Handicap Improvements - Your story

[Biggleswade Blue]

Played half a dozen times a year for a few years, didn't break 100.

Joined a club. First handicap index was 30, crept up to 33 over the first few months as the -2 adjustment dropped off. Went from 33 to 25 over the next year. Went from 25 to 23 over the next year. Lessons every six-eight weeks with some practice, especially in winter.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

When did you first start playing golf - join and club etc
I started age about 10 hitting balls on Ainsdale beach and Southport pitch &Putt when on holiday down south one year - my uncle Les played a bit - mostly at S&A but sometimes at RB. That got me going and I got my dads mixed bag of brown painted steel and hickory clubs from the cellar and started hitting balls up and down private school playing field across road from home, until when age 12 or 13 me and mate Alan started playing Deaconsbank Muni, Glasgow South Side.

First club joined (other than junior at Dunkeld & Birnam for holiday golf - no handicap) was East Renfrewshire. About 1978. Did not get a handicap.

What was your first HC
Joined Filton (Bristol) in 1985. First (ever) handicap based on 3 cards was 16. One year later my handicap was 11.

What is your HC now
HI is 7.4

Along the way what have you used to improve
I was given Ben Hogan’s Fundamentals book by a neighbour when I was 13 - as she’d seen I’d started hitting balls in the field. Garage at home was alongside our back garden, it had a large window in the side. I would place Hogan’s book on the grass in front of me and match my reflection in the window of my stance, address and swing positions with the pictures in the book. Then go across to the playing field to hit balls.

I would sometimes stick bits of branch in the corners of the field and play to them in various combinations as if they were holes. The long jump and high jump pits were my bunker practice and I’d tuck a stick close to them as a challenge…and try playing from uncut long grass at the edges and from behind a big tree at one end. The field was 119 paces top to bottom and I can recall having to wind back on the clubs I used as I started to hit my balls (would only have had 3 or 4) into the woods over the fence at the bottom…and can recall the first time I got a 5i properly up in the air

No lessons until maybe 5 yrs ago - when my daughter started going out with one of our club pros.

I played a lot mid 80s into early 90s (when our lad arrived on the scene) but virtually no range practice until lessons started. Got me down to 6 in early 1990s.

And still no video.

 

[Fore Right]

Started playing during Covid in 2021

1st handicap 15
End of 2022 got down to 7.1
End of 2023 finished off 2.3

Hoping for scratch this year
Absolutely fallen in love with the game

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Started playing during Covid in 2021

1st handicap 15
End of 2022 got down to 7.1
End of 2023 finished off 2.3

Hoping for scratch this year
Absolutely fallen in love with the game

Hope you’ve done a vlog or some other record of your progress…would make a change for someone to achieve the goal of scratch in just a few years. Many talk of it. Few achieve it.

 

[Fore Right]

Hope you’ve done a vlog or some other record of your progress…would make a change for someone to achieve the goal of scratch in just a few years. Many talk of it. Few achieve it.

I haven't to be honest.

I played cricket for 10 years before picking up a golf club, my teacher said right from the beginning that I had some natural talent but my fundamentals were awful.
Grip, ball position, posture all wrong because of the cricket background.
2022 was trying to get used to that as it felt foreign but once we got that bedded in last year it really came together.

He thinks if I can work on my short game and putting I could improve further, I give most of the credit to him.
Without his tuition I would probably still be off double figures.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I haven't to be honest.

I played cricket for 10 years before picking up a golf club, my teacher said right from the beginning that I had some natural talent but my fundamentals were awful.
Grip, ball position, posture all wrong because of the cricket background.
2022 was trying to get used to that as it felt foreign but once we got that bedded in last year it really came together.

He thinks if I can work on my short game and putting I could improve further, I give most of the credit to him.
Without his tuition I would probably still be off double figures.

The indisputable value of lessons from early on…get the right stuff instilled and avoid picking up too many bad habits that can be very difficult to break out of

 

[Bratty]

Started playing during Covid in 2021

1st handicap 15
End of 2022 got down to 7.1
End of 2023 finished off 2.3

Hoping for scratch this year
Absolutely fallen in love with the game

The entire forum now hates you!!
Great work though and welcome to golf!

 

[Voyager EMH]

The entire forum now hates you!!
Great work though and welcome to golf!

What a dreadful thing to say.
And simply not true.
(I wonder what colour tee pegs he uses though? Could be a big opinion changer)

 

[SurreyGolfer]

First club I joined was Axe Cliff (East Devon) and I think I was about 11, played for a few years but found football, girls and booze.

Picked it up again during Covid at age 34 and have been going for a few years. Handicap progression is in my signature.....is it as fast as I would like? No, but I have 3 young kids and work full time so will need to be slow and steady. Hoping to be ~15 by end of year and would love to break 85 but won't cry if I'm not. Currently a member at West Byfleet and loving it.

Had some lessons when I picked it up again to set me off right, was a godsend. I'm left-handed (but play right-handed) so had a whole bunch of things to sort

 

[garyinderry]

I haven't to be honest.

I played cricket for 10 years before picking up a golf club, my teacher said right from the beginning that I had some natural talent but my fundamentals were awful.
Grip, ball position, posture all wrong because of the cricket background.
2022 was trying to get used to that as it felt foreign but once we got that bedded in last year it really came together.

He thinks if I can work on my short game and putting I could improve further, I give most of the credit to him.
Without his tuition I would probably still be off double figures.

That's an awsome couple of years. Are you a long hitter? That's a crazy low index to have with your coach saying you have wiggle room to improve in your short game.

