Starbox
New member
Hi, I've been playing summer golf over the years, I've decided at 50 to play more golf, getting a handicap off 22.4 , over the span of 0ne year playing 3 times aweek Potentially what could I get my handicap down to ?
Progress over 1 year
- Thread starter Starbox
- Start date
Jigger
Club Champion
Anything you want with practice, physical training and lessons. Just by playing 3 times a week you could potentially go up or down. I’ve seen both happen.
Jason.H
Well-known member
Depends on the individual. Maybe make 18 your first goal then reassess.
Curls
Journeyman Pro
I’ve a buddy off 21 playing regularly for over 30 years and he will never get much lower because he has a short swing. He lacks distance. His putting is awesome, he just can’t get to the green quickly enough. Anyone saying “short game is king” and “I know a 68 year old fella off 3 who doesn’t hit it far” is not referring to your situation. That guy off 3 was off scratch when he was 14. He has a lifetime of scoring to refer to and yeah, a mustard short game, but that’s not something you can aspire to. If you’re starting to get serious about golf having been a casual player, and you want to get lower, you can do so easily playing 3 times a week IF you can launch a decent ball. If you can’t, think about lessons. At the very least have a look at the first few videos on Padraig Harringtons YouTube channel which imo is the best instruction for someone starting out/getting serious. He does get a bit too technical later on but the ones about grip etc are super.
So. If you can carry the ball 180, minimum, you’ll get to 18 no problem. Once you get there, 12 is achievable with better scoring practices. It’s about cutting out the doubles and worse, not about birdies or greens in reg. Single figures, however, is a bit more of a challenge. You won’t get there without pretty good fundamentals. You will need to be “Near Green in Regulation” most of the time, 12 or 14 holes a round minimum. Doesn’t mean GIR, but close enough to get up and down regularly. Again this can’t be achieved if you’re on a ~6500+ yard par 72 and not carrying a decent ball. Maybe it can if it’s a 5500 par 70 or something. But unless you’re reaching 400 yard par 4s in two you will find it hard to score.
You’ll get plenty of good advice, mine is to play with better players as often as possible. Best of luck in your journey down, enjoy it, it’s a privilege to be able to play this great game especially as regularly as you will.
So. If you can carry the ball 180, minimum, you’ll get to 18 no problem. Once you get there, 12 is achievable with better scoring practices. It’s about cutting out the doubles and worse, not about birdies or greens in reg. Single figures, however, is a bit more of a challenge. You won’t get there without pretty good fundamentals. You will need to be “Near Green in Regulation” most of the time, 12 or 14 holes a round minimum. Doesn’t mean GIR, but close enough to get up and down regularly. Again this can’t be achieved if you’re on a ~6500+ yard par 72 and not carrying a decent ball. Maybe it can if it’s a 5500 par 70 or something. But unless you’re reaching 400 yard par 4s in two you will find it hard to score.
You’ll get plenty of good advice, mine is to play with better players as often as possible. Best of luck in your journey down, enjoy it, it’s a privilege to be able to play this great game especially as regularly as you will.
Impossible to say. You may have plataeud, you may be able to improve further. Don't forget, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself. Don't get overly hung up on your h/c (although I fully understand that everyone, including myself, wants to improve)
Tbh if you have some ability, fit and heathy plus willing to work on your game and practice then no reason why you can't get single figures or lower if you put the time in.
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It depends on so much. Physical fitness, natural aptitude, ability to learn and apply what you’re taught. The list is almost endless. Some can play once a week and get to low single figures, some considerably more than that and they only get to a mid-teen handicap.
As an example, several months ago this forum was frequented by a fella who claimed to be very wealthy, said he was in his 30’s/40’s, retired with the opportunity to play limitless amounts of golf, and had access to the best coaches. He was convinced he could play to scratch but was merely hampered by a lack of consistency.
According to him there was no reason he wouldn’t be off scratch by the end of 2022. He’d best get a shift on. I’ve just had a look and he’s only managed to get down a handful of shots to 9.8.
So as you can see it’s very much an individual thing. And there are a lot of variables. Best advice I can give you is to just go and play and enjoy your golf. Your handicap will be what your handicap will be.
