How much effort?

[kid2]

I have great admiration for all you players off single figures and i strive to be one some day but the questions i would love answered are how much effort is needed to maintain such a handicap and is it possible to get there without lessons.....I see so many handicaps fluctuate between singles and doubles of people i know but dont know how this is.
I ask as a father of a 2 and a 7yr old with a day job. Your average Joe really

 

[Region3]

Re: How moch effort?

I know I'm not one, but I'll have a stab at answering.

It depends.

On how much talent you have. There will be some single figure golfers who have to practice a lot to maintain the standard, and others who roll up once a week and just play.

I would imagine getting to low single figures is another story, but I'll let others comment on that.

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

Re: How moch effort?

All depends on natural talent, some can turn up and play great golf and some have to practice. Im one of the ones who has to get at least a round of golf before a competition to have a chance of shooting to handicap

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Re: How moch effort?

I agree that there has to be a modicum of natural ability but I think the main reason my lie in the putting and short game. I know several low handicappers at my place that don't have anywhere near textbook swings and often get out of position but have immaculate short games which gets them out of bother.

I think as an "average joe" you need to decide what is important to you. As I don't have kids but an understanding wife its no problem for me to go out and hit balls or play in the evenings in the summer. However if I had a family I think my whole perspective would change and it would be about them and as long as I could get out in competitions and maybe the odd range session or cheeky nine then I'd take it as it came.

 

[Fyldewhite]

I agree with Homer. Yes, you need to be able to hit the ball constently with some basic hand/eye coordination but the short game is key. Personally I think anyone who can get down to 10/11/12 can be a consistent single figure player with a tighter short game and better course management. It's a complete myth that single figure guys are some sort of pure hitting magicians. I'm off 5 and play with (old mans ) Ping G10's as I'm a poor ball striker and need all the help I can get. I would say though that you do need decent length off the tee without spraying it all over.

 

[Imurg]

Anything's possible in this game. I got down to 8 in the 90's by playing. Pure and simple. No lessons, little practice, just playing. I've obviously got some natural ability for this game but I'm not loaded with it. I just got better at doing what I do. But the short game is key. If I shoot a low(ish) score, its because the short game is firing. Being able to get up and down from 100 yards will save you so many shots you'll wonder why you were high teens..

 

[JustOne]

Being able to get up and down from 100 yards will save you so many shots you'll wonder why you were high teens..

Being able to get up and down from 10-100 yards will save you so many shots you'll wonder why you were high teens..

For every hour you practice your long game... practice 2 hours for your short game.

 

[Robobum]

I'm not a practicer by any stretch of the imagination, i can just about muster 20 balls on a range before boredom strikes.

With that in mind I would say I have a "natural ability threshold" of probably 3 handicap and, having been there before, want to return to that this year. If I wanted to progress further than that I would need to improve in every single facet of my game and that would require time and effort which, similarly to yourself, I can't commit to.

Full time Dad
Full time Husband
Full time job
Full time dog walker
Full time taxi for the above
Part time golfer

 

[Screwback]

I personlly do very little pracising, also in the summer you have work and comps to play then for some there is league matches.

I think the reason mid handicaps dont get low handicaps is because they put too much emphasis on being a low handicapper instead of enjoying the game.

 

[CannyFifer]

I think the reason mid handicaps dont get low handicaps is because they put too much emphasis on being a low handicapper instead of enjoying the game.

Applause all round from me, I'm too busy trying to get into the 80's that it wrecks my round. Did it once and now I seem to push every round to better it.

 

[jammydodger]

I personally love to practise , it seems to calm me and gives me time to just while away in my own world. BUT.. I do make it quality practise not just blatting ball after ball. I need to feel good/confident about my game standing on the first tee.

I couldnt just turn up on a saturday and play to 5 every week ( i could easily play single figures with my eyes closed these days), however to go lower and get cut you need to score better than h/c and this for me takes practise. Several hours practise a week to keep the h/c coming down and I would see a lower limit of 2 being realistically achievable.

I admire players who can turn up week after week with no practise and play (and keep) a h/c of scatch or 1 going.

 

[RGDave]

Some folk can stay on good low figures without too much effort. Getting there is hard unless you either work really hard or have a natural aptitude, or some of both.
I'm not fussed that much about getting back down to 8 or 9. I don't have the time to practice enough, so I just try to enjoy the game.
I know a guy at my club who set himself a target of 9.4 or less and played/practised harder than anyone I know of a similar age to me. Not crazy, but regular, focused effort
Somewhat amazingly, as his short game got sharp and he took a few lessons, he suddenly leap-frogged from about 12 (and not a good 12) to 6. Consistency (direction) and short game came out of almost nowhere (it appeared) but he did it over a year and a half.....brilliant for him.

 

[Region3]

I couldnt just turn up on a saturday and play to 5 every week ( i could easily play single figures with my eyes closed these days), however to go lower and get cut you need to score better than h/c and this for me takes practise.

I'll take that bet

 

[Ethan]

My golf has reduced a fair bit due to family, work etc.

I don't play between October and April at all. And in the summer, I can't get out every week, so tend to focus on competitions, and about 3/4 of the rounds I play are comps. Have managed to keep handicap stable at 8 on about 15-20 rounds a season or so.

Every season I think this wil be the one where I play a bit more and get the handicap down, but something gets in the way each time.

Currently up feeding 5 month old baby, so probably won't be this season either!

 

[AndrewG]

I only play once a week, and have got down to 14.5 in 12 months. Single figures is my target for this year, but I know the closer you get, the harder the cuts are. Everyone I play with though, says that I've got a natural swing, and shouldn't have any problems getting down to single figures, which is a real confidence boost.

I've seen all types this year, people with bizarre swings, but chips to die for, 50 yard slices off the tee, but hitting the fairway every time, one player who putted anything within 70 yds (and subsequently played off 8). There seems to be no 'perfect' game, and thats what I love about it.

 

[macsport1]

A good plan to get to a single figure handicap is to have a specific handicap to aim for (e.g., 8) and have it written down so that you can see it often and remind yourself hat you are working toward. As the Americans say "Ink it, don't just think it". The best way to lower your score is working on the short game and even if you can't get to the range or course you could maximise your short game time at home with putting and chipping. I read recently that Darren Clarke has a room in his house set up for putting; I don't have the luxury but I can find space to roll a ball to a cup and chip off a mat in the garage. Make the short game your priority and all the best with your golf.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Well I'm very lazy & as such am on the higher side of single figures.

I have natural ability & can quite easily play to single figures without practice (just playing weekend comp's).

But to get down to lower single digits I need to practice my short game. As I'm a good ball hitter, quite long and am hitting fairways well I just take too many putts & don't get up & down often enough.

 

[Marko77]

I'd say as long as the player is playing regular enough and has the fundementals and a will to evaluate themselves and view/read instructional material then it should be possible to get to a low level and stay there with maybe the odd lesson here and there.

Instead of plunging into regular and frequent lessons I could encourage a period of time perservering themselves where strengths / weaknesses can be learned.

 

[Spinn77]

I'd say as long as the player is playing regular enough and has the fundementals and a will to evaluate themselves and view/read instructional material then it should be possible to get to a low level and stay there with maybe the odd lesson here and there.

Instead of plunging into regular and frequent lessons I could encourage a period of time perservering themselves where strengths / weaknesses can be learned.

I'd second this, with a little bit of natural hand/eye ability i think most can get down to single figures, I think I can muster mid singles at best. I play over the weekend and rarely visit the range. Over the summer im going to be working on my pitching and chipping in a hope to get lower but i wont be practising excessively.

 

[kid2]

My golf has reduced a fair bit due to family, work etc.

I don't play between October and April at all. And in the summer, I can't get out every week, so tend to focus on competitions, and about 3/4 of the rounds I play are comps. Have managed to keep handicap stable at 8 on about 15-20 rounds a season or so.

Every season I think this wil be the one where I play a bit more and get the handicap down, but something gets in the way each time.

Currently up feeding 5 month old baby, so probably won't be this season either!

Been through it Ethan....The 4 o clock feed thing now not the Handicap.......
It does get easier though about another 8 weeks or so now and you'll start to get a few more hours sleep than you normally do.....