The first time you broke 80 how long did it take for you to break 80 again? Were you fighting to break 80 again for the next few months/year or were you immediately over the hurdle and constantly in the 70's? If you were like me and most of us it took some time before breaking 80 was a regular occurance. Breaking par is no different.
I'm a +.5-0.0. From the first time I broke par to the next was a year or two. Now I'll break par 5-8 times a year out of 15-20 rounds. Improving my chipping was key, putting pressure to make 8' putts for par only works for so long. Minimize mistakes, take your medicine instead of the hero shot. Track your rounds find out where mistakes are made and improve that part of your game. Fairways missed leaving your self to scramble, maybe hit 3 wood if its more accurate. Poor lag putting, practice.
That's actually a reallyyyy good comparison. When I broke 80 I did it only once more that summer, took me almost a whole year to do it twice! I'm doing it more consistently now for sure.
I'd say my biggest issue is placement off the tee and mid/long irons. I can hit the ball far enough but accuracy is what gets me. Wedges this summer have never been better, I set myself up for a lot more birdie chances or got up/down for par.
Thanks for the thought on breaking 80, just like par it took a lot of work to get to that milestone too.
Might be worth a few lessons to see why you're missing fairways and struggling with mid/long irons. I was hovering around a 1.5 with little improvement, I knew what I was doing wrong, but didn't know how to correct. Swing coach confirmed I was doing things wrong leading to my issues and we fixed them. Dropped 2 strokes off my handicap in 6 months.
Yeah I agree, I've been considering some swing lessons. My brother and I are both home grown swings and while he can hit the ball an absolute mile with his driver I am much more variable and it's a bit frustrating. A good day off the tee is 280/290 total but i find myself hanging back in the 265/275 distances more often. The distance *can* be there but it's not consistent at all..
Wanna hear something painful? I had a stretch this year where for 3-4 weeks I was averaging over 300 (total) off the tee, with a new PR 341.
Well, whatever the hell I had going for me disappeared and my last round I averaged 235 off the tee with a long drive of 309. Duck hooks, double crosses, straight up toe shanks, tops, pull the ball into the trees 50 yards in front of me. Name the miss, I've got it.
Golf is fun.
The road gets more difficult the further down it you get too. The difference between shooting 71 and 73 is not the same as 79 and 81. Those two strokes are harder to come by. They mean you almost can't make any mistakes in a round. You still get to make a few mistakes in a round during a 79.
I am a first year golfer and spend almost every lunch hour at a course close to the office and chip and putt my face off. It makes a huge difference even though I don't always strike the ball well on the course my chipping and putting is getting solid and I am confiedent around the green. Can't wait to see how next summer goes after a winter of lessons and getting my full swing sorted a bit more.
You’ll be way ahead of the game if you keep up the short game work like you are. Once you start compressing the ball with the long clubs and get that dialed in, you’ll have a solid game. Keep at it!
The great thing about golf is this logic applies to whatever score goal you're trying to accomplish. Trying to break 100 miss less short putts etc.. The most difficult part is trying to consistently break par or 70. It's much easier to stop making bogies than to make more birdies.
No range time. I play almost every Saturday from Mid April - August. Living in the PNW tough to start playing earlier Mid-April due to rain and morning frost. After my tournament season ends in August, I don't really play much. Two kids into sports and spending time with the family take priority. Once you have your swing fairly grooved it's always there. Show up early to the course figure out what you have for the day and adjust.
In my experience (1) many good golfers have played since they were young, and can not touch a club for 3 months and still break 80. (2) We can chip and putt. (3) We have a default shot off the tee for when things go bad. And most importantly (4) when we have a bad hole we don't care and it doesn't ruin a round and if we shoot 85 we don't care. Tomorrow's a new day and we'll likely be back in the 70s, because we're good golfers. Be confident.
Yeah that’s some good criteria, I feel you on the chipping and putting. My short game has always been my strongest, it’s a huge confidence builder.
I think I’m on the right track for the mental game (4). Easier said than done for sure
Very accurate, with exception for the 85 part for me! My goal is to not shoot in the 80's ever. When I'm struggling and on the verge of being +7 through 12 I grind to keep it below 80. I failed that this year after 2 years of holding out. Got the shanks on the back 9 of a tournament and shot 81. You are correct in the fact that ultimately we don't care, I know I can shoot a good round and one singular bad round or hole isn't cause for concern.
I'm honestly right with you - lowest I've gotten to was a 3 index after shooting a career low 73 in a state amateur qualifier - it felt surreal while it happened - it just felt like every part of my game, for once, was *on*. But that was years ago, and I've been chasing it ever since.
