Biggest Hc Drop

benny79

Just wondering what is the biggest HC drop people had from when they took up the game to now! As I have been a member of a club for 4 years now playing golf around 7 and am off 22 hc got down to 21 for a few weeks but thats it. Have had tonnes of lessons from various Pro's over the years put in the practice even went to foregolf last year and got custom fitted for clubs but still cant get my hc down Id get my long game going & my putting would go etc, etc....

So.

What was your Hc starting?

Whats it now?

How long did it take?

How did you achieve it?

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?

how do you maintain it?( example if you went from 20 to single figures)

yipsnomore

What was your Hc starting?
18
Whats it now?
7
How long did it take?
5yrs
How did you achieve it?

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?
Never got a lesson
how do you maintain it?( example if you went from 20 to single figures)
Avoid being stupid (not always) stay within your limits and you have a few good days when putts drop

benny79

you never mentioned how you achieved it?

CarefulNow!

What was your Hc starting? 30 (juvenile)

Whats it now? 6

How long did it take? 4 years

How did you achieve it? Won all juvenile comps in first year to get to 9. Illness 3 years later resulted in time off work, went from 9 to 3 in this time.

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?
More than 1.

how do you maintain it?( example if you went from 20 to single figures)[/quote]
I lived on the practice ground hitting 90% irons 10% woods.

kieran.

What was your Hc starting?
22 (drifted out to 24.4 at one stage)
Whats it now?
20.9
Playing
3yrs
How did you achieve it?
I wouldnt call it an achievement to achieve implies that you reached your target/goal. I've had 5-6 lessons of a Pro but now I find if I can take the advice of two of Shaun Clements video 'Knife the Grip' + 'automatic swing' on boards when my swing starts to slip it usually helps me back on track.

cjfitz

What was your Hc starting?
19 drifted out to 21

Whats it now?
12

How long did it take?
6 years, 4 of which were only June to end of August, was studying abroad

How did you achieve it?
Short game, short game, short game.

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?
Never had that many lessons but have had 3 or 4 since the end of last year with David Keating and it has helped.

how do you maintain it?
Two books that have helped me break 80 this year are Golf Tough and a short game book by James Sieckmann.

OffalyMedic

benny79 wrote:

What was your Hc starting?

36

benny79 wrote:

Whats it now?

12

benny79 wrote:

How long did it take?

3 summers

benny79 wrote:

How did you achieve it?

Played golf 4-5 times a week for summer holidays

benny79 wrote:

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?

Only got lessons once off local pro Kevin mcgrath it was a week of juvinelle lesson as an introduction to golf

benny79 wrote:

how do you maintain it?( example if you went from 20 to single figures)

Try to get to driving range and short game practise at least once a week and at least 9 but usually 18 holes or more at weekend

markthespark77

What was your Hc starting?
19
Whats it now?
9
How long did it take?
4 years
How did you achieve it?
got into a regular 4 ball and won a few comps..
If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?
keven mcgrath in birr. got 3 lessons in a month 2 years ago ( had massive over swing)
how do you maintain it?( example if you went from 20 to single figures)
try to get out twice a week for at least 9 holes, and would spend 80% of my practice on shots inside 150m on the range. have always sorta had natural feel around the greens.

Senna

What was your Hc starting?

15

Whats it now?

12.4

How long did it take?

6 months to get to 12 from being giving a hcp been on 12 or 13 since July 2013

How did you achieve it?

Pure fluke of a round where the stars aligned and I didn't miss anything, went from 15.5 to 12.3 in one round.

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?

Never had lessons

how do you maintain it?( example if you went from 20 to single figures)

Don't think I maintained it, I got cut to 12 when I wasn't a 12 HCP at all. So goal was and still is, to play like a consistent 12 HCP. Only play/practice once a week so finding it hard to improve my game

Rikand

What was your Hc starting?

48. (Juvenile)

Whats it now?


5

How long did it take?


15 years

How did you achieve it?


Persistence and a love of the game. Always kind of thought that you got to a new handicap, you learned how to play to it and then you moved on. Has worked well for me, as I have been off 5 for about 8 years now. Down to 4 occasionally, out to 6 occasionally, but ultimately, off 5

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?


Started off with the local pro here in Athlone who has long since retired, Then in our mid teens, Arty Pike from Shannon came up and gave us lessons. After that I just messed around myself until a friend of mine turned teaching pro a few years ago and I went to him. Hugh Feeney is his name and I found him to be excellent.

how do you maintain it?( example if you went from 20 to single figures)


Yep. As said above, if you learn how to play off a handicap, you can play to it better.

