What Handicap is a good golfer

[RichA]

I know guys who play to low SF.
A couple are graceful, controlled and their golf looks effortless. They are good golfers.
Another plays nearly every day and has worked incredibly hard at his game to get down to 3. He's consistent and scores well but his swing is mechanical and graceless and he often doesn't look like he's even enjoying himself. He's good at golf but I struggle to think of him as a good golfer.
Perception innit.

 

[harpo_72]

I know guys who play to low SF.
A couple are graceful, controlled and their golf looks effortless. They are good golfers.
Another plays nearly every day and has worked incredibly hard at his game to get down to 3. He's consistent and scores well but his swing is mechanical and graceless and he often doesn't look like he's even enjoying himself. He's good at golf but I struggle to think of him as a good golfer.
Perception innit.

I think this an interesting point, the game is far more complex and multi dimensional. Meaning you can be nothing special in certain areas and extremely good in others to achieve low handicap status.
When I describe “good” golfers I look their game as a whole .. so I think we have a few low hcp players who survive because they putt well ( at our course - elsewhere they may struggle) then you have players who swing and strike the ball beautifully but putt or chip or just make poor decisions.. currently IMO we are classing players who hit the ball miles as good, and courses are easy fodder for them because they have not considered these distances. Simple solution is rough, choice bunker positions etc

 

[The Squirrel]

Mind you, that is Ernie Els, one of the most elegant swings of all time.

I've seen pro's with very different techniques. Just google Ho Sung Choi . I've seen 30 handicappers with a more graceful swing. But the pros certainly are immense at getting that club head through impact, the most important part of the swing.

Thanks. Never heard of him and I now have a new favourite golfer! Legend!

For all the crazy stuff that happens on the backswing, the first part of the downswing and the followthrough, what happens on the final part of the downswing and impact position looks square, conventional and well set up (not that I'm in any way an expert ). I guess the fact he's a pro' golfer so waaaaaay better than all of us, proves it. Probably a lesson there that 90% of what we worry about with our swings is basically irrelevant .

 

[The Squirrel]

I know guys who play to low SF.
A couple are graceful, controlled and their golf looks effortless. They are good golfers.
Another plays nearly every day and has worked incredibly hard at his game to get down to 3. He's consistent and scores well but his swing is mechanical and graceless and he often doesn't look like he's even enjoying himself. He's good at golf but I struggle to think of him as a good golfer.
Perception innit.

Good point! For any non-pro, given that this is a recreational activity where the idea is to have fun (and you're paying good money for the 'pleasure'), if you're not enjoying yourself then you're not "good" at doing it as you are failing to achieve the main objective you set out to achieve - no matter what you're scoring!

 

[Orikoru]

Thanks. Never heard of him and I now have a new favourite golfer! Legend!

For all the crazy stuff that happens on the backswing, the first part of the downswing and the followthrough, what happens on the final part of the downswing and impact position looks square, conventional and well set up (not that I'm in any way an expert ). I guess the fact he's a pro' golfer so waaaaaay better than all of us, proves it. Probably a lesson there that 90% of what we worry about with our swings is basically irrelevant .

He is a really unique character. For all the jokes he obviously gets about his swing, you have to marvel at the sheer natural talent he must have to square the club face and strike it well enough to touring professional level, despite having absolutely zero characteristics of a conventional swing. I mean - if he'd have had just one or two lessons early on in life maybe he'd have won majors? Who knows!

 

[Swango1980]

He is a really unique character. For all the jokes he obviously gets about his swing, you have to marvel at the sheer natural talent he must have to square the club face and strike it well enough to touring professional level, despite having absolutely zero characteristics of a conventional swing. I mean - if he'd have had just one or two lessons early on in life maybe he'd have won majors? Who knows!

Or maybe he'd never have become a single figure handicapper, let alone a pro?