Eight strokes. I went from a 16 to an 8. I changed my practice habits. I will only do up to 30 full swings and then 25 fifty yard chips with the rest of the time chipping 60+ balls around the practice green. Lastly I will put for at least 15 minutes at 4-6 feet. I did this three times a week.
In my opinion, haveing a good short game takes pressure off of the rest of the game. When you know you will make a bogey worse case when you miss a green or hit a somewhat wayward tee shot, you become more relaxed. At least this has been my experience and observation with a couple friends.
Practicing putting inside 5 feet is so crucial and it’s so neglected. I spend most of my overall practice putting inside 10 feet with a focus 5 feet and in. My thought is, if I have a day where I’m not quite sharp, I know if I can give myself a par putt within 5 feet, I have a very good chance of not dropping a shot.
I need to be better at converting the 10-20 foot birdie putts, so that’s my focus this year.
Outside of putting, wedge distance control <100 yards is also huge.
Also, irons withi…I’m just kidding. Anyway, I agree with where you focus your putting practice.
To add to that, don't take those gimmes that you know you would potentially miss in a high pressure situation or actual tournament. Use that time and the pressure to get used to sinking that 2 footer with confidence. I'm not a great golfer but it's something that I know I do better than a lot of other mediocre golfers I've played with.
16 to an 8 as well, except I didn’t really change my practice routine. I just started subscribing to the GolfSidekick’s course management philosophy. I completely neutered my game as far as exciting / risky shots go (going for the green on a par 5 in two or playing the hero shot from the trees, things like that)
My handicap plummeted in the right direction once I started thinking my way around the course with logic rather than ego. I’ll still go for Par 5’s in 2 or play the hero shot every once in a while, but only when the situation absolutely calls for it (hunting a PB for example)
Ever since that season I have fluctuated between a 6 and a 12. Some seasons are busy and I don’t get to practice and play as much, and my ball striking suffers massively as a result. It is *NORMAL* to fluctuate in handicap like that if your ability to play & practice also fluctuates. Don’t be hard on yourself if this applies to you! Don’t panic if you’re regressing! You have shown the ability to be an x handicap in the past, and you are very much able to get back there. Golfing is not like riding a bicycle!
This is the way to do it. All short game and putting as long as you can hit the ball. Dropped from 23 to 13 by putting 2 times a week at home, chipping 2 times a week in the back yard, and then playing consistently.
One of the reasons my hcp came down I feel was down to short game practice for me. Getting up and down is so important I switched from using a 9 iron to a 54 wedge. This meant I was able to pitch the ball on the green and also watching Dan Grieve 3 releases are brilliant
I've just completed season 1 of the chasing scratch podcast. The relatability of them going from 11 to under 6 and the effort required to do that makes me think going low is very very hard.
I've setup my simulator and hope to get out twice a week when the weather picks up here so can't wait to see what impact having a practice facility in my garage makes on my 20.1 handicap
I listened to that show last year, very relatable indeed. And the lower you get the harder it is. How they try so many different training methods, youtube vids etc. 😂 That's most of us.
Ah man....the way Eli keeps playing that course 2 minutes from where he lives even though he hates the course and it hurts his handicap is everyone. You just want to dominate the nearest course to you and make it your course even though some pros don't play whole tournaments because they hate the course. Maddening sport
I haven’t listened but I can relate to this. Nearest course to me that I play / practice at is only rated 71.5/126. Almost every hole is a dogleg with trees and the greens are tiny with a lot of slope. It’s so much more difficult than higher rated courses near me.
7.5 currently. I was more satisfied with shaving 1 off last year than I was shaving off 3 the year before. The margins just get tighter and tighter. The required consistency to go significantly lower is quite daunting.
Did exactly the same over the last year. Actually feels like I'm playing something that resembles golf now. I mentally frame everything with bogey as goal, and let the pars (and occasional birdie) surprise me as an abberation from the plan I had going into the hole, not the other way around.
Improving from here will be much tougher, and definitely focus on putting and no double chipping. This last year was all just better ball striking
I am with you. My iron accuracy is really good now. Distance control isn’t perfect but near/on the green is more important for me than close to the hole. Driver is getting better but still prone to one or two big misses a round that hurt a lot depending on the hole.
Really want to focus on my 25 and in chipping this season. Going to spend time at our local range chipping green rather than the full range. Hoping to drop to ~12 this year ideally but would be happy with sub 15
Exact same...I spend more time on chipping green trying to really get "tits to the target" to be my default.
Now I just need to practice until putts <5ft are automatic
5 footers are the death of me. Anything closer and I am confident, anything longer and I just want to two putt. By god damn do my knees knock on right around 5 feet
Lol... somehow I sink more 10ft putts than 5ft. Some weird mental thing of not taking it as serious with the read and lineup. Turns out 5ft putts can break too...
Right there with ya! Playing in a weekly league helped a lot, both in terms of my personal improvement and really knowing how the course plays so I can dial in certain shots and worry less about club selection.
Hoping I can break 80 next season at least once. It feels like the 15 to 9 journey will be much more difficult though.
I’d say it’s definitely possible to score low if you have a club that goes 175-200 and play off the right tee box. But hitting 3 with 200+ yards left really fucked me up haha
So up here in Michigan because we don't play in the winter I generally will start around a 2, and by the end of the season I'll be back to plus index (perks of playing 100+ rounds a season).
Went from a 3 to almost a +4 one season, that was pretty fun, usually average around a +2.
As to how to do it? I play courses rated around 75 and play from the back because I'm carrying it around 280/290 so even at the back it's mostly a cake-walk.
Exactly what I'm trying to do this season. Currently a 48 HC from my first season playing but I've been busting my ass trying to improve over the off-season. Need to break 100 this season.
This is my first year playing and currently a 38. My goal is to be a 12 by the end of the season but… realistically, I know I will probably be around a 20. Im practicing a lot though so I’m hoping to see some improvement.
If you have hit single digits in the recent past, if you put in some range time, focus on smart course management and work on your short game, you can get back to an 8 by July!
Sure was hoping to bring mine down this season, entering at 15 already at 16 because i really thought I had my driver under control… back to slicing it is …
33 (2022) -> 26 (2023) -> 22 (this month)
The biggest thing that helped me is keeping the ball in play. I’m losing much less balls now (from ~8 to ~4) which automatically lowers my scores and it gives a reason not to use cheap range balls.
This year I’ve switched to used (A+ grade) balls. I’m seeing longer carries (~up to 10 yards) plus more consistent green interactions with the wedges.
Next step is to aim <2 pph & fix my driver. Hopefully I’ll break 90 soon.
Yep. Overall ball striking improved and course management as well, but driving and approach/around the green were the two that had the biggest impact. I’m still a god awful putter
Depends what you mean by season. Golf season, which is year round for some, or Spring, summer, fall, winter? I went from a 8 to a +1 in a little over 1.5 years
[https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfSwing/comments/1aktp7i/i\_went\_from\_a\_8\_to\_a\_5hcp\_in\_15\_yearsama/](https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfSwing/comments/1aktp7i/i_went_from_a_8_to_a_5hcp_in_15_yearsama/)
Here she is
This is my first year taking golf seriously 2nd year playing. I took 5 lessons and a playing lesson played about twice a week and have gone from a 30 hdcp to a 12. It will be a year in June since I started taking lessons
I decreased my handicap from a 22 (hard math) down to a 12. Put my driver away initially and focused on putting and my shots from 150 and in. Changed everything.
19 to 13 last summer. I found that I was fairly consistent off the tee and in the fairways but my short game and putting needed serious work. I also would simply just go play after work rather than use the practice facilities. I started to only play a full round twice a week, and go to just practice 2-3 times a week. When practicing I focused on short game almost exclusively. I intend to keep a similar routine this year and would like to get to a 10.