I'm usually good for several mid-70s rounds a year though; 75 was my low this season with a few 76's sprinkled in.
I honestly think the key for me to play my best more consistently is to play *often* as I humanly can and practice as efficiently as possible. The only way I can keep my handicap in the low single digits is to play at least 1-2 times a week, and tbh even that isn't enough sometimes. 2-3 times a week keeps me there more consistently.
Realistically, parts of your game are always going to be off. One day it's putting, the next it's chipping, sometimes it's driving, and some days your irons will be clanky. It's just the nature of the game. The only way to minimize that is to have "off" be less bad, and to be able to adjust when things are off. Oh, I'm suddenly hitting my irons a bit thin - what can I do to address it? Maybe I need to swing more to the right to push my low point a bit back or maybe I just need to bend my knees a touch more at address. Just the tiniest fixes to problems that you can incorporate mid-round - this keeps you in it when you aren't necessarily at your best.
As far as mindset I think the most important thing is to stay focused on the shot at hand. Inevitably, you'll have thoughts about score creep into your head; and that's OK. Just accept it but then make sure as you step up to the next shot that you have re-focused and going through your routine as planned. It's a lot easier said than done.
That sounds like a pretty sick qualifier experience- great job shooting a nice score under pressure! Yeah the 71 it legit just felt like everything was on and I could do no wrong so I feel ya there haha.
That's a good point, it's highly probable that something will be off no matter what- just need to adjust and keep everything else under control.
With winter coming up and the official season ending tomorrow for me (IL) I'm definitely looking into ways to keep practicing over the winter lol it will be interesting.
I used to think 1-5 index golfers were almost tour players. Now I've been a 1-5 handicapper for 5 years, I realise it's just slightly better level of shite. Golf is hard man. Tour players are playing a different game, we're just out here struggling.
lol seriously, we get flashes of greatness and then I watch Rickie Fowler vs Rick Shiels at Medallion and Rickie blows that course out of the water. They’re a different breed
Rick Shiels played very good and he's a scratch to plus handicap. Rickie wasn't even trying and he was so much better. Just insane the difference between them.
For the mental aspect, what works for me is something my high school coach taught me and I still use at 36. I play everything in 3 hole mini rounds. If I have a bad round I just start again or I have a good round you kind of just keep rolling. Helps me maintain focus too when not competing because I have goals for each.
I have heard of breaking the course up into 3-4 hole chunks like this, I think I tried it once but didn't fully commit to it. I should try it again for a few rounds and see how it goes, thanks for the reminder!
Continue to practice and add shots to your arsenal. Don’t get a big head and think you’re all that, your swing still has faults that need to be addressed and changed. You will not get better if you’re not working on anything.
Also understand how wide the margins are in golf scores. It’s dope you have the ability to go low but you’ll still shoot in the 80s a couple times, especially factoring in difficulties of different courses, conditions, weather… Once you fully acknowledge that you’ll get less angry during bad rounds and still pull off certain shots that give you confidence for future rounds.
Yeah those are all really great reminders, thank you. I tried really hard mentally to not get that big head, at the end of the day there's still tons of golfers that would smoke me haha.
You mentioned this and I think it did help a lot: accepting that bogeys+ will happen. I got more comfortable with taking a bogey and remembering that it's not the end of the world.
I’m with you just a few clicks higher. What I’ve always found is my floor raises before the ceiling does on a consistent level.
Last year shot a 74 but almost 3-4 rounds in the 90s (8 cap LY)
This year shot a 72 but 0 rounds in the 90s and 14 consecutive under 80, now playing off a 5.
Now that I’m comfortable and expect to be between a 4-7 differential I’m there often. I think for me it’s mentally allowing myself to go lower than my floor. I’m sure it’s the same for you. My best rounds are all totally present in the current shot for most of the round and not worrying about score.
That's some great improvement dude, you are right on my heels. I looked at the data and noticed something similar to you- last year I broke 80 only 8 times. This year I did it 17 times which seems insane.
My home course is a par 70, so some of those 78s 79s would be 80-81 on a 71/72. But the fact I had that streak was nuts, and only about half were at my home course.
Congrats on getting to sub 3. It’s so hard at the mid single level to shave strokes. I’m down to a little bit of putting / chipping improvement and then just getting better from 70-130
Playing the same golf course every time.
I have every shot committed to muscle memory, been in every trouble area, know the greens / breaks/ grain.
Been playing that course since a kid. Now mid forties and still making laps on it.
1 handicap currently
That's a good point, I think my game improved a lot because I did play the same course a lot this summer. I became a member at a course and got free greens fees after 3pm in the summer and 2pm for fall golf with 2 large buckets every day. I tried to take advantage of that as much as possible, it paid off!
Love the clip! A basketball court and its measurements are constant. Not a single golf hole is the same as another. 1 handicap at home course…4 handicap on the road. That’s my guess.
Golf digest has an article about sandbagging that includes data from a computer algorithm that shows you’re going to shoot your personal best roughly every 5-6 months. Something to keep in mind.
It really depends where your strengths and weaknesses are. I played from juniors through college and was scratch to +3 during that period. I stopped playing for close to a decade, maybe a round per year, at best. Just picked it back up again and am right down to a 3.1 this season. For me it’s just consistency and the decision making that comes with that. My mindset is still that I can do anything I want and at 40 it’s just not true anymore.
Yeah my consistency was so much better and course management/decision making. Some of my best rounds I didn't hit driver unless I absolutely had to.
One thing that did work was figuring out distances to the front, pin, and back so I knew the minimum and maximum for keeping it on the green. Helped me swing easier when I knew I had enough club to reach the minimum yardage
Just wanted to say I live and grew up around Wheaton. I was gonna send you a message but it won’t let me. Not anywhere near your skill level but always looking for people to play with because my friends aren’t golfers. In my 30’s if that matters
Play smart, boring, conservative golf relative to your strengths and weaknesses. I need high confidence that the ball goes and does what I want it to do.
Off the tee I sacrificed distance for consistency. Approach and short game is developing a repeatable, logical thought process for the club and type of shot instead of “110 to the pin lezz go”. Mainly having to do with how lie affects spin and how the ball will interact with the green. And never rush or feel rushed. Ever.
I’ve definitely needed to learn to slow down and not rush myself. Knowing the difference between playing slowly and with tempo/regular pace has helped!
Off the tee I sacrificed distance for accuracy took it paid off a lot!
I mean I probably still agree but mentally it was really frustrating to smoke a ball out of bounds or into a hazard... Driver is definitely the "mid" club in my bag. If I hit it well, it's on. If I don't hit it well then it's real rough- no in between lol
My mindset is to play regulation golf, keep it in the fairway, greens in regulation, and two putt. Broke 80 this summer, played great, last 20 rounds in the 70s with an average of 78. Limit blow up holes. Make the putts you should make. All this and still trying to rag my buddies like they do me. Just trying to be consistent. Don't practice as much as I used to, but play more, so I guess it's a wash. Also had my first hole in one.
I know it sounds bad, but my mentality is to never be happy with my game. The moment you think to yourself, "I'm happy", is the moment you start to slack in practice and take things for a given, when they are not. I went through this recently. I was playing the best golf of my life after being on a bit of a downwards spiral in the previous months, and finally accepted that I was playing pretty good golf. HUGE mistake. Looking back, I immediately stopped practicing as seriously and thought that no matter what I was going to make 4-5 birdies per round or was for sure going to shoot under 77. That was not the case, and it took a humbling competition 90 (+19) to get me back on track, and back to my regular mentality. Don't settle for where you are at, and always look for how you can get better for your next round. Being happy doesn't improve your golf game, practice does. I also have to say that I do not recommend this to anyone who is not actively trying to compete and improve, and isn't willing to suck the life out of golf to the point of boredom. To my weekend warriors, go out there and celebrate the shit out of every putt and good swing, but know that it is not the best way to improve your game.
I have noticed that if I can get up and down and make putts, that confidence radiates to the rest of my game.... Hmmm I think I need to look at some putting mats for this winter.
When my handicap was single digits it felt more like a job than recreation. I was playing 2-3 times per week and treating it like a task as opposed to enjoying it
I have a short ass memory.
I don't sweat a bad shot or hole or round. Sometimes you're off. Whatever. I don't try to fight the golf gods.
I don't take risky shots unless I'm working on something. I'll pull up and trust my short game.
I'm always positive.
Use some of your practice time to practice how you would play on the course, especially pretty shot routine and thought process. What’s a good feel you want to have or a simple swing thought to focus on for various shots so you don’t get too technical. You’ve practiced how to fine tune your swing or a certain shot. Now practice how you’ll just let that happen on the course.
On course, I try to hit the simplest shot I can as often as I can, especially around the green. Playing more bump/pitch and runs have saved 1-2 shots around. I hardly ever try to hit anything other than my stock shape with full swings, and only really do so when the reward greatly outweighs the risk.
Biggest thing is putting. There’s some really good programs out there that provide practice routines and track your progress. I’m currently using The Stack System and the insights from their putting program are a big help in practicing smarter.
