How do I keep those 8's and 7's off my card?

[IanM]

Definitive answer: Pick up after 6

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

1 over through 7 yesterday.

Triple bogey on 8, bogey on 9

Bottled it

Possibly precisely the opposite. If the causes of the 8 and 9 were getting into trouble early on in the holes then maybe you didn't take the easy way out of the trouble rather than ‘going for it’.

 

[Bdill93]

Possibly precisely the opposite. If the causes of the 8 and 9 were getting into trouble early on in the holes then maybe you didn't take the easy way out of the trouble rather than ‘going for it’.

Just compiled bad shots on the 7. Drive was a bit right - second shot ball was below my feet on a big slope - I struggle with that shot as im rather tall.

The bogey was a bad 3 putt - missed a 2 footer for par!

 

[bradleywedge]

it was all going so swimmingly today:

1 - 4
2 - 6
3 - 4
4 - 5
5 - 4
6 - 5
7 - 4
8 - 5
9 - 5
10 - 6
11 - 6
12 - 4
13 - 5
14 - 6
15 - 5
16 - 4
17 - 8
18 - 8

This after I mentioned out loud on the 17th that I had kept the 7's and 8's off my card.

So it's all mental!

 

[Orikoru]

it was all going so swimmingly today:

1 - 4
2 - 6
3 - 4
4 - 5
5 - 4
6 - 5
7 - 4
8 - 5
9 - 5
10 - 6
11 - 6
12 - 4
13 - 5
14 - 6
15 - 5
16 - 4
17 - 8
18 - 8

This after I mentioned out loud on the 17th that I had kept the 7's and 8's off my card.

So it's all mental!

Well you kept 7s off the card so you're half way there, just the 8s to go. ?

 

[Barking_Mad]

Well you kept 7s off the card so you're half way there, just the 8s to go. ?

Statistically it's a 50% improvement. ?

 

[LincolnShep]

How do I keep those 8's and 7's off my card?

Join a par 3 course?

 

[IanM]

Join a par 3 course?

tough crowd!

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Keeping big numbers off your card is not easy. It's certainly easier to say than do.

But it starts with making a plan.
Before you go out make a plan for how you will play. Taking into account recent form, shot patterns etc and the weather that day. Be realistic. Plan to be short or play away from hazards. If you struggle to reach long par 4s or par 5s in two. Don't even try. Break the hole down ito 3 shots using clubs you know you can hit comfortably. It will remove a lot of pressure to hit long clubs well.

Also write down your plan for what you will do if you hit a poor shot. I would recommend getting it back in play, or not going for a long miracle shot.

Write it down or mark on a course planner the clubs and shots you want to hit, and the areas you want to hit to. Or use something like the link below.
https://www.provisualizer.com/index.php

Now you have a plan, mentally you have removed a large element of decision making needed on the course, especially on the tee.

The hard part now is sticking to that plan. Especially when things start to unravel.

It can also be difficult on the ego to pull a hybrid on a par 5 when everyone else is standing there with driver.

 

[pendodave]

Maybe you're just unrealistic about what a player of your ability can expect? Handicap golfers get doubles or worse because they're a bit rubbish at golf. Over 18 holes, choppers gonna chop at some point. If you just aim to improve your game in the general sense, the laws of average will eventually reduce the numbers. Getting obsessed about 7/8 as a thing doesnt solve anything, it just gets in one's head.

In case you think I'm being rude, I offer my own shocking stats as evidence. I play off 10 atm and have been around there for a bit. Hdid mockingly informs me that in the last few years I have 18 birds, 238 pars and 173 doubles or worse (it feels like most have been worse!). You havent listed your hcap on this thread, but a couple of shockers a round is probably perfectly normal and best resolved by just working on whatever part of your game is the most in need of tfc and letting the scores take care of themselves.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Always play the shot that you think you have the best chance of playing well and that will give you the easiest next shot.

I try very hard to follow my own advice (actually it’s Tommy Armour’s advice), but as much as I tried on Saturday in our September medal I still managed to start 8,8 against pars 5,4 of our 1st and 2nd. Ah well, the best laid plans of mice and men…?