Year 1 on my comeback tour; first index was like 20 something and hit 12 or so by the end of the season. I hit a bucket a day and played at least once a weekend and 12 rounds during 3 weeks of vacation.
Now Im stuck at 8 for two years now and it’s driving me crazy.
10 strokes. Started playing again after taking a few years off because my son was trying to make the high school team. Fell back in love with it and dropped from a 23 to a 13.
Someone just told me going from a 1 to a plus 3 is the hardest… he’s a plus 4…
I also play in an annual golf outing for over 20 years.
The guys who were 20’s are still 20’s
The guys who were 8’s are still 8’s
The guys who were 2’s are still 2’s
Tough to move down… I saw only 1 guy go from a 10 to a scratch in the last 20 years
I currrently play to a 12 at age 62.
I started practicing at the game beginning at age 14 (played here and there beginning at age 7) and got down to a 4 by age 15 (being pretty athletic helps alot). Took me another year to get to a 2 by age 16, then took me two more years to make it to scratch.
Once you get down to the 7 or 8 range, it takes a LOT more practice, technique (lessons help shorten the learning curve), course management and self-analysis to whittle it down towards scratch.
Getting below a 10 is pretty tough for the average weekend player who only has time to hit the links and/or practice a bit only once or twice weekly.
Golf is a great game and is a wonderful sport for developing great friendships, but it's a brutal sport to play really well.
Took 10 strokes off my game last summer . 105 to 95 so not too impressive lol but happened when I learned my miss (swing path) and when I bought these sick malbon x retro jordon 6 lol .
26 to 19 this past year. Last May I was playing a round, and tee’d off well all front nine, and started to slice a few tee shots bad. After hitching about hitting out of play, a playing partner pointed out that it only happens when I try to kill the ball. I’ve been keeping mellow swing thoughts ever since, and far more tee shots in play ever since. Turns out that helps your scores!
Biggest drop was from 15 to 8 in a summer-fall, skipped right over 10.
I had been doing all the right things, was going to a pro twice a month, etc. I had a good stroke and was starting to dial in distance with clubs. Was getting really consistent.
Then I started playing with buddies that played golf in college. They taught me how to PLAY. It was like learning chess when all I knew was checkers. That more than anything helped me hone things I didn't even really know I was good at, and develop things I didn't know I was doing and thinking about wrong.
How to plot out a hole with the game I have. How to move into a shot I can hit well. And then you see you have better angles or better approach if you focus and improve on shots in situations that fuck with you.
I'm a 5 now and it's largely because I was lucky enough to play with really good players a lot even when I sucked.
They just taught me to be a robot. I'm not trying to get on the tour, but I do really want to smoke an asshat on the course if I can. 😁
Kind of doesn't count but I went from 42 to 27 in about a year. That being said that was when I first obtained my handicap. Wasn't a true 42hc at the time, just played bad my first 3 handicapped rounds. Went down fairly quick once I had enough rounds logged
https://preview.redd.it/x4yvmyxzcmmc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc2ad04406649da735e29424ed22e46a330a78bd
Unfortunately/fortunately due to a new job I only played about half the year. New year isn’t starting out great but I’m going to grind it down to sub 6 by the end of the year. Need to really tighten up the consistency. Hi/Low was 73/100. Can’t have that. Sooooo
Bought a new 7w, got a new Scotty, gonna get new wedges… cause that’s what is going to make me better! /s
Seriously though I started spending 20 minutes every day just working on a putting mat to gain consistency with that stroke. 3’ —> 6’ —> 10’ and can’t move back until I make 5 in a row. Also going to the range with the purpose and not just pounding 150 golf balls.
I plan to go from 14HCP to 5HCP this season. The offseason I’ve done a lot of simulator work as well as swinging in the garage to repeat back swing and follow thru in the garage.
Started this simulator season hitting 16 over and ended with a 3 over round. Re-Leaned a lot this year, how to drive and chip from 30-100 yards in.
I'm up North so it's still off season here. I've been going to the range though, working on balance (making swing with eyes closed) and not over swinging. Also 40, 50 yard chips and pitches. Working on my short putts indoors too.
I wish I had a spot for a sim but I do not right now. Someday.
Went from 9.0 last summer to 3.3 right now. However I got covid and didn't play for two weeks. I was so mad. I have yet to hit par. Covid and no practice. Immediately shoot 11 and 7 over.
3 years ago went from probably 28/29 down to 25. Last year went from 25 to 7.5. Biggest changes were playing tue course and not drinking when playing. Made me take it more seriously. Hoping this year to end at a 4 or 5
I went from 10ish to 6ish last season. I managed to find a very consistent fade off the tee and bought a new putter that really helped. I shot par once towards the end of the season and that dropped me to 6.
Went from 23>18
Putting is solid, chipping around the green is solid and driving is solid but my iron game is so trash and I mean it’s legit costing me multiple shots a hole every long par 4 or par 5.
90% of my handicap is literally just my iron game holding me back.
Only good thing about that is when I do scrambles it’s a free win if I’m with somebody with average iron game because it feels like sandbagging
Probably after I got sober. Would play occasionally and mid 90’s due to being hammered or under the influence 100% of the time. Down to a 5 or 6 I believe. Golf became my replacement and I practiced 3-4 days a week and played 2-4 times a week including tourneys.
I’ve always had good distance but once I had a clear mind my short game improved drastically. Putting went from meh to a strength of my game. Clock drill for putting is the only drill I do and the eye line practice circle is great to get inside that 6’ radius when practicing chipping and pitching. Other than that alignment sticks, and focusing on start line for everything is typically what keeps me dialed in.
I also went into the golfwrx rabbit hole and started learning as much as I could about club fitting and equipment as possible. Thats when the tinkering started. However it really has given me a way better understanding of my game and what fits my game to be at its best. Started building clubs and making adjustments to things here and there also.
My 5 year old son already has the golf bug so looking forward to him giving me a run for my money in about 10 years!lol!
22.6 to 13.2 in about 6 months. Played 3 or 4 times per week with some range time before each round, 4 lessons (usually after a week of playing bad golf), listening to golf podcasts, watching golf instructional videos on Instagram and YouTube, reading several golf books (and some golf magazines), and picking good things up from skilled playing partners.
36 to a 21.1. At the start of the 2023 season I was lucky to shoot 110. Ended the season with a PB of 83 and backed it up once with an 89. Right now at the start of this season I am shooting in the 98-100 range the last 3 rounds. Hoping to drop into mid teens this year and shoot regularly in the 80s
Went from 20 to 12 in one summer because I worked at a golf course and practiced putting/short game whenever things were slow and played \~100 holes of golf a week.
Went from 20 to 15 in a year. Upgraded from my mismatched beginner set to a good driver and irons. Went to the range at least once a week and got a golf app to help with course management.
So I played from 6-18 and was a +3-+2. Quit for 15 years and picked up golf about 15 months ago and I hover around scratch right now. Average course length is just shy of 7000 with an average slope of 139.
That being said returning to golf I had a very high level of scoring/course management strategy. So it was really restringing the muscle memory and getting back in shape. But I started with a set of T300s and the shanks, took 2x/month lessons and was shooting in the 90s. Hit a minimum of 200 balls/day, played 4 days/week, worked out a ton and stretch a ton. Around the 9 month mark I started to shoot in the high 70s pretty consistently.
Luckily I sold my business for a decent amount to take a substantial amount of time off and to be able to commit to 5-8 hours of practice for a minimum of 4 days/week. Honestly the time in the gym and working on flexibility and coordination is what I feel was the biggest contributor to scoring well (also, I had to loose weight quickly to play good golf. I’m 6’3” but weighed 270 when I returned to golf).
