How can I spot a mid handicapper?

[the hammer]

This is a chap, to a tee (... No pun) at my place.

He hits the ball an absolute mile off the tee with his woods, but inside 100 yards and ouside of his "Power-Game" he's completley lost.

If you were, say sub 10, and stood behind him on the first tee box, knowing already you're giving him shots, no doubt you'd be dubious.

After the 1st hole though, you'd, probably be OK

I'm the other way. I'm a pretty poor driver of the ball (... Yes I'm addressing the issue) but my iron play and short game are pretty sound.

If you wanted to 'look' out for a mid handicapper I wouldn't look at their swing. I'd look more to their temprement and course managment.

have to agree, but in the opposite, ditched the driver and the hybrids, use nothing more than a 4 iron, dropped 4 shots in a month.
I think it will be a struggle to get lower without the distance though.

 

[richart]

Currently working with one of the best ball strikers I've ever met... his h/cap is now 15 down from 20 just a month ago. He has the potential to be a lot lower based on his ball striking.... but he's nowhere near just yet.

What job do you both do ?

 

[backwoodsman]

Another vote for the consistency comment. Which can also apply to those of us in the higher end. Sometimes, if you watch me/us for 4-5 holes you'd be hard pressed to tell the h/c. It's when you watch the next two or three three that you get the true picture.

 

[sawtooth]

how can you spot one ? you cant really unless you play a few rounds with them .. Gareth touched on it in his posts you could gave 2 13 handicappers , one could out drive the other by 30 yards mid irons could be the equal enough and the guy short off the tee could be alot better around & on the greens

If you seen me drive and where my drives were ending up currently you would think i was off about 3 ,
see me play from 100-50 yards in you would think i was off bout maybe 15 ..


there is no way of spotting him /her

That's the same conclusion I came to. On the other thread someone called another guy a shark because he played of 9 but hit some very good shots in a play off eventually winning. Geez he is entitled to sometimes isn't he?

To try and put things into perspective, last month at the Cooden Beach meet I drove the green on a 306 yard par 4 and holed the 8ft putt for eagle. By that measure I'm a bandit too. (For the record I had a 6 on the same hole in the morning.
) and a couple of .1s since.

There is a obviously a difference between great ball striking and great scoring. I know some very good ball strikers that are mid-high handicap. IMO they strike the ball as good as some low handicappers I've seen. Similarly I don't think that there is a world of difference between cat 1 and tour professionals either when it comes to ball striking. Scoring wise yes there is a big difference, but not so much ball striking and I've seen a fair amount of live professional golf in recent years. I suppose professionals can hit the ball well in their sleep whereas an excellent club golfer will hit a few more loose ones.

You cannot judge a book by its cover, the handicap doesn't lie (in the majority of cases).

 

[Hobbit]

That's the same conclusion I came to. On the other thread someone called another guy a shark because he played of 9 but hit some very good shots in a play off eventually winning. Geez he is entitled to sometimes isn't he?

To try and put things into perspective, last month at the Cooden Beach meet I drove the green on a 306 yard par 4 and holed the 8ft putt for eagle. By that measure I'm a bandit too. (For the record I had a 6 on the same hole in the morning.
) and a couple of .1s since.

There is a obviously a difference between great ball striking and great scoring. I know some very good ball strikers that are mid-high handicap. IMO they strike the ball as good as some low handicappers I've seen. Similarly I don't think that there is a world of difference between cat 1 and tour professionals either when it comes to ball striking. Scoring wise yes there is a big difference, but not so much ball striking and I've seen a fair amount of live professional golf in recent years. I suppose professionals can hit the ball well in their sleep whereas an excellent club golfer will hit a few more loose ones.

You cannot judge a book by its cover, the handicap doesn't lie (in the majority of cases).

+1 spot on.

My swing resembles an octypus putting on a sweater in a phone box but boy can I score when I'm 100yds in. Capt Ron hits the ball further than any guy I've seen in a long time but when his timing is a little off he can run up cricket scores on a hole...

The card is what we're measured by, not how pretty we twirl.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am playing close to 12 these days so a mid-handicapper in most definitions. I can strike the ball very nicely but have a flakey short game. I can also have the odd killer hole (double or worse) which makes the buffer zone hard to achieve.

 

[kid2]

I think that Mid Handicappers will have slight trends as they are improving.....
For instance..... A 10 handicapper will probably get out of a bunker in one go, they'll also hit the ball more than 200 yards with their driver, they'll strike the ball pretty well but will also leave approach shots further away from the hole than lower handicappers.....
Their lag putting will generally be better than say a 16 or 18 handicapper and they'll also take enough club to clear hazards from distance....
They'll Par more holes also because their lag putting will be better and because they are playing the game a little longer they'll manage their way around the course with some proficiency ....
Their short game will usually be a little tidier as well which helps them save pars on greens that they'll miss.....
I think the more one improves the more consistent the swing gets which keeps the ball in play more often...

I played a few months ago with a mate off 1.5.... Im as long off the tee as him...My ball striking is as good, chipping and putting were even on Par.... This particular day i turned on our front 9 two shots better gross than him.....
The difference i saw was that he was hitting the same shot nearly all the time....A small draw... With everything....Whereas i was fighting my swing going round.... Suffice to say i fell apart on the back 9 and he came back level Par....


Im not sure what angle Sawtooth was getting at about being able to spot a Mid handicap golfer... But if there are as many bandits out there that are playing off a mid handicap when they should be lower then these people seem to be equally as skillful of making their games look totally average and beginner like to a stranger looking at them.

