Low Handicappers

[Ndw7]

I played an off the cuff round at a local course yesterday as my home course was all booked up. Played with a 5 handicapper who I've played with a few times before, but this was the first time I've really taken note of how he gets about the course and it was a real eye opener.

I was keen to see what the differences we between me as a 20 handicapper and my mate as a 5 handicapper.

Basically I drove the ball further than him and he was 10 times better than me at every other aspect. From seeing shots, to judging the clubbing required due to wind, slope, etc. The Biggest difference I would say was from around 100 yards and in. From that distance he was putting it close and 2 putting. Whereas I was sometimes close, sometimes long, sometimes short. Then chipping and sometimes 2 or 3 putting. It's amazed me how many shots are lost around the green!

All in all, it's quite depressing to see how much I need to improve to lose some shots 😂

 

[Foxholer]

I played an off the cuff round at a local course yesterday as my home course was all booked up. Played with a 5 handicapper who I've played with a few times before, but this was the first time I've really taken note of how he gets about the course and it was a real eye opener.

I was keen to see what the differences we between me as a 20 handicapper and my mate as a 5 handicapper.

Basically I drove the ball further than him and he was 10 times better than me at every other aspect. From seeing shots, to judging the clubbing required due to wind, slope, etc. The Biggest difference I would say was from around 100 yards and in. From that distance he was putting it close and 2 putting. Whereas I was sometimes close, sometimes long, sometimes short. Then chipping and sometimes 2 or 3 putting. It's amazed me how many shots are lost around the green!

All in all, it's quite depressing to see how much I need to improve to lose some shots 😂

Think of it as a positive 'lesson' then!

The really good thing is that you have recognised the areas where you need to (and can) improve!

Now get out and do so!

 

[jim8flog]

The first pro-am I played in was similar eye opener. The pro put his drives in places that I did not know existed but his short game was so good that he went round in 23 putts and finished 4 under.

 

[PJ87]

I've played golf with a few low handicappers over the years

Lowest has been scratch for my old coach which was good to watch how to play

a guy I work with plays off 4 ex army very fit for his age and spent years in the forces working on his swing lol. Very pleasant to watch

The best though is this 14 year old who plays sometimes in my society (son of a member) plays off 3.5 I think but gets better each time.. he only carded 4 events this year all 34-37 points

One day he will turn pro.. expect to see him on the European tour before he is 25

 

[Face breaker]

Completely different experience from the one I had on Friday, played with a 6h/c'er who just blasted everything from 'driver to lob-wedge' into the stratosphere, so many times he put his approach shot out the back of the green or 3 putted I lost count in the end, only thing I can say is his current handicap wasn't achieved at our course but another course fairly local to us...

Reckon he'd be off scratch if he could just reign it in a notch or two... :thup:

 

[OnTour]

Completely different experience from the one I had on Friday, played with a 6h/c'er who just blasted everything from 'driver to lob-wedge' into the stratosphere, so many times he put his approach shot out the back of the green or 3 putted I lost count in the end, only thing I can say is his current handicap wasn't achieved at our course but another course fairly local to us...

Reckon he'd be off scratch if he could just reign it in a notch or two... :thup:

Did we meet lol 😱

New for 2018 the layup for full shots - think about it more

 

[xreyuk]

I’ve been playing to around 4-8 over par recently. The lowest scoring rounds have been with low putts. My last two rounds were 29 and 26 putts.

My GIR is horrendously low at about 37%, and I’m certainly not a big hitter, carry a driver around 220-230.

It makes a massive difference being good around the greens.

 

[Birdie2]

It's the age old argument of long game vs short game. I can see the arguments for both. High handicappers can have an electric short game but if it takes them 3 or 4 to get within 100 yards what's the point?

On the other side, you could bomb a drive 300 yards but struggle around the greens as let's face it, no one is going to hit every green in regulation.

Silly game really 😂

 

[clubchamp98]

I have played cat 1 most of my golf life 30 plus years .
The biggest thing for me is look at your practice area .
The high cappers mainly on the range bombing long shots but the short game area is where you find the low men for at least 50% of their practice time.
Go and ask them what they are working on most (not all) will be helpful and give you some tips.
Watch how they practice ,what they do , how they go about it.
I have never met a low capper who could not chip and putt it's what turns a mediocre ball striking day into a decent score.

 

[shortgame]

I have played cat 1 most of my golf life 30 plus years .
The biggest thing for me is look at your practice area .
The high cappers mainly on the range bombing long shots but the short game area is where you find the low men for at least 50% of their practice time.
Go and ask them what they are working on most (not all) will be helpful and give you some tips.
Watch how they practice ,what they do , how they go about it.
I have never met a low capper who could not chip and putt it's what turns a mediocre ball striking day into a decent score.

This. All day long (figuratively & literally)

Haven't met many very low players who are poor on or around the greens

 

[Face breaker]

It's the age old argument of long game vs short game. I can see the arguments for both. High handicappers can have an electric short game but if it takes them 3 or 4 to get within 100 yards what's the point?

On the other side, you could bomb a drive 300 yards but struggle around the greens as let's face it, no one is going to hit every green in regulation.

Silly game really 

You've just described my game to a 'T' ironwork is solid, good solid ball strike, reasonably good accuracy/distance, chipping and putting are once again good, it's just getting off of the tee's and club selection when I put myself in the 💩 is where I'm struggling...