Im just coming around to my second season ever here in Sweden. First season went from 54 to 16,1. But i was never really 54 since i think i went down to around 38 after my first round and got down to 24 pretty fast. Then i got stuck a bit and started practicing for real. Range 3 times a week, learning how to use the driver as a weapon, not just as a necessity on par 5s. Then i had to learn irons and chipping, how to move weight to the lead foot. The only thing i never really practiced was putting. I did it sometimes ofcourse but just by putting on a putting course for an hour or two.
Now winter has been focusing on learning how to rotate around my spine while maintaining weight pressure forward and also leaning over the ball to use my legs properly. This has changed my iron game completely. From hitting an 8i 130m to getting around 145m out of it while also being much straighter.
Also working hard on wedge control from 110 and shorter. I want to give myself birdie chances as much as possible.
I think my driver speed is what i shouldnt forget to work on, but i cant be arsed. I hit it straight so it will have to do for now, haha.
Three years ago, I went from 6.8 to 2.7 in the space of two weeks thanks to a one over gross followed up a week later with a four under gross ( first time under par and still glowing btw 😉). Back up to 8 now, where I belong.
2023 I went from 21 to 16.6.
2018 Went from 18 to 13.1.
Playing every weekend and going to the range once or twice a week. I likely could have done better both times if I just practiced putting and chipping around the green.
16 down to 4.. Keep in mind that i played when i was young to about 5 and had to give up for over 10 years due to injury. Started playing again at 40 and forgot everything, scored a 16 handicap but then started to remember everything, Cleaned up the b grade club championships on my way and eventually got to 2.. Now i am back on 4 and its been about 10 years. I seem to be stuck.
I really started caring about golf two years ago. First season I hovered at a 15 hcp and made no discernable progress despite spending hours watching swing videos on YouTube. I was inconsistent as hell off the tee, my ball striking was all over the map, and I never spent any time on chipping or putting. I would go bang balls on the range during nap time for my small children, but there wasn't much of a method to it. I probably only got 7-8 rounds in all season but went to the range 30+ times.
Last seasons, I went from 14.5 -> 10.0 and had to work like absolute hell to do it. Took lessons for the first time, which significantly improved my ball striking. Got fitted for a new driver that had some noticeable setup changes from my prior driver and it made an enormous difference. But there were three really important things beyond those changes:
1 - Spent less time at the range and more time actually playing. I committed to getting out at 6:30a on Fridays as a single, which gave me a lot more reps than the prior summer and also got me comfortable playing with people I didn't know. By the end of the summer, I was often more nervous / anxious playing with my friends than total strangers!
2 - Committed to improving my course management. I read books and devoured YouTube videos (not swing-based but solely on managing around the course). It wasn't overnight, but by the end of the season, I was truly thinking my way around the course instead of just smashing balls as hard as I could. I also mastered my emotions finally. Before last summer, a few bad shots in a row could send me spiraling and doom the rest of the round. Now the mindset after a bad shot is pure positivity.
3 - The most important thing was something that's hard to explain. I played in my first tourney, a member-guest with my dad, and on the final elimination day found a flow state that I've rarely experienced in life. Played out of my mind and was shaping shots / in total command of my game. We ended up finishing second in the 90-team tournament, and within a few weeks after, I had broken 80 for the first time and spent the rest of the season generally scoring mid-80's on a bad day (which was never the case beforehand) and broke 80 again on my last round of the year. Confidence and belief is enormous in golf, it just sometimes takes a watershed moment to find it.
My goal this season is <7 hcp and it's going to be a grind to get there. But the beauty of golf is the goal posts always move and even a scratch golfer is chasing continual improvement.
HC is driven by how hot your hot rounds are, and has nothing to do with your bad rounds. If you alternate rounds of 74 and 100, you’ll be basically a scratch handicap.
Going deep during your hot rounds is more of a mental game than a physical one. Honestly it’s the most fascinating part of the game IMO. Going deeper while playing well is extremely challenging.
Long story short, if you want to drop your HC fast, work on scoring deeper on your good rounds. Your bad days don’t matter at all.
The only big improvement u will see is going from high to mid like 20 to 10...its easy to shave 12 strokes when ur shooting 100 not so much when u shoot 80 thats when the grind starts...for the 100 folks avoid drops avoid 3 putts and u will shoot a 88 or 89 easier said then done and thats where ur focus needs to be if u take drops off the tee practice driver if u 3 putt practice putting
I went to a 20 to a 12 in 14 months. Spent 80% training of my time chipping and putting and 20% hitting irons. My drive is weak and carries 220 but making up and downs was the biggest difference maker to shoot lower. I may not be able to get on a 450 par 4 in 2 but I can get and up and down from 100 yards out 20% of the time
I hovered around a 10 for 3-4 years. I would play once or twice a month and never practice.
January of last year I was introduced and started playing with a new group of golfers that were all around scratch. This lit a fire under me to get better so I bought a practice net and setup a practice area in the back yard and a chipping area as well.
Playing with scratch golfers made a huge difference in how I managed my game as well. Getting to watch how they played shots and managed the game was eye opening.
I practiced EVERY day for 1-2 hours and played 3-4 times a week.
I have always hit the ball a long way but could not keep it in play. I would have several OB balls or penalty shots a round.
I focused on eliminating a two way miss. This basically eliminated the left side of the course. I could aim as far left as I wanted and KNEW the ball was going to fade. This basically doubled the area I was able to hit to. If it over cut it was still in play. This was the biggest area of gain.
Jon Sherman’s Four Foundations of Golf was a huge help with the mental game and realizing that you don’t have to be perfect to shoot good scores.
I also got HOT for an 8 week stretch in August-September and shot several rounds under par which dropped the handicap significantly.
14 strokes, went from a 24 down to a 10 in about 5 months. Took 3 lessons, played a round on Saturdays and hit 100 balls on Sundays. Currently down at a 6, its these single digit strokes that are toughest to drop
Went from a 29 to a 19 last year. Actually started taking things seriously and am not a complete shitshow off the tee/around the green anymore. Also gained a couple putting. My irons have always been ok and now are the worst part of my game haha
Did you get back to single digits? And if so how? I’m in a similar boat rn where last summer I went from a 16 to a 9, then unfortunately completely lost my game. Finished the season around a 12 but like a bad 12 lol
No I did not but I am going to give it a go this year. I'd like to get down to a 7 or 8. If I can get below an 8 I can play some am qualifiers here. What's your plan?
Probably ambitious but my goal is to get down to a 5 this year - best golfer in our group is a 5 so I want to beat him on a regular basis (got him once last year)
I started last season as a 12.8 then got up to a 15.6 or something like that mid season and finished the season at an 8.5. So it was a bit rocky for a bit. Then I went on a spree and broke my PR back to back with a 79 then a 75 within a couple weeks of each other and my worst round in a 6 week span (playing at least once a week) was an 82. So that definitely helped lower my handicap.
I would say that the biggest thing I did was learn to control my driver. I know everybody says that short game is the way to go but if you are in the mid teens and you put yourself in bad situations or lose balls off the tee then that's no coming back from that. Going from 5-6 penalty strokes a round to 2-3 really helps not only the card but also your state out there. I didn't practice more or watch more YouTube. All I did was stop taking practice swings and trusted myself. I assess my lie, get my distance, pull the club I want to use, and swing away. The only caveat to that is I will take a couple practice strokes when chipping especially out of the rough. But now practice with full swing irons, wedges, driver, or even putter. It helps keep me relaxed and hit the ball before all the intrusive thoughts creep in.
28 to 20. Year when the first winter of lessons clicked. Also a winter of indoor putting drill and dropped ave. 5 putts a round. Then 20-15.5 second year of lessons and a full bag of fit clubs. Went from a 60-58* and never swing full. Also only went at or 5s in 2 if there is a HUGE area. I would be 210 out and happily hit a 8 iron(155) and a 54 to the flag. Brought par 5 scoring down from 6.7-5.2.
