Handicap has stalled

[HomerJSimpson]

Interesting.

In my comp rounds last year I averaged less than one birdie a round (it was actually nearer one in two). Despite this I ended the year pretty much the same as I started...

While I would like to reduce bogies and doubles, I think that it's hard to go out trying NOT to achieve something.

Aiming for more birdies (by aiming at flags, chipping and pitching more positively, putting past the hole) is something that can actively be targetted. It therefore seems to offer a more achievable goal. Something to have a go at this season once the temp gets above minus something.

I wouldn't go flag hunting. That's a recipe for disaster in my opinion. I've been finding that by taking one more club and swinging smoother I am finding the centre of more greens. Depending on where the flag is I'm likely to be close (middle) or not too far if it's front/back

 

[MadAdey]

Just looking at my full handicap certificate and since 30 July 2014 (so 2.5 years) my handicap has not left the range of 9.9<10.7!!!!!

The 2 years previous I had seen drops from 21 to 11.
Determined to push through that barrier into single figures.

What are the main differences you see between Cat1 and Cat2 golfers?
I haven't played with a lot of low guys but their scrambling always seems so good.
I drive it pretty well and I think im pretty decent in the 80-150 range but prob struggle a little outside of that.

This sounds just like me a couple of years ago. I was stuck in high single figures and could not do anything about it until I took a real look at my game. My main problem wasn't that I couldn't make birdies, but a lack of making enough pars. At the end of the day 18 pars is a scratch golfer. I was the master of shooting 80 with 3/4 birdies on my card.

I just got rid of my full bore aggressive approach and started to play smarter, defensive golf, that changed my doubles into singles. The other thing I did was to get better around the green so that the bogeys now became scrambled pars. I didn't learn to hit the ball any better or further, I didn't concentrate on hitting the ball closer to make more birdies, what I did was very simple to do. I always thought that scoring low was about hitting my driver better and hitting more greens, when the reality was that keeping the ball in play and learning to scramble was the areas that let me down the most.

 

[Simbo]

Aiming at flags is a guaranteed way to more bogies and doubles in my opinion.

Interesting your take on reducing bogies and doubles. Set a target then for a maximum number of dropped shots.

To me there is a danger if you are targetting birdies in becoming frustrated if chances are missed when in reality you are playing well. Lots of patience involved in golf. Many of my best rounds have few birdies but very few dropped shots which results in a good score.

While I agree reducing the bogies and doubles is a better way to reduce the handicap, especially from 10 down as you don't really need to be a birdie machine at that level. But at a 10 handicap and looking to come down you should really be pretty confident about flag hunting from a 9 iron and up.
Flag hunting from 150 is a recipe for disaster though.

 

[Curls]

This sounds just like me a couple of years ago. I was stuck in high single figures and could not do anything about it until I took a real look at my game. My main problem wasn't that I couldn't make birdies, but a lack of making enough pars. At the end of the day 18 pars is a scratch golfer. I was the master of shooting 80 with 3/4 birdies on my card.

I just got rid of my full bore aggressive approach and started to play smarter, defensive golf, that changed my doubles into singles. The other thing I did was to get better around the green so that the bogeys now became scrambled pars. I didn't learn to hit the ball any better or further, I didn't concentrate on hitting the ball closer to make more birdies, what I did was very simple to do. I always thought that scoring low was about hitting my driver better and hitting more greens, when the reality was that keeping the ball in play and learning to scramble was the areas that let me down the most.

Great thread in general and a very interesting post.

I guess I thought the same but when I looked back at my last round of the year, gross 77, it wasn't that I hit that many more GIRs I just got up and down very often. That's not to say short game is everything, I saw on another thread the stat that to score really well you need to be high in NGIRs, Near Green In Reg is defined as within 20 yards of the green and not in trouble (bunker, blocked out etc). I'd agree with this, unless you're getting up to or on the green in Reg regularly you're going to find life very difficult, so a decent long game is a pre-requisite of consistent low scoring (we all have "those" days).

I'm definitely guilty of flag hunting, but is that just an extension of my personality? I think I'd find it difficult to not aim at a pin I thought I could have a reasonable chance of getting close to. I'd worry that reigning in that aggressive play would lead me to being over-defensive and ultimately not believing in what I was doing. Surely that's a recipe for disaster? Or maybe something I have yet to appreciate.

Anyone on here a low h/c, pin-hunter and proud?! If so, what do you define as your biggest strength and greatest weakness?

 

[jimjoachim]

Great thread in general and a very interesting post.

I guess I thought the same but when I looked back at my last round of the year, gross 77, it wasn't that I hit that many more GIRs I just got up and down very often. That's not to say short game is everything, I saw on another thread the stat that to score really well you need to be high in NGIRs, Near Green In Reg is defined as within 20 yards of the green and not in trouble (bunker, blocked out etc). I'd agree with this, unless you're getting up to or on the green in Reg regularly you're going to find life very difficult, so a decent long game is a pre-requisite of consistent low scoring (we all have "those" days).

I'm definitely guilty of flag hunting, but is that just an extension of my personality? I think I'd find it difficult to not aim at a pin I thought I could have a reasonable chance of getting close to. I'd worry that reigning in that aggressive play would lead me to being over-defensive and ultimately not believing in what I was doing. Surely that's a recipe for disaster? Or maybe something I have yet to appreciate.

Anyone on here a low h/c, pin-hunter and proud?! If so, what do you define as your biggest strength and greatest weakness?

I like the idea of NGIR. But would really need to sharpen up my shortgame from inside 20 yards.

I remember playing a guy in matchplay who played off 3. He didn't have a great day tee to green. Infact he hit a grand total of 4 GIR. Yet he still finished in level par!!! I fear if i had a similar day i would finish +14....

 

[GreggerKBR]

To OP: If you're "stagnating" then you probably haven't worked out what's costing you shots perhaps?
By doing that, and improving those areas you'll have more opportunities for pars and most likely more for birdies maybe?

 

[GreggerKBR]

While I agree reducing the bogies and doubles is a better way to reduce the handicap, especially from 10 down as you don't really need to be a birdie machine at that level. But at a 10 handicap and looking to come down you should really be pretty confident about flag hunting from a 9 iron and up.
Flag hunting from 150 is a recipe for disaster though.

I sort of agree, but it depends on your situation, your skills and the "opportunity" from +/- 150yd I'd have said?
a) Flag middle of green on a par 3 and you should go for it!
b) Flag near water from rough with hanging lie and you should play safe!

From +180 I get much more defensive, looking for a "good miss" rather than flag hunting. But if you are good around the greens I don't see any reason not to be reasonably aggressive from <160yds (about 8-iron for me)

There are only a few holes each course/round that will offer up reasonable chance for birdies, most scratch/plus golfers are focussed on getting a birdie chance on those holes mainly. So you need to be in the right position to attack the flag at the right time.

Be aggressive at conservative targets and don't take on shots that have less than a reasonable chance of success, and "#roll-it-to-hole-it!"

Going back to short game. % wise, if you get the ball to within 2ft-4ft range versus 8-10ft there's a massive difference in the "make rate" of holing out - no matter what your level.

All my lowest rounds have come in different ways. Sometimes better scrambling, sometimes more pars sometimes more birdies & bogeys.
Although I remember once having an 8 on a par 4 and still shooting +1... (went OB twice on same hole!) - I was laughing because I thought I might make a10!

There were some common themes, I putted well in all of them, also the calculated risks I took did pay off meaning acceptable outcomes.
Mostly didn't drop more than a shot by missing in wrong places.
I stayed patient and didn't get too excited, or too mumpy if I hit a howler.
And weirdly... whilst I was fairly confident/assertive in what I was doing, I had no idea I was about to "go low" (in context for me!)

 

[Canfordhacker]

I'm another one in the camp of not focussing on birdies. I average 0.6 birdies a round and 6.5 pars consistently. So I should easily be a 10 handicapper (throw in the odd good round). But I'm not, because I also consistently average over 2 blobs per round which are so destructive. I'm trying to address this through better focus to eliminate the lack of concentration and poor decision making that bring on bad shots that cause this. I like the idea of the NGIR thought process that should guarantee bogey, increase par count and reduce over reaching in approach shots.

Good thread!

 

[drewster]

I'm another one in the camp of not focussing on birdies. I average 0.6 birdies a round and 6.5 pars consistently. So I should easily be a 10 handicapper (throw in the odd good round). But I'm not, because I also consistently average over 2 blobs per round which are so destructive. I'm trying to address this through better focus to eliminate the lack of concentration and poor decision making that bring on bad shots that cause this. I like the idea of the NGIR thought process that should guarantee bogey, increase par count and reduce over reaching in approach shots.

Good thread!

You've certainly got the right mantra on your signature !!!! I know i'm not the OP but for me this has been a great thread. Personally I'm reasonably happy with my game and definitely know how to manage myself and own capabiliities on course. From here on in i'm just going to be a bit more conscious of making sure my chips and putts actually get to and past the hole thus giving me more chances to actually hole a few !!!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Some interesting views on here and a few nuggets to think on if and when I can get out onto a full course again

 

[jimjoachim]

Seem to be a lot of people like me stuck in that limboland of 10-12!!!

Done a wee bit of analysis of my scoring last year and still a lot of scope to reduce my bogey count quite a bit.
Shortgame and putting will be the main focus for the year and hopefully begin to see some improvement and get down to single figures!!

 

[drewster]

Seem to be a lot of people like me stuck in that limboland of 10-12!!!

Done a wee bit of analysis of my scoring last year and still a lot of scope to reduce my bogey count quite a bit.
Shortgame and putting will be the main focus for the year and hopefully begin to see some improvement and get down to single figures!!

I'm with you Jim!!! We'll get there. I've got this far without ever having lessons and don't intend to start now but am looking for that little nugget/tip that will help me get over the edge. This thread has given me plenty of food for thought. Let's keep this thread alive and update accordingly with progress/tips etc. Good luck sir.

 

[S17er]

Good thread.


I started the year on 11, went up to 12 and finished on 10 - not sure if that would be classed as stalling or not?


I regularly play with two guys who fluctuate between 8 and 10. They have more than 20 years extra playing experience than me and play more regularly than I am able to due to family commitments.


Areas where I think they are better than me:


- bunkers
- short putts
- most short shots
- hit irons further
- rare to have double or worse
- don't get annoyed at poor shots


Areas where I think I am better than them:


- Driving
- fairways and hybrids
- hitting a draw when required
- full wedge shots
- chipping with 8 iron from the fringe.


Writing this all down makes me realise what I need to practice more!

 

[GreggerKBR]

I wonder if this concept of "stalling" has to do with the ebb & flow of deductions under handicapping vs CSS and that if you go outside your "buffer" you only go up 0.1?

So you can come down more easily, but then you have to continually better your handicap CSS in order to come down any further.
And even the pro's don't do better every round they play! They can go 71-64-67-74... but if when we fluctuate like that we might go up in h/c?!

If you shot 82 and got cut, the same 82 this week might mean no cut. Then 86 next week and you go up 0.1

Is that really "stagnating" or is it just usual ebb & flow of the game... great, good, bad all rolled up into "no change"

 

[Simbo]

Seem to be a lot of people like me stuck in that limboland of 10-12!!!

Done a wee bit of analysis of my scoring last year and still a lot of scope to reduce my bogey count quite a bit.
Shortgame and putting will be the main focus for the year and hopefully begin to see some improvement and get down to single figures!!

IMO, there's a reason for this, no offence intended to anyone here, in a broad spectrum of golfers a fairly decent player will reach 10-12 without having to put in much work, just by playing a couple times a week and maybe practicing a little bit, coming down the handicap range further generally requires some more dedicated work, a bit more practice and playing, maybe lessons, better mental game, strategy etc. There's more work for smaller gains in single figures. The buffer zones and the handicap cuts cheange from .3 to.2 which is also an influence.

 

[clubchamp98]

At my club you don't see many middle capers on the practice ground.
i regularly hear comments like " aren't you good enough yet you don't need to practice".
the best lesson I ever had was set a good lay up yardage 80/90 yds and practice this yardage till you can hit it with your eyes closed .
if you get into trouble play to your set yardage and go from there .
this takes double out of the equasion
dont try to recover al a seve going for a 100 to 1 shot .

scoring is in the short game as some have said its only getting up and down more that scores will improve.

confidence is key so be confident in your ability and don't second guess yourself.