that distance going off piste into trouble. Other clubs are commensurate, so if I get my driver away ok I might get to 14 or so, cos the rest of me is reasonably straight.

Your distance is your friend , and mine is my problem.

No doubt , from what you say, among your handicap peers, your tee shot is iffy compared to theirs, but compared to this forum, I imagine it is one forum members will envy.

Enjoy your gift, Lucifer, it must be a very satisfying way to go round a golf course.
Long may it continue.
I do envy you.

My current driver is about as accurate as a blind man throwing darts for the first time without assistance. I’m talking way off line 40-50yards wide in many cases, in others just off line at my courses more dangerous and penal. Swing doesn’t feel right with it, address position can’t get comfortable with it and I genuinely can’t tell you where it’s going when I hit it. At the moment I’d happily sacrifice distance for accuracy, as for your GIR question my numbers are still pretty good as my iron game is strong and I learnt the play the game as a kid from the Green backwards. So I’ve always had a strong short game, wedge game and iron game.

I went for a fitting the other day and we highlighted that in a standard length driver shaft I literally cannot find the middle of the driver face no matter what make or model. So we tried stronger shafts in shorter lengths and suddenly the middle of the face appears. Hence why I’ve ordered both the driver and Mini driver in shorter length shafts so when the driver does misbehave I’ll have the 13° mini driver (with a 3 wood shaft) to fall back into. Which I take your point as I can get that to carry around 240yds so it does help but it’s not the be all and end all

I play with guys that’s max out their Driver at 230yds and play off 5 handicap, because they’re accurate and have good short games. It’s not about being a long hitter it’s merely about being long enough to play the course you play.

 

[irip]

My current driver is about as accurate as a blind man throwing darts for the first time without assistance. I’m talking way off line 40-50yards wide in many cases, in others just off line at my courses more dangerous and penal. Swing doesn’t feel right with it, address position can’t get comfortable with it and I genuinely can’t tell you where it’s going when I hit it. At the moment I’d happily sacrifice distance for accuracy, as for your GIR question my numbers are still pretty good as my iron game is strong and I learnt the play the game as a kid from the Green backwards. So I’ve always had a strong short game, wedge game and iron game.

I went for a fitting the other day and we highlighted that in a standard length driver shaft I literally cannot find the middle of the driver face no matter what make or model. So we tried stronger shafts in shorter lengths and suddenly the middle of the face appears. Hence why I’ve ordered both the driver and Mini driver in shorter length shafts so when the driver does misbehave I’ll have the 13° mini driver (with a 3 wood shaft) to fall back into. Which I take your point as I can get that to carry around 240yds so it does help but it’s not the be all and end all

I play with guys that’s max out their Driver at 230yds and play off 5 handicap, because they’re accurate and have good short games. It’s not about being a long hitter it’s merely about bringing enough to play the course you play.

I think it also matters at the type of course you play at.

A course like Ori home course it sounds to me (please correct me if I’m wrong) accuracy and being a good putter would be more important than being a long hitter.

Some courses that are long are generally wider and you need to have decent distance to get your handicap lower.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I think it also matters at the type of course you play at.

A course like Ori home course it sounds to me (please correct me if I’m wrong) accuracy and being a good putter would be more important than being a long hitter.

Some courses that are long are generally wider and you need to have decent distance to get your handicap lower.

That’s my point you don’t need to be long. You just need enough distance to play your course, my home club is bloody narrow so my driver is actually an hinderance on all but 2 holes. Being in position off the tee is far more important so even shorter hitters tend to score well as it’s impossible to over power it because that brings in so much trouble you’d hit a cricket score by trying to do so.

People get hung up on distance being the main factor in lower handicaps in my experience it really isn’t, accuracy, positional play and a decent wedge game imo makes far better scores at club level than people give it credit for.

 

[Burnsey]

I think it also matters at the type of course you play at.

A course like Ori home course it sounds to me (please correct me if I’m wrong) accuracy and being a good putter would be more important than being a long hitter.

Some courses that are long are generally wider and you need to have decent distance to get your handicap lower.

I support that and I can take a 3/5 wood on many tees at my home course, but an accurate driver does work wonders to get a shorter approach.

I can only look in awe at those hitting 300 yard drives. I wouldn't get more than 250 on a downhill tarmac road

 

[irip]

I support that and I can take a 3/5 wood on many tees at my home course, but an accurate driver does work wonders to get a shorter approach.

I can only look in awe at those hitting 300 yard drives. I wouldn't get more than 250 on a downhill tarmac road

If you can hit it straight and long then bottle it and make a fortune overnight.

I’m lucky now if I hit it out of my shadow.

 

[Klimski]

I think 12 and under counts as good. Just because for a year, long ago I had hcp 12.4 In all seriousness, a 12 or better is usually someone who can get it round most courses in a decent way.