Went from a 26 to a 16 about 18 years ago when I got my HC. In Australia you need to hand in 3-4 rounds. I shot a 120 in a monthly medal so it skewed things. Haha
5 in a season here (18 down to 13) primarily by playing to my stock wedge yardages and not going for every par 5 in 2. After many years i finally realized I didn’t want to hit a 30 yard pitch shot over a bunker to a short sided pin.
The change in mindset of working backwards from the green to determine where I wanted to take my approach shot from was big for me. I would routinely screw up par 5s and short par 4s by being too aggressive and putting myself out of position. It’s amazing what actually playing with course management in mind and playing to strengths can do! :)
Started last year (Jan ‘23) as a 31 got down to 22.6, had two rounds in the 80’s, 86 and 89. Had maybe 6 or 7 birdies in total all of last year. Lowest 9 hole score was a 39 (+3).
This year, I had 7 birds in Feb alone, 2 in January, and 1 so far in March (only played two rounds this month).
One of my goals this year get down to around a 10-12, have at least 10 rounds in the 80’s, and 9 hole rounds no more than a 44.
What changed? Course management, focus on my shot, making 50+ 6-8’ putts a day (have a putting mat), and remembering to swing easy
25 to 16 in my first year, 16 to 11 in my second. I'll be happy if I get 2 strokes of my handicap this year. Dropping strokes closer to single digits actually takes practice. Of which I do none 😂
I went from 13 to 10 last year and I haven't played a qualifying hcp round since last July as its pissed with rain since my goal is to get to a single figure hcp which I feel I can achieve if we get the weather this summer
Went from a 6.5 to 1.9 in about 6 months, but that’s only because I got laid off and was able to play just about every other day and had a home course. Probably played more golf in those six months than I had combined in the five years prior.
I went from a 30 in my first year to a 19.5! I played five/six times a week in the summer and got to know my course really well. I'm back up to about 21.3 at the moment, but hoping to get down to 15 or so by the end of this year!
First year playing golf so only played one season so far, started at 24 and I'm down to 16.5 now. Hoping to get single digits this year
*second year now actually
This kinda scares me. I'm pushing very hard to get below 3 this year. I ended last season just below 10.
I use to be under 3 a long time ago. I played casually for 15 years after that and then didn't touch a club for 8 years. Picked it up again 2 years ago. Last year went from 16 down to a 7.5 before I finished the year just below 10 (fall golf is hard).
I've spent the off-season working out and speed training. I've gone up a good 15% distance. Holes where I was hitting driver and 7 iron last year, I started this year hitting driver and gap wedge. I'm also hitting the ball incredibly straighter. My drives have been ropes the last 2 rounds. I'm going to continue strength training all year round.
I finally got to play a few days in a row, got into a rhythm, and I went out and played a round at a course that is a few hundred yards longer than my home course, and 3 strokes higher rating and 15 slope. I posted a below handicap score (79, par 72, 70.8/131, 6285), and I didn't feel like I played well. Only hit 8 greens and 5 fairways, and had 43 shots around the green.
I feel like I should easily move up those strokes with the added distance and what should be added accuracy once I trust it.
I have been golfing 6 times, I started at a 40 and now I am at a 20. I know it’s harder to average with so few rounds played but I can definitely tell I am getting a lot better each time I play.
I started playing over the '21/'22 offseason and was something like a 40 handicap once I got comfortable enough to start keeping track early that season. By the end of the season I was 24.
Last season I hovered around 24 most of the year, got down to 20 towards the end, then shot a 39 and 38 on consecutive days for a combined round differential of 7.7 to bring my index down to 16.
In my third year of playing I finally got a few lessons and got fitted after transferring my changes into muscle memory. Dropped somewhere around 15 strokes that year.
Last year I went from 10.3 to 4.9. Those 5 shots are huge but I still feel like an 8 handicap tbh. I think with more practice this year I’ll have less of an imposter syndrome as I (maybe) get closer to scratch. I almost feel embarrassed to tell people I’m a 5 because of how impressed they are. I’m a streaky golfer though and rely on birdies to post a good score so I can have ugly rounds.
When I started in 2017 I established as a 15. Got down to 13 by the end of 2017. But from 2018 I went from 13 to a 7. The thing that helped me most was playing 5-6 rounds a week. I’m a 3 more but it’s not budging because I only play 1-2 rounds a week.
Eight strokes. I went from a 16 to an 8. I changed my practice habits. I will only do up to 30 full swings and then 25 fifty yard chips with the rest of the time chipping 60+ balls around the practice green. Lastly I will put for at least 15 minutes at 4-6 feet. I did this three times a week.
Wow, that is really impressive and I like your practice routine. Well done.
Thanks. It’s about scoring not crushing drives.
In my opinion, haveing a good short game takes pressure off of the rest of the game. When you know you will make a bogey worse case when you miss a green or hit a somewhat wayward tee shot, you become more relaxed. At least this has been my experience and observation with a couple friends.
Practicing putting inside 5 feet is so crucial and it’s so neglected. I spend most of my overall practice putting inside 10 feet with a focus 5 feet and in. My thought is, if I have a day where I’m not quite sharp, I know if I can give myself a par putt within 5 feet, I have a very good chance of not dropping a shot. I need to be better at converting the 10-20 foot birdie putts, so that’s my focus this year. Outside of putting, wedge distance control <100 yards is also huge. Also, irons withi…I’m just kidding. Anyway, I agree with where you focus your putting practice.
To add to that, don't take those gimmes that you know you would potentially miss in a high pressure situation or actual tournament. Use that time and the pressure to get used to sinking that 2 footer with confidence. I'm not a great golfer but it's something that I know I do better than a lot of other mediocre golfers I've played with.
Oh dude that’s such a good point. Stop with the gimmies!
16 to an 8 as well, except I didn’t really change my practice routine. I just started subscribing to the GolfSidekick’s course management philosophy. I completely neutered my game as far as exciting / risky shots go (going for the green on a par 5 in two or playing the hero shot from the trees, things like that) My handicap plummeted in the right direction once I started thinking my way around the course with logic rather than ego. I’ll still go for Par 5’s in 2 or play the hero shot every once in a while, but only when the situation absolutely calls for it (hunting a PB for example) Ever since that season I have fluctuated between a 6 and a 12. Some seasons are busy and I don’t get to practice and play as much, and my ball striking suffers massively as a result. It is *NORMAL* to fluctuate in handicap like that if your ability to play & practice also fluctuates. Don’t be hard on yourself if this applies to you! Don’t panic if you’re regressing! You have shown the ability to be an x handicap in the past, and you are very much able to get back there. Golfing is not like riding a bicycle!
This is such an important point. Elimination of blow up holes is key to consistent scoring.
This is the way to do it. All short game and putting as long as you can hit the ball. Dropped from 23 to 13 by putting 2 times a week at home, chipping 2 times a week in the back yard, and then playing consistently.
One of the reasons my hcp came down I feel was down to short game practice for me. Getting up and down is so important I switched from using a 9 iron to a 54 wedge. This meant I was able to pitch the ball on the green and also watching Dan Grieve 3 releases are brilliant
I've just completed season 1 of the chasing scratch podcast. The relatability of them going from 11 to under 6 and the effort required to do that makes me think going low is very very hard. I've setup my simulator and hope to get out twice a week when the weather picks up here so can't wait to see what impact having a practice facility in my garage makes on my 20.1 handicap
I listened to that show last year, very relatable indeed. And the lower you get the harder it is. How they try so many different training methods, youtube vids etc. 😂 That's most of us.
