Dream on!!!

[Grant85]

I was recommended to read this book by John Richardson (Dream on) . I thought my quest for scratch ( since revised to a level par round due to the length of time it takes to lower hcap) was more original than it turns out... naive.. The book is fascinating and interesting,, I wondered if any of you guys and gals agree with his assessment that club golf tends to form handicap groups where the opinions of your peers dominate your thinking and keep you stuck in that handicap zone... The part where he reflects that the mid handicapper finishes a medal, has a pint with his friends and moans about how crap his short game is - while the scratch golfer finishes and spends an hour on the practice green working on any part of his game that failed in the round... then maybe has a pint.. Great book, thanks for the recommendation.

I've read it - a few years ago - very easy to read and comfortably covers the perils and pitfalls of what people do when actively trying to get better at golf. Never mind the 14 handicapper who doesn't swing a club for 7 days then beats himself up about shooting 88.

For guys who do a lot of driving and full shots practice, they can 'imagine' being able to shoot level par as it seems to simple to hit one into the fairway, play a 90 to 170 shot onto the green and 2 putt. Even a handicapper in the mid to high teens will have a run of 4 or 5 holes where they do this, and maybe even hole a putt to get under par.

But it's the game management about what goes wrong and when it's not the right time to take the shot on. As well as the shortgame to get up and down when you are out of position.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

But it's the game management about what goes wrong and when it's not the right time to take the shot on. As well as the short game to get up and down when you are out of position.

All I am working on really. As a mid-handicapper I have a swing that I realise now will never be textbook and perhaps too many faults ingrained over time. I've spent a long time trying to change and fix these with lessons but I'm getting to the point where I want to work with the pro I go to see and simply refine what I have a little and not reinvent the wheel. Instead I am working on pitching from 70 yards and in and chipping and putting. The latter has change in the space of several months since using the visio mat and gates and I am holing more longer putts and a lot of my 6-15 puts are really scaring the hole now more of the time. I am getting better at holing out from 3-6 feet and feel really confident on the greens. I need to work on chipping in particular but these have to be things to work on to get a better score

 

[Grant85]

All I am working on really. As a mid-handicapper I have a swing that I realise now will never be textbook and perhaps too many faults ingrained over time. I've spent a long time trying to change and fix these with lessons but I'm getting to the point where I want to work with the pro I go to see and simply refine what I have a little and not reinvent the wheel. Instead I am working on pitching from 70 yards and in and chipping and putting. The latter has change in the space of several months since using the visio mat and gates and I am holing more longer putts and a lot of my 6-15 puts are really scaring the hole now more of the time. I am getting better at holing out from 3-6 feet and feel really confident on the greens. I need to work on chipping in particular but these have to be things to work on to get a better score

I am amazed when doing some post round analysis the number of times I take a shot on in strokeplay that I don't do in matchplay.

In a match I'm just trying to give myself a putt for par, or even bogey, to stay in the hole. It's bizarre that I actually take on more shots in strokeplay, when for good golfers it's generally the other way around.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am amazed when doing some post round analysis the number of times I take a shot on in strokeplay that I don't do in matchplay.

In a match I'm just trying to give myself a putt for par, or even bogey, to stay in the hole. It's bizarre that I actually take on more shots in strokeplay, when for good golfers it's generally the other way around.

Totally agree. Club match away at a long championship course on Saturday in winds gusting at 45-50mph. Some very long par 4's over 400 yards and many par 5's over 500 yards and high up and exposed. I just tried to swing easily and get a drive away about 180-200 yards in the wind, play as close to the green as I dare depending on the lie and then tried to hit low pitches and chip and runs (back to my junior days of hitting 100 yard chip and runs off bare fairways). Actually scored and played well given the conditions and helped by holing a 30 and 20 foot putt but also holed out well from close range. Played in the roll up yesterday, more gung-ho and taking shots on that I wouldn't have dreamed off in the strongest winds. It is an area of game management I still need to work on and as I've said before I am sure playing a home course regularly makes you blasé to the dangers on each hole and don't give each shot the respect it deserves

 

[Siolag]

I've read it - a few years ago - very easy to read and comfortably covers the perils and pitfalls of what people do when actively trying to get better at golf. Never mind the 14 handicapper who doesn't swing a club for 7 days then beats himself up about shooting 88.

