Perception of handicaps

Down_The_Middle

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How do low handicappers see high handicappers. Where I play some low handicap dont like to go out with high handicap.I play of 27 and get all sorts of coments.I think some people think I just hack my way round but I dont. I normaly have about 3 bad holes in the round which spoil it. all tho this year I have shot a lot of rounds in the low 90s. to me it doesnt matter what handicap I play with
 

MikeD

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Just played my first winter league match, playing off 26. Others were off 7, 9 & 11. I played my regular 101/34pts(approx) winning 5 holes and halving 1 to win 4&3. I was less consistent but otherwise not a great deal worse than the others. I did feel a bandit. I only got 3/4 handicap but this is still too much. Recently had 44 for back 9, but can't keep this going for 18 holes, so can't get my handicap down. Not my fault, honest! Would love to play off less. I'm sure regular competition will improve my game further. Just waiting for next Sunday when I'll be getting 21 shots. Embarassing!
 

madandra

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I am off 11 and consider myself 'mid' handicap and I have to be honest and say I am not too pleased when I am put out with someone playing for handicap or say 17+ and here's why;

1. With higher handicapers you tend to spend alot of time in the thick stuff looking for a caqt in hells chance of a double bogie.

2. When playing with 17+ they tend to have weird and wonderful pre-shot routines that take an age for the to hit the fluffing ball.

3. I play better when in a group of my 'standard' or better.

4. My pencil never needs shapening when playing with single figure golfers.

5. A round with a couple of high handicappers has taken me 5 hours THIS season and I vowed NEVER AGAIN.

Before I am tarred and feathered let me add that I would never refuse to go out with them, and I always offer words of support when the are in there bag looking for their 9th new ball but I am being brutally honest when I say they should be grouped together within 4 shots of their 'cap.

I sense the wrath approaching !!!!
 

MikeD

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I also play better when my opponents are better than me. But they don't play quicker, or have different pre-shot routines. 4 hours for the round, slower than my normal round. You're not the only one who doesn't like long pre-shot routines, but are they really restricted to high handicappers?
 

medwayjon

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I played with a guy on a corporate freebie and it seemed like he spent 5 mins lining up every putt.

He was an absolute hacker who thought he was Ernie. He had gone out the day before and got kitted out to the hilt with all the brand names. You should have seen him trying to hit his titleist blades! A salesmen somewhere got a decent commission.

Seriously though, I am a high handicapper myself, but playing with this prat ruined the day for the 3 of us in our group.

Turns out said numpty had only ever been to a pitch & putt before however he fancied himself as an authority on the rules of golf.

As for pre-shot routines, I have seen many a good golfer take an eternity before his shots. I find that the more time I spend pre-shot the worse shot I hit, over-thinking is a dangerous game for me. It was my ruin when I played pool to a high standard.
 

RGuk

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I kind of agree with Madandra.

I enjoy playing with all-comers, sure, but it can be frustrating playing with high h'cap's.

My preference (in a comp or serious game) is to play with others in the bracket -/+5 of my handicap. I don't enjoy playing with really good players because I get depressed and force my game to keep up. Most importantly (and this is not shared during a game), I try to play in my "zone" whether I'm going for a good score for a comp or just for my satisfaction. This means that dealing with lost balls, ruling problems, re-hits (3 o.t.t.) etc. can be damaging to the natural rhythm of the game I'm trying to play. There's nothing worse than standing over a great drive waiting for players to catch up after they've visited the trees or top another impossible fairway wood.

Don't get me wrong, it's possible to be a good-ish high h'cap (and these are fine) or a bad one. What I think I mean is that if a player hits it ok and doesn't slow things up, I'm cool with that, of course. I'd rather someone hits half decent shots to near the GIR and then has a chip and 3 putts, say, than tacking their way from rough to rough, and finding all the water and OOB.

Dave
 

RGuk

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"As for pre-shot routines, I have seen many a good golfer take an eternity before his shots. I find that the more time I spend pre-shot the worse shot I hit, over-thinking is a dangerous game for me."