Don't hit a 'driver' and I'm struggling to find a 3-wood that provides me with enough consistency although I dug out the ole 'Wilson Fattie' 3-wood this morning and took that for a spin, turns out it still puts me in the smelly stuff but nowhere near as deep into it as my others do so she's in the bag for the foreseeable... :thup:

ps, pars and bogeys rather than double/triple bogeys where the order of the day this morning, well pleased... :thup:

 

[Ndw7]

I have played cat 1 most of my golf life 30 plus years .
The biggest thing for me is look at your practice area .
The high cappers mainly on the range bombing long shots but the short game area is where you find the low men for at least 50% of their practice time.
Go and ask them what they are working on most (not all) will be helpful and give you some tips.
Watch how they practice ,what they do , how they go about it.
I have never met a low capper who could not chip and putt it's what turns a mediocre ball striking day into a decent score.

100% agree. To be honest. When I go to the range I usually just take a 6 iron, pitching wedge, and a 54 degree wedge. I'd say i hit 75% of the shots with the 6 iron and pitching wedge. I don't work on little chips, or bump and runs etc, then I wonder why I stand over the ball on the course and I'm like "I have no clue what I'm doing here" then wonder why it takes me 4 to get down from 20/30 yards 😂

 

[PJ87]

I've started to take to the range just 4 clubs including a putter

58 degree
7 iron
Driver

Driver is just for the end to make sure everything's fine

Iron I do most of work with on range

But I will save 5 balls and go spend 20-30 mins on the short game area wth my 58

Amazing what it can do

Since doing this I've won 2 events and had my handicap cut

 

[Face breaker]

100% agree. To be honest. When I go to the range I usually just take a 6 iron, pitching wedge, and a 54 degree wedge. I'd say i hit 75% of the shots with the 6 iron and pitching wedge. I don't work on little chips, or bump and runs etc, then I wonder why I stand over the ball on the course and I'm like "I have no clue what I'm doing here" then wonder why it takes me 4 to get down from 20/30 yards 

I used to play a flop-shot all the time (as opposed to a proper chip) when working into the greens which although looked the absolute mutts proverbials simply had no future so I tossed the ole 50/60° wedges aside and now carry 5-SW, a 22° rescue and the aforementioned 3-wood, I now tend to find myself playing proper chip-shots 99% of the time, still able to play the odd floppy if I need to though, that's the beauty of a sand-wedge... :thup:

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The best though is this 14 year old who plays sometimes in my society (son of a member) plays off 3.5 I think but gets better each time.. he only carded 4 events this year all 34-37 points

One day he will turn pro.. expect to see him on the European tour before he is 25

To be honest, this kid is going to have to make massive improvements to have any chance of making it. There are literally dozens of kids out there his age who are already down to scratch or better. There is a guy at my club who was pro and really struggled, ended up on the Jamega tour then got his amateur status back. He put three cards in, played a few medals, broke the course record twice within a fortnight and got to with 0.1 of playing off +6 but he wasn't good enough to make a living on tour

 

[Sidsidgwick]

This weekend I tagged along with some friends for a round at their local course. They play off 9,6 and Scratch and I made up the 4 ball with my 27 handicap. It was joyous being out with them, I played my best round of golf ever but watching these three play and the decision making before each shot was brilliant. I still just aim and getting down the fairway as best as possible whereas these gents were deciding in which 6 foot square to put their ball. Amazing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We've a couple of long hitters at my club off single figures. Hit it a country mile when they are on but can be in a different county on a bad day but when they are hitting much shorter clubs than many it makes it easier. One in particular has a shocking short game for his level but simply uses power to get it round. Has far more good days than bad so clearly doing something right. Similarly a couple of single figures are short off the tee but from 100 yards and in are deadly which is where they save/make their scores. Horses for courses. Finally, we have an ex Zimbabwe tour pro who played on their fledgling tour in the late 70's and 80's. He hits it miles but he has the total package and can scramble for anywhere and has short game to die for. He's great to watch in the roll ups when he takes every shot on. He rarely hits the practice ground but you'll always see him chipping or putting. I wonder where his emphasis is?

 

[Foxholer]

The best though is this 14 year old who plays sometimes in my society (son of a member) plays off 3.5 I think but gets better each time.. he only carded 4 events this year all 34-37 points

One day he will turn pro.. expect to see him on the European tour before he is 25

To be honest, this kid is going to have to make massive improvements to have any chance of making it. There are literally dozens of kids out there his age who are already down to scratch or better. There is a guy at my club who was pro and really struggled, ended up on the Jamega tour then got his amateur status back. He put three cards in, played a few medals, broke the course record twice within a fortnight and got to with 0.1 of playing off +6 but he wasn't good enough to make a living on tour

This! :thup:

 

[jim8flog]

On a personal level I played off around 6 for around 20 years I hardly ever did any long iron or driver practice but probably hit around a 1000 balls a week in short game practice and about 5 hours a week on putting practice.

I have only recently gone up to 9 because nearly all practice has had to stop except for putting practice.

 

[PJ87]

To be honest, this kid is going to have to make massive improvements to have any chance of making it. There are literally dozens of kids out there his age who are already down to scratch or better. There is a guy at my club who was pro and really struggled, ended up on the Jamega tour then got his amateur status back. He put three cards in, played a few medals, broke the course record twice within a fortnight and got to with 0.1 of playing off +6 but he wasn't good enough to make a living on tour

I was talking to his dad earlier today turns out the plan is to take him to America for colleague and hit the colleague leagues for golf