Can I improve my handicap?

[Klimski]

Hi all, looking for opinions - based on the distances below (Driver, 5 wood and hybrd are totals, the irons are carry only) what handicap could/should I expect to reach if direction is pretty consistently straightish and distance pretty consistent? Currently 18, hoping to move down towards 15 or 12. Is that realistic? I am pretty okay at chipping, sand and putting.

 

[Backache]

I am currently 11.9 and your distances are longer than mine. You won't get to scratch on those distances but from observation single figures is definitely possible.

 

[Klimski]

Cheers. I guess I am chasing the past a bit. I was 12.4 for a fleeting moment when I was 20 years old. Would love the reach 12 again!

 

[pendodave]

Agree with bachache.
I'm similarish distances and off 8.7
I also :
Don't have a reliable shot shape with driver
Am not a great ball striker with irons.
Am happy if I hit a green anywhere from 100yds to the fringe
Am rubbish out of bunkers
Am a streaky putter

It's really not as hard as you think


With regards to the specific numbers, the gapping from 8i to 4h looks a bit off. I'm hitting a lot of my approaches from that sort of distance and have 10ish yds from hybrid down to pw.

 

[Klimski]

Thanks Pendodave. That's encouraging.

As for the gapping: I think it's mainly becuase the 4 hybrid is total, whereas 6 and 8 iron are carry only.

It looks better when it's all total distance:
4 hybrid: 174
6 iron: 155
8 iron: 140

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yes of course you can…my distances are similar to yours, so see my posts on thread Golf Things that Gladdens the Heart from #2237 (I dont know how to do a link to a specific post )

Btw - I post on my personal experience and thinking…I’m most def not an Expert…

 

[Slab]

What length of course are most of your handicap counting rounds played off ?

 

[Klimski]

Usually it's municipal courses around 6500 yards. I sometimes play forward tees, but that makes posting a score to lower the handicap extremely difficult. Also, in practice I am often seeing drives that don't really go that much further than 210 yards in real life. Especially after it has rained. Don't play links or heathland over here in NL..

 

[Slab]

6500 is pretty chunky lengthwise and if you’re already straightish & not really losing balls there’s limited gain (h/cap reduction) to be had without adding distance because your summary doesn’t suggest you’ve got lots of doubles/triples. Reads like bogeys are common for you. Maybe worth looking at your scores for how many par’s you get per round and where are they happening/ not happening. i.e with those distances are you using ‘extra’ shots getting on the greens

Where I play at least, the easiest way to add 10% to your distances throughout the bag is to go one tee forward. Then you’re going into all greens 1 or 2 clubs shorter. Makes a noticeable difference if you can increase the number of GIRs etc, pretty soon I stopped thinking about breaking 90 and going for 80

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Your distances are very decent, longer than me by a good 35-40yds off the tee, similar length of course and I'm off 17. Distance is not holding you back, imo.

Where do you think you lose shots? It sounds obvious but people often don't sit down and think about that. Try and analyse that, then focus on improving that aspect.

15 could well be in range, if you can put in the time to practice of course. Don't look too far ahead to 12 though, that's a big drop to aim for straight away.

 

[irip]

People often think to get to a lower handicap you need to hit the ball further but often this is difficult to achieve.

If you were to chip closer just once (and holed the putt) and had 1 more putt drop that’s 2 shots already.

Thats without any penalty strokes you could possible save over the round

 

[Voyager EMH]

I think I will be outdriving you, but not by much.
I don't have a 5w, but yours goes roughly the same as my 20° hybrid (I don't have a number for it)
That is what I generally use on our 202 par 3 slightly uphill.
I use driver, 3w, 20° and 23° hybrids.
My 23° hybrid goes 185-190 overall compared to your 174 4h
You hit your 6, 8 and PW further than I hit the ones I used today.

My HI is 4.2

I am 5ft 11ins, 11st 4lbs and 64 years and 11 months.

If I were to play without my driver and use only 3-wood from the tee, you would have distance advantage over me.
I think I might be able to maintain a HI of 6 to 6.5

This 2 to 2.5 shot difference is what I experience when playing with 1970s clubs. Old wooden driver goes about as far as my 3-wood.

As irip has pointed out, there's a lot more to getting your handicap down than increasing distance.

