How I Became a Single Figure Golfer in 2 Years!

[Deleted Member 1156]

I've not watched the video but is one of the five tips 'buy new clubs'? If not, why not? I've always believed that is the way to a low handicap

 

[Cherry13]

After 7 years i finally achieved it last weekend. The drop in 2015 was probably the most significant going down to 14 or so, that felt like a big drop at the time. Its then just been gradual chipping (excuse the pun) away at it.

 

[Orikoru]

Only watched the first tip which is hit the ball better and stop duffing shots - wonder why I haven’t thought of that before!!!?

Tip 3, another gem? Avoid double bogies. That must be what I’m doing wrong, thought double bogey was good

I do find that to be honest. Low handicappers often give advice that seems easy to them, because they're low handicaps, whereas for someone a little less consistent it's just not feasible. For example, I'm a big fan of Golf Sidekick on YouTube, but often he goes on about aiming to miss on the good side of the green, or avoiding trouble such as water - aiming isn't the problem but it doesn't always go where we aim!

I can honestly say I do most of the things on the video. I have worked at putting and chipping more aggressively so it goes past the hole (or preferably in it) rather than short. My course management is decent and I don't try and take on shots that have a low percentage of working out well. Concentration is just a given I think - of course you have to do that, and I'm sure we all try to. I don't play on my own much but did more last year when I could nip down to the course in the evenings for a practise nine holes, and my handicap did come down. The area I fall back on is the ball-striking I guess, since I don't really practise. My shots are ok but I'm still going to hit bad ones at times.

 

[Italian outcast]

Its always nice to learn from someone on the same journey as myself
My own videos are currently being re-edited as the triple X rating limits the audience

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Dolly, Dolly is that you

Congratulations and nice video.

 

[Orikoru]

I know a lad who started aged mid 20s, he was obviously a natural and eventually his handicap caught up with him at around 6 or 7 after just a couple of years.
His biggest jumps were when his handicap was higher.

As others have said, some people are just talented naturally.

Yeah, one of the guys at my club who plays off 5 or 6 now implied in conversation that he didn't know what it was like being a high handicap, so asked him 'why, what did you start on then?' He said his first handicap at a club was 9! Git. Imagine picking up clubs and basically being good at it straight away. (This is probably where you tell me you started on 7 right)

 

[Fabia999]

After 7 years i finally achieved it last weekend. The drop in 2015 was probably the most significant going down to 14 or so, that felt like a big drop at the time. Its then just been gradual chipping (excuse the pun) away at it.
View attachment 31714

I need some of that 1 June 15 - 1 Oct 15.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I really feel this could have been me if I didn’t keep getting fired, ehem, I mean, made redundant.

 

[pendodave]

Everyone has the ability, you’ve just got to find the right way to unlock it and reach your potential ??

Lol. Maybe, but for a lot of people that potential is about a 12 hcap...
Congrats btw. And to the others above who've got there.

 

[sammyboy]

I thought the video was good. And some of the criticism totally uncalled for.

He doesn't just say 'avoid double bogies'. He explains that first you need good ball striking. Then if you hit a bad shot knock it back into play rather than going for hero shots. Which makes total sense. Sometimes i get greedy - but I try and do the same. If I am off the fairway in trees I can try and emulate Bubba Watson - or I can punch it out with a 4 iron and get it in play.

The bloke has plenty of passion for the game. And he clearly has committed himself to it. And his 5 tips are useful. Especially the play by yourself. I find the best way to practise and get better is to do that. Get stuck behind a 4 ball and you can use the course as a driving range - just better. Drop 4 or 5 balls and try different shots. Try chipping rather than a flop shot onto the green etc. Technically this isn't allowed at my club - but if I find myself behind a 4 ball I'll do it anyway.

He clearly has talent. But he has invested the time and the money to get better. I hope he keeps posting and adding videos. Will be interesting to see how low he will go. The progress will be slower - but I feel most of us have a scratch golfer inside ourselves. I've never played a hole I didn't think was possible to shoot par on. It's just doing it enough times correctly that you can't get it wrong.

Edit - you should do a video on gapping. And how you work it out. And should have added 'buy a rangefinder' to your top 5 tips. I'd rather play without my driver than without my rangefinder. Saves me so many strokes and gets me into scoring positions.

 

[Jensen]

I have been playing golf for just over two years and I started life as a 25 HCP, but recently I have just made it down to SINGLE FIGURES (7.4)!

I thought I would make a little video that explains some of the most important tips I feel i have picked up over the past 2 years.

I hope they help some of you too!

Congratulations, fantastic to get down to that level. Wish I could.
Out of interest what sports did you play before golf, and how good were you ?

 

[Grant85]

I have been playing golf for just over two years and I started life as a 25 HCP, but recently I have just made it down to SINGLE FIGURES (7.4)!

I thought I would make a little video that explains some of the most important tips I feel i have picked up over the past 2 years.

I hope they help some of you too!

Really good advice and good video Mitch.

Obviously there's no substitute for ability - but great tips that can help amateurs make the most of whatever ability they have.

 

[huds1475]

I've not watched the video but is one of the five tips 'buy new clubs'? If not, why not? I've always believed that is the way to a low handicap

Preferably ones that match your outfit

 

[sunshine]

First of all - congratulations! It's a great effort to get down to 7 in two years and you should be proud of this.

I think the animosity from other posters is that most of your tips come across as very patronising. Maybe they would be interesting to a beginner, but for an average club golfer you are making obvious statements. Concentrate on every shot. This is true but everyone knows this, people don't deliberately lose concentration. Staying away from trouble is obvious advice. Play more golf - well yes of course this will help you get your handicap down.

In my opinion, the main reason why golfers reach a plateau and don't improve is because of time constraints. If you have a job and a family and can only play once a week, you are not going to improve, but that's the reality for most club golfers. You are lucky enough to have a launch monitor in your garden and could hit 200-300 balls a day during lockdown, so of course you are going to improve your ball striking.

One of my mates has no kids and has been on furlough since March. Guess what, his golf has improved no end!

 

[Sairamtim]

Actually the biggest issue by far in golf is that the way people practice isn’t efficient and doesn’t replicate a game of golf a lot of the time. Plus time constraints as others have mentioned.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Actually the biggest issue by far in golf is that the way people practice isn’t efficient and doesn’t replicate a game of golf a lot of the time. Plus time constraints as others have mentioned.

Agreed, most people can get down to low teens, and a good chunk to single figures.

The biggest issue is time, before children I would go to the club 3-5 times a week, usually spending my time on the practice green, pitching area or practice bunker. Sometimes I would play 6 holes instead. Then at weekends often (but not always) play 18 both days, as weather allowed.


I got myself to low teens in just 15 months, with a terrible swing and tbh very little ability. I just found a way to grind out bogeys and pars enough to break 90.

The moment I decided I had to leave the club my game tanked, I didn’t practice and only played one day a week. I couldn’t barely break 100!

Now I am older I am a lot less aggressive off the tee and plot my way around to make bogey every hole from the yellows, my swing is better as I am now 10 years into my golfing life but I have made very little progress since having children so would now be back around my starting handicap of 17 if I handed cards in now.

With a bit of practice and regular golf I could be more aggressive off the tee and make lower scores, but for now I would rather just play from the short stuff than hopelessly bash anything more than a hybrid off the tee.

I long to have the time again, I wonder how good I can really be, how low I can really go? It feels so close but also so far out of reach!

 

[garyinderry]

Agreed, most people can get down to low teens, and a good chunk to single figures.

The biggest issue is time, before children I would go to the club 3-5 times a week, usually spending my time on the practice green, pitching area or practice bunker. Sometimes I would play 6 holes instead. Then at weekends often (but not always) play 18 both days, as weather allowed.


