Whats needed

[kid2]

Rather than hijack Griffgolf's thread i said id start another...
I guess maybe that only single figure handicaps may be able to answer this but its open to all....

What is an acceptable level of practice to reach single figures and maybe the lower end of them...
I suppose im not the only one with a family on here young as the are but am i being a little too overzealous in my quest to get lower.... I am very competitive and im perfectly aware of my skill level and what im capable of.....

I dont really want the answer that its the short game or the like but rather what kind of discipline and commitment is needed to get and maintain that sort of handicap.

But in todays 100mph lifestyle and commitments are we looking for a bit too much...

 

[Oddsocks]

At the moment I'm practicing for around 60-90 mins on a Tuesday, with around 40 mins pre round practice on Sunday so in total 2-2.5 hours a week practice and one round a week. Yes my hc is dropping quickly but my personal opinion is I will not get to single figures this year as I'm not spending the time at the range needed to ingrain the changes my pro wants. My long game needs to improve a lot to get to the desired single figures at most I could hope for is 10/11 this season

 

[JustOne]

3hrs practice (of which 2hrs on the short game) and 2 rounds per week (EVERY week) would suit me just fine.... I'd be a solid 2-3-4 h/cap.

As it stands I can't hit a banjo with a cows barn door!... just SEEING a ball in front of me is a surprise!

Playing tomorrow with my new 'Bubba Watson' style drive... should be a laugh!

 

[Swinger]

If by single figures you mean 9 then make 9 pars and nothing worse than a bogey more often than not.

I think getting lower is more of an attitude thing though. I see some 10+ H/Cs practise a lot. They hit a ball well and don't seem to have any major weaknesses but they seem to lack the ability to score.

Scoring itself, in my view, is a skill all of its own.
One that I have struggled to get but am slowly getting the hang of.

Maybe more of an attitude thing, you don't panic you know how to make the best of poor situations and recover better.

Learn to score I guess, don't take stupid risks, enjoy the challenge of getting up and down from that plugged lie and have fun.

I'm still learning and I have a long, long way to go. If I ever figure out the little secret you can bet that I'll pass it on.


NOT!!

If I ever crack this stupid game I'm taking it to the grave or just telling my offspring and I'm not holding me breath.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

WInter has been about a swing change to get more compression which is now showing signs of working on the course. I use to practice too much in the summer and last year it was about enjoying being out there every night and not so much about the quality. If I did have a bad patch I'd dedicate maybe one night a week to hitting balls. I tried to work on the short game once a week too. However even if the new swing holds up, I really don't think it is enough to get me down that low. I either have to work hard at the mechanics to get something to work regularly and so practice or offset that with being on the course. It never comes easy to me hence the juggling act. I found that I enjoyed the hit it and find it mentality last year a lot more (compared to hours on the practice ground in 08 and 09). As a result I'll play and play and hope the handicap takes care of itself

 

[Oddsocks]

Swinger, you refer to scoring, for me it has come from taking my punishment, playing the percentages and recovering.

If I have banged it into the cabbage on a par 4 as an example, forget the miracle recovery shot, play for a position where I can get up and down for a bogey. If my third shot gets me close enough for a par putt the so be it, and if I'm lucky enough to hole a long put or par then it's a bonus

 

[Swinger]

Swinger, you refer to scoring, for me it has come from taking my punishment, playing the percentages and recovering.

If I have banged it into the cabbage on a par 4 as an example, forget the miracle recovery shot, play for a position where I can get up and down for a bogey. If my third shot gets me close enough for a par putt the so be it, and if I'm lucky enough to hole a long put or par then it's a bonus

I have a bit of a sadistic hankering for miracle recovery shots!!

I get the playing percentages and taking your licks but scoring seems to be a seperate skill to me. Some people can putt, some can hit it well and some can put a decent score together most of the time without doing either of the other two overly well. Some lucky gits can do all three!

 

[USER1999]

Scoring is definitely a skill you need to learn. Grinding out a score when you are swinging it like a monkey will help stop getting point 1 back on a bad day.

Getting to single figures is about limiting the mistakes you make. How bad are the bad shots, not how good are the good ones. Chipping out of the trees is a card wrecker.

 

[Alex1975]

I think it’s the quality of the practice not the amount, just my 2p worth.

 

[Billysboots]

The key is identifying weaknesses and then working on them - practice has to be targetted rather than just random hitting of balls. Rather than praticing without focus, I tend to have a lesson every couple of months and then work on any changes on the course - I play two or three times a week, so range work isn't always necessary.

As for scoring, I agree it's a case of minimising errors, and if you make a mistake then the golden rule is not to immediately compound it with another. I've reached the point now where I can really slap it round and still score no worse than half a dozen shots over my handicap on a bad day, so I figure I'm doing something right.

Another thing to consider if you're really intent on getting cut low is where you play. At our place it can be really difficult to get cut as CSS is very often three under the course par, so once in single figures you really have to cut out the wasted shots as there is so little to play with.

 

[Region3]

Another thing to consider if you're really intent on getting cut low is where you play. At our place it can be really difficult to get cut as CSS is very often three under the course par, so once in single figures you really have to cut out the wasted shots as there is so little to play with.

But does that mean SSS is already 2 under par, meaning your handicap will have been based on that to start with?

I thought CSS could only go down by 1 but go up by up to 3 shots?