What things specifically do lower handicap golfers do that higher ones don't?

drive4show said:
Just about everyone on here has the ability to par pretty much any hole but the difference is that lower handicappers are more likely to do so because they execute their shots better.
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Equally though, most people on here (myself included) have the ability to rack up big numbers on a hole (3 or 4 over for some holes) which kills any pars or birdies elsewhere. It's the lack of consistency that kills too. A lower handicapper just doesn't rack up big numbers.
 
In a nutshell - we are just better at cheating!

Only kidding.

I dont think there is one specific answer to this, just a combination of everything. One thing I would emphasise is that us low handicappers know how to take their medicine and tend to limit damage a lot better than our higher handicapped cousins.
 
barrybridges said:
Equally though, most people on here (myself included) have the ability to rack up big numbers on a hole (3 or 4 over for some holes) which kills any pars or birdies elsewhere. It's the lack of consistency that kills too. A lower handicapper just doesn't rack up big numbers.
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Yep and that is exactly my point. Sure you will rack up some big numbers but with concentration, preparation and planning on EVERY shot, you have the potential to reduce those big numbers to pars or even birdies.
 
6inchcup said:
short game and putting,and not getting into trouble from the tee
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I would have to disagree with you on one point. I have played a couple of times before with a lad at my club off +2. He still got into trouble from the tee, but he still managed to make par. They still get in trouble look at tour pros, it is just they have the ability to still make a good score when they do.
 
Course management - have a strategy for each hole and not just grab driver and have a plan B if the drive isn't great

Short game < 100 yards. Distance control with short clubs to pitch it close to make birdie and save par

Chipping - If you can't scramble then you won't score (don't I know that tale)

Lag putting - not good if you hit every 20 yard putt six feet past or four feet short. You'll never make all of them.

Clutch putting - holign out from 2-4 feet regularly

Constructive practice/professional tuition - they know what they are working on and what they are tring to achieve - not just hitting balls. Many will get some professional input or lessons
 
If you are in trouble, play a shot that will get the ball into a position where you can make an easy up and down to save your par, or at least make an easy bogey. Trying to "pull off a Seve" will usually put you deeper into the doings and cause a cricket score. Never attempt a shot if there is any doubt that you might not pull it off. Never take risks, especially in a medal, sometimes you have to in matchplay.
 
scottbrown said:
I dont agree. I started last year off 12. Average 31 putts a round over 140 rounds. Now down to 8 and over 40 rounds this year I am averaging 30 putts a round.
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I don't agree with CF either. Anyone taking 36+ putts per round is putting shockingly, and I wouldn't expect anyone <18 to be taking that many. Remember these guys will be missing a lot of greens during a round, so there should be at least two or three up and downs in there, and maybe a birdie, throw in a 3 putt, and you're still only taking 33 putts. Lower handicaps will miss less, but be further from the pin, so less chance of a 1 putt, but will also probably be better putters which will even out the lack of (relative) up and down opportunities.

If you're taking anything like 36 putts, you have serious putting issues.
 
At 6 I think I can class myself as a lower handicapper and I've read many things on this thread which in my case are absolute nonesense:

Lag putting - my distance control is appauling
clutch putting - I miss so many 2-4 foot putts you wouldn't believe it.
Practice - I play a competition once a week most weeks and that is pretty much it.
My birdie conversion rate is poor
My par scrambling is terrible
I average over 2 putts per GIR at the moment (took 40 putts last weekend)

What I'm good at is:

Drives which are in play, not necessarily on the fairway
Lots of greens in regulation
Long hitting, meaning I can hit shorter irons for 2nd shots. Therefore more accurate approach play.
When in trouble I can still progress the ball better than higher handicap playing partners.
Keeping bogey as my worst score (more often than not)


We all play the game differently - I went to a open day at the Belfry and the Cleveland CF'er virtually gave me a boll###ing for playing of 6 with my long game ability.
 