 

[Barking_Mad]

Started playing with my Dad and brother at Hemsworth pitch and putt when I was 10. Then played with a friend at high school (we'd walk 6 miles there and back to the public course inside Pontefract Racecourse). Also Whitwood, and occasionally Oulton Hall and Temple Newsam near Leeds. Never had a handicap but don't think I ever broke 100.

Then I played cricket for many years and only started playing golf again about 7 years ago when my wife got me a set of clubs off Freecycle. (Hippo).

Handicap was about 18 or so for a long while as I'd only play once a week at random courses round Leeds. Then in 2022 I joined a club and it fell to 12 within 12 months. Currently a touch higher but I'm hoping to get it below 10 this year.

 

[patricks148]

I haven't to be honest.

I played cricket for 10 years before picking up a golf club, my teacher said right from the beginning that I had some natural talent but my fundamentals were awful.
Grip, ball position, posture all wrong because of the cricket background.
2022 was trying to get used to that as it felt foreign but once we got that bedded in last year it really came together.

He thinks if I can work on my short game and putting I could improve further, I give most of the credit to him.
Without his tuition I would probably still be off double figures.

I too came from Cricket, was told i had the swing of a Cricketer at the time... checked drive, ive not played cricket in 18 years so cant tell if i have the cricket swing of a golfer or not

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I haven't to be honest.

I played cricket for 10 years before picking up a golf club, my teacher said right from the beginning that I had some natural talent but my fundamentals were awful.
Grip, ball position, posture all wrong because of the cricket background.
2022 was trying to get used to that as it felt foreign but once we got that bedded in last year it really came together.

He thinks if I can work on my short game and putting I could improve further, I give most of the credit to him.
Without his tuition I would probably still be off double figures.

Impressive improvement


Where do you play ?

 

[Retired cricketer]

Stopped playing c1996 and only returned in late 2021 after old age got the better of me on the cricket field. Handicap of 24 early on which is now down to 13. I've always watched golf on TV but do so now from a more technical and mental aspect. Tee to green (or close to) was OK initially. The change has been increased length in my driving (lots of hours at the range) and around the greens simply by playing. Constant practice and playing was always my cricket mantra and it is working with golf.

 

[Bucktaylor64]

I didn't start playing til in my mid 20's. Had half a dozen lessons and practiced everyday nearly. Had a few rounds about six weeks later. Got my 28 handicap which was the highest allowed.

During a week off work played in a competition or two and was cut 6 stokes due to returning a net score of 44 points!

Played a few more comps and won another with 46 points! Gradually worked my way down to 17.

Didn't play a lot from 2004 til a couple of years ago due to the arrival of my youngest son. The course where I was a member (Martin Moor) has gone! I'm looking to join a club again and get my handicap up to date!

 

[nyckuk]

Started 6 years ago, Kids grew up so joined a local ex-council club on a 5day ticket , after a year upgraded to 7day to play Saturday comps and got a HC 24.
Got my first hole in one after 2/3 months
First lesson was after Hurt my back as i developed a shank on my return .( Well hitting of the toe ).
Hovered around HC 17-19
Won my first and only comp after 3 years on a extremely windy day.
Left there 2 years ago and join a proper club a lot harder and longer
HI 18-20
Had a second lesson as i could never it the ball very high .... spring 2023
Summer 2023 started slightly improving and has a 3 week spell of low scoring rounds and dropped 18.9 ,17.0,16.1 to 15.3 and been hovering around that figure since

 

[MadAdey]

When did you first start playing golf - join and club etc

Started playing in the summer of 89 when I was 12 at Stoke Rochford Golf Club with my dad

What was your first HC

Got my first handicap of 24 with 2 weeks playing from the mens tees

What is your HC now

Now playing off 3.2

Along the way what have you used to improve

A lot of lessons as a kid and reading a lot of books. Got down to single figures by the age of 18 but stopped playing for a few years. Got back into golf in my mid 20's and floated around 8-10 handicap.

Been told way too often I was the best 9 handicapper they had played with, but my wedge play was always terrible. About 12 years ago I found YouTube golf and started to watch videos, but could still not sort it out until I found MeAndMyGolf. Watched a great video on wedge play and it all made sense on what I was doing wrong ofr over 20 years. Stated to implement what they said about using the bounce the sole and with some hard work and practice within a couple of weeks I knocked 5 shots off a round. I also watched another video on players carrying too many wedges and how that creates too many options and leads to confusion. So know I only carry a 50*GW and 56*SW and learned to play different shots with them. I wish I had sorted this out 30 years ago.

 

[Canary Kid]

What is this “handicap improvement” of which you speak? It’s a new one on me.

 

[MadAdey]

I didn't start playing til in my mid 20's. Had half a dozen lessons and practiced everyday nearly. Had a few rounds about six weeks later. Got my 28 handicap which was the highest allowed.

During a week off work played in a competition or two and was cut 6 stokes due to returning a net score of 44 points!

Played a few more comps and won another with 46 points! Gradually worked my way down to 17.

Didn't play a lot from 2004 til a couple of years ago due to the arrival of my youngest son. The course where I was a member (Martin Moor) has gone! I'm looking to join a club again and get my handicap up to date!

What happened to Martin Moor then. That was a great little course, was based at Coningsby and would go up there for a quick 9 after work sometimes with it being cheap and a reasonably easy knock round.

 

[Bucktaylor64]

What happened to Martin Moor then. That was a great little course, was based at Coningsby and would go up there for a quick 9 after work sometimes with it being cheap and a reasonably easy knock round.

I loved the course, but the had a bad year and the course was put up for sale. It revertd to being agricultural land and the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th holes are totally destroyed by reservoirs now!