Handicap Drop in 1year ?

[pokerjoke]

By the fact that you've made such great progress you should be confident that you can go lots further - the potential is massive right? That short game knowledge will pay dividends (i've seen it so many times it hurts) and with a steady long game you should get practicing victory speeches

Thanks
Yes my long game is eratic,however it is improving slowly.
I agree the potential is there.
Would be good if the rain stopped so I could practice more.

 

[pokerjoke]

That's the key for me. If I can improve my chipping I think I can get somewhere near Cat 1. It's a miracle I am at single figures with the state of it last year when it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for me to take 4 to get down from around the green. I've been working on my technique in the garage just trying to get a consistent strike but I'm at the point now where I need to be on the course putting it under pressure which is why all this rain is so depressing. I've set myself a target of 6 this year but it won't happen without a decent short game.

Your right you cant take 4 from the edge of the green ever.
What I found was,I was chipping the right distance but left or right of the flag,purely
because I wasn't focussing enough on the flag,so with an improved tequnique and more
focus ive improved.
Fair play on your commitment to practicing in the garage,you must be going mad.

 

[EuanRoss]

Can't find my exact starting point for 09.

2009 10 to 8.4
2010 8.4 to 8.1
2011 8.1 to 7.4
2012 7.4 to 7.5
2013 7.5 to 5.6

I was as high as 12 when I joined Newburgh in either 07 or 08 having barely played golf in 6 years. Think I'll find it tough this season. 5.4 or lower at the end of the season is the target, and hoping to reach 4.9 or lower at some point. Gonna be playing quite a lot of golf this year so hence the challenge.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Your right you cant take 4 from the edge of the green ever.
What I found was,I was chipping the right distance but left or right of the flag,purely
because I wasn't focussing enough on the flag,so with an improved tequnique and more
focus ive improved.
Fair play on your commitment to practicing in the garage,you must be going mad.

Mad, and risking my life. I have a wire mesh frame stored in the garage that used to be a chicken coop so I use that the chip against. The problem is, if I go too high I hit the wall and golf balls come back off of walls rather quickly and at head height. I've had to do some rather quick moves to get out of the way (think Matrix bullet dodging type stuff )

 

[EuanRoss]

That's the key for me. If I can improve my chipping I think I can get somewhere near Cat 1. It's a miracle I am at single figures with the state of it last year when it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for me to take 4 to get down from around the green. I've been working on my technique in the garage just trying to get a consistent strike but I'm at the point now where I need to be on the course putting it under pressure which is why all this rain is so depressing. I've set myself a target of 6 this year but it won't happen without a decent short game.

Cat 1 will be achievable HawkeyeMs. I'd the same starting point as you last season and was so close to it. Got to 5.5. This may sound stating the obvious but they key is minimising the 0.1's, I'd so many rounds where I battled hard for nett 74 or 34 points. Always said to myself, even if I was 44 (we're 36 out 36 back for par) to the turn playing off 6, right, level par back for the buffer. Worked a lot of times.

 

[patricks148]

Cat 1 will be achievable HawkeyeMs. I'd the same starting point as you last season and was so close to it. Got to 5.5. This may sound stating the obvious but they key is minimising the 0.1's, I'd so many rounds where I battled hard for nett 74 or 34 points. Always said to myself, even if I was 44 (we're 36 out 36 back for par) to the turn playing off 6, right, level par back for the buffer. Worked a lot of times.

The big Difference we have though Euan is that The SGU have still not adopted the ESR thing so down there they have an advantage over us if you are consistantly playing below your handicap

 

[Pistol Peter]

The big Difference we have though Euan is that The SGU have still not adopted the ESR thing so down there they have an advantage over us if you are consistantly playing below your handicap

Forgive me for asking but what is an ESR and why does England have it & not Scotland, after all Scotland is the home of golf.

 

[Wayman]

Been at 5 and 6 last two year
Just fell out with the misses so loads golf going to be played now
Also moved to a club with better practice area
Goal this year is 4 or 5

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Forgive me for asking but what is an ESR and why does England have it & not Scotland, after all Scotland is the home of golf.

http://www.cgc-ni.com/uploads/CONGU ESR.pdf

 

[EuanRoss]

Think it stands for 'England's Stupid Rule' or something like that. ;-)

Nah it's Exceptional Score Reduction or something like that. Basically means if you are consistently breaking your handicap or you shoot something ridiculous like 10 under your handicap, the handicap committee of your club can reduce your handicap additionally.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Think it stands for 'England's Stupid Rule' or something like that. ;-)

Nah it's Exceptional Score Reduction or something like that. Basically means if you are consistently breaking your handicap or you shoot something ridiculous like 10 under your handicap, the handicap committee of your club can reduce your handicap additionally.