 

[3PuttCharlie]

A few years ago, I played in The English Men's Mid Amateur Championship 'Logan Trophy' , this is a mid-amateur open for 35+ years old players with a max hc of 8.4

I'm sure I've read somewhere on R&A that a hc of 4.5 or better is considered a golfer of skill..

 

[JustOne]

What job do you both do ?

Sorry Rich, is that a serious question?

 

[garyinderry]

some people on this thread seem to equate good ball striking with length.


can you be a good ball striker and be short?


I would say yes.




*strokes chin

 

[sawtooth]

I think that Mid Handicappers will have slight trends as they are improving.....
For instance..... A 10 handicapper will probably get out of a bunker in one go, they'll also hit the ball more than 200 yards with their driver, they'll strike the ball pretty well but will also leave approach shots further away from the hole than lower handicappers.....
Their lag putting will generally be better than say a 16 or 18 handicapper and they'll also take enough club to clear hazards from distance....
They'll Par more holes also because their lag putting will be better and because they are playing the game a little longer they'll manage their way around the course with some proficiency ....
Their short game will usually be a little tidier as well which helps them save pars on greens that they'll miss.....
I think the more one improves the more consistent the swing gets which keeps the ball in play more often...

I played a few months ago with a mate off 1.5.... Im as long off the tee as him...My ball striking is as good, chipping and putting were even on Par.... This particular day i turned on our front 9 two shots better gross than him.....
The difference i saw was that he was hitting the same shot nearly all the time....A small draw... With everything....Whereas i was fighting my swing going round.... Suffice to say i fell apart on the back 9 and he came back level Par....


Im not sure what angle Sawtooth was getting at about being able to spot a Mid handicap golfer... But if there are as many bandits out there that are playing off a mid handicap when they should be lower then these people seem to be equally as skillful of making their games look totally average and beginner like to a stranger looking at them.

I'm not the best in the world at getting a point across on forums apologies Kid2. I know what I want to say but when I start typing it often reads completely different.

I'm trying to say that people should not jump to conclusions about a person being a bandit just because he/she can happen to strike the ball well. I think its a misconception that higher handicappers are incapable of good ball striking. There are some that can strike the ball really well but not often enough.

So I was really asking (particularly) those who are quick to label such a person a cheat how then would you expect a 9 or 13 handicapper to hit the ball? Help me spot one on the course, because I have a different opinion on how they can look.

The example given was that a 9 handicapper in the TT (it could be anywhere) hit a 3W 270 yds and he then hit a wedge to the middle of the green and sank the putt. The person was branded a cheat and was said to have "way too good a game for a 9" why? I don't get it.

What is a 9 supposed to do , chunk it along the ground, put it into the bunker, chip on the green and 2 putt for a bogey?

 

[JustOne]

What is a 9 supposed to do , chunk it along the ground, put it into the bunker, chip on the green and 2 putt for a bogey?

why did you have to bring my style of play into this?

 

[kid2]

I'm not the best in the world at getting a point across on forums apologies Kid2. I know what I want to say but when I start typing it often reads completely different.

Very same as myself Pal.... :thup:
It always sounds better in my head...:lol:

 

[drs1878]

I am a high handicapper...... Hit the ball pretty well, missing greens and not getting up and down in less than 2 is my problem..... Could take at least 8 shots off most rounds if I could chip close... Not too bad with the putter but don't give myself enough putts from inside 6ft....
I seen a chart somewhere detailing 'typical' stats against handicaps...... i was a typical 6 handicapper in relation to drivin distances, 11 on fairways hit..... Then it went down hill, 26 GIR, 28 saving parr and 19 putting .......

 

[kid2]

So I was really asking (particularly) those who are quick to label such a person a cheat how then would you expect a 9 or 13 handicapper to hit the ball? Help me spot one on the course, because I have a different opinion on how they can look.

The example given was that a 9 handicapper in the TT (it could be anywhere) hit a 3W 270 yds and he then hit a wedge to the middle of the green and sank the putt. The person was branded a cheat and was said to have "way too good a game for a 9" why? I don't get it.

What is a 9 supposed to do , chunk it along the ground, put it into the bunker, chip on the green and 2 putt for a bogey?

You will always have people like that Pal.... Its just Life......
The term Bandit is always being thrown around by people i play with.... More often than not its just some slagging... They dont really mean anything be it....
I played a local course a few weeks ago with my mate who is a scratch and 2 other lads one off 7 and the other off 3... Never met them before that round....
I was off 14 at the time but had strung some really good rounds togethre a few weeks previous.... That day i was level par gross through 9 holes.....
But to be fair to them they were very complimentary of my game and said that i wouldnt be long going down if i kept playing the way i was....
I ended up making a hash of a few holes down the back..... Just very poor swings that resulted in shots sent way off line off the tee.... I may have just been lucky to play with the lads i did and not have them think of me as any different than a 14 but i could understand them thinking other wise after the front nine score.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Interesting question.

I play with a lot of "mid-handicappers" (8-15) and I'd agree with others that the main thing we have in common is that we can play well but we don't play well consistently. We all have the ability to play any particular shot or hole really well but equally can play any particular shot or hole spectacularly badly. A good round won't include lots of birdies but generally just not making too many bogies and doubles, usually as a result of a combination of a bit of luck, a bit of scrambling and getting a few putts in.

Otherwise we do we have particular individual weaknesses. Some can't drive particularly straight but can chip and putt superbly. Others like me are pretty sound until we get near or on the green.

I remember absolutely nailing my first tee shot in a club match once but instead of the usual "bandit" comment you get in those situations my opponent simply said "you obviously can't putt". Brilliant (and spot on)!