the difficulty of being a high handicapper,who sometimes can play like a low one

[robert.redmile]

hi everyone - played a few matches recently, and am finding that there are times when my play upsets my opponents!

for example last night, we won our match on 18, with me getting a par - SI6. We have won all 3 matches by one hole in the pairs on 18, and I have had 2 pars, and one birdie (all gross, not nett) to win the match for us on 18.

Last night my PP kept us in it on the front 9, but didn't win a single hole all match, and I won 4 out the last 5 holes to win it for us.

Last night my good holes were like a single figure handicapper, 250 yr drives, short irons into the green,2 putts.

but, there were also lots of holes where I picked up, and hit my ball into trouble! (i.e I played like the 22 handicapper I am!!)

The issue I have, is that I have to listen to all the vitriol when I play a hole well, such as "bandit", "ive never seen a 22 handicapper play like that", "it's not right", "shouldn't be allowed" and chirping in the background, etc, but there seems to be selective memory going on here!

I never get called a bandit when I take a 10 on a par 3, or am playing 7 off the tee that has happened this year!

As lots of you know, I'm trying to get lower, and don't like being a 22 handicapper, have worked my nuts off to improve, study the game in minute detail, and try my hardest every time I play but don't understand the upset my play causes!

I've beaten my handicap once in the 8 competitions I've played since I started, yet seem to be upsetting a few people, and that upsets me to think I'm upsetting other golfers! (and takes the gloss of the wins somewhat)

 

[Jimaroid]

Ignore it. I know how you feel, I used to be exactly the same. Was playing off 21 a couple of years ago and accidentally won a 4bbb match with a chip-in eagle. That caused an absolute furore with accusations of cheating, banditry, blah, blah, wah, wah!

It's just bitterness. Play your own game and the handicap will follow. It really will. But you've got to take the mental pressure off and not give too much thought to what other people say. There are plenty of golfers out there who are incapable of understanding that a handicap is just an average and sometimes things go worse and sometimes things go better. It's their problem, not yours, just play on and enjoy it.

 

[patricks148]

i would just enjoy it while you can... better than the alternative, Im at the stage of being a low handicap playing like a high handicap

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Part of the improvement process.. Enter all the competitions you can so no one can use the wild west analogy (justifiably, at least) and remember that the more you play the better your misses will become. Short term pain imho so don't worry too much

 

[Dan2501]

That's golf mate. You're still learning the game, you're going to have bad holes. The key for you now is to make it so your bad shots aren't that bad. You shouldn't be losing 2 balls off the tee. If you hit a bad one out of bounds, put the driver away pull something out of the bag you can hit fairway with and make sure you don't lose another, get it in the fairway and give yourself a chance of making bogey.

I had a playing lesson last night, and my pro shot -2 through 6 and did it without doing anything exceptional. Kept the ball in play and gave himself chances, it was great to watch up-close. Andy Carter, a Youtube pro is teaching himself to play left handed and trying to break 90 this year. He put a course VLOG on last night of him playing 3 holes. He was shocking, could barely get the ball off the ground, and when he did it was hooking wildly off to the right. However, he walked away +5 through 3 holes just purely through course management. it was a great example of knowing how to score whilst playing absolutely terrible golf. It's a lesson a lot of high handicappers could learn from.

Also, ignore the people that are calling you a bandit. Those people are generally people who either aren't capable of improving, or don't want to improve. It's jealousy and bitterness. Just ignore them and keep plowing on. You'll get there. Also, this is your hobby, if you're not enjoying it, do something else.

 

[jp5]

I'd just politely laugh in their face. Ignore it like a child should ignore bullies :thup:

 

[Curls]

Where do you play in Lincoln chap?

I'm just asking so I can avoid bandits.

Waaaa!!! Just kidding, man I was right where you are now this time last year and I was playing off 12 at the time. No matter what you do someone who is getting beaten by you will reach for the bandit crutch. It absolves them of the responsibility of losing. Swear words are not allowed on the forum, but pick one and put "them" after it.

Seriously, do you play around Lincoln?

 

[robert.redmile]

yeah, live in Nettleham. Play at Holme Hall Scunthorpe, but also play around Lincoln sometimes. rob

 

[TheCaddie]

I think you are worrying too much Rob. If it becomes a problem, just highlight the bad holes to them as a gentle reminder.

I had a similar situation last weekend with friends where I ultimately won the match for us. We played matchplay, but then we also kept individual scores as well, which made it easier.

I actually went on a storming run and we were 1 down and ended on 5 UP! I still shot 104 though at the end of the round after a horrendous back 9!!! The guy in my team only won one hole all match but came away the winner individually out of the four of us.

Just the way it is!

 

[User 105]

Don't worry perfectly normal. I've been know to give a high handicapper a bit of a ribbing when they play above their level. But not maliciously.

Sometimes it's just a bit of banter, sometimes it's just bitterness.

