First initial handicap and next goal.

[BrianM]

Well got my first ever official handicap of 23 at the ripe old age of 36
This is my first proper year of playing and my first aim is to try and get down to the teens.
Not entirely sure if it's possible this season but going to give it my best shot inbetween work and family life.
I've got 5 lessons with my pro left so am going to go and see him and start working on long irons into greens and chipping, definately my 2 weakest points in my game, there's nothing worse for me when in a good position to get too a green in two and i screw it up time and time again.

Just wondering what other people's initial handicaps were and how they went about lowering it?

 

[Imurg]

I started on 15
Then I played as much as I could, worked out how to play certain holes, certain shots and just got better.
Your handicap will fluctuate, sometimes you'll age a run of 0.1 increases and then a run of cuts and buffers.
I think a lot of people go out to play comps with the sole thought of lowering the handicap. And that puts you under pressure, gets thoughts in your head that you don't need.
Just concentrate on playing the game. The handicap will be what it will be. Yeah, we all want it to be as low as possible but it's just a number...
The more you play, the better you'll get but also remember that everyone has a level that, once they reach it, is tricky to rise above.
Learn to leave bad shots behind you - it's not easy but once the ball has stopped moving, get over it. However you want....without being totally disrespectful to those you're playing with...but get over it. It's happened, you can't change it. Focus on the next shot.
Always believe, no matter how badly you're playing, that the next shot is going to be a corker!
Play, have fun, enjoy....stress not!!

 

[Smiffy]

Like you, my first ever official handicap was 23.
At the time I was a member at Crowborough Beacon GC in Sussex, which is a notoriously tricky course.
I struggled at first, Took me a while to see progress. I had a couple of lessons and tried to play twice a week if I could.
Playing regularly certainly helped, and I eventually got down to 10.
Personal reasons saw me leaving the club in 2000, and I effectively took a break from club golf for about 12 or so years.
Am now hacking it around off 13. Don't play anywhere near as much as I should to get consistency going again, and never practice.
If I get a cut in a club comp all well and good, but if I don't it's not the end of the world

 

[JohnnyDee]

Played pitch & putt and the odd day ticket on a proper course as a teenager and got a grounding in the game. Played work society golf through my 20s & 30s but never joined a club until I was 42. Got a handicap of 26!!! I was too dangerous off that and got two general play cuts and finished 1st year at 17.

Best I got to so far is 11.6 and like Smiffy I'm at 13 now.

Getting to the teens in a season is possible if you string together a bit of form, but as Imurg says, play the game one shot at a time and enjoy it, the handicap whatever it gets to will take care of itself after that.

 

[patricks148]

Well got my first ever official handicap of 23 at the ripe old age of 36
This is my first proper year of playing and my first aim is to try and get down to the teens.
Not entirely sure if it's possible this season but going to give it my best shot inbetween work and family life.
I've got 5 lessons with my pro left so am going to go and see him and start working on long irons into greens and chipping, definately my 2 weakest points in my game, there's nothing worse for me when in a good position to get too a green in two and i screw it up time and time again.

Just wondering what other people's initial handicaps were and how they went about lowering it?

I wouldn't forcus too much on just lowering the handicap, just play and get better each time and the handicap will fall.

mine was 24 and as they say ignorance is bliss i had no clue about handicaps comps or anything else. i just went out and played was down to 12 withing 3 months.

 

[mcbroon]

First handicap was 14. Playing regularly is the answer for me but I started playing competitively about a month after my daughter was born, so regular golf has been difficult over the last 6 years.

If you know your weaknesses, work on them. I got down to 8 basically by tightening up my misses. I generally hit it pretty straight. I have been floating around there for a couple years and have been held back by my short game. Spent a lot of time working on that and have started shooting lower scores more regularly and the h/c is starting to fall.

Basically, regular golf and practise are the best way to lower your h/c, IMO. And as mentioned above, taking every shot at a time is the way to make a score.

However, as everyone has said, don't focus on it too much. Just hit it as well as you can on every shot, enjoy being out on the course, add it up at the end and see what it comes to.

 

[BrianM]

A lot of sound advice here, going to try not to think about it too much and just go out and enjoy it.

 

[Orikoru]

My initial handicap was 24 (issued at the start of this year). Unfortunately it was based on what is still my best round at my course 6 months later, so all I've done is go up .3 so far!