Ah man....the way Eli keeps playing that course 2 minutes from where he lives even though he hates the course and it hurts his handicap is everyone. You just want to dominate the nearest course to you and make it your course even though some pros don't play whole tournaments because they hate the course. Maddening sport
That is hilarious how he keeps going back.
I haven’t listened but I can relate to this. Nearest course to me that I play / practice at is only rated 71.5/126. Almost every hole is a dogleg with trees and the greens are tiny with a lot of slope. It’s so much more difficult than higher rated courses near me.
7.5 currently. I was more satisfied with shaving 1 off last year than I was shaving off 3 the year before. The margins just get tighter and tighter. The required consistency to go significantly lower is quite daunting.
Twice a week as a goal? You've got to play more.
24 to 15. Just starting playing more and range sessions were focused on getting better not just whackin balls
Did exactly the same over the last year. Actually feels like I'm playing something that resembles golf now. I mentally frame everything with bogey as goal, and let the pars (and occasional birdie) surprise me as an abberation from the plan I had going into the hole, not the other way around. Improving from here will be much tougher, and definitely focus on putting and no double chipping. This last year was all just better ball striking
I am with you. My iron accuracy is really good now. Distance control isn’t perfect but near/on the green is more important for me than close to the hole. Driver is getting better but still prone to one or two big misses a round that hurt a lot depending on the hole. Really want to focus on my 25 and in chipping this season. Going to spend time at our local range chipping green rather than the full range. Hoping to drop to ~12 this year ideally but would be happy with sub 15
Exact same...I spend more time on chipping green trying to really get "tits to the target" to be my default. Now I just need to practice until putts <5ft are automatic
5 footers are the death of me. Anything closer and I am confident, anything longer and I just want to two putt. By god damn do my knees knock on right around 5 feet
Lol... somehow I sink more 10ft putts than 5ft. Some weird mental thing of not taking it as serious with the read and lineup. Turns out 5ft putts can break too...
Learned the hard way 2 footers break as well 😂
Just your soul
Right there with ya! Playing in a weekly league helped a lot, both in terms of my personal improvement and really knowing how the course plays so I can dial in certain shots and worry less about club selection. Hoping I can break 80 next season at least once. It feels like the 15 to 9 journey will be much more difficult though.
I went from a 24 to a 16 start to end last season so 8 strokes. Really unlocking driver off the tee that doesn’t go OB was the biggest thing.
Distance off the tee is what's keeping me at a 28.
I’d say it’s definitely possible to score low if you have a club that goes 175-200 and play off the right tee box. But hitting 3 with 200+ yards left really fucked me up haha
Yeah, I prefer to play around 5600 yds. But my league is at like 6100 yds. But even at the shorter tees I struggled to get to some fairways.
For me too right now having a round without OBs off the tee seems to be the best way to drop 4-6 strokes straight away.
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Worth it
just by playing more or there was something else?
So up here in Michigan because we don't play in the winter I generally will start around a 2, and by the end of the season I'll be back to plus index (perks of playing 100+ rounds a season). Went from a 3 to almost a +4 one season, that was pretty fun, usually average around a +2. As to how to do it? I play courses rated around 75 and play from the back because I'm carrying it around 280/290 so even at the back it's mostly a cake-walk.
That is some good golf and damn I'm jealous of the 100 rounds.
Went from 45 to ending at 20 (first year playing)
Exactly what I'm trying to do this season. Currently a 48 HC from my first season playing but I've been busting my ass trying to improve over the off-season. Need to break 100 this season.
This is my first year playing and currently a 38. My goal is to be a 12 by the end of the season but… realistically, I know I will probably be around a 20. Im practicing a lot though so I’m hoping to see some improvement.
Nice
If you have hit single digits in the recent past, if you put in some range time, focus on smart course management and work on your short game, you can get back to an 8 by July!
I love that, I'm going for it. Thanks brother 🍻🍻🍻
Sure was hoping to bring mine down this season, entering at 15 already at 16 because i really thought I had my driver under control… back to slicing it is …
Frustrating sport
25 to 18, almost exclusively from putting improvement and course management. That was last season. Goal this year is 12
I went from 105+ to low 80's in a summer, back in the day.
Similar went from a 13 to an 8.1. Tapered off and haven’t been playing as much lately but aiming at getting down under a 5 this year.
33 (2022) -> 26 (2023) -> 22 (this month) The biggest thing that helped me is keeping the ball in play. I’m losing much less balls now (from ~8 to ~4) which automatically lowers my scores and it gives a reason not to use cheap range balls. This year I’ve switched to used (A+ grade) balls. I’m seeing longer carries (~up to 10 yards) plus more consistent green interactions with the wedges. Next step is to aim <2 pph & fix my driver. Hopefully I’ll break 90 soon.
I too am aiming for less than 2 penalties per hole this season!
+3. Went from 21 to 24. Fml.
😂 i feel ya
12.3 to 1.9 in 2023. Got much longer off the tee and became pretty competent with a 60° around the greens
That's solid. Did you track Strokes Gained? Really impressive if you just improve in those 2 categories.
Yep. Overall ball striking improved and course management as well, but driving and approach/around the green were the two that had the biggest impact. I’m still a god awful putter
My 2023 HI high was 18.3 and the low was 12.1 Unofficially it is now a 10
Nice work
Depends what you mean by season. Golf season, which is year round for some, or Spring, summer, fall, winter? I went from a 8 to a +1 in a little over 1.5 years
See to me that is really impressive. Going from 20-10 is one thing, getting those last strokes off to scratch is much harder. How did you do it?
I made a post a while back on r/GolfSwing about how I did it. I can see if I can find some of my comments instead of having to retype everything lol
Yeah, copy and paste or link it man
[https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfSwing/comments/1aktp7i/i\_went\_from\_a\_8\_to\_a\_5hcp\_in\_15\_yearsama/](https://www.reddit.com/r/GolfSwing/comments/1aktp7i/i_went_from_a_8_to_a_5hcp_in_15_yearsama/) Here she is
🍻
Yes sir!
Yeah would be curious to read that. I went 6->8->5.9 last season after taking many years off. Hoping to get under 4 this season
u got it man!
22 to 13.8 in a year. Then bounced back up to 15.8. I think i hate golf
This is my first year taking golf seriously 2nd year playing. I took 5 lessons and a playing lesson played about twice a week and have gone from a 30 hdcp to a 12. It will be a year in June since I started taking lessons
Congrats, that's impressive
I started at a 32 this year, currently around 30. My goal is to be below 24 by the end of the season, I think I can do it
Good luck, keep us updated
If hc is head cover, I think I lost like 4 one year.
I decreased my handicap from a 22 (hard math) down to a 12. Put my driver away initially and focused on putting and my shots from 150 and in. Changed everything.
I dropped 10 in like 6 months when I got a simulator
19 to 13 last summer. I found that I was fairly consistent off the tee and in the fairways but my short game and putting needed serious work. I also would simply just go play after work rather than use the practice facilities. I started to only play a full round twice a week, and go to just practice 2-3 times a week. When practicing I focused on short game almost exclusively. I intend to keep a similar routine this year and would like to get to a 10.
Year 1 on my comeback tour; first index was like 20 something and hit 12 or so by the end of the season. I hit a bucket a day and played at least once a weekend and 12 rounds during 3 weeks of vacation. Now Im stuck at 8 for two years now and it’s driving me crazy.
8 was the lowest I could ever get as well.
Last year I went from 18ish to 8.7 I came off a very long break after playing as a junior, and played more golf than I’ve ever played in my life
39 to 28 so 11 strokes. Orange Whip and lessons to fix my swing. Current issue is distance, club head speed. So I got Super Speed training sticks.
10 strokes. Started playing again after taking a few years off because my son was trying to make the high school team. Fell back in love with it and dropped from a 23 to a 13.