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Maybe you're just unrealistic about what a player of your ability can expect? Handicap golfers get doubles or worse because they're a bit rubbish at golf. Over 18 holes, choppers gonna chop at some point. If you just aim to improve your game in the general sense, the laws of average will eventually reduce the numbers. Getting obsessed about 7/8 as a thing doesnt solve anything, it just gets in one's head.

In case you think I'm being rude, I offer my own shocking stats as evidence. I play off 10 atm and have been around there for a bit. Hdid mockingly informs me that in the last few years I have 18 birds, 238 pars and 173 doubles or worse (it feels like most have been worse!). You havent listed your hcap on this thread, but a couple of shockers a round is probably perfectly normal and best resolved by just working on whatever part of your game is the most in need of tfc and letting the scores take care of themselves.

Completely agree. Similar handicap to you, for example the other week kept 7s and 8 + off my card, but had four doubles instead and shot 13.9 WHS over. The other day, had two doubles(7 & 6), shot 11.2 WHS over. At the weekend, had a treble and double (7 & 6), shot 9.5 WHS over. Almost each time, the bad score was for different reasons, when I looked at the reasons.

OP, have you played golf with real low single handicappers(ie. less than 2/3) ? (even these have a double in a round on average). When I did I realised how far I am off 5 and below standard, for me each hole is almost like rolling a dice on what the score will end up.

My WHOLE golf game is just not good enough to keep those doubles/trebles etc off the card, I manage it a couple of times a year almost if luckily. People saying take your punishment or dont use driver etc, is just one very small part of the overall picture. Distance you hit the ball, will also be a big decider on your handicap and scores.

Improve your whole game OP, well worth looking at the stats, loads on the internet with them Study: Overall Golfer Performance By Handicap (mygolfspy.com)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Completely agree. Similar handicap to you, for example the other week kept 7s and 8 + off my card, but had four doubles instead and shot 13.9 WHS over. The other day, had two doubles(7 & 6), shot 11.2 WHS over. At the weekend, had a treble and double (7 & 6), shot 9.5 WHS over. Almost each time, the bad score was for different reasons, when I looked at the reasons.

OP, have you played golf with real low single handicappers(ie. less than 2/3) ? (even these have a double in a round on average). When I did I realised how far I am off 5 and below standard, for me each hole is almost like rolling a dice on what the score will end up.

My WHOLE golf game is just not good enough to keep those doubles/trebles etc off the card, I manage it a couple of times a year almost if luckily. People saying take your punishment or dont use driver etc, is just one very small part of the overall picture. Distance you hit the ball, will also be a big decider on your handicap and scores.

Improve your whole game OP, well worth looking at the stats, loads on the internet with them Study: Overall Golfer Performance By Handicap (mygolfspy.com)

Back in the 80s one of the Sundays ran a feature that had you winning a ball (or was it a sleeve of balls - don’t remember) if you kept a six off your card. I also cant recall if cat 1 golfers were excluded, but for the rest of us it’s not at all easy to do - in fact it’s very difficult - we ALL will quite regularly pop a 6 on a par 4, never mind on a par 5. That’s why the paper was quite comfortable with their little comp. Doubles and worse are a fact if life ?

 

[garyinderry]

It's amazing how poorly high handicaps play recovery shots.
I suppose its something that you dont practice at the range and very few are going to practice it when out by themselves.

Being able to play a low shot that travels 50 yards but doesn't go higher than 5 feet takes a bit of skill.
Choosing the right club to get out takes practice.
Actually choosing where u want ur chop out to finish takes a bit of thought. Usually involves thinking about the pin or maybe a flat part of the fairway. Again reaching this spot takes some degree of touch.
Getting out first time (nearly every time).
Selecting the right line to come out. Risk assessment.

Shots get pissed away on lazy poor recovery shots. Usually still grumpy from the shot that put you there or upset at finding yourself in a lie that's alot worse than the half decent swing you put on the ball on the last shot.

Everyone is guilty of it for time to time. It's all about limiting these mistakes as much as possible.

 

[Marshy77]

From my own experience as a high handicapper it's just something that happens unfortunately!