Have a laugh when it's a bit of banter. Ignore the idiots and go stick you're name up for the next round of the comp

 

[Hacker Khan]

I'd tell them to do one. I'd say that anyone who bleats on about it and is saying those things in a vitriolic way is a sad individual whose life is so pathetic that they need win a golf comp at all costs to make up for their inadequacies elsewhere. Bit of friendly banter is fine, saying it nastily and maliciously is not, and in my opinion says much more about a person than a dress code ever could.

As if people think that being a 22 handicapper means that you constantly shoot 1 over on 14 holes and 2 over on the rest then that is their problem. In a lot of cases with high handicappers the consistency is as just as much to blame as the competence, especially if you don't play on a very regular basis. I sound very similar to you and believe you me, if I knew exactly what I did to hit the good shots I'd do it all the time. If you put every one of the great shots I've hit over the years together in one round I'd play off scratch. But to the vast majority of people that play golf, that is not how it works.

 

[jamielaing]

Some people can't take losing. I would say the vast majority of golfers is trying to lower their handicap. You are working on improving and take the bandit badge as a sign that you are doing the right thing. Remind them that you have blowout holes that justifies your handicap.

I do hate this bandit stuff that comes about. And people throw it about far too much. I still get it off 11.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

HK has just summed up my thoughts exactly.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

hi everyone - played a few matches recently, and am finding that there are times when my play upsets my opponents!

for example last night, we won our match on 18, with me getting a par - SI6. We have won all 3 matches by one hole in the pairs on 18, and I have had 2 pars, and one birdie (all gross, not nett) to win the match for us on 18.

Last night my PP kept us in it on the front 9, but didn't win a single hole all match, and I won 4 out the last 5 holes to win it for us.

Last night my good holes were like a single figure handicapper, 250 yr drives, short irons into the green,2 putts.

but, there were also lots of holes where I picked up, and hit my ball into trouble! (i.e I played like the 22 handicapper I am!!)

The issue I have, is that I have to listen to all the vitriol when I play a hole well, such as "bandit", "ive never seen a 22 handicapper play like that", "it's not right", "shouldn't be allowed" and chirping in the background, etc, but there seems to be selective memory going on here!

I never get called a bandit when I take a 10 on a par 3, or am playing 7 off the tee that has happened this year!

As lots of you know, I'm trying to get lower, and don't like being a 22 handicapper, have worked my nuts off to improve, study the game in minute detail, and try my hardest every time I play but don't understand the upset my play causes!

I've beaten my handicap once in the 8 competitions I've played since I started, yet seem to be upsetting a few people, and that upsets me to think I'm upsetting other golfers! (and takes the gloss of the wins somewhat)

Robert

Sorry to go off topic a bit but your 25 to 9 post did create a lot of interest and sadly there has never been a progress report, I assume that since Feb you have dropped from 25 to 22, that leaves you to December to drop the remaining 13 shots to win your bet, do you think you can still achieve this ?

 

[Imurg]

Its one of the problems of being a higher handicapper - consistency.
Many HH don't double every hole - 3 or 4 doubles or triples is enough. Sling in a handful of pars and the scenario you recount is there..
It annoys me when people enter competitions and get the hump when they lose
In golf, you lose far more often than you will win....people need to get used to it.

 

[shortstuff]

A lot of high handicappers are that only because of a few disaster holes in every round. They often play good golf for at least 9 holes. The trick to getting down from a high HP to say 12 is by limiting your bad holes to just bogeys.

In the mean time, buy a sombrero and crack on

 

[chillicon]

For the handicap system to work properly, players need to hand in cards on a regular basis and complete every hole so their score can be correctly analysed. If you do that then, barring the odd few who actively play to manipulate their handicaps etc, you are beyond reproach as far as I am concerned.

Of course high handicappers will have bad holes and good holes but the same is true of low handicappers and being called a bandit is certainly not only the domain of the high handicappers.

I honestly think that more often than not, calling someone a bandit is a compliment rather than an accusation of cheating. No one likes losing and it is an easy throw away comment.

 

[Stegsie]

All part of the game, mate, enjoy it whilst it lasts! Laugh it off and give people like that the attention they deserve (none!)

As has been said, much better than being a low handicapper playing like a high handicapper!

I still get called the bandit by one of my brothers in law. He is a much better player than me and also a member of a much nicer club! When he invited me to play there a few years back I holed a 110 yard shot on the 2nd hole - right in from of the club captain! I was playing of 28 at the time, and pretty much played awful for the rest of the round; the shot that was remember was just a fluke. These things happen!

 

[Fyldewhite]

Yeah, just carry on, the fact that your games have been close shows that the handicaps aren't wrong. It's just part of the banter really. Some low guys think it's obligatory to have a pop at a high handicapper making a couple of pars when apparently it's fine for a low handicapper to have 3 birdies on the bounce.....it's just good play then! Mind you, there's a fair few high handicappers who have to come out with "great shot" on every crap swing thinned drive that happens to go down the middle, or worse still, "I don't go that far on me 'olidays" when you do hit a decent one!! Can be just as annoying/offputting but you just have to ignore it

 

[Davey247]

I had this in a matchplay comp last year. Playing off 12, I can hit a decent ball and if I'm not driving it into trouble I score well. The particular day I was flawless off the tee and made par after par. After 12 holes he walked off... more fool him