 

[lukeysafc100]

Well got my first ever official handicap of 23 at the ripe old age of 36
This is my first proper year of playing and my first aim is to try and get down to the teens.
Not entirely sure if it's possible this season but going to give it my best shot inbetween work and family life.
I've got 5 lessons with my pro left so am going to go and see him and start working on long irons into greens and chipping, definately my 2 weakest points in my game, there's nothing worse for me when in a good position to get too a green in two and i screw it up time and time again.

Just wondering what other people's initial handicaps were and how they went about lowering it?

Well I got my first handicap 7 years ago! 21 I think it was - I'm now off 7! it took me 4-5 years to get into single figures. Its a tough old game - just stick at it, keep it simple and most of all enjoy it

 

[Dasit]

Well done on getting the handicap.

I was given a handicap of 23 back in October. Down to 16 now so keep playing and handing cards in and it should come down as you play better.

 

[Imurg]

My initial handicap was 24 (issued at the start of this year). Unfortunately it was based on what is still my best round at my course 6 months later, so all I've done is go up .3 so far!

When I got my 15, I got 0.1s back in the next 3 comps...went to 15.3 and then started coming down..
Give it time

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have the lessons and then get out and play and learn where you can and can't miss on your course and then go out in the competitions with a clear plan for each hole but more importantly, go out, have fun and enjoy it. It's only a 0,1

 

[jim8flog]

My first was 22 from a 9 hole course which transferred to this club. It was when I joined this club I started to play much more regularly and it was simply this that quickly got my handicap down to 14. I stayed thereabouts for years and it was only when I gave up work that I quickly got down to 6 where I stayed for about 20 years.

Short game- (chipping and putting) is definitely where you will save the most shots to get your handicap down, but big booming drives down the middle of the fairway is where I get the most enjoyment from the game.

As Homer says it takes ten bad scores to increase your handicap by one shot so do not worry about the bad rounds.

 

[jusme]

If you want to get to the best you can then don't do what I do/did. I NEVER practice and have never taken lessons. Both of those are a mistake if you wish to reach your potential. Get lessons early because once you groove in bad habits it takes forever, IF EVER to remove them.

I don't take it too seriously and play for the social side more than the golf. Hence in several years I have only dropped 6 shots from my initial 22. I know that if I did what I am advising you do then I could be comfortably single figures, I doubt low single, but certainly single.

Whatever you do, try and always remember the fun element. You are lucky to be out there swinging clubs. Too easy to forget

 

[BrianM]

If you want to get to the best you can then don't do what I do/did. I NEVER practice and have never taken lessons. Both of those are a mistake if you wish to reach your potential. Get lessons early because once you groove in bad habits it takes forever, IF EVER to remove them.

I don't take it too seriously and play for the social side more than the golf. Hence in several years I have only dropped 6 shots from my initial 22. I know that if I did what I am advising you do then I could be comfortably single figures, I doubt low single, but certainly single.



Whatever you do, try and always remember the fun element. You are lucky to be out there swinging clubs. Too easy to forget

I've had 3 lessons all ready and it's made a massive difference, i couldn't hit a driver until i had a lesson.
I need to learn to enjoy it more, the biggest battle is normally between the ears for me, if im playing well everthings fine but if i play a few bad shots it's like the end of the world

 

[davemc1]

I joined a club late in the year not long after taking the game up.. Got a massive 27 and stayed there till the end of the season

27-25 first full year
25-21 2nd
21-18 3rd
18-16 so far this year

Like yourself the initial target was to get to 18. I'm a slow learner! This seasons was/is 15-16, right now it's looking on track. Fingers crossed.



Best of luck, and as someone who knows, try and keep out of your head!

 

[williamalex1]

My first handicap was 18 the maximum allowed by my first club back in 1981.
I plodded away and got down to 10 then slowly crept back up to 18 now back down to 15.5 .
Just enjoy your golf and the company, don't take it too serious, it's only a game :thup:

 

[Slime]

I've had 3 lessons all ready and it's made a massive difference, i couldn't hit a driver until i had a lesson.
I need to learn to enjoy it more, the biggest battle is normally between the ears for me, if im playing well everthings fine but if i play a few bad shots it's like the end of the world

This, for me, is the kicker.
Once you've hit a bad shot, you've hit a bad shot and you certainly can't unhit it, so FORGET IT!!
Don't take it into the next shot or on to the next tee, you need positive thoughts.
This game is difficult enough, so don't beat yourself up when you hit a bad one, we all do it.
Learn from it, laugh about it, clear your head ............... then go hit a good shot.