It's funny you should mention this......in a Pro/am once, my club pro said something like "Dave, if you don't stop all these practice swings and lining up your drives from the back of the tees, I'm going to take that Big Bertha and wrap the ******* thing round your head, because it's not making the slightest bit of difference"

I was pretty hurt, and he wasn't entirely correct, because my 76 gross saved our 4 ball. I played the last 6 holes with no practice swings or lining-up anything, other than the putts, which he read for us all. You can over-do things, but until a player is really comfortable and automatic over the ball, it can take time.

Dave
 

lewi73

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I had a free copy of the 'John Daly - Golf my own damn way' book from work and in it he talks about the importance of a pre-shot routine (for anyone who's not read it, cracking little book and not exactly what you would expect from the big man).

I've found that settling in to a routine each time I hit a shot has really helped me focus and settle the nerves over the first few holes. Granted mine doesn't take very long, but just going over it in my head stops me over-thinking my shot and just lets me swinging naturally.

As for playing with a high-handicapper, I play off 18 and going around with my brother who's just taken up the game is a nightmare. Not so much because of his abilty, but he seems to take ages to do the little things (marking the card, teeing up, cleaning his club head etc) and it adds quite a few minutes on to each hole.
 

John_Findlay

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I actually enjoy playing with high-handicappers more than with good single figure handicappers! More often than not I'll score better.

Heaven knows why this should be. Perhaps I relax more because I'm not competing with them for the big flashy drives or the miracle shots that only category 1 golfers pull off. Just play a nice steady game and end up parring most holes because I'm relaxed and enjoying the banter.

I regularly play at away courses with a pal who has just taken up the game again. I'll give him a handicap of 24. In maybe ten rounds with him I've probably only been over 80 once and had a couple of 72's to boot.

It's not how a high handicapper plays that bothers me. It's more about enjoying the company.
 

madandra

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I have a pre-shot routine and it consists of walking up to the ball gripping the club and swinging it. I see guys who address the ball, SHOOGLE the chuffing club 12 times the SHOOGLE his feet then top it 40 yards and we have to go through it all over again in 45 seconds time.

The WORST thing are guys who use the 'plumb line' when trying to read the break on a green. I had watched this guy do it on the first 7 greens then I asked him what he was reading in the break of the ball whilst holding his putter up yo his eye and his reply was;
'Av no' got a clue pal, I see them do it on the telly so thought I would do it'
 

clubchamp07

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On the defence of high handicapers, I play with a guy every saturday who plays off 28, he will never be lower. god help him. any way I know what your all talking about but this guy dosent get in my way at all. I agree with playing with the same handicapers but everyone has a right to play golf and I dont mind playing with anyone. The guy I play with says that if he ever breaks 100 he's buying us drinks all day but we know that will never happen.
Some low men have long routines and it really pisses me off when they think their playing in the Open just because their ment to be low men.
 

viscount17

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I'm a high handicapper but I'll play with anybody.
My biggest problem is consistency which bugs the hell out of me especially on solo rounds. I can't see what I'm doing wrong - you might! Actually I probably could also do with a consistent set up routine instead of see it, hit it!

I don't think I hold anyone up too much, too often; though admittedly it does happen.
I often know which club I propose to use before I actually reach the ball; inexperience is what causes the poor decisions and course management is hard to learn without help.

I don't waste time if the ball's off into the boonies. Let's face it we all have a pretty good idea if it's likely to be found before you start looking (societies please note!) Mind you, at this time of year I think the pro shop should be hiring out leaf blowers!

I've played two or three times with a 6 who is not the most patient guy around (hates slow play - could be even better if he could chill a bit) but at 3.5 to 4 hours a round he's fine with me. His last piece of advice was 'forget the last hole, that's over. Just think about the next shot.'

<u>You</u> could make the difference between a high-handicapper keeping up with play and improving or remaining the object of your frustration.
 

clubchamp07

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Dont get me wrong, I'm not having a go at high handicapers.
I played with a young guy yesterday who plays off 7 and god help us he was far to slow for anyone. It took us 4 hours with nobody in front of us. The other 2 guys who played with us where complaining about his antic's aswell. I think he watches to much golf on tv and see's the pro's doing things so he thinks he has to copy them. at least 3 practice swings every shot, countless practice putting strokes. and this was around our own course. The lad in question needs to liven up a bit and go down the line of grip it and rip it, forget about all the other bullshit.
 

viscount17

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Not having a go at you clubchamp. Different philosphy I think, I'm ex forces SNCO and ex scout leader. People have to be taught and shown, often more than once - no-one knows straight out of the bag. A bit of patience at the right time pays dividends. Mind you so does a boot up the backside - at the right time!

How young is young? If he's off 7 and doing it I doubt anything you say will register unless you beat him badly.
 

USER1999

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I will play with anyone. It isn't handicaps that make a difference, it is the company, the speed of play, and the consideration for others.

Out of interest, if pairing groups for medal by handicap was more common, how long do you think a 4 ball of 28 handicappers would take? Better to mix everyone up I would think. At least the higher handicaps can pick up tips from the lower ones (where to leave bags, mark cards, rules, routines, and most importantly, a bit of course management).
 

par_par_par_treble

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i like to play with low handicap players because i can learn from them, and high handicap players because the banter is usually better, as they dont take it as seriously

one of my mates plays off 28 though, and can take 6-7 shots to reach my drive, looking for his ball in the rough nearly every time - that's no fun....
 

clubchamp07

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Viscount17 he is 16 or 17 years old. His problem is hie head if he hits a bad shot he stands as if he cant beleive he just hit a bad shot. If he relaxed a bit more I think he would play alot better. Some guys say that there's air getting in, in other words he's not the full ticket. I'd rather play with anyone apart from him, he's beyond telling as alotof his age as they all seem to think they know it all. You say give him a good beating it wouldn't make any difference it wouldn't sink into him that he was beaten so bad.
 

clubchamp07

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murph I don't think higher handicapers would take any longer, alot of them know when its time to move on. People think that it's a game of golf and no matter what happens it should take 4 hours to play reguardless of who's on the course. The last 2 saturdays we have been 2nd out and the 4 ball infront just take their time, I shall be droping a few hints this saturday to them about keepign moving. We waited every shot and they didnt seem to give a toss that we where right up their arsenals. Their under the impression of 4 hours to play golf and thats that.
 

simplyme

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Interesting topic.

I play off 18 and find some of the comments here crazy. I know there are different types of handicappers. So just because of my figure, some of you would prefer not to play me? Outrageous.

I hit more greens in regulation than my regular playing partner. The difference is, I lose concentration every now and again. This causes me to take a 6 or a 7 added to the occasional 3 putt, puts my score where it is.

I drive straight, very rarely in the rough and average 270 yards. I often take a 3 iron off the tee, which I hit around 220.

I played in a 4 ball the other week, me off 18, partner off 8 and played 2 good friends, 1 is off +2 the other off 4. I shot an 82 due to me thinking about what I was doing and receiving little tips.

I came off the course a more confident golfer and was 1st to buy them a drink to say thanks. It is the little things that help turn is into better players, think about that....
 

USER1999

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Slow golfers are slow golfers, regardless of h/cap. However, a lot of higher handicaps could speed up by learning from better players, mainly from course management.

Higher h/caps are not always slow. Often it is the better players who are more considered over their lines and routines (and also hit it far enough to loose it). However, you do see the 28s of this world hitting very low percentage shots (three irons out of deep rough, etc) which do waste time, and wreck cards. A bit of advice from a low h/cap regarding sensible play often educates, and can lead to cuts.

I like to play with equals and betters because I think it raises my game, but appreciate that to higher h/caps, they may like to play with me for the same reason. Banding medals by h/cap would be to no great benefit except for the few very low figures, who probably all play together anyway.
 
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