You could be on the green for 4 on a longer par 5 and easily 3 putt if you're in the wrong place, close to green on a par 4, duff/thin a chip and you're scrambling for a 7 or completely mess a drive up, 3 off the tee and then you're pushing for a 7/8 dependant on the par.

Practice helps obviously but for handicappers that goes out of the window for no reason at all!

Just as an example I was going along nicely on Sunday, 16 points after 8 and totally messed up my tee shot on 9, tried to hit an easy iron to the green, flew the green and walked off with a blob! Golf!!

 

[sweaty sock]

Im going to say it.

Just practice, get some lessons, practice more.

All this stuff about course stretegy and chipping out sideways is pointless if you cant keep control of your ball. You just chip out sideways and then stick it back in the trees with your next shot...

So as long as you cant control your ball (none of us can) 8s happen. 4 putts happen, shanks happen hitting the tiny tee markers 25 feet infront of your drive happen, you need to just get better at hitting the ball in a repeatable fashion.

If you cant - then the 7s and 8s are never going to go away.

 

[pendodave]

It's amazing how poorly high handicaps play recovery shots.
I suppose its something that you dont practice at the range and very few are going to practice it when out by themselves.

Being able to play a low shot that travels 50 yards but doesn't go higher than 5 feet takes a bit of skill.
Choosing the right club to get out takes practice.
Actually choosing where u want ur chop out to finish takes a bit of thought. Usually involves thinking about the pin or maybe a flat part of the fairway. Again reaching this spot takes some degree of touch.
Getting out first time (nearly every time).
Selecting the right line to come out. Risk assessment.

Shots get pissed away on lazy poor recovery shots. Usually still grumpy from the shot that put you there or upset at finding yourself in a lie that's alot worse than the half decent swing you put on the ball on the last shot.

Everyone is guilty of it for time to time. It's all about limiting these mistakes as much as possible.

I was thinking about this after I posted above, and wished I had included it.
I have a mate who's really good at low punch shots from under the trees. These shots are really quite tricky - I often find it hard to make a decent contact and keep the ball sufficiently low. The only way to get better is actually to go into the trees with some balls and work out which club most reliably produces the correct result. The lies in these areas are often quite unpleasant, which means just practicing on the range doesn't replicate reality.
Similarly with shots out of rough, both longer ones and shortish pitches.
clubproguy has made a living satirising his "elite" punch-out game, but there's definitely something in it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Just compiled bad shots on the 7. Drive was a bit right - second shot ball was below my feet on a big slope - I struggle with that shot as im rather tall.

The bogey was a bad 3 putt - missed a 2 footer for par!

Oh how I get that …here’s how I got an 8 on our first (a par5) without a lost ball and no terrible shots.
>Slightly pulled tee shot into deepish rough
>conservative play out into fairway didn’t quite reach but good lie in first cut rough
>pulled shot into trees
>conservative play out into fairway
>slightly pulled wedge into green side bunker
>goodish bunker shot
>two putts

Eight

dead easy. no really bad shots…though must work on stopping pulls ?

 

[RichA]

How I do it - identify nemesis holes and completely change how I play them. 3 x 9 irons will give you a par putt on almost any par 4 and breaks the cycle of driver into rough, hack into rough, iron, chip then 2 or 3 putts. Just doing it for a couple of rounds breaks the cycle. Quite a few holes on my course I now leave driver in the bag after a bit of risk v reward analysis. It's not sexy golf, but it's knocked my handicap down from mid-twenties to mid-teens over the course of 3 months. I've just stopped blindly chasing birdies and pars where I'm not realistically capable of achieving them.

 

[bobmac]

How I do it - identify nemesis holes and completely change how I play them. 3 x 9 irons will give you a par putt on almost any par 4 and breaks the cycle of driver into rough, hack into rough, iron, chip then 2 or 3 putts. Just doing it for a couple of rounds breaks the cycle. Quite a few holes on my course I now leave driver in the bag after a bit of risk v reward analysis. It's not sexy golf, but it's knocked my handicap down from mid-twenties to mid-teens over the course of 3 months. I've just stopped blindly chasing birdies and pars where I'm not realistically capable of achieving them.

Exactly.
Instead of practicing how to recover from bad situations, work out how not to get in there in the first place