Strategies to lower handicap

[Jasonr]

My goal this year was just to get a handicap as I am a newbie and I got 27

It was remarked yesterday that I can drive the ball and Putt well especially around the 4-5' mark. So that gives me some areas to concentrate on and in fact I had already focused on my irons as my weakness (bad pull) and I am having lessons to put right but it does involve altering my swing quite dramatically so is not a quick fix. Also a lot of people add up my card and have a sort of eh moment and say that my scores do not reflect the golf I played.

My course is not particularly long nor does it contains much water but it is very tight and tricky.

So with my driver and Putter only working what other tactics can I employ to start getting those scores down.

I can hit some good shots but I am just not consistent I will be putting for a birdie on one hole and then for a seven on the next.

How can I plot my way around the course to get a score and handicap more reflective of my ability or is it just a case of patience and the scores will come?

Thanks all.

 

[Grant85]

Probably best to take on less risky shots.

Read the book 'Every Shot Counts' by Mark Broadie.

He was the innovator of the 'strokes gained' stats and he believes that most amateurs can easily lower their scores without necessarily changing or improving their ability.

Other than that, probably concentrate on short game. And I'm willing to bet your putting is probably not as good as you think it is.

 

[User101]

Get the ball in play, if not, get it back in play.

 

[pendodave]

Might be worth keeping a record for a couple of rounds to give you some numbers to back up your suspicions. You might be surprised at the actualité.

I'd be surprised if your putting and chipping are as good as you think, if they are half decent you should be under 27.

As for a pull with your irons - you might not like it, but is it really harming your scores? I played the other day and was overdrawing everything, I just aimed a bit right and made sure the misses were no worse than an easy chip and 2 putt.

Good luck anyway, and enjoy the journey.

 

[bobmac]

What are you like from 50-80yds out?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Accuracy off the tee especially if the OP's course is tight. Good course management. I'd suggest scrambling from 100 yards and in and decent bunker skills will really help. Holing out from 3-4 feet regularly is also a key factor. The idea of keeping some statistics (Scoresaver 2 is free to download and comprehensive) will show some patterns

 

[Hobbit]

Take the medicine when you go into the do-do's. Wedge out, and don't turn a single bogey into a double/treble or worse.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

Take the strengths out of your game for a few rounds and see how you compensate and score.

Remove driver and force yourself to play irons for a round, likely you’ll miss a couple more greens too, particularly if you aim to lay up short out of trouble. That will bring your chipping in to see how you do.

 

[r0wly86]

some good advice on here already, all I can give you is my experience of playing with higher handicappers.

Most of those who I have played with always try and overreach themselves. What I mean by that is that they could be 200 yards from the green on a par 4 and try and hit a 3 iron which they never practice and will usually top or stick it in the rough. In that situation they would be better using a 7 iron knocking it up to wedge distance and going from there.

Bogey is not a bad score so if you have to play some par 4 as par 5 and par 5s as a par 6 so be it. Don't be over ambitious with your shots.

Some good advice is don't attempt a shot you wouldn't expect to make 90% of the time, so not massive cuts to try and go around a tree, just knock it out. No flop shots to a tight pin just hit it onto the green.

Also when playing approach shots just aim for the centre of the green make sure you are on the dance floor, no need to be chasing pins

 

[Orikoru]

Get the ball in play, if not, get it back in play.

Yeah this. If driving and putting are ok, then it sounds like course management is the way forward. Realise your limitations and 'go big or go home' is not particularly helpful. If you can get to the green with a comfortable 8 iron and a wedge, do that rather than trying to hit a 4 iron and hooking it into the trees. Just because you're playing a long par 4 say, there's no law that says you must try and get there in two.

 

[badgb21]

I’m in a similar position to you, coming back to golf after 30 odd years.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is important also for me. (just wish they’d stay one or the other!)
I play and record my scores or I play a ‘practice’ round – say, if it’s quiet and you can drop a couple of balls at some spots and try a few things, this is when I work on my weaknesses, just trying to build that ‘feel’.
Decide which type of game you are going to play at the start and stick to it. Be true to yourself.
When scoring I try to follow the kind of advice above and use my strengths to play around the obstacles and minimise strokes. Keeping out of bunkers, not losing balls and not trying to hit it too hard off the tee. Short and straight and I’m building up from there.
I’m not consistent enough for this to be anywhere near boring yet!
You will see your scores slowly drift down and problem holes will stand out, allowing you to change your plan for that hole.
My longer-term hope is that as I become more experienced and my weaknesses improve (incl lessons and the range) I will be able to use different shots that will allow further progression and lower my scores.
Great to hear from someone else in a similar boat, hope all goes well.