I got myself to low teens in just 15 months, with a terrible swing and tbh very little ability. I just found a way to grind out bogeys and pars enough to break 90.

The moment I decided I had to leave the club my game tanked, I didn’t practice and only played one day a week. I couldn’t barely break 100!

Now I am older I am a lot less aggressive off the tee and plot my way around to make bogey every hole from the yellows, my swing is better as I am now 10 years into my golfing life but I have made very little progress since having children so would now be back around my starting handicap of 17 if I handed cards in now.

With a bit of practice and regular golf I could be more aggressive off the tee and make lower scores, but for now I would rather just play from the short stuff than hopelessly bash anything more than a hybrid off the tee.

I long to have the time again, I wonder how good I can really be, how low I can really go? It feels so close but also so far out of reach!

For a man that loves course management so much I cant work out why you dont bash 3 woods and drivers off the tee when the hole calls for it.

You dont always have to hit it on the fair way for it to be the correct or best shot for the hole.

For example. On our 12th. Down wind the best play is to take driver and pump it past trees on both sides at 230/240. Being 180+ out and on the fairway is not an advantage to a guy standing with a simple wedge in hand to the green.

It's a fairly short hole. Into the wind you may not make it past the trees so even trying might not be the best play.

Course management comes into play with the longer clubs just as much as hitting safe shot. Knowing which side of the fair way to miss is a big part of it. Which side avoids a big number or reload, which side opens the green up. Etc.

 

[ScienceBoy]

For a man that loves course management so much I cant work out why you dont bash 3 woods and drivers off the tee when the hole calls for it.

I think I have used my driver 4 times in the last two rounds and found 3/4 fairways or first cut, no damage done. I think the round before was 2/2 fairways too. Usually scrape about 220 off the tee with my poor weight transfer at the moment, I seem to have massively sacrificed distance for straightness of late! I must say I haven’t measured the tee shots but I doubt they are very long as I just don’t have the technique or have practiced using it of late.

I found that using a driver on around 4 holes a round, course dependant, usually fits my game plan quite well.

Usually I need to play a course once to work out where I can hit driver. If in doubt its an iron off the tee, which explains my timid approach of late.

I do agree that course management isn't about leaving the driver at home, but more about knowing when a driver will help you and when it will not. For me I can hit a solid 4 iron and now hybrid off the tee and get 170-200 yards which I feel is plenty for most tee shots on all but the longer par 5s or lower risk tee shots.

 

[sunshine]

Actually the biggest issue by far in golf is that the way people practice isn’t efficient and doesn’t replicate a game of golf a lot of the time. Plus time constraints as others have mentioned.

In what way is it inefficient? Maybe you could expand your explanation?

Personally, i feel the way people practise is a product of the time they have available.

 

[sunshine]

Agreed, most people can get down to low teens, and a good chunk to single figures.

The biggest issue is time, before children I would go to the club 3-5 times a week, usually spending my time on the practice green, pitching area or practice bunker. Sometimes I would play 6 holes instead. Then at weekends often (but not always) play 18 both days, as weather allowed.


I got myself to low teens in just 15 months, with a terrible swing and tbh very little ability. I just found a way to grind out bogeys and pars enough to break 90.

The moment I decided I had to leave the club my game tanked, I didn’t practice and only played one day a week. I couldn’t barely break 100!

Now I am older I am a lot less aggressive off the tee and plot my way around to make bogey every hole from the yellows, my swing is better as I am now 10 years into my golfing life but I have made very little progress since having children so would now be back around my starting handicap of 17 if I handed cards in now.

With a bit of practice and regular golf I could be more aggressive off the tee and make lower scores, but for now I would rather just play from the short stuff than hopelessly bash anything more than a hybrid off the tee.

I long to have the time again, I wonder how good I can really be, how low I can really go? It feels so close but also so far out of reach!

You start your post with the word "agreed", but then the rest of your post completely disagrees with it