JCW
Journeyman Pro
Explain that one , we are all waiting for your reply ................this is not the HDID forum where post go uncheck ...............................and rightly so ...................................EYG
For all the Cat 1 golfers
- Thread starter Pistol Peter
- Start date
Explain that one , we are all waiting for your reply ................this is not the HDID forum where post go uncheck ...............................and rightly so ...................................EYG
Please keep on topic it seems like you are trying to cause trouble.
EYG it's your slag after all so please stop trying to cause flaming of this post.
PhilTheFragger
Provider of Entertainment for the Golfing Gods 🙄
calm down guys, mods are aware of this thread and will keep an eye on things, no need for anyone to get miffed.
got a problem with a post? , report it rather than trying to sort it out
Cheers
IM01
Challenge Tour Pro
Everything you need to know
Hunka Turf
Assistant Pro
Very well said :thup:
davidy233
Tour Rookie
Where's the like button?
harpo_72
Journeyman Pro
I got there 17yrs ago, and then went off into the world of no membership and lost my handicap. I am making my way back, its been difficult and frustrating at times. All I will say is this you need an all round game, a consistent shape that's predictable and an ability to move on ...
chrisd
Major Champion
My experience is that the lower the handicap, the more spare time.
If you play once a week around 18 is a good handicap. Twice a week and 12 is probably good. More than twice and practice too and cat 1 or low cat 2 is a distinct possibility.
So, as was said - we arnt, any of us, good enough to do it for money, so long as we enjoy it the game is what it's all about and handicaps only make two players able to play each other so what the hell does it matter in the grand scheme of things if you're 12 and you're mates are 5 handicap?
If you play once a week around 18 is a good handicap. Twice a week and 12 is probably good. More than twice and practice too and cat 1 or low cat 2 is a distinct possibility.
So, as was said - we arnt, any of us, good enough to do it for money, so long as we enjoy it the game is what it's all about and handicaps only make two players able to play each other so what the hell does it matter in the grand scheme of things if you're 12 and you're mates are 5 handicap?
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
I'm not a Cat 1 golfer (yet 
) and never have been so you might not want my opinion but I'm gonna give it to you anyway.
When you talk about Cat 1, you have to appreciate there is a big difference between a 4/5 h'cap and a 0/1 handicap. Getting to Cat 1 for me means getting to 4/5 and having played with several in this category and can honestly say that a high Cat 1 golfer is a single figure Cat 2 golfer with a better short game. It's that simple.
If you want to talk about getting lower than 4 or 5, that's not a world I will ever be familiar with
) and never have been so you might not want my opinion but I'm gonna give it to you anyway.When you talk about Cat 1, you have to appreciate there is a big difference between a 4/5 h'cap and a 0/1 handicap. Getting to Cat 1 for me means getting to 4/5 and having played with several in this category and can honestly say that a high Cat 1 golfer is a single figure Cat 2 golfer with a better short game. It's that simple.
If you want to talk about getting lower than 4 or 5, that's not a world I will ever be familiar with
D
Deleted member 1147
Guest
The main difference I see between cat 1 and above is the ability to turn double bogeys into pars and bogeys.
Remember, we all miss greens and fairways, we all get into trouble off the tee, and we all make the occasional bad decision. What you've got to do is learn how to minimise the damage of those errors. Be it hacking out sideways, playing the safe chip around a bunker or where the opportunity arises taking on the tricky risk/reward shot.
Don't get the idea all cat 1 players practice loads, have amazing short games and tear the course up every time they play.
Following on from that, get some perspective on your game, where it is, where you want it to be - and be reasonable about it.
If you think you should be hitting every 100 yd wedge shot to within 10ft, find out how close the average European tour player does it. Same for getting up & down etc etc etc
Remember, we all miss greens and fairways, we all get into trouble off the tee, and we all make the occasional bad decision. What you've got to do is learn how to minimise the damage of those errors. Be it hacking out sideways, playing the safe chip around a bunker or where the opportunity arises taking on the tricky risk/reward shot.