Damn those inconsistences!

 

[Jasonr]

Thanks all some really good advice there and it is not me saying that I am Ok at driving and putting as quite frankly think I'm quite pants at that as well because I still 3 putt too often for my liking and regularly miss the fairway. It just so happened that I had a few good drives and 2 putted a lot and received that comment from a couple of PPs (but I'll take whatever compliments I can get)

I don't have any detailed stats on my game yet this is something I will work on but really thinking about my past games

From 150 yards in I am usually on the green in two at worst where. If I am 50-100 yards out I feel quite confident attacking the green and I can normally get on the green provided it is a fairly easy approach.
I do tend to underclub on approach
8 iron and above I am fairly straight and only have the odd pull these are my go to clubs at about 175 yards and in.
I do take my medicine and will normally take a 9 iron+ to get the ball back in play unless I have a the ball is sitting up in the rough then I may use my Hybrid 4

Driving is inconsistent I will lose balls on wayward drives but I am not much better with a 3 and 5 wood as I tend to hit these left or high

It is interesting the comment about taking clubs out of the bag and playing with my bad ones I was thinking of trying this myself

Chipping and Putting I am fairly confident on but I am aware that I could be so much better this is an area of the game that I want to concentrate more on but I need to correct my swing first.

 

[patricks148]

not one for strategy myself, i would always go for play as much and often as you can and enter as many comps as possible. Also have reg lessons with a pro and really work on the things he teaches you and your handicap will come down

 

[bobmac]

Practice your 50yrd shot

 

[shortgame]

Get the ball in play, if not, get it back in play.

This. In a nutshell :thup:

 

[Jasonr]

not one for strategy myself, i would always go for play as much and often as you can and enter as many comps as possible. Also have reg lessons with a pro and really work on the things he teaches you and your handicap will come down

I am starting to think this too. Whilst it is good to have excellent course management skills for the way you play and plot your way around the course it does not cater at all for the time that you have 140 yards to the pin take out the 8 iron, line yourself up perfectly for the middle of the green and then shank it 30 yards into the long grass and have two hacks out which tends to happen at least once maybe twice to me.

 

[ChipIntoBunker]

I am starting to think this too. Whilst it is good to have excellent course management skills for the way you play and plot your way around the course it does not cater at all for the time that you have 140 yards to the pin take out the 8 iron, line yourself up perfectly for the middle of the green and then shank it 30 yards into the long grass and have two hacks out which tends to happen at least once maybe twice to me.

All good advice so far.

I would recommend keeping some statistics, I've done it this year with just some simple one's and I now see my perception of bad and good holes is completely different to the actual scores so I can now try a new plan for those bad holes.

One thing I found useful to help with course management, many (many) years ago when I was younger I played a lot of golf (3-4 times a week) but I would still make sure every so often to go out with only a 5, 7, 9 and putter in the bag as it would make me think about each hole and where my leaves should be for the next shot, I don't do it now as I'm more for the social side but it may help you build up your course management skills.

Good luck with your journey.

 

[albie999]

To gain stats I have been using MyRoundPro ... it seems a good app (if you don't mind inputting whilst going around the course, but I have got used to it now). It will shows shots gained, compared to a handicap .... I have the same problem, where instead of using maybe 4 Hybrid or 3-Wood, I go for the long distance with the driver (which is not good at the min), and end up in trouble

Lessons now being taken with the driver

 

[Titleist3]

Keeping the ball in play has to be a major factor. Don’t loose shots by taking penalties. Think about what you can actually hit I.e. a 170 shot might go off to the and trickle on the green with good fortune whereas a lay up to 120 will leave you in a better spot to get close to the pin.

 

[User 105]

As said above number 1 is keep it in play.

2nd I'd say is to eliminate 3 putts.

3rd off your handicap I'd say try to play bogey golf. Don't try and par every hole. Take a shorter clubs off the tee, lay up short of the green if you don't fancy the shot in. Then try and get up and down for par. You'd be amazed how often you actually do make par this way and how it helps improve your short game at the same time. WiN-WIN :thup: