Realistic Handicp Target for an 18 Handicapper

AMcC

AMcC

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I am preparing a plan for my golf in 2017, and where I want to be at come the end of the season. How many games I want to play, courses I want to visit etc.

As the title suggests what would be a realistic handicap target for me to aim for ?

I am not averse to practicing and am currently having a lesson a month. I have played four or five times in the last couple of weeks and aim to continue playing as much a I can and aim to get to the range one night a week.

Also, what are your targets and have you achieved previously set ones within the prescribed timeframe.
 
Go for 13. Not far off of it!

I want to get down to 3 by the end of 2017 - hard work and dedication and stop hitting hooked drives.
 
I am currently playing off 17 and I'm aiming for 12. I think it is realistic with how I am improving although, it does get harder the lower you get. But around 12 and I'll be happy!
 
Why not have a range of targets in a good, excellent and what a blinder type of scenario. You would have to judge but for example I would say:

to 16 - good year (any drop is good)
to 14 - excellent year
to 12 - blinding year

Dropping shots is not easy and 18 down to 12 is a heck of an ask. If you drop to 14 I would say you have done really well but if your only target is 12 then you may end up being disappointed when in reality you really should not.
 
One of the most difficult things we have to do in golf, at any level, is to overcome our mental boundaries. How often have we found ourselves on a good front 9 throwing it away on the back because we are in unchartered water? If you see yourself as an X handicap, quite often you'll sabotage your way to that number. Conversely, if we've had a stinker of a front 9 the shackles are released and playing without the pressure of a possibly good score we find ourselves playing our way back to X.

Rather than setting a hard number set yourself some goals in terms of the process. The handicap drop, whatever it is, will be the result of this good work. You are practicing and taking lessons, and you probably have an idea of your ability in various areas, so one example of what I'm talking about is this.

How many fairways do you hit in a round? Try for 20% better

How many times to you sand-save? Go to a practice area and get better until you can do it more often

That sort of performance-driven improvement will make you a better player, and when you find yourself in an open field after a blinding front 9 you won't be thinking about how many shots you can drop coming home, you'll be seeing the fairway you need to hit, focussing on the present task, and knowing that you're better at it now than you were last year.

If you build it, the scores will come.
 
How long have you been playing and what is your handicap trajectory over the last couple of seasons?

If you've been playing for 10 years and been 18 for the last 3, 17.4 would be a good effort...

If you been playing for 2 and started last year at 23, then 14 would be handy.

Suddenly dropping a lot of shots from nowhere is a tough call unless there are big changes in time available or physical conditioning.
 
pendodave said:
How long have you been playing and what is your handicap trajectory over the last couple of seasons?

If you've been playing for 10 years and been 18 for the last 3, 17.4 would be a good effort...

If you been playing for 2 and started last year at 23, then 14 would be handy.

Suddenly dropping a lot of shots from nowhere is a tough call unless there are big changes in time available or physical conditioning.
Click to expand...
Just buy new clubs. Its the only answer.
 
pendodave said:
How long have you been playing and what is your handicap trajectory over the last couple of seasons?

If you've been playing for 10 years and been 18 for the last 3, 17.4 would be a good effort...

If you been playing for 2 and started last year at 23, then 14 would be handy.

Suddenly dropping a lot of shots from nowhere is a tough call unless there are big changes in time available or physical conditioning.
Click to expand...


... my sentiments too. The time in current handicap range is a big factor
 
I went from 18 to 12 within a year (I think about that). SO its not unrealistic at all to have high ambitions! 1 lad at my club went from 16 to 7 in a year! He's gone back up to 9 now though! But its still a good jump!
You in practice the right things, have good course management and a level head - you'll have no problems!

I'm off 9 currently - I have aims to get down to 6 hopefully and hopefully shoot a level par round! For me to get there I need to lose 2.5 shots - which is 6/7 rounds of 77! or 3 rounds of 75! or 1 round of 70 and a 75! fingers crossed! I just need to practice practice practice
 
You are only an 18 on paper and in your mind, I reckon 13 or less is achievable for you without any doubt but it will hinge on the amount of comps you'll get to play as 5 shots is a lot to come down but not for you, it's about time you got lower :D

Your game is there Al, you just need to bring it out when it matters :thup:
 
Curls said:
One of the most difficult things we have to do in golf, at any level, is to overcome our mental boundaries. How often have we found ourselves on a good front 9 throwing it away on the back because we are in unchartered water? If you see yourself as an X handicap, quite often you'll sabotage your way to that number. Conversely, if we've had a stinker of a front 9 the shackles are released and playing without the pressure of a possibly good score we find ourselves playing our way back to X.

Rather than setting a hard number set yourself some goals in terms of the process. The handicap drop, whatever it is, will be the result of this good work. You are practicing and taking lessons, and you probably have an idea of your ability in various areas, so one example of what I'm talking about is this.

How many fairways do you hit in a round? Try for 20% better

How many times to you sand-save? Go to a practice area and get better until you can do it more often

That sort of performance-driven improvement will make you a better player, and when you find yourself in an open field after a blinding front 9 you won't be thinking about how many shots you can drop coming home, you'll be seeing the fairway you need to hit, focussing on the present task, and knowing that you're better at it now than you were last year.

If you build it, the scores will come.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with this answer! Train you mind to overcome them fears!
 
Set easier goals over shorter timeframes. Setting a 5 shot reduction over 6-8 months gives you too much time to not think about it, or think OMG, 5 shots is a big ask.

A shot off every 2 months is easy stuff, providing you're practicing the right things and playing in as many comps as you can.
 
I went from 18 to 12 in a season. It's good to set goals for the season but don't get to hung up on them.

This year was the first season I hadn't and it was my best season, my main aim was to enjoy it more and stay relaxed instead of chasing scores.
 
Whatever target you set you must remember that your handicap does not reflect your normal/average round of golf. It reflects your best rounds - with luck mostly going your way. That's why getting your handicap down is not as straightforward as it might at first seem.

E.g. My last four rounds have all been 3 or better under my handicap of 10 - but I know that I am currently really not very close to being a 7 handicapper - and if I get to that this year it will be nothing short of a minor miracle.
 
Thanks everyone, lots of useful stuff in the replies.

Lat year was my first at Gailes and after playing some medals and three four open comps I was moved up one full shot after missing 7 buffers in a row in accordance with current guidelines, however on 4 of the 7 occasions I missed the buffer by 1 shot...
I have settled on 14 being a target, but looking more at taking a shot off every couple of months, that attitude definitely makes the over task less daunting.

We only have a couple of medals a month at Gailes so it make coming down a bit more difficult, however we play off the white medal tees most times we are out anyway and at least that gives me familiarity of playing the medal course.
 
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