As an example, several months ago this forum was frequented by a fella who claimed to be very wealthy, said he was in his 30’s/40’s, retired with the opportunity to play limitless amounts of golf, and had access to the best coaches. He was convinced he could play to scratch but was merely hampered by a lack of consistency.
According to him there was no reason he wouldn’t be off scratch by the end of 2022. He’d best get a shift on. I’ve just had a look and he’s only managed to get down a handful of shots to 9.8.
So as you can see it’s very much an individual thing. And there are a lot of variables. Best advice I can give you is to just go and play and enjoy your golf. Your handicap will be what your handicap will be.
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HPIMG
Active member
Single figures should be pretty easy if you’re playing regularly and wanting to put time into getting better. I went from 24 to 9 pretty easy this year. I play a lot of golf and get lessons but don’t practice. I have a mate who plays 2/3 times a week but won’t get any lessons and doesn’t practice. He plays off 24 and I don’t think he will get much better just because he’s quite happy the way he is the now.
If you really want to improve you should quite easily
If you really want to improve you should quite easily
pokerjoke
Money List Winner
You can get to scratch
You must be able to play 3 times a week
Practice 2 days a week
Drive better,chip better,putt better and hit more greens with your irons.
One thing that might stop you is injury or health problems.
Hard work and dedication
And probably the most important ,consistency.
Good luck
You must be able to play 3 times a week
Practice 2 days a week
Drive better,chip better,putt better and hit more greens with your irons.
One thing that might stop you is injury or health problems.
Hard work and dedication
And probably the most important ,consistency.
Good luck
Starbox
New member
Food for thought thank you
Starbox
New member
At the minute im self taught and no time for lessons, but I'm starting to understand, YouTube mixes up the brain, I'm thinking having a year to understand the game, and try different thing's, then I may understand the Terminology a little better when having lessons thanks for the advice
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
My advice would be to avoid getting too much into the golf techie and terminology stuff. Get a few basic lessons and learn to grip the club and a basic address, then just try out different ways and things about just hitting the ball and seeing what happens. Do that mostly on the practice ground, find what works for you and go with it. Learn to hit the ball in roughly the right direction and once you can do that you’ll start scoring ok. Then decide if you are enjoying it the way you are doing it, if not back to pro for a couple of lessons.
I do not watch any ‘golf swing’ videos or read ‘golf swing’ articles in mags that talk swing mechanics in any depth. IMO the game is simple made complex by those wanting to make money out of us or sound clever. Though I appreciate that my view is one likely held by a very small minority of golfers.
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Jigger
Club Champion
he won’t in a year. Actually I read a book ages ago about a guy who tried to do it. Really interesting read bu I’m damned if I can recall the title. Will have to check the bookshelf to see if I kept it.
BiMGuy
LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
Paper Tiger?
HeftyHacker
Well-known member
I got myself down from an unofficial handicap similar to yours to 10.9 in a year. But I did have three lessons in that time, which pretty much immediately knocked off about 8 shots.
The rest was from playing more regularly and understand my own golf game a little more. Knowing yardages, getting my wedges sorted etc.
I've plateaued a little since then but I did also lose the ability to hit my irons through most of 2022.
I'd say if you've the time to play 3x a week then you've certainly time for a few lessons. With that handicap you've probably got some pretty easy fixes that a decent pro could make that would have the biggest impact in lowering your handicap.
evemccc
Well-known member
Tom Coyne I think, author also of the (v good) ‘A Course Called Scotland’?
theoneandonly
Blackballed
Paper tiger isn't a about getting to scratch in a year. The book dream on is more along those lines but he is attempting to shoot a level par round in a year.
You're not getting from 22 to scratch in. Year . Maybe 10 or so but more likely 12 as that seems to be the plateau for your average hacker to hero blogger.
You're not getting from 22 to scratch in. Year . Maybe 10 or so but more likely 12 as that seems to be the plateau for your average hacker to hero blogger.
Jigger
Club Champion
Nope. Any good?
BiMGuy
LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
I really enjoyed it.
It highlights just how hard golf is, and just how good the pros are.
Jigger
Club Champion
Cool. Will buy it. The one I read was a English or Irish guy who tried to turn pro in a year but he had some interesting slants in alcoholism as he found he was needing a single whiskey the day before a game. I must of passed it on at some point and honestly can’t recall the name.