I think my response was more accurate

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The big Difference we have though Euan is that The SGU have still not adopted the ESR thing so down there they have an advantage over us if you are consistantly playing below your handicap

I did note the , but ESR won't help much this year. Taking 7.5 as a start point, I have to play two rounds of 4 or more under handicap in quick succession to trigger the ESR. That would mean a cut of at least 1.6 taking me to 5.9. ESR can only reduce to 5.5 so if I do get to 5.something, I'll be there before ESR kicks in.

 

[Pistol Peter]

Think it stands for 'England's Stupid Rule' or something like that. ;-)

Nah it's Exceptional Score Reduction or something like that. Basically means if you are consistently breaking your handicap or you shoot something ridiculous like 10 under your handicap, the handicap committee of your club can reduce your handicap additionally.

Strange as I have never heard about it, why is it only an English thing and not adopted in Scotland or are there just to many bandits in England.

 

[EuanRoss]

The big Difference we have though Euan is that The SGU have still not adopted the ESR thing so down there they have an advantage over us if you are consistantly playing below your handicap

Wouldnt do us any good anyway Patrick for getting into Cat 1.

Ill just need need to do the same in the first qualifier of this year as last. 78-8-70 in the howling gale CSS74 for a 0.8 cut. 76-6-70 this year will do.

 

[EuanRoss]

I did note the , but ESR won't help much this year. Taking 7.5 as a start point, I have to play two rounds of 4 or more under handicap in quick succession to trigger the ESR. That would mean a cut of at least 1.6 taking me to 5.9. ESR can only reduce to 5.5 so if I do get to 5.something, I'll be there before ESR kicks in.

To be honest. Looking at how it actually works (thanks HawkeyeMs) I don't think it should even apply to Cat 2 players. I know (and I think Patrick will agree) how tough it is to make your way down through Cat 2. I think once you get to 12 or less there shouldn't be much need for it.

 

[fenwayrich]

I recently started playing again after a 20 year gap during which I didn't touch a club. Just put in my cards for handicap and have been allotted 12. I would be ecstatic if I could get down to single figures this year - beyond that is unlikely as I am a very short hitter due to age and spondylitis. I am a decent putter but the short game has rather gone to pot in my long hiatus, so I am going to work on that a bit. Not a very good practiser though.

 

[patricks148]

To be honest. Looking at how it actually works (thanks HawkeyeMs) I don't think it should even apply to Cat 2 players. I know (and I think Patrick will agree) how tough it is to make your way down through Cat 2. I think once you get to 12 or less there shouldn't be much need for it.

deffo Euan. My transition from 10 to 6 took me a good couple of years as like most golfers i only get a limited number of cuts anyway. Hawkeye, if my memory serves me right didn't you have a couple of good rounds to take you from 10 point something to 8 point something then got a two shot ESR to take you to 6.5 was it? for me it that extra drop from 8 to 6 took around about 6 or 7 extra rounds for me to shoot to that handicap.. if you get my meaning?

 

[HawkeyeMS]

To be honest. Looking at how it actually works (thanks HawkeyeMs) I don't think it should even apply to Cat 2 players. I know (and I think Patrick will agree) how tough it is to make your way down through Cat 2. I think once you get to 12 or less there shouldn't be much need for it.

I am actually undecided about it TBH. I had the benefit of a 2 shot ESR cut last year which meant I went form 10.6 to 6.5 in the space of 23 days in May. It took me a while to get my head around it but since then my scores have justified the decrease. I am however still not convinced it is entirely perfect. A cutoff at Cat 2 rather than Cat 1 would possibly be a better solution. Or maybe part of the cut is deferred, For example, if ESR recommends a 2 shot cut, you immediately get 1 shot and the other is applied if you shoot any score under handicap within a given period? This should probably be, and has been, a different thread though.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

deffo Euan. My transition from 10 to 6 took me a good couple of years as like most golfers i only get a limited number of cuts anyway. Hawkeye, if my memory serves me right didn't you have a couple of good rounds to take you from 10 point something to 8 point something then got a two shot ESR to take you to 6.5 was it? for me it that extra drop from 8 to 6 took around about 6 or 7 extra rounds for me to shoot to that handicap.. if you get my meaning?

I do, and I agree in part as per my reply to Euan.

 

[Break90]

I've started playing regularly again last summer after a 7 year family induced layoff.

Before the break I was playing off 13, then last summer I was shooting anywhere between 90 and 105.

regular play and a bit of practice has seen me get a starting handicap of 15.6 at my new club.

goal for this year is to get down to 12, recent rounds indicate this is very achievable, long term goal is to get to and maintain a single figure handicap, although I know this will take a lot of time, dedication and short game practice.

should also be fun though, it's a bit of a shame that there are no qualifying comps at my club until March though. Last 4 rounds have been net 65 (par70), net 72 (70), net 68 (72) and net 68 (72).