Don't get the idea all cat 1 players practice loads, have amazing short games and tear the course up every time they play.
Following on from that, get some perspective on your game, where it is, where you want it to be - and be reasonable about it.
If you think you should be hitting every 100 yd wedge shot to within 10ft, find out how close the average European tour player does it. Same for getting up & down etc etc etc
S
Snelly
Guest
Thank goodness you're all on the case. I was starting to get very, very distressed at this thread. Please keep up the razor sharp focus on this over Christmas. Thanks.
As to the original question, it took me about five years to get to Cat 1 but that was a lot of rounds of golf - a hundred rounds every summer for three of those years I'd say.
Lessons and practice are all well and good but they are no substitute for playing with a purpose as this is when you learn to manage a score and plot your way around the course.
Best advice on this thread comes from Robobum and Tommo.
Fyldewhite
Tour Winner
One thing to get to Cat 1, another thing entirely to get down from 5. The change in handicap reductions (ie 0.1's instead of 0.2's) mean that effectively it's twice as hard to get from 5 to 4 than it is to get from 6 to 5. Also, the buffer zone is only 1 shot too. This means (rightly) that consistency is key and unless you can score in the low 70's much more often than not you can hit the barrier as I have done for several years now. I don't have the time (or inclination) to worry about this and am happy hacking 
)) my way round off 6. As for getting down from 12, some sound advice above, especially playing within yourself, managing the round and not making mental errors (the only kind you have complete control over).
)) my way round off 6. As for getting down from 12, some sound advice above, especially playing within yourself, managing the round and not making mental errors (the only kind you have complete control over).
Garesfield ACE
Tour Rookie
LPP: Has it not crosssed your mind this bloke could just be a complete wind up merchant??
Kev
Birchy
Money List Winner
Sooo many people sucked in by one big wind up.
Never learn
Never learn
GeneralStore
Challenge Tour Pro
Interesting post, other than the handbags of course
ADB
Journeyman Pro
Although never reaching Cat 1, 5.8 was my lowest in the late 90's I will give my twopenneth anyway.
Getting down to my lowest handicap was (guess) 80% down to my mental attitude, and 20% down to playing al lot over a period of about 2 years. Long summers in my late teens were spent working during the day and playing much twilight golf, because of that I know my strengths and, most importantly recognised my weaknesses - I had no swing mechanics in my head also.
I knew I was a relatively short hitter so always tended to hit one more club than necessary, I knew my driving was erratic so limited the holes when I took driver. Perhaps most importantly I was a very confident chipper and knew I could get within 6 ft more times than not - obviously this took the pressure off my putting.
Overall, I enjoyed playing (and still do) and didn't measure myself against anyone else - just playing against the course and the elements. Backing your ability is fundamental to scoring well.
Getting down to my lowest handicap was (guess) 80% down to my mental attitude, and 20% down to playing al lot over a period of about 2 years. Long summers in my late teens were spent working during the day and playing much twilight golf, because of that I know my strengths and, most importantly recognised my weaknesses - I had no swing mechanics in my head also.
I knew I was a relatively short hitter so always tended to hit one more club than necessary, I knew my driving was erratic so limited the holes when I took driver. Perhaps most importantly I was a very confident chipper and knew I could get within 6 ft more times than not - obviously this took the pressure off my putting.
Overall, I enjoyed playing (and still do) and didn't measure myself against anyone else - just playing against the course and the elements. Backing your ability is fundamental to scoring well.
londonlewis
Tour Rookie
Excellent advice.
Merry christmas Robobum - my Christmas present to you was a supportive comment!
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
This might actually be the most sensible piece of advice ever written on this forum :thup:
Alan P Mills
Assistant Pro
Ditto
NorfolkShaun
Journeyman Pro
Played today with this thought in my mind, shot one over PB off the back tees in very windy conditions and on my new course which is much longer and tougher than my old course where my PB was set.
Truly good sound advice this :thup:
