Getting your handicap down: Lots of singles, or focus on a few?

ShriekingSheet

Thought this would be interesting. Less interested in people's theories, but rather actual experience of guys who've got cut a lot in a season.

For example, did you play lots of singles, entering opens and playing all of your home club medals etc. Or were you more selective? By selective I mean, avoiding playing when you're not ready - legging it from work with zero warm up, or not entering opens on courses you don't know at all, not playing the morning after a heavy session.

If you get it wrong and play too much, particularly when you're not ready or low on form, the .1s can clock up, so you actually get higher rather than lower.

I got cut a reasonable amount last year and a bit the year before. Looking back at it, I played less singles than usual as I played more interclub golf than usual. This probably meant more practice with the matches in mind. My singles form benefited as a result, and less events meant fewer .1s.

Still, listening too a lot of guys (maybe more so teen handicaps), their plan is to just play every singles in sight with the sole aim of getting cut. That might work for someone new to golf who's rapidly improving from a high handicap. But I'm interested to hear what has worked for others.

EmmetWhitey

Really it doesn't matter how many events you play, whats most important is looking at your game and figuring out what needs to improve to get to single figure handicap.

I assume that since you are looking to get to single figures your handicap right now is probably 12/13?

If that's the case I'd suggest working on short game and then working some more on short game as this is where I find the biggest discrepancy is between say a 12 HC and a 5/6 HC.

ziggy

This post has been deleted.

EmmetWhitey

Of course the more you play the better the form. I was just suggesting entering every competition in sight wasn't the best strategy for getting to single fingers IMO :cool::pac::pac:

ShriekingSheet

EmmetWhitey wrote: »

Really it doesn't matter how many events you play, whats most important is looking at your game and figuring out what needs to improve to get to single figure handicap.

I assume that since you are looking to get to single figures your handicap right now is probably 12/13?

If that's the case I'd suggest working on short game and then working some more on short game as this is where I find the biggest discrepancy is between say a 12 HC and a 5/6 HC.

None of that is the case. No I'm not trying to get to single figures.

Re-read the OP. Interested in your experience getting cut, rather than theory.

Eg: guys from 1 to +1. It's so easy to get .1s back that maybe you have to be careful not to play too often. Scratch Cups off back tees in weather can be hard to score on, but the CSS is high. So maybe it's about playing those rather than home singles that are easy but have a low CSS.

Mantis Toboggan

My theory on it would be to get down you'd need to play as many events as possible however maintaining a low handicap you may need to be more selective when you play.

spacecoyote

From my own experience, the number of competitions I play in a year where my handicap has dropped vs when it hasn't doesn't vary too drastically.

What does vary is the amount of time that I put into my golf. I've generally had my best periods of golf when I've squeezed in a couple of lessons in a year, and am investing more time per week into golf (practice & comps). When I've squeezed in a weekly trip to the range, some time spent working on Chipping & Putting, that's when I've seen the most benefit to my scores.

No of comps generally has very little variation for me, I don't tend to squeeze in many mid-week qualifying comps because of work, so its just weekend golf.

mike12

You can only go up 1 shot in a year. The more u play the better.
Getting cut .3 for a teen handicap one decent round will wipe that out.

GreeBo

Play opens with high CSS such as Portmarnock Links Winter Series.
CSS is usually +3 or +4, all the low guys play it to get cut over the winter.

But if you are not playing regularly then it doesnt matter where you are playing you will just end up with +1s.

Russman

In my experience the number of rounds has made little or no difference over the years, and I've never not played in a competition because I didn't want to get 0.1

Many years ago I used to fret about 0.1s but when you think about it, unless you're Cat 1, one half decent round will get rid of any you've picked up in the preceding weeks.

What does hold true for me at least (possibly for everyone), when I look back at my scores over the years, its the years that we've had good summers that I've tended to do best. With the firmer ground I can often hit less than driver and, for me, if I keep it in play off the tee, I'll almost always score well.

I believe that your mindset has a massive influence too - what I've definitely found is that when you're doing fairly well, you look on every round as an opportunity to get another cut, whereas when you're playing badly you think of every round as a potential 0.1, yet the next round is just the next round.

Back about 10 or so years ago, I improved and had several good seasons, went from 6 to 3 one summer and held it for a long time, and honestly the biggest single thing I can put it down to was buying and reading Bob Rotella's "Golf is Not a Game or Perfect". I would have had one, maybe two, lessons a year, but once I started playing golf rather than golf swing, and allowing myself to play and score, it made all the difference.

I also find in the summer that, say, 6 holes on a Thursday evening with a bit of chipping and putting on the way round, makes a massive difference to my weekend performance.

ziggy

This post has been deleted.

Wombatman

spacecoyote wrote: »

What does vary is the amount of time that I put into my golf. I've generally had my best periods of golf when I've squeezed in a couple of lessons in a year, and am investing more time per week into golf (practice & comps). When I've squeezed in a weekly trip to the range, some time spent working on Chipping & Putting, that's when I've seen the most benefit to my scores.

This.

I think the range and short game practice are essential for progress. Ever wonder why the pros spend so much time at the range? No comparison between an hour on the course and an hour practicing.

fred funk }{

Wombatman wrote: »

This.

I think the range and short game practice are essential for progress. Ever wonder why the pros spend so much time at the range? No comparison between an hour on the course and an hour practicing.

Agree. The amount of lads I know who give out about their game and how bad it is and who never practice and jump out of the car straight onto the first tee and proceed to block it 50 yards right every Saturday morning.

thegolfer

A good number of years ago, over a period of 4 months, as a young lad I might add, the handicap dropped from 11 to 6.

Pure and simple golf. But the one thing I remembered about it was that I really enjoyed it. No bitching about this or that just a love for the game.

Played about 10 singles events at that time and got a few prizes too.

Playing plenty if fine but enjoying it is a different story.

My two cents.....shortgame and and management from the tee..thats it.

Keengolfer7

I think at our level enjoying the golf is the most important thing to success. I see too many lads focusing too much of their swing rather than where the ball is actually going. We're not going to become Rory McIlroy so focusing on getting from A to B as best you can is better than attempting to change your swing to "perfection" two or three times a year.

Another thing I think people forget is, if the Pro's can shoot +5 on a bad day, we can have bad days too. Just because you've had a few bad days doesn't mean changing your swing completely or buying a full new set of clubs.

I don't think anyone will change this mindset though! :pac:

Keengolfer7

And when I say changing your swing, I mean it in the sense that people are attempting to do things unnatural to them, every swing is different. Embrace it!

slingerz

i've been reviewing my game in an attempt to get lower. i believe strategy from the tee and short game management to be the key to getting lower for me. My home course doesnt require me to go with driver all the time. the best rounds ive had previously is when the driver is on fire and i've only been a couple over par. but trying for that each time is not really the ideal approach

Jawgap

Also trying to get lower and plan to play a lot of singles, but prepare properly when I'm playing. So I aim to get there early and get warmed up properly.

Away from that my mantra is "practice with a purpose" - or as the Prussians would say......"everything short of war is training" - so if I go out for a few holes, or have some time to hit the practice area or the green, my focus is on fixing or preferably improving a specific part of my game.

At the moment I'm working on my putting, and spefically putting from 6 to 12 feet.

Generally, if I'm stuck for time I'll just practice putting - there's always time to nip down for 30 mins on the practice green!

ShriekingSheet

Very interesting reading.

I don't generally put much focus on handicap, but I'd like to be a bit lower. I suspect my approach to singles comps is not helping.

Looking back at recent summers, I've probably played a few Wednesday open singles in the late afternoon, dashing from work and sometimes knowing there wouldn't be enough light to finish. Even with a reasonable performance, with a low CSS and a 1 shot buffer, I definitely picked up a few silly .1s.

Similarly going to scratch cups on courses I didn't know, sometimes 36 holes, instead of just playing a home medal. For an unfamiliar course in a scratch cup, if you don't have time for some sort of practice round in the weeks leading up to it, you probably should forget it.

Seems quite brainless when I look at it.

Russman

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

Very interesting reading.

I don't generally put much focus on handicap, but I'd like to be a bit lower. I suspect my approach to singles comps is not helping.

Looking back at recent summers, I've probably played a few Wednesday open singles in the late afternoon, dashing from work and sometimes knowing there wouldn't be enough light to finish. Even with a reasonable performance, with a low CSS and a 1 shot buffer, I definitely picked up a few silly .1s.

Similarly going to scratch cups on courses I didn't know, sometimes 36 holes, instead of just playing a home medal. For an unfamiliar course in a scratch cup, if you don't have time for some sort of practice round in the weeks leading up to it, you probably should forget it.

Seems quite brainless when I look at it.

Fair point about scratch cups and away courses, but at the same time, the CSS is usually higher, especially in the second/afternoon round of a 36 holer, so sometimes you can pick up a few sneaky cuts if you keep your wits about you.

Plus you do become a better player by playing different courses imo.

Insecurity Guard

Keengolfer7 wrote: »

I think at our level enjoying the golf is the most important thing to success. I see too many lads focusing too much of their swing rather than where the ball is actually going. We're not going to become Rory McIlroy so focusing on getting from A to B as best you can is better than attempting to change your swing to "perfection" two or three times a year.

Another thing I think people forget is, if the Pro's can shoot +5 on a bad day, we can have bad days too. Just because you've had a few bad days doesn't mean changing your swing completely or buying a full new set of clubs.

Something in this - the right mental approach to the game must be at least as important as selecting the right competitions.

The great Walter Hagen allowed himself seven bad shots in every round, so when one happened it didn't phase him. I on the other hand either break my shoelaces trying to to make up for a bad shot, or spend the following hole(s) fuming about it, leading inevitably to more poor shots!

Jawgap

Insecurity Guard wrote: »

Something in this - the right mental approach to the game must be at least as important as selecting the right competitions.

The great Walter Hagen allowed himself seven bad shots in every round, so when one happened it didn't phase him. I on the other hand either break my shoelaces trying to to make up for a bad shot, or spend the following hole(s) fuming about it, leading inevitably to more poor shots!

Best lesson I ever got from a pro was this.......

"Take your punishment"

Just suck up the bad shots/bad holes and move on - and don't try to force the recovery. Unplanned opportunities to recover will present themselves, just like unplanned bad shots occasionally happen.

diegocosta99

I think the key to reducing your handicap is to work your bollix off to stay in the buffer zone when you're not playing well. This will improve your general game and also means when you do play well you'll get cut.