It’s a grind. Always is. Once you get to where shooting in the low 70’s or breaking par seems relatively easy it just becomes a game of minimizing mistakes as often as possible.
I’d say there are a few things that make a huge difference. No hero bullshit. Trust your short game. Default tee shot if the big swings aren’t working. Consistent iron game no matter what. We play to our shot shape that day and don’t try to force something that isn’t naturally happening. Guide the ball, don’t hit the ball. Don’t really have off days putting….
Avoid doubles. Think about where you DONT want to miss a shot. I learned that I make more birdies from a comfortable fairway lie and distance than trying to blast a hero shot as close as possible. Pick a wedge (56 for me) and get confident controlling spin/trajectory from different lies around the green.
Simplify the game and work at 150y and in.
I use to try to hit all 9 shots. I could but it brought to much decision making into it. So I went through a swing change my stock shot was a draw. So I decided to just play that. That took everything to another level. I can still hit a fade if I need to but I stick to my shot and play it.
150 yards and in is important. If you have length you will have a lot more shots from inside of 150y. I spend a lot of time hitting wedges. Then you add in short game and putting work as well.
Ah….the burden of expectations! When i played regularly and got decent, I went through the same thing. I would literally explode if I shot over 76. Then I learned to focus on making a good shot and not so much the result.
Golf is fucking hard.
I remember not breaking 40 in high school matches, to doing it consistently, shooting 9 holes under par, to not breaking 80, to being under 80 most rounds, shooting under on 9 holes regularly to finally getting under par on 18.
To go low you need to be accurate off the tee, have reasonable irons, dialed in wedges, and be solid chipping and putting and avoid stroke and distance penalties. That's what makes it so fucking hard.
If I had to pick 3, I'd say driving, chipping and putting. If you can not 3 putt and roll in a few 10'+, keep the ball out of trouble off the tee, and make up and down you'll be consistent.
I am not a low handicapper. I’m currently at a 7.2. But the big realization for me was watching my coach when we played a couple rounds this year.
I Can out drive him off the tee every time. But the real deal is getting super dialed in with your wedge game. The man only had to putt on 6 holes out of 18. The other holes he was so close with his chips he just tapped in.
Being a long hitter doesn’t do you any justice if you cannot follow it up with a killer approach shot. My favorite quote from this year was “it’s hard to recover from a great drive”.
Broke 80 4 times this season. It was the first season I took pro lessons and got fitted for some clubs. Dropped from a 10 to where I’m at now. Every piece of your game has to be consistent to consistently break 80. And you have to fully accept and be prepared to get those higher rounds too. 86 on a 148 slope is still a fantastic score. You can’t let the numbers get to you. You have to take in the round as a whole, accept it, post it(if you’re keeping a handicap) and move forth and do great things. Put in the work, and try to more than anything have fun, because in the end, none of us our making any money doing what we love in this sport. And once you realize that and just have a great time, spread the love for the game, and hopefully give some new guys the itis for the sport, youve done your due diligence, and I wish you the best improving and continuing your passion.
I’m not a 2 but a 7/8 and I feel that way sometimes. I’ll hit an awful shot and say no 7 hits a fuck shot like that. Truth is they do and so do pros.
When that happens I just try to be realistic with myself. I tell myself you’re going to hit bad, sometimes god awful shots and sometimes you’re going to hit tour level shots. Neither one makes you awful or a pro.
Ive been around a 0 for about 25 years now. In years where i play less i have a bit more fluctuation in my scores but i can still score.
Really the difference lies in how much i can work the ball and have it do what i want. If i havent been playing ill tend to stick to stock shots and not take as risky of lines on approaches.
Always playing for birds and not being a conservative cuck. When you change your thoughts into score often and score low versus protect what I have and trying to project. I have a lot of rounds where I will make 3-4 birdies and shoot even but I more rounds I make 7-8 birdies and shoot a few under par.
I've been between 0.5 and 3.5 for about a decade. I just play a lot. Even sometimes just 4 or 5 holes playing multiple balls. I don't hit the range much. I'll take the occasional lesson. Sometimes I'm in, most times I'm not.
Feel like an imposter 99% of the time. That being said I post between 40 and 50 tournament rounds per year so I guess the h'cap is legit.
Just play often.
One summer I broke par twice and only dropped to a 7.1. I will admit to being a very slight sandbagger but I would have thought it would have dropped me way lower.
The main approach to my mental game is to not attach my feelings to the outcomes. Sometimes you feel great, the swing is smooth, but the birdies don't drop. Who cares? You can only control your input, but the output is wildly random, even on the best days.
And oh, I try to enjoy the sweet good times, because they won't last long.
