Mid handicap Vs scratch

[Bobthesock]

Who would your money be on in this scenario? Is the better player more likely to win or will the pressure of giving shots away be too much? I personally prefer to receive shots but be interested to know other people's opinions

 

[Orikoru]

I'd always back the lower player due to consistency levels. And in a way you could argue the pressure is on the higher player to do well on their shot holes and not waste them.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Scratch will grind down the mid handicapper with consistent play. It's relentless and starts to deflate the mid caper after a while.

All opinion but I'd take the scratch player 8 out of 10.

 

[Backache]

The purpose of the system is to make the match equal.
It might not always work correctly but I wouldn't wager signify money either way.

 

[IanM]

Mid handicapper is a very loose label and covers a multitude of sins!

We've seen some right stories on here... all bets off!

 

[Bobthesock]

Mid handicapper is a very loose label and covers a multitude of sins!

We've seen some right stories on here... all bets off!

I'm off 8 so would say the very bottom level of mid handicap. Feel like I can par/birdie every hole so the pressure is on the scratch player. I absolutely hate giving shots to someone who can hit it further than me, which is a lot of people tbh

 

[Albo]

For me the mid HCI can have a good day (take your 8 and you play to 5 or 6) and win, scratch has a good day (will play maybe 1 or 2 under) and maybe not win.

However, bad day for the 8 will be 12? Bad day for scratch maybe 2 or 3 over.

For me id say the 8 wins slightly more ofte

 

[Oddsocks]

The mid capper all day long…. In match play.

 

[G1z1]

I am willing to put money on myself everyday of the week

 

[Bobthesock]

For me the mid HCI can have a good day (take your 8 and you play to 5 or 6) and win, scratch has a good day (will play maybe 1 or 2 under) and maybe not win.

However, bad day for the 8 will be 12? Bad day for scratch maybe 2 or 3 over.

For me id say the 8 wins slightly more ofte

A bad day for me is 15 over a good day 5 over, I'd say a scratch is more like 2 under to 6 over. If that's correct though I'd agree the higher handicap has more chance, especially on a good day

 

[srixon 1]

I have played 2 handicap KOs this year against mid handicappers and lost both. One on 17 and the other on 18. I’m not scratch (3) but played to better than my handicap both times. 1st match, lost on 17th I was giving 5 shots and for those holes my opponent had 4 pars and one birdie. For the other match I was giving 11 shots, I lost 7 of those holes and halved the other 4. Mid handicappers are very dangerous when they have a good day. Getting birdies for a half grinds you down after a while.

 

[Oddsocks]

@srixon 1 - don’t you find generally a mid Hc and low Hc player mainly differ on blow ups? A bad hole for a low Hc player would be a bogey… a double at very worst where as a mid capper is generally pretty consistent with the odd double or worse thrown in.

Match play generally is harder on the SF golfer

 

[Lump]

Depends on what the mid handicappers game relies on and if they are indeed a mid handicapper.
I’d say scratch wins more often.

 

[pendodave]

I ( 9/11) recently played our club champ in the knockout. Won on the 19th. We both played a bit rubbish.
I'd say if the handicaps are true, it could go either way. Who knew...

 

[srixon 1]

@srixon 1 - don’t you find generally a mid Hc and low Hc player mainly differ on blow ups? A bad hole for a low Hc player would be a bogey… a double at very worst where as a mid capper is generally pretty consistent with the odd double or worse thrown in.

Match play generally is harder on the SF golfer

Yes, I would agree with you. But on these two occasions both players hardly make many mistakes and I was toast. I may have lost both matches but I played to better than my handicap both times (as did they) so I wasn’t too upset. I played as well as I could but it just wasn’t good enough on the day. Both players play most competitions so are not bandits. It is almost as if they know that they will have to play well to win so give it full on concentration, much like a non league team playing a premier league team in the FA cup. In my opinion it is much worse to lose when you are 10 over your handicap and only lose on the last.

 

[theoneandonly]

Any scratch golfers care to comment

 

[Bratty]

It's impossible to say. Far too many variables to even begin to guess on who to back. A fool and his money are soon parted, so I'll bet on neither one.

 

[wjemather]

Who would your money be on in this scenario? Is the better player more likely to win or will the pressure of giving shots away be too much? I personally prefer to receive shots but be interested to know other people's opinions

If both have handicaps that reflect current form, mathematically the scratch player has a (very) marginal advantage but in reality it's a coin toss so wouldn't bet on either.

 

[sweaty sock]

CONGU handicap system Scratch player nearly always wins.

WHS - Total lottery.

In the congu system scratch players had a reputation for a reason .

Id also add that any "complications" tip things in the scratch players favour. Wind, Rain, Rock hard Grreens, unusually brutal rough, etc etc. But again - in whs a scratch player could be little more than an on form 5 handicapper, and a mid handicapper could be literally anything #49points..

 

[SimonC]

It can go either way, if the mid handicapper has a good day or they are likely to win but the scratch player is much more consistent.

I play more aggressively in match play as I know one bad hole doesn't really matter & it frees me up, generally I play better in match play because of this.