playing to your new handicap

[kid2]

Does it take you long to adjust to your new handicap after a cut?
And whats the secret to getting even lower?

 

[bladeplayer]

Depends on how big the cut is , one shot aint so bad but more could take a while to adjust to !! in saying that i have a tendency to follow a cut by .1 then another .1, then a couple of buffers...... just back up to 9 now after been down to 8.1 ( 4 x .1 & 3 buffer) hopefuly get back down & consolidate it next..

secret of lower ... practice practice practice id say

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

It shouldn't take much adjustment at all as handicaps generally come down in small steps at a time.

No great secret to playing to a new lower handicap other than believing in your own ability, you are playing off that handicap because you have earned the right to do so :thup:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've been playing a few pairs events recently off 3/4 and so I've kind of got use to not having a shot on some holes. Just as well going from 13-12 and losing one on the 17th. I tend not to get too hung up and reckon I've parred the holes enough in the past when I was getting a shot that it makes no odds now. The only way to get lower is to put the work in and practice the weak parts of your game

 

[Hobbit]

Think about what got you to the new handicap. For example, you play off 10 but shoot 6 over and get cut to 9. You are still higher than you last shot, so why can't you shot 3 under your new handicap??

You never get cut lower than you shoot, so why can't anyone play to their new handicap?

 

[louise_a]

I dropped by 1, then by 4, then by 5, then shot at net 83 followed by a net 95!

 

[Imurg]

If you get a few cuts quickly during a purple patch and that means a 3-5 shot drop in the handicap, it can be tricky when things return to "normal"
Having said that, if you've done it onece, you can do it again.

I dropped 4 shots last Autumn - I can play to 5 but my "bad" rounds are now around 80. This time last year I wouldn't have been unhappy with an 80. AS your handicap drops, so your expectations rise so it's important to keep things in perspective - I know many on here would kill for a gross 80 let along a 70.

 

[bobmac]

Simple. Start with a h/cap that's too high.
Then as you get cut, you'll find it easy to play to

 

[Oddsocks]

Think about what got you to the new handicap. For example, you play off 10 but shoot 6 over and get cut to 9. You are still higher than you last shot, so why can't you shot 3 under your new handicap??

You never get cut lower than you shoot, so why can't anyone play to their new handicap?

This makes sense

 

[jammydodger]

Personaly I would always try and play the course to scratch anyway. What I mean is the gross score was always the important number not the nett. If you are only interested in playing to par or better then you wont be worrying about the h/c anyway. Its just a number to take off at the end of the round. If you're hunting h/c cuts and wanting to get as low as possible then you have to think gross scores and get away from 'i've got a shot on this hole and that hole' mentality. Play as though you havnt got any shots to play with and you wont have to worry about whether you can mentally hack getting a cut and moving down. Because you're already theoretically playing off a lower h/c anyway so its all gravy.

 

[Region3]

Think about what got you to the new handicap. For example, you play off 10 but shoot 6 over and get cut to 9. You are still higher than you last shot, so why can't you shot 3 under your new handicap??

You never get cut lower than you shoot, so why can't anyone play to their new handicap?

This 100%, and everyone else that's said the same.

Whatever new handicap you get, the round you played to get there was playing to it or better.

The ONLY difference is in your head, that is what takes getting used to.

Once you realise that, it's much easier.