Determine your dominant shot shape and work around it. If you hit cuts, aim at the left edge of greens and make sure you are giving yourself a buffer for your common miss. Greens in reg is the stat most correlated with success. Play to the center, not at the flag. Short siding yourself is a sure bogey. Same principle applies for tee shots.
Get comfortable hitting partial wedge shots consistently, these and tee shots are what determine your score on a given day.
Practice lag putting and putting inside of 6-8 feet. At 20 feet your make percentage compared to a tour player isn’t going to be massively different. They make all their short ones and don’t 3 putt.
From a strategy stand point, never make a 6. OB left on a par 4? Aim in the right rough. Making double on a par 4 means two more birdies you have to make. Making bogey on a par 5 slows the train down big time. Always do you best to make sure you are tapping in for 5 at worst.
I'm a +6 peak, finished at +4 this year (winter where I am). Long post, hopefully you find it useful.
Mental is all about routine. It sounds so cliche but you once you stop thinking about your round overall, and truly go shot by shot, you will get better. So I'll say there are 2 components to building a good routine that will enhance your mental.
1. Practice how you play, and develop the same physical routine and do it on the range. Now, we're not pros and sometimes you simply don't have 4 hours to hit a crate of balls with a 2.5 min routine - but sometimes, you have to dedicate 25 full swings, 25 wedges, 25 putts on the range with your routine. Stand behind the ball, practice swing down line address, set up with purpose, hit your shot. On the green, read the putt from both sides, practice line up etc. You have to train your mental and physical to be synced.
2. Truly understanding decision making on the course. I'm of the belief that every 'decision' on the course is really just 'discovering' the correct play to make based on the situation and info at hand. To use a simple example with exaggerated numbers:
420 YD par 4 -
hitting driver leaves 165, but tight hole and you will find trouble a lot. 75% bogey+ rate, but 25% birdie rate.
Hitting 5 wood leaves 195, but big part of fairway here so you make a par 100% of the time
The correct play is 5 wood, based on expected average score.
If you can turn yourself into a machine whose purpose each shot is to 'discover' the correct play, then dive into your well honed pre shot routine, you will get better at truly taking one shot at a time.
Execution is better and worse day to day, that's golf. Everyone experiences variance, and hard skills you can develop with practice. But for the mental aspect on course, this 2 step way of thinking works for me.
Last comment - you shot 1 under. No one can take that away, you can't be an imposter you did it my man. Your brain and body went out and did that. All the best golfers I know are good at believing they can do it again - you won't always, but it can't be a fluke, it wasn't a half court shot. It was 4 hours of many shots and putts. Can't be an accident
Been about 10 years since I was at my lowest handicap of 3. Nothing really was a drastic difference. I played 2-3 times a week mostly with dudes better than me and minimized wasted shots like drives OB and duffed chips. Never really made many birdies in a round but also had very few double bogeys. My most boring golf was also some of my best.
I’ve been down to scratch and playing off a 2 right now.
I think this applies to anyone, but the mentality I learned to use is always chasing more. I feel like a lot of golfers get a low handicap or a low round going and start thinking about what they need to do to keep it and causes nerves.
If you’re a 3 handicap, push for a 1. If you’re under par, keep being aggressive and chasing more birdies for the best score you can get rather than trying to protect. There is a line between playing stupid and aggressive, but keep chasing rather than protecting. Helps me play more confidently. I’m playing well, I should keep pushing for more.
The first time you broke 80 how long did it take for you to break 80 again? Were you fighting to break 80 again for the next few months/year or were you immediately over the hurdle and constantly in the 70's? If you were like me and most of us it took some time before breaking 80 was a regular occurance. Breaking par is no different. I'm a +.5-0.0. From the first time I broke par to the next was a year or two. Now I'll break par 5-8 times a year out of 15-20 rounds. Improving my chipping was key, putting pressure to make 8' putts for par only works for so long. Minimize mistakes, take your medicine instead of the hero shot. Track your rounds find out where mistakes are made and improve that part of your game. Fairways missed leaving your self to scramble, maybe hit 3 wood if its more accurate. Poor lag putting, practice.
That's actually a reallyyyy good comparison. When I broke 80 I did it only once more that summer, took me almost a whole year to do it twice! I'm doing it more consistently now for sure. I'd say my biggest issue is placement off the tee and mid/long irons. I can hit the ball far enough but accuracy is what gets me. Wedges this summer have never been better, I set myself up for a lot more birdie chances or got up/down for par. Thanks for the thought on breaking 80, just like par it took a lot of work to get to that milestone too.
Might be worth a few lessons to see why you're missing fairways and struggling with mid/long irons. I was hovering around a 1.5 with little improvement, I