Gil_Emott said:
At 6 I think I can class myself as a lower handicapper and I've read many things on this thread which in my case are absolute nonesense:

Lag putting - my distance control is appauling
clutch putting - I miss so many 2-4 foot putts you wouldn't believe it.
Practice - I play a competition once a week most weeks and that is pretty much it.
My birdie conversion rate is poor
My par scrambling is terrible
I average over 2 putts per GIR at the moment (took 40 putts last weekend)

What I'm good at is:

Drives which are in play, not necessarily on the fairway
Lots of greens in regulation
Long hitting, meaning I can hit shorter irons for 2nd shots. Therefore more accurate approach play.
When in trouble I can still progress the ball better than higher handicap playing partners.
Keeping bogey as my worst score (more often than not)


We all play the game differently - I went to a open day at the Belfry and the Cleveland CF'er virtually gave me a boll###ing for playing of 6 with my long game ability.
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I think you have said one thing with this post......that is why you play off 6 and not scratch.....:confused:
 
I think its a case of having a better all round game. There probably isnt anything specific but I was a decent driver , pretty good iron player but had a sharp short game too. Didnt think I converted enough of my chances for birdie but it was usually an easy par (wont ruin your card racking up pars). I could get out of trouble well which higher h/cs have problems with due to their swing techniques and not thinking through the solution correctly. For example using wrong loft of club to get under branches and hitting them.
 
I agree short game and putting is a big factor. I'm usually on or around every green in regulation (barring the odd disaster) but don't get up and down enough from around the green.

A big thing that I don't think has been mentioned is that a low handicapper's bad shot is generally not as bad as a high handicapper's. For example, a low handicapper hitting a bad approach might miss the green but a high handicapper's bad shot might go into the trees.

Course management, knowing your ability, correct shot selection - sure.

I don't agree that it's not about taking risks though - where would Bubba have been if he'd played for the fairway instead of a massive hook out the trees in the masters? But it's about knowing when to take a risk and how to mitigate it.
 
With a short game I really could be quite good. But I'm cretainly not good enough for a scratch handicap.
When my short game goes well I play in the category 1 bracket - not sub-par scoring.
 
i think he mentioned one or two things that have stopped him from going further down. he mentioned he is bad at putting and also that he only plays once a week. i dont many scratch golfers that do either.
 
For me it's not about what low handicaps do that high handicaps don't but the other way round. I would argue that my good shots are pretty bloody good. I've smashed my 3 wood past Bob's driver on a nnumber of occasions, I've holed really long putts and left them agonisingly close for tap in, I've chipped in numerous times and wedged it close plenty of times as well...

...but my bad shots!!! Whoa they are BAD tops, fats, thins, slices, hooks, sha......

You name it I'll do it. So to me the difference between a low handicap and a high handicap isn't how good our good shots are, it's how destructively bad our bad shots are (and how frequently we play a bad shot).
 
bobmac said:
I was steering it a bit that day though.
Tell me, I've forgotten...
You must have won the longest drive comp that day then ?:fore:
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I wondered how long it would take you to bite!!!! ;) To be fair we were pretty equidistant on longest drive but I was in the rough!

You know I love you Bob, especially when you fizz that 1 iron!
 
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for me i would say its better course management that leads to better opportunities or less damage.

the most frequent thing i say with higher handicaps is they put the ball in trouble and then take on the impossible risk reward shot causing further damage. sometimes you just have to take the punishment and move on and maybe limit the damage.
 
JustOne said:
No1 - lag putt.
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After 3 putting twice today in 9 holes I still haven't changed my mind, the rest of the putting wasn't much cop either......

1st: missed from 25ft, made from 4ft
2nd: missed from 25ft, missed from 4ft, made from 2"
3rd: missed from 5ft, made from 6"
4th: made from 1ft
5th: made from 1ft
6th: (hit the pin) made from 6"
7th: missed from 30ft, missed from 8ft, made from 1ft
8th: missed from 12ft, made from 1ft
9th: (hit the pin) missed from 7ft, made from 2ft

So in 9 holes (2 over par) I made 11ft of putts, longest being the 4ft on the 1st, and 3 putted twice.

Putting is definitely the No1 difference, should have been 3 under!
 
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