I play regularly with a chap who uses his driver on our 202 par 3. He has had a good year and currently 9.8 and he is a few years younger than me.

 

[Backache]

People often think to get to a lower handicap you need to hit the ball further but often this is difficult to achieve.

Is it necessarily harder to achieve than other skills in golf?

Clearly there is likely to be an upper limit based on physical capabilities but how many have reached that?

Club fitting , centering strike optimising launch angles and a bit of speed training will probably result in gains for many golfers without huge difficulty.


FWIW most studies into differences in golfers show the long game to be the greater determinant of difference between higher and lower abilities. Which needn't necessarily mean hitting it further but the long game certainly should not be ignored if you're trying to improve.

 

[irip]

Is it necessarily harder to achieve than other skills in golf?

Clearly there is likely to be an upper limit based on physical capabilities but how many have reached that?

Club fitting , centering strike optimising launch angles and a bit of speed training will probably result in gains for many golfers without huge difficulty.


FWIW most studies into differences in golfers show the long game to be the greater determinant of difference between higher and lower abilities. Which needn't necessarily mean hitting it further but the long game certainly should not be ignored if you're trying to improve.

Looking at the distances he already hits the ball there is nothing there to suggest that would be a reason he cannot get his handicap down.
If he was driving for example 160 yards then that could be a problem.

We would all like to hit the ball further and no doubt the closer to the green the easier the shot.

Having looked at the information provided it is my opinion that how far he is hitting the ball would not be the reason he cannot get his handicap down.

I would imagine we all know players with lower handicaps who don’t hit the ball as far.

 

[Backache]

Looking at the distances he already hits the ball there is nothing there to suggest that would be a reason he cannot get his handicap down.
If he was driving for example 160 yards then that could be a problem.

We would all like to hit the ball further and no doubt the closer to the green the easier the shot.

Having looked at the information provided it is my opinion that how far he is hitting the ball would not be the reason he cannot get his handicap down.

I would imagine we all know players with lower handicaps who don’t hit the ball as far.

Yes and I wasn't suggesting his distance was the reason why his handicap is what it is. See my first reply on this thread.

My point is
a) Distance isn't necessarily difficult to increase

b) Concentrating on the short game to lower your handicap by significant amounts and not your long game is a concept that has been discredited. It needn't necessarily involve increasing distance but nor need it exclude this.

 

[irip]

Yes and I wasn't suggesting his distance was the reason why his handicap is what it is. See my first reply on this thread.

My point is
a) Distance isn't necessarily difficult to increase

b) Concentrating on the short game to lower your handicap by significant amounts and not your long game is a concept that has been discredited. It needn't necessarily involve increasing distance but nor need it exclude this.

I agree gaining distance will always help but it’s not always possible.

I think anyone can improve their short game though.

 

[bobmac]

I would suggest a small investment in a playing lesson.
That way, the pro will see your whole game and will be able to identify areas that need improving.
What are you like from 50 yards out?

 

[Voyager EMH]

And how "hard" is it to get to 7 handicap standard for 50 yard shots?

I say that it is not "hard", merely very time-consuming to practice enough to get to that standard. I had plenty of that time from age 10 to 16, thankfully.
And I don't know how else it could be achieved other than with lots of practising.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And how "hard" is it to get to 7 handicap standard for 50 yard shots?

I say that it is not "hard", merely very time-consuming to practice enough to get to that standard. I had plenty of that time from age 10 to 16, thankfully.
And I don't know how else it could be achieved other than with lots of practising.

I agree it’s not that hard…the thing is it’s not a full shot, but requires the ‘vision’ thing to see the shot, then a fair bit of practice of the different type of shots available to achieve the outcome.

I think that the only shortcut to a lot of practice and playing to develop the ‘vision’…all of which take, as you say and for which we both have had the time in our early years, a lot of time…is to have a short game lesson with the pro - working with you to identify the different and best options available to the player for achieving the outcome in different scenarios given the players basic skill level. The player then works on a couple of them, one for straightforward 50yd approaches; a second for more difficult scenarios.

 

[bobmac]

The OP said all departments of his game are ok but notably didn't mention pitching.
I just asked the question as the 50yd pitch is a shot I see played badly by many people.