For guys who do a lot of driving and full shots practice, they can 'imagine' being able to shoot level par as it seems to simple to hit one into the fairway, play a 90 to 170 shot onto the green and 2 putt. Even a handicapper in the mid to high teens will have a run of 4 or 5 holes where they do this, and maybe even hole a putt to get under par.

But it's the game management about what goes wrong and when it's not the right time to take the shot on. As well as the shortgame to get up and down when you are out of position.

I'm the polar opposite of the above. OK, I have only had one lesson, but the last few times I have played I have been very tidy round the greens. Hitting my hybrid driver and wood, totally different story.

With regard to the OP, you have picked a very very hard goal to achieve, and given some of the people on here are playing off scratch, it would be sensible to listen to their input. We can all look at an example of an outlier and say 'This person done it so its possible' but that's why they are outliers. There are thousands of golfers that will never get near single figures, for a variety of reasons. If you are playing the game for enjoyment, why taint your enjoyment with a goal that is so difficult that only a very small percentage of golfers make it?

To my mind, a smart goal for you is single figures to begin with. Then you'd be looking to take a shot or two off a year, which might happen easily, or might be difficult. The new system next year means that you'll likely be putting more cards in.

 

[dronfield]

Some guys can practice and take lessons for years and still wont be a low handicap player.

Some guys are naturals and will improve easily and become a low h/c, then there's guys who have no coordination at all and will always have a very high h/c.
Then older guys like me that just plod along going up point 1 most weeks then hope to have a couple of lucky/good scores and cut back down.

I can fully relate to this - most medals my h/c goes up .1, and then i will suddenly score 38 in a Stableford and it will come back down (until the next medal).

Rich

 

[darriusdax]

For guys who do a lot of driving and full shots practice, they can 'imagine' being able to shoot level par as it seems to simple to hit one into the fairway, play a 90 to 170 shot onto the green and 2 putt. Even a handicapper in the mid to high teens will have a run of 4 or 5 holes where they do this, and maybe even hole a putt to get under par.

But it's the game management about what goes wrong and when it's not the right time to take the shot on. As well as the shortgame to get up and down when you are out of position.

This is the challenge in a nutshell.... I am exactly this player, I can hit a 280 drive and I can hit an easy swing 5 iron 180 yards and two putt for a par... but doing it consistently for a full round is very far off it seems. In my case I wouldn't say that it is game management yet, but mental blocks and trying too hard - although playing a different course yesterday ( Goswick ) gave me new challenges where my course management was called in to question.. I played the par 5s differently and scored better when i took 4 iron off the tee instead of driver.
The most important thing is that I am really enjoying the good shots, and even though I am hard on myself and sometimes feel i am not moving forward.. there are more good shots than there used to be, the feeling of watching a shot soar in to the sky and track to the flag is priceless.. so the quest continues

 

[darriusdax]

Update... 16 months on... I fully realise why guys were saying my challenge was very hard to achieve... but i am a stubborn guy... went round my course in 74 today and am playing some lovely golf...

Lessons i have learned.

- range practice must be structured and be mentally relevant to shots on your course.. ie target based.
- learning to hit half swings well with irons is really useful when your game is off or in high wind - this can be practiced at the range.
- spend 75 % of your practice time on the short game area.
- have a pre shot routine that you can stick to
- develop coping mechanisms for when you get unlucky or hit a bad shot on the course.

I am still hopeful of getting to scratch and stand by my earlier comments about there being too much emphasis on talent.. especially early judgement of young people in all walks of life.

 

[robinthehood]

Nice going , I guess you're not in England then. For high winds, @Orikoru is your man.

 

[BubbaP]

Well played. Are you still going for a level par round, or have you revised it to a level to course rating (for tees) round?

 

[ScienceBoy]

- range practice must be structured and be mentally relevant to shots on your course.. ie target based.
- learning to hit half swings well with irons is really useful when your game is off or in high wind - this can be practiced at the range.
- spend 75 % of your practice time on the short game area.
- have a pre shot routine that you can stick to
- develop coping mechanisms for when you get unlucky or hit a bad shot on the course.

When I took up the game this was me, I didn’t spend much time on the range but spent hours on the short game area and putting green.

18 months after taking up the game proper I was playing off 12. I had dabbled in golf before then but only enough to know I could play it and keep up.

I took that same mentality into my second membership after a break and promptly got cut to 11 after shooting 77.

Sadly now I have a family and hardly any spare time it is easier and quicker to just bash out a bucket of 50 balls and go home. The short game area takes a lot of time and patience, things few of us have when it comes to practicing a hobby. I had it in my 20s but don’t in my30s.

