How many times a year should you hit your handicap?

[CMAC]

I expect to play to max handicap every time I play- why wouldnt you!

I did it once last year!

new swing- new putter- new driver - and new iron shafts for 2015 will see this improve, hopefully.

 

[JustOne]

I have a small quibble with that..... I don't agree that your handicap represents your best golf. I'd say it's you on a good, but not great day. Pretty sure most of us have shot a few rounds well under our handicaps?

I agree.

 

[didsbury_duffer]

Over a year I would say about 15-20% of rounds should be buffer or better.
I'm sure the Powers that be have a figure....

I believe the average figure is around 18%, irrespective of number of rounds or handicap.

 

[rosecott]

I believe the average figure is around 18%, irrespective of number of rounds or handicap.

I'm pretty certain it varies from handicap category to handicap category.

 

[Crow]

I've only played 14 qualifiers this year.

8 x 0.1s
3 x buffers (although one of those was a reductions only CSS, I would otherwise have got 0.1 back)
3 x cuts
Overall handicap has gone from 8.6 to 8.4

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I have a small quibble with that..... I don't agree that your handicap represents your best golf. I'd say it's you on a good, but not great day. Pretty sure most of us have shot a few rounds well under our handicaps?

Fair enough, the wording could be different but the key point is you should 't be regularly playing to it. Whenever I hit the buffer I walk off feeling like I've played well. If people are hitting the buffer regularly and doing so without feeling they played well, their handicap is too high.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Depressingly, far more often than I did last year which was never. I previously thought your handicap was your average so some times you would be better, sometimes worse but more often than not you would hit your handicap most times. The current thinking seems to be your handicap is your score on a good day but not a great day. All very confusing. I guess the real answer is up to you, your own standards, but the figure of around 20% of the time would make hitting your handicap last pressurised and perhaps mean you have a better chance of reaching it. I suspect low handicappers hit it quite often, higher hc more rarely.

Next year I WILL hit my handicap and I WILL go below it. Please.......