Stage 2 - How to I get my handicap down to 18

Someday

Hi all

Ok, started playing earlier this year. Started off on Par 3's and really enjoyed it. I Invested in Wet Gear, Yonex Clubs (Second hand), Shoes, bags etc etc.

I got 5 Lessons to start me off and played about 2 rounds a week on a Par 3, moved to larger courses in July, I moved on to a driver at the same time. I started using my 20.5 Hybrid on second shots etc.

I recently purchased a 5 wood and Lob wedge which is working out very well for me.

My current Handicap is 24 and best score is 32 pts !

How do I move to the next stage and get down to 18, which seems the average for Golfers !

I am a distance member of a club in the west.

I reckon my 5 wood is going to help get me there along with my Lob wedge !
Also working on short game for 75% of the time, seems good advice I got so far.

What would you do if you were me ?

Thanks

GreeBo

People are probably bored of me saying it at this stage, but try to bogey every hole.
You dont need to be hitting rescues for your second shots, its likely putting you in trouble more often than its putting you into a good position.

Play a round where you never hit more than the hybrid off the tee (leave the driver at home so you cant cheat) and a 7 iron for your second shot, see what score you end up with. You'll likely be surprised at how badly your can play but how well you can score with the above approach.

GreeBo

/edit
Hmm so bored that I'll post it twice!

ForeRight

Best score of 32 points off 24 to date and looking for the next step to 18??? Confusing!

Your next step is getting 36pts off 24 regular and always hitting buffer.

Doing what greebo says will help this.

Someday

Thanks for Replies, used the 5 wood yesterday for the first time. Used it on 5 holes, straight and about 190 yds each time on second shot ! Previously hybrid on second shot, 160 yds and straight most times also ! Driving has let me down recently, it was great for me ! Trying to get it all together !

Alrite Chief

As GreeBo says play bogey golf. As the other guy says start shooting to your actual handicap before worrying about reducing it. Iv been in your shoes. Couldn't agree more with the pair of them.

Why force a long club to get to a par 4 in 2?? Hit something you are comfortable with like a 7 or 8 iron. This will leave you with 3 shots for 2 points. With your lob wedge in you will score far better than putting your 4 iron or hybrid in trouble. You will get you fair share of up and downs from shorter distance to giving you pars.

Use par 5's as your chance to get pars. Take 2 full 7 irons to get there in regulation after your tee shot as opposed to getting greedy with a wood for your second shot trying to get close distance. You probably find you are fluffing half these shots.

Then with par 3's as you say you've been playing a lot of par 3 golf before hand so use the par 3's as opportunities to take an easy 2 points from each of them.

Dont forget off 24 you have 6 holes to play really clever. Treat them for what they are. 2 extra shots to par. Dont be greedy. Box clever.

Lastly. Try to average 2 putts per green. Treat this more serious than ANY part of your game. Keep your ball in play out side the green and get accurate at scoring on it. Get used to that lob wedge too. You'll be shooting close to 18 soon enough if you get your short game in order.

Danny dyers double

I'd be in the same boat as you myself . I got a lesson 3/4 weeks ago and the pro showed me to grip the club properly and worked on my posture . I'm really seeing Improvments already .

The advice giving above is what iv taking , I'm a high HC player so I try play to it . When I first start playing I was trying to hit greens in 2 or 3 shots and more often then not your scratching the holes .

I'm joining a golf club in Jan and hope with a lot more range time and weekend rounds ill have inproved even more by then .

GreeBo

Someday wrote: »

Thanks for Replies, used the 5 wood yesterday for the first time. Used it on 5 holes, straight and about 190 yds each time on second shot ! Previously hybrid on second shot, 160 yds and straight most times also ! Driving has let me down recently, it was great for me ! Trying to get it all together !

I'll be blunt as it will save you lots of time and heartache.

You are not off 24 (playing to 28) because you are missing out on 30yds for your second shots.
I play to 8. How many greens do you reckon I hit in regulation on an average day?

6.
And yet I can get around in 20 less shots than you can at your best.
This is not me bragging. This is me explaining what I wish someone had told me when I started. You are not off 28 because you cant hit 250 yrd drives and 200 yrd approaches. You are off 28 because you get yourself in trouble off the tee and from the fairway and cant get out of trouble.

Your options are:
1) Stop putting yourself in trouble.
2) Learn to get out of trouble/recover better.

1) is achieved by playing within yourself.
2) is achieved by practice.

Alrite Chief

Do what GreeBo says and you will also have plenty of practice recovering from trouble that you can use to your advantage when you do improve.

Someday

Thanks again ! 2 putts and get my driving back on track !

I scored 29 pts a few weeks back with shocking driving ! That says it all !

GreeBo

Someday wrote: »

Thanks again ! 2 putts and get my driving back on track !

I scored 29 pts a few weeks back with shocking driving ! That says it all !

It does indeed say it all...but worryingly your first sentence kinda contradicts it.

Forget about getting your driving back on track. Stop using your driver!

If you can score 29 points when driving poorly, that shows that relative irrelevance driving has to scoring.

Danny dyers double

GreeBo wrote: »

It does indeed say it all...but worryingly your first sentence kinda contradicts it.

Forget about getting your driving back on track. Stop using your driver!

If you can score 29 points when driving poorly, that shows that relative irrelevance driving has to scoring.

when you say leave the driver at home Greebo what club do you suggest using off tee ??

onlyfinewine

Someday wrote: »

Thanks again ! 2 putts and get my driving back on track !

I scored 29 pts a few weeks back with shocking driving ! That says it all !

If you want to improve your scores you will first have to find out where you are wasting shots, and off your handicap you are certainly wasting shots.

There are plenty of apps and programs you can get that will chart your scores. These can be eye-openers when you analyse them.

Most people when they take up golf think it's the quality of their good shots that make a difference. It's not. It's the amount of trouble you avoid by using course strategy that is based on your ability on the day.

That and a reasonable short game should allow you to get to 18 handicap in the shortest time possible.

By the way the lob wedge is a wonderful club when it is working, but when it is not! Watch out for huge scores. A driver not behaving can cause the same problems.

Analyse and strategise is the way to go. Remember practice the short game and putting more than the long game if you want to reduce your handicap.

GreeBo

Danny dyers double wrote: »

when you say leave the driver at home Greebo what club do you suggest using off tee ??

Off 28 (or 18 for that matter) whatever the longest club that you can hit the fairway with over 75% of the time.
If some days thats a 7 iron then how bad?
You will still be on most par 4's in no more than 3 and have 2 (or more) putts for a par.

Keep reminding yourself, its not how far its how many.
No one will remember that screamer driver you hit 250 down the middle of the fairway except yourself. Everyone will remember if you can never break 36 points.
And worse still, everyone will remember and laugh when they think of that screamer driver followed by 17 other holes of army golf to bring in 12 points for the day.

Someday

onlyfinewine - I think you nailed ! Cheers !

I think also, joining a Dublin club and working on course mgt would help a lot !
I play 4-5 different courses at the moment but one 90% would help me !

Also playing winter golf !

I never beat myself up which helps

Someday

onlyfinewine - I think you nailed ! Cheers !

I think also, joining a Dublin club and working on course mgt would help a lot !
I play 4-5 different courses at the moment but one 90% would help me !

Also playing winter golf !

I never beat myself up which helps

Barnaboy

Someday wrote: »

I never beat myself up which helps

Unfortunately that bit comes later when you hit a glass wall and can't seem to drop the handicap anymore

Senna

Surprised most people think a lob wedge is a great addition to a 24 handicappers bag, i'd lose the lob wedge straight away, I've never seen a high handicapper who uses one correctly. I don't carry one any-more, it always costed me more shots than it gained me. If you have to chip over a bunker or hazard a 56' sandwedge will give a more consistent shot and if it does fly pass the pin, at least its not in the bunker.

If i was off 24, i'd do all my green side chipping with an 8 iron, you'd be surprised how many more up and downs you get compared to a wedge. Try it out.

Corkblowin

Senna wrote: »

If i was off 24, i'd do all my green side chipping with an 8 iron

I'm off 5 & my lob wedge is only used when absolutely necessary. Also don't be embarrassed to putt from off the green - sometimes its the best option but I see so many people reach for the sand wedge for reasons I can never comprehend.

Best of luck with it.

saintastic

Corkblowin wrote: »

Also don't be embarrassed to putt from off the green - sometimes its the best option

Great advice imo.

One of my colleagues in work is conducting an experiment with a friend of his who has a handicap in the low 20s. Two of them (handicap 5 and 9) are bringing him out for a game of golf and telling him that he must play exactly the shot that the lower handicaps tell him to play.

The reason for this is that they feel his course management is poor. They want to show him that his shot selection can be poor. As mentioned in the example below, instead of chipping with a lob wedge over a bunker, chipping with an 8 iron 20-30ft left of the flag and away from the bunker is a much safer shot and probably will score the same as the good shot.

They haven't done it yet but when they do, I'll post the results. The lower handicappers (who are friends and are trying to help and encourage him rather than be anyway condescending to him) are confident that they can reduce a good few shots off his game.

GreeBo

Senna wrote: »

Surprised most people think a lob wedge is a great addition to a 24 handicappers bag, i'd lose the lob wedge straight away, I've never seen a high handicapper who uses one correctly. I don't carry one any-more, it always costed me more shots than it gained me. If you have to chip over a bunker or hazard a 56' sandwedge will give a more consistent shot and if it does fly pass the pin, at least its not in the bunker.

If i was off 24, i'd do all my green side chipping with an 8 iron, you'd be surprised how many more up and downs you get compared to a wedge. Try it out.

I didnt see many people recommend it, personally I think its madness
Off that handicap you will never need to get up and down from behind a bunker.
Take the double and pick that shot up somewhere else rather than chunk it into the bunker and build a snowman.

Someday

Lob is working well for me, why would i leave it at home ? It needs to all come togther, when it does i will be down to 18 in no time ! (lol - I hope )

Alrite Chief

Someday wrote: »

Lob is working well for me, why would i leave it at home ? It needs to all come togther, when it does i will be down to 18 in no time ! (lol - I hope )

If its working for you then its a no brainer. Nobody here knows your game, strength and weaknesses so you need to treat each piece of advice individually.

Senna

Someday wrote: »

Lob is working well for me, why would i leave it at home ? It needs to all come togther, when it does i will be down to 18 in no time ! (lol - I hope )

This is just advice and you can take it or leave it. Years ago i bought a lob wedge, thought it was brilliant and it became my "go to" wedge for shots that should have been a bump and run. But playing under pressure, I soon realised that there is too much of a margin for error with a LW, a bad shot with a PW (putter or lower loft) is never as bad as a bad shot with a LW.
After that i actually done all my chipping with a 54 GW, which gave me great consistency (but i'm not advocating that). Normally with chipping i want to consistently put myself in 1/2 putt range and the best way to do that is get the ball rolling at the hole, not flying it to the pin with a short release.

spacecoyote

Someday wrote: »

Lob is working well for me, why would i leave it at home ? It needs to all come togther, when it does i will be down to 18 in no time ! (lol - I hope )

Have a mate that was similar to this. The only shot he played round the greens was a flop shot. When it worked it was super but the main problem with that type if shot is your bad shots tend to be very bad.

highest loft I carry is only a 58 degree wedge myself & that only comes out of the bag when vitally necessary.

Sa said above & I think it was maybe nicklaus that originally said it, the club you should use round the green should generally be the one that gets the ball rolling as early as possible

ssbob

spacecoyote wrote: »

Have a mate that was similar to this. The only shot he played round the greens was a flop shot. When it worked it was super but the main problem with that type if shot is your bad shots tend to be very bad.

See this a lot with a mate of mine too(also a member on boards) , hit's crazy flop shots from off the green and 5/6 times out 10 they work out but the other 4 is in 2 putt or worse range and to get consistently up and down that's no good.

PARlance

ssbob wrote: »

See this a lot with a mate of mine too(also a member on boards) , hit's crazy flop shots from off the green and 5/6 times out 10 they work out but the other 4 is in 2 putt or worse range and to get consistently up and down that's no good.

That could be me (but guessing it's not as we only played one round together)!
I've left the 64 degree in the bag of late, I've finally learned my ways... And it was 2/3 times out of 10 it worked

ssbob

ajcurry123 wrote: »

That could be me (but guessing it's not as we only played one round together)!

Not you dude it's Kiers47, I am forever giving out to him but he promises me he's become more conservative around the greens!

PARlance

ssbob wrote: »

Not you dude it's Kiers47, I am forever giving out to him but he promises me he's become more conservative around the greens!

I'm in the same boat as him. I've always known that I shouldn't do it, but I find it hard to do the right thing sometimes! I'm getting better I think

hades

I'm the opposite, give me a 7 iron any day and i'll bump and run. It drives my playing partners crazy, they say i might as well use a jigger. I'm trying to practice my flop shots tho.

L.O.F.T

Senna wrote: »

This is just advice and you can take it or leave it. Years ago i bought a lob wedge, thought it was brilliant and it became my "go to" wedge for shots that should have been a bump and run. But playing under pressure, I soon realised that there is too much of a margin for error with a LW, a bad shot with a PW (putter or lower loft) is never as bad as a bad shot with a LW.
After that i actually done all my chipping with a 54 GW, which gave me great consistency (but i'm not advocating that). Normally with chipping i want to consistently put myself in 1/2 putt range and the best way to do that is get the ball rolling at the hole, not flying it to the pin with a short release.

Great advice Senna. Simple & effective. The sooner some realise that its how many not how your scores are marked the sooner their handicap will fall.

Boskowski

I chip with every club in the bag.

I look at the distance to the green and where to land and how far to roll and it could be anything between a sand wedge or a 6 iron after that. Try never to rely on things like 'has to land soft' or 'must check'.

Has transferred my short game immensely. I used to be afraid of chips a year ago. Could be thinning it through the green. Chunking it. Topping it. Leaving it there. Whatnot.
Then my cat1 buddy took pity of me and explained a few things.

Started with keeping it simple and developing confidence. Went from there and now chipping seems a relatively easy thing. Still no Seve (hcp18) but I actually love chipping now and expect to get around without a misqueue.

Totally takes the pressure of your second if you have so many shots to play with and you're happy you can get it on almost no matter what. A lot of the times leaving it even close or at least leaving me with a very reasonable par chance.

I'm now on the verge off having no scratches and only one or two one pointers in a normal round and I've been breaking my par every third round lately.

Apparently that's how you get down from 18-20. Not by 'puring' a lot iron shots. So far it's working for me. Dropped three shots since the middle of the summer.

Someday

Lob is used over Bunkers, high greens etc - ONLY

Bump and run is always a winner when it is flat, or maybe a 8 Iron chip if a good distance !

scubapro

ajcurry123 wrote: »

That could be me (but guessing it's not as we only played one round together)!
I've left the 64 degree in the bag of late, I've finally learned my ways... And it was 2/3 times out of 10 it worked

64 degree:eek:

PARlance

scubapro wrote: »

64 degree:eek:

Please see shot of the year thread for more details
I'm an idiot, no denying that

GreeBo

scubapro wrote: »

64 degree:eek:

The technical term is a "nostril explorer".

charlieIRL

Someday wrote: »

Lob is used over Bunkers, high greens etc - ONLY

Bump and run is always a winner when it is flat, or maybe a 8 Iron chip if a good distance !

I think having a variety of shots (and the knowledge when to use which shot) is a great advantage playing golf.

I recently put my 60 degree wedge back into my bag, but now i know when to use it and when to bump n run or even use my putter from around the green. Lots of practice with the 60 has left it very comfortable in my hands lately.

Too bad i've left all this practice till the mid / end of the year but i plan on major h/c cuts next year..........

DULLAHAN2

I started the year off 25.7 and am currently at 18.7. I used to hit driver 3wood or 5 wood, that approach was costing me dearly. So now i hit driver 5 iron and short iron to get to the green. I worked hard on taking a divot after the ball with my irons i do that 99% of the time which has given me extra distance. I put in hours of practice chipping and putting. I use golf shot to track my stats and according to that my stats for 16 rounds are:

fairways hit: 70.2%
greens in regulation: 16.0%
putting averages: 1.9.

As someone said you have to know where you keep losing your shots and try fix that. I did, i was losing my shots using the 5 and 3 wood. Practice your putting and chipping my putting and chipping is where i am most comfortable at this is where i get my scores especially when it comes to par threes i par more than i bogey. Course management is a big factor as well.

Anyways bit of a ramble hope this helps you OP.

onlyfinewine

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

I started the year off 25.7 and am currently at 18.7. I used to hit driver 3wood or 5 wood, that approach was costing me dearly. So now i hit driver 5 iron and short iron to get to the green. I worked hard on taking a divot after the ball with my irons i do that 99% of the time which has given me extra distance. I put in hours of practice chipping and putting. I use golf shot to track my stats and according to that my stats for 16 rounds are:

fairways hit: 70.2%
greens in regulation: 16.0%
putting averages: 1.9.

As someone said you have to know where you keep losing your shots and try fix that. I did, i was losing my shots using the 5 and 3 wood. Practice your putting and chipping my putting and chipping is where i am most comfortable at this is where i get my scores especially when it comes to par threes i par more than i bogey. Course management is a big factor as well.

Anyways bit of a ramble hope this helps you OP.

A Hybrid or two might be worth a trial based on the greens in regulation you are achieving at the moment? Congrats on your driving and putting stats. Are you happy with the length of your drives?

DULLAHAN2

onlyfinewine wrote: »

A Hybrid or two might be worth a trial based on the greens in regulation you are achieving at the moment? Congrats on your driving and putting stats. Are you happy with the length of your drives?

Not at all but who is Length is around 200 - 220 yards when i hit them straight which doesnt happen very often. I have a massive slice which i think is down to poor weight shift. I am currently working on this.

I don't think to get a low handicap you have to hit massive drives. If you can then that's great.I have given up on trying to hit massive drives and just focus on my short game. Its all about being consistent and playing within yourself.

onlyfinewine

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

Not at all but who is Length is around 200 - 220 yards when i hit them straight which doesnt happen very often. I have a massive slice which i think is down to poor weight shift. I am currently working on this.

, who is indeed!

Because you have worked hard at taking a divot after the ball with the irons it is probable that your weight shift needs to be looked at, balance is very important in golf.

Because you stand to the side of the ball while hitting it is difficult to disgnose yourself.

It would be easy to suggest various remedies to solve this, but the easiest and most effective one is to go to a pro and have one lesson.

Make sure that grip, stance, alignment and posture are covered and ask why you slice at the moment.

Write down what he tells you and keep it safe. When you need a refresher you will have it to hand.

This should identify the things you need to work on and will certainly get rid of the massive slice.

Best of luck whatever you decide.