 

[sunshine]

Update... 16 months on... I fully realise why guys were saying my challenge was very hard to achieve... but i am a stubborn guy... went round my course in 74 today and am playing some lovely golf...

Lessons i have learned.

- range practice must be structured and be mentally relevant to shots on your course.. ie target based.
- learning to hit half swings well with irons is really useful when your game is off or in high wind - this can be practiced at the range.
- spend 75 % of your practice time on the short game area.
- have a pre shot routine that you can stick to
- develop coping mechanisms for when you get unlucky or hit a bad shot on the course.

I am still hopeful of getting to scratch and stand by my earlier comments about there being too much emphasis on talent.. especially early judgement of young people in all walks of life.

Well done - keep at it!

How is your quest for scratch going? Your signature says you are off 14 - is this correct? Is that CONGU / course handicap or WHS HI?

What is your best score? Getting close to 64 at your course yet?

Don't give up!

 

[patricks148]

Nice going , I guess you're not in England then. For high winds, @Orikoru is your man.

yes, but he's no Axel Jacklin, now there was high winds specialist

 

[robinthehood]

yes, but he's no Axel Jacklin, how there was high winds specialist

 

[darriusdax]

Well played. Are you still going for a level par round, or have you revised it to a level to course rating (for tees) round?

I am very realistic now..... when i started my challenge i had been given a 14hc but that was from three cards of 15 16 and 24 over on a par 65 course..... I was 47 years old at the time and have not played the game since i was 30 ( 14 handicap then - working at Gleneagles and playing 3-5 times a week for 5 years )

Now i am older but i have money, so coaching is in my reach... but i did not realise how long it takes to alter ingrained muscle memories...

Simple answer to your question is that I am going for single figure handicap next year, and then i will try to get to 5, then 3 and see where it goes.

I am determined to prove to myself that I can do it, but i will do it with a smile on my face...

I hit a massive drive the other day and it took a wicked bounce and ended square behind a tree... literally against the tree... in the past i would have raged at how unfair it was...... but that is golf... take it and move on.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am very realistic now..... when i started my challenge i had been given a 14hc but that was from three cards of 15 16 and 24 over on a par 65 course..... I was 47 years old at the time and have not played the game since i was 30 ( 14 handicap then - working at Gleneagles and playing 3-5 times a week for 5 years )

Now i am older but i have money, so coaching is in my reach... but i did not realise how long it takes to alter ingrained muscle memories...

Simple answer to your question is that I am going for single figure handicap next year, and then i will try to get to 5, then 3 and see where it goes.

I am determined to prove to myself that I can do it, but i will do it with a smile on my face...

I hit a massive drive the other day and it took a wicked bounce and ended square behind a tree... literally against the tree... in the past i would have raged at how unfair it was...... but that is golf... take it and move on.

Some fantastic progress. Do you have a specific winter programme to take you forward

 

[darriusdax]

Some fantastic progress. Do you have a specific winter programme to take you forward

Cheers Homer, I really want to do 3 x 2hr short game practices a week but I have no floodlit short game areas.... so one 2hr short game session at weekend.. two range sessions a week mainly wedge gapping , one coaching session a month , and one 18 hole round a week. Every morning i do 10 mins stretching and mobility work before work.. and every evening i am doing light excercise and indoor swings. I have been doing this for around a month now and can really see the benefits... Biggest improvement has come from taking 20% off my swing length and speed.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Cheers Homer, I really want to do 3 x 2hr short game practices a week but I have no floodlit short game areas.... so one 2hr short game session at weekend.. two range sessions a week mainly wedge gapping , one coaching session a month , and one 18 hole round a week. Every morning i do 10 mins stretching and mobility work before work.. and every evening i am doing light excercise and indoor swings. I have been doing this for around a month now and can really see the benefits... Biggest improvement has come from taking 20% off my swing length and speed.

Seems pretty structured and detailed. Keep flicking through the pilates for golf book I have but haven't put anything together for it.

 

[darriusdax]

Seems pretty structured and detailed. Keep flicking through the pilates for golf book I have but haven't put anything together for it.

I used to do a lot of yoga.... I am definitely feeling the strain after 9 holes or so ( my course is super hilly ), so some flexibility would not go amiss... I used to have the discipline to do a full 90 minute yoga routine on my own... but at that time i was not working.. and i was not playing golf....