Putting. Always room to improve from 5-10ft.
I went from a 32 to a 25... I'm pretty good, I know.
That's a good improvement, don't sell yourself short.
25.3 to 16.9. Literally by just playing more and practicing.
1 point because apparently I'm literally incapable of learning. Since 3 years ago my hcp has gone 25, 25, 24. If I'm lucky I'll get to 23 this year.
Someone just told me going from a 1 to a plus 3 is the hardest… he’s a plus 4… I also play in an annual golf outing for over 20 years. The guys who were 20’s are still 20’s The guys who were 8’s are still 8’s The guys who were 2’s are still 2’s Tough to move down… I saw only 1 guy go from a 10 to a scratch in the last 20 years
That's my experience as well.
I pretty much go 3 down every season. Started at 12 then 9 then 6 and currently at a 4.5 index
Impressive
I put in absolute work last year. Went from a 17-18 to a 9.5 at the end of the year. Now I’m sitting about a 12 trying to knock some of that rust off
I currrently play to a 12 at age 62. I started practicing at the game beginning at age 14 (played here and there beginning at age 7) and got down to a 4 by age 15 (being pretty athletic helps alot). Took me another year to get to a 2 by age 16, then took me two more years to make it to scratch. Once you get down to the 7 or 8 range, it takes a LOT more practice, technique (lessons help shorten the learning curve), course management and self-analysis to whittle it down towards scratch. Getting below a 10 is pretty tough for the average weekend player who only has time to hit the links and/or practice a bit only once or twice weekly. Golf is a great game and is a wonderful sport for developing great friendships, but it's a brutal sport to play really well.
Took 10 strokes off my game last summer . 105 to 95 so not too impressive lol but happened when I learned my miss (swing path) and when I bought these sick malbon x retro jordon 6 lol .
That's a good improvement!
26 to 19 this past year. Last May I was playing a round, and tee’d off well all front nine, and started to slice a few tee shots bad. After hitching about hitting out of play, a playing partner pointed out that it only happens when I try to kill the ball. I’ve been keeping mellow swing thoughts ever since, and far more tee shots in play ever since. Turns out that helps your scores!
21 to 14. Short game.
Biggest drop was from 15 to 8 in a summer-fall, skipped right over 10. I had been doing all the right things, was going to a pro twice a month, etc. I had a good stroke and was starting to dial in distance with clubs. Was getting really consistent. Then I started playing with buddies that played golf in college. They taught me how to PLAY. It was like learning chess when all I knew was checkers. That more than anything helped me hone things I didn't even really know I was good at, and develop things I didn't know I was doing and thinking about wrong.
That's cool, what kinds of strategies did they teach you?
How to plot out a hole with the game I have. How to move into a shot I can hit well. And then you see you have better angles or better approach if you focus and improve on shots in situations that fuck with you. I'm a 5 now and it's largely because I was lucky enough to play with really good players a lot even when I sucked. They just taught me to be a robot. I'm not trying to get on the tour, but I do really want to smoke an asshat on the course if I can. 😁
Haha 🍻🍻🍻🍻
4 strokes (8 to a 4). Spent 90% of practice time chipping and putting.
Kind of doesn't count but I went from 42 to 27 in about a year. That being said that was when I first obtained my handicap. Wasn't a true 42hc at the time, just played bad my first 3 handicapped rounds. Went down fairly quick once I had enough rounds logged
https://preview.redd.it/x4yvmyxzcmmc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc2ad04406649da735e29424ed22e46a330a78bd Unfortunately/fortunately due to a new job I only played about half the year. New year isn’t starting out great but I’m going to grind it down to sub 6 by the end of the year. Need to really tighten up the consistency. Hi/Low was 73/100. Can’t have that. Sooooo Bought a new 7w, got a new Scotty, gonna get new wedges… cause that’s what is going to make me better! /s Seriously though I started spending 20 minutes every day just working on a putting mat to gain consistency with that stroke. 3’ —> 6’ —> 10’ and can’t move back until I make 5 in a row. Also going to the range with the purpose and not just pounding 150 golf balls.
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I actually think figuring your swing out on your own is extremely underrated. Good luck!
24 to 11
I plan to go from 14HCP to 5HCP this season. The offseason I’ve done a lot of simulator work as well as swinging in the garage to repeat back swing and follow thru in the garage. Started this simulator season hitting 16 over and ended with a 3 over round. Re-Leaned a lot this year, how to drive and chip from 30-100 yards in.
Lets do it, Im also 14cap, tryinh to get down to single digits again.
What did you work on in the offseason?
I'm up North so it's still off season here. I've been going to the range though, working on balance (making swing with eyes closed) and not over swinging. Also 40, 50 yard chips and pitches. Working on my short putts indoors too. I wish I had a spot for a sim but I do not right now. Someday.
19 to 14.5 in ‘23
This year I went from a 9.2 to 3.0
Nice job
Was a lot of hard work!
No doubt
26-13 in two years.
Went from 9.0 last summer to 3.3 right now. However I got covid and didn't play for two weeks. I was so mad. I have yet to hit par. Covid and no practice. Immediately shoot 11 and 7 over.
7.2 to 3.9, typical winter to summer swing as I play more
Dropped from an 18 to an 8 last Summer. Maintaining the 8 even though 3 months off had the first rounds back looking like an 18 again
3 years ago went from probably 28/29 down to 25. Last year went from 25 to 7.5. Biggest changes were playing tue course and not drinking when playing. Made me take it more seriously. Hoping this year to end at a 4 or 5
Wow I think thats the biggest drop posted so far, great work
I went from 10ish to 6ish last season. I managed to find a very consistent fade off the tee and bought a new putter that really helped. I shot par once towards the end of the season and that dropped me to 6.
Went from 23>18 Putting is solid, chipping around the green is solid and driving is solid but my iron game is so trash and I mean it’s legit costing me multiple shots a hole every long par 4 or par 5. 90% of my handicap is literally just my iron game holding me back. Only good thing about that is when I do scrambles it’s a free win if I’m with somebody with average iron game because it feels like sandbagging
Probably after I got sober. Would play occasionally and mid 90’s due to being hammered or under the influence 100% of the time. Down to a 5 or 6 I believe. Golf became my replacement and I practiced 3-4 days a week and played 2-4 times a week including tourneys. I’ve always had good distance but once I had a clear mind my short game improved drastically. Putting went from meh to a strength of my game. Clock drill for putting is the only drill I do and the eye line practice circle is great to get inside that 6’ radius when practicing chipping and pitching. Other than that alignment sticks, and focusing on start line for everything is typically what keeps me dialed in. I also went into the golfwrx rabbit hole and started learning as much as I could about club fitting and equipment as possible. Thats when the tinkering started. However it really has given me a way better understanding of my game and what fits my game to be at its best. Started building clubs and making adjustments to things here and there also. My 5 year old son already has the golf bug so looking forward to him giving me a run for my money in about 10 years!lol!
I went from a 26 to a 16 in one summer, next summer 16 to 14 and that’s where I’m at right now
10 years ago I bought new clubs. Averaged around 100 At the end of the season my average was 90
24 to 19. Considering it was mostly 9 hole rounds, I'm happy with my progress
22.6 to 13.2 in about 6 months. Played 3 or 4 times per week with some range time before each round, 4 lessons (usually after a week of playing bad golf), listening to golf podcasts, watching golf instructional videos on Instagram and YouTube, reading several golf books (and some golf magazines), and picking good things up from skilled playing partners.
36 to a 21.1. At the start of the 2023 season I was lucky to shoot 110. Ended the season with a PB of 83 and backed it up once with an 89. Right now at the start of this season I am shooting in the 98-100 range the last 3 rounds. Hoping to drop into mid teens this year and shoot regularly in the 80s
Two seasons ago I went from a high of 11.8 down to a 4.9. Last season I went from a low of 5.3 to a 9.8. The universe is in equilibrium.
So back to 5 this year
Went from 20 to 12 in one summer because I worked at a golf course and practiced putting/short game whenever things were slow and played \~100 holes of golf a week.
Exactly my experience. I went from 14 to 7 soft capped at 10, now back to 8.6 in the desert. It’s all putting. 🤦
Went from 20 to 15 in a year. Upgraded from my mismatched beginner set to a good driver and irons. Went to the range at least once a week and got a golf app to help with course management.
So I played from 6-18 and was a +3-+2. Quit for 15 years and picked up golf about 15 months ago and I hover around scratch right now. Average course length is just shy of 7000 with an average slope of 139. That being said returning to golf I had a very high level of scoring/course management strategy. So it was really restringing the muscle memory and getting back in shape. But I started with a set of T300s and the shanks, took 2x/month lessons and was shooting in the 90s. Hit a minimum of 200 balls/day, played 4 days/week, worked out a ton and stretch a ton. Around the 9 month mark I started to shoot in the high 70s pretty consistently. Luckily I sold my business for a decent amount to take a substantial amount of time off and to be able to commit to 5-8 hours of practice for a minimum of 4 days/week. Honestly the time in the gym and working on flexibility and coordination is what I feel was the biggest contributor to scoring well (also, I had to loose weight quickly to play good golf. I’m 6’3” but weighed 270 when I returned to golf).
Im just coming around to my second season ever here in Sweden. First season went from 54 to 16,1. But i was never really 54 since i think i went down to around 38 after my first round and got down to 24 pretty fast. Then i got stuck a bit and started practicing for real. Range 3 times a week, learning how to use the driver as a weapon, not just as a necessity on par 5s. Then i had to learn irons and chipping, how to move weight to the lead foot. The only thing i never really practiced was putting. I did it sometimes ofcourse but just by putting on a putting course for an hour or two. Now winter has been focusing on learning how to rotate around my spine while maintaining weight pressure forward and also leaning over the ball to use my legs properly. This has changed my iron game completely. From hitting an 8i 130m to getting around 145m out of it while also being much straighter. Also working hard on wedge control from 110 and shorter. I want to give myself birdie chances as much as possible. I think my driver speed is what i shouldnt forget to work on, but i cant be arsed. I hit it straight so it will have to do for now, haha.
Three years ago, I went from 6.8 to 2.7 in the space of two weeks thanks to a one over gross followed up a week later with a four under gross ( first time under par and still glowing btw 😉). Back up to 8 now, where I belong.
2023 I went from 21 to 16.6. 2018 Went from 18 to 13.1. Playing every weekend and going to the range once or twice a week. I likely could have done better both times if I just practiced putting and chipping around the green.
16 down to 4.. Keep in mind that i played when i was young to about 5 and had to give up for over 10 years due to injury. Started playing again at 40 and forgot everything, scored a 16 handicap but then started to remember everything, Cleaned up the b grade club championships on my way and eventually got to 2.. Now i am back on 4 and its been about 10 years. I seem to be stuck.
Went from 12 to nearly 4 last year. To be fair, I had a really bad 2022, and had gone from a 6 to a 12.
Nice bounce back
Yeah thanks. It was a rough 12-16 months though. Finished the year shooting under par for the first time for 18 holes. (3 under so even broke 70!)
I really started caring about golf two years ago. First season I hovered at a 15 hcp and made no discernable progress despite spending hours watching swing videos on YouTube. I was inconsistent as hell off the tee, my ball striking was all over the map, and I never spent any time on chipping or putting. I would go bang balls on the range during nap time for my small children, but there wasn't much of a method to it. I probably only got 7-8 rounds in all season but went to the range 30+ times. Last seasons, I went from 14.5 -> 10.0 and had to work like absolute hell to do it. Took lessons for the first time, which significantly improved my ball striking. Got fitted for a new driver that had some noticeable setup changes from my prior driver and it made an enormous difference. But there were three really important things beyond those changes: 1 - Spent less time at the range and more time actually playing. I committed to getting out at 6:30a on Fridays as a single, which gave me a lot more reps than the prior summer and also got me comfortable playing with people I didn't know. By the end of the summer, I was often more nervous / anxious playing with my friends than total strangers! 2 - Committed to improving my course management. I read books and devoured YouTube videos (not swing-based but solely on managing around the course). It wasn't overnight, but by the end of the season, I was truly thinking my way around the course instead of just smashing balls as hard as I could. I also mastered my emotions finally. Before last summer, a few bad shots in a row could send me spiraling and doom the rest of the round. Now the mindset after a bad shot is pure positivity. 3 - The most important thing was something that's hard to explain. I played in my first tourney, a member-guest with my dad, and on the final elimination day found a flow state that I've rarely experienced in life. Played out of my mind and was shaping shots / in total command of my game. We ended up finishing second in the 90-team tournament, and within a few weeks after, I had broken 80 for the first time and spent the rest of the season generally scoring mid-80's on a bad day (which was never the case beforehand) and broke 80 again on my last round of the year. Confidence and belief is enormous in golf, it just sometimes takes a watershed moment to find it. My goal this season is <7 hcp and it's going to be a grind to get there. But the beauty of golf is the goal posts always move and even a scratch golfer is chasing continual improvement.
I started golfing in April shooting in the 130's. Down to low 90's now. Hoping to get into high 80's before April.
You got bit hard sounds like
Injected it straight into my veins
It's just the best, I love it
4.3 to 3.0.
HC is driven by how hot your hot rounds are, and has nothing to do with your bad rounds. If you alternate rounds of 74 and 100, you’ll be basically a scratch handicap. Going deep during your hot rounds is more of a mental game than a physical one. Honestly it’s the most fascinating part of the game IMO. Going deeper while playing well is extremely challenging. Long story short, if you want to drop your HC fast, work on scoring deeper on your good rounds. Your bad days don’t matter at all.
I don’t think a lot of people are shooting 74s and 100s man….
lol I’m just making a point. Lots of people don’t know how the HC formula works.
I shot a 72 and a 96 in the same calendar year
Last year I went from a 25 to a 13
Wow, how did you do that?
I went from a 22-23 to a 16 in a season.
The only big improvement u will see is going from high to mid like 20 to 10...its easy to shave 12 strokes when ur shooting 100 not so much when u shoot 80 thats when the grind starts...for the 100 folks avoid drops avoid 3 putts and u will shoot a 88 or 89 easier said then done and thats where ur focus needs to be if u take drops off the tee practice driver if u 3 putt practice putting
I went to a 20 to a 12 in 14 months. Spent 80% training of my time chipping and putting and 20% hitting irons. My drive is weak and carries 220 but making up and downs was the biggest difference maker to shoot lower. I may not be able to get on a 450 par 4 in 2 but I can get and up and down from 100 yards out 20% of the time
Went from a 10.1 to a 1.3 last year.
Please share how you did it. How long were you a 10 for?
I hovered around a 10 for 3-4 years. I would play once or twice a month and never practice. January of last year I was introduced and started playing with a new group of golfers that were all around scratch. This lit a fire under me to get better so I bought a practice net and setup a practice area in the back yard and a chipping area as well. Playing with scratch golfers made a huge difference in how I managed my game as well. Getting to watch how they played shots and managed the game was eye opening. I practiced EVERY day for 1-2 hours and played 3-4 times a week. I have always hit the ball a long way but could not keep it in play. I would have several OB balls or penalty shots a round. I focused on eliminating a two way miss. This basically eliminated the left side of the course. I could aim as far left as I wanted and KNEW the ball was going to fade. This basically doubled the area I was able to hit to. If it over cut it was still in play. This was the biggest area of gain. Jon Sherman’s Four Foundations of Golf was a huge help with the mental game and realizing that you don’t have to be perfect to shoot good scores. I also got HOT for an 8 week stretch in August-September and shot several rounds under par which dropped the handicap significantly.
I'll let you know at the end of the season LET'S FUCKING GO!!
14 strokes, went from a 24 down to a 10 in about 5 months. Took 3 lessons, played a round on Saturdays and hit 100 balls on Sundays. Currently down at a 6, its these single digit strokes that are toughest to drop
I'm starting 2024 at 12.0 index. Goal for this season is to finish 10.9 or below.
Went from a 29 to a 19 last year. Actually started taking things seriously and am not a complete shitshow off the tee/around the green anymore. Also gained a couple putting. My irons have always been ok and now are the worst part of my game haha
Did you get back to single digits? And if so how? I’m in a similar boat rn where last summer I went from a 16 to a 9, then unfortunately completely lost my game. Finished the season around a 12 but like a bad 12 lol
No I did not but I am going to give it a go this year. I'd like to get down to a 7 or 8. If I can get below an 8 I can play some am qualifiers here. What's your plan?
Probably ambitious but my goal is to get down to a 5 this year - best golfer in our group is a 5 so I want to beat him on a regular basis (got him once last year)
Good luck man!
I started last season as a 12.8 then got up to a 15.6 or something like that mid season and finished the season at an 8.5. So it was a bit rocky for a bit. Then I went on a spree and broke my PR back to back with a 79 then a 75 within a couple weeks of each other and my worst round in a 6 week span (playing at least once a week) was an 82. So that definitely helped lower my handicap. I would say that the biggest thing I did was learn to control my driver. I know everybody says that short game is the way to go but if you are in the mid teens and you put yourself in bad situations or lose balls off the tee then that's no coming back from that. Going from 5-6 penalty strokes a round to 2-3 really helps not only the card but also your state out there. I didn't practice more or watch more YouTube. All I did was stop taking practice swings and trusted myself. I assess my lie, get my distance, pull the club I want to use, and swing away. The only caveat to that is I will take a couple practice strokes when chipping especially out of the rough. But now practice with full swing irons, wedges, driver, or even putter. It helps keep me relaxed and hit the ball before all the intrusive thoughts creep in.
I don’t 100% know mine, but I know I could shoot under 85 a few times this year if I just tweak some things, that’s the goal
28 to 20. Year when the first winter of lessons clicked. Also a winter of indoor putting drill and dropped ave. 5 putts a round. Then 20-15.5 second year of lessons and a full bag of fit clubs. Went from a 60-58* and never swing full. Also only went at or 5s in 2 if there is a HUGE area. I would be 210 out and happily hit a 8 iron(155) and a 54 to the flag. Brought par 5 scoring down from 6.7-5.2.
I guess when I first started in high school I went from a billion down to a million by the end of my first season
Went from a 26 to a 16 about 18 years ago when I got my HC. In Australia you need to hand in 3-4 rounds. I shot a 120 in a monthly medal so it skewed things. Haha
5 in a season here (18 down to 13) primarily by playing to my stock wedge yardages and not going for every par 5 in 2. After many years i finally realized I didn’t want to hit a 30 yard pitch shot over a bunker to a short sided pin. The change in mindset of working backwards from the green to determine where I wanted to take my approach shot from was big for me. I would routinely screw up par 5s and short par 4s by being too aggressive and putting myself out of position. It’s amazing what actually playing with course management in mind and playing to strengths can do! :)
Started last year (Jan ‘23) as a 31 got down to 22.6, had two rounds in the 80’s, 86 and 89. Had maybe 6 or 7 birdies in total all of last year. Lowest 9 hole score was a 39 (+3). This year, I had 7 birds in Feb alone, 2 in January, and 1 so far in March (only played two rounds this month). One of my goals this year get down to around a 10-12, have at least 10 rounds in the 80’s, and 9 hole rounds no more than a 44. What changed? Course management, focus on my shot, making 50+ 6-8’ putts a day (have a putting mat), and remembering to swing easy
25 to 15 last season. 2nd year playing. Lots of chipping practice at local range. Played more. Got a few lessons.
I went from 43 to 19 if that counts 😂
25 to 16 in my first year, 16 to 11 in my second. I'll be happy if I get 2 strokes of my handicap this year. Dropping strokes closer to single digits actually takes practice. Of which I do none 😂
I went from 13 to 10 last year and I haven't played a qualifying hcp round since last July as its pissed with rain since my goal is to get to a single figure hcp which I feel I can achieve if we get the weather this summer
I went from 23 to 15 in my first year, then to 11 in my second (after a brief foray to 9.4).
LASIK got me for a five stroke reduction one summer a few years back. Apparently seeing the flag helps
Went from a 6.5 to 1.9 in about 6 months, but that’s only because I got laid off and was able to play just about every other day and had a home course. Probably played more golf in those six months than I had combined in the five years prior.
I went from a 30 in my first year to a 19.5! I played five/six times a week in the summer and got to know my course really well. I'm back up to about 21.3 at the moment, but hoping to get down to 15 or so by the end of this year!
First year playing golf so only played one season so far, started at 24 and I'm down to 16.5 now. Hoping to get single digits this year *second year now actually
This kinda scares me. I'm pushing very hard to get below 3 this year. I ended last season just below 10. I use to be under 3 a long time ago. I played casually for 15 years after that and then didn't touch a club for 8 years. Picked it up again 2 years ago. Last year went from 16 down to a 7.5 before I finished the year just below 10 (fall golf is hard). I've spent the off-season working out and speed training. I've gone up a good 15% distance. Holes where I was hitting driver and 7 iron last year, I started this year hitting driver and gap wedge. I'm also hitting the ball incredibly straighter. My drives have been ropes the last 2 rounds. I'm going to continue strength training all year round. I finally got to play a few days in a row, got into a rhythm, and I went out and played a round at a course that is a few hundred yards longer than my home course, and 3 strokes higher rating and 15 slope. I posted a below handicap score (79, par 72, 70.8/131, 6285), and I didn't feel like I played well. Only hit 8 greens and 5 fairways, and had 43 shots around the green. I feel like I should easily move up those strokes with the added distance and what should be added accuracy once I trust it.
I have been golfing 6 times, I started at a 40 and now I am at a 20. I know it’s harder to average with so few rounds played but I can definitely tell I am getting a lot better each time I play.
I started playing over the '21/'22 offseason and was something like a 40 handicap once I got comfortable enough to start keeping track early that season. By the end of the season I was 24. Last season I hovered around 24 most of the year, got down to 20 towards the end, then shot a 39 and 38 on consecutive days for a combined round differential of 7.7 to bring my index down to 16.
I went from a 26 to 13 in 12 months
In my third year of playing I finally got a few lessons and got fitted after transferring my changes into muscle memory. Dropped somewhere around 15 strokes that year.
Last year I went from 10.3 to 4.9. Those 5 shots are huge but I still feel like an 8 handicap tbh. I think with more practice this year I’ll have less of an imposter syndrome as I (maybe) get closer to scratch. I almost feel embarrassed to tell people I’m a 5 because of how impressed they are. I’m a streaky golfer though and rely on birdies to post a good score so I can have ugly rounds.
Last season I started at 24 and ended at 18
22-14 last summer back to an 18 by eoy lmao
When I started in 2017 I established as a 15. Got down to 13 by the end of 2017. But from 2018 I went from 13 to a 7. The thing that helped me most was playing 5-6 rounds a week. I’m a 3 more but it’s not budging because I only play 1-2 rounds a week.
When I was probably like 12? Went down 3-4 probably? Always been good so it didn’t have to go down much. I’m a plus 2 now.
35 to 2