FixdePitchmark

What was your Hc starting?

12 - was unusual as I had swung a golf club a good bit, played par 3 as a kid so I never came to real golf from a pure starter base. I had bascially done the public golf circuit - Deer Park / Sillogue etc.

Whats it now?

6 - with a target of 5 this year.

How long did it take?

How long I'm on boards is a good indicator - nearly 4 bloody years , hard to believe that - I've found this game very very hard to get anywhere - as was coming from a very poor self taught, very deeply ingrained OTT swing. I could hit the ball far , but could go a range of 200 yards left to right - not even exaggerating there.

How did you achieve it?

Hard work - more hard work and then more hard work. I'd say at one stage was easily putting in 15 hours a week for about 6 months. But it was slow steps over a good 2 to 3 years.

I had a very poor short game and am a very very poor putter. So things were very hard to improve.

The only positive was - I always had swing speed and good contact with irons, even if my swing is still OTT and I deloft every club in the bag. My ball flight would be very low and limited.

I think if i hadn't done all the crazy working on swing and not got lessons - I would have got to 8. The work to get from 8 to 6 , was as hard as the work to get from 12 to 8.

Was it - worth it. I'm not sure. It was too many balls , too much work and very bloody hard.

The only positive, with the work my lower handicap potential , is much lower. I got some crazy low rounds I'll never forget.

So - in a way worth it , but as a man said on here recently , they don't putt scores or handicaps on tombstones.

"Cast a cold eye .................."


If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?

John Kelly

John Kelly is a top pro , he bascialy calmed the raw animal in me. He found me amusing , I didn't find me amusing as I couldn't hit a ball at all after most his lessons.
It was very frustrating and enjoyable - but it was a total deconstruction (not for everyone) - It was amazing to see how poor your swing is on screen and to understand width and rotation and inside approach and release.

John explained the big stuff , I couldn't believe how poor I was going there, I knew after. It was a fluke I got to 12. Well Just good hands.

With that type of change - the number of balls you have to hit is unreal - I viewed a lesson with John as the start of maybe hitting 3,000 + balls after over a few weeks. :eek:

Then back to do it again - it was mad stuff. But again , these were big big changes of my full swing.

Deirde Judge

Deirdre is a terrific pro - nothing against other male pros I had gone looking at before her, but found it refreshing to deal with a female. Seems a strange, almost sexist thing to say, but there is no ego thing going on - it is pure technique.

She is a TPI coach - good on mental side - and most importantly can tell you when you are being daft and doing too much or too much of the wrong thing.

She got me for the first time in my life, aiming down the right side of field and flag, and suddenly I could draw a ball.

Had my best ever scores after lessons with Deirdre

how do you maintain it?

Not sure yet, haven't decided what to do next. If I stop at all , my game falls apart. I'm a 12 handicapper naturally. (seriously find this game very very hard)
If I practice short game and wedges - I could improve a little more, but not sure I'm as motivated or I have the time needed. I'd say I'll tip away and drift out to 8 again. I'm just enjoying golf a bit more - not as pushed on scores.
The good thing - I understand much much better how to improve if I need to again.

So I'm not maintaing - it is too bloody time consuming.

A couple of years ago I got lessons with Deirdre Judge and she had me striking my irons better than I ever have in my life. With a lovely big high draw.

Sadly I've lost it totally now, should really go back to her.

zuutroy

Starting: 18 (but had played a lot of golf as a teenager)

Now: 14.6

Over how long: 1 year

Lessons: Have a few sessions with people at ranges who I found poor. Funny enough I went for a lesson with John Kelly recently and felt exactly the same as Fix. Made me feel like I was hopeless, and his swing changes have me hitting all sorts of shots!

I have decent power and can get the driver out to 270-280 with roll in the summer and tend not to have a big miss with it so have a good base, but my iron striking is horrible and so is my putting. I think if I can sort out my irons and improve a bit at putting I should reach single figures but I doubt I'll go beyond that, particularly as I don't have much time to play. Have never played a weekend comp!

slingerz

What was your Hc starting?
21

Whats it now?
14

How long did it take?
3 years

How did you achieve it?
Learning to control myself and not taking on crazy shots. Was told i was like a new born calf left out to grass for the first time I was that wild

If by lessons what Pro? or was there more than one?
Have had 2 with David Keating recently and i plan to keep them up to try get as low as I can

how do you maintain it?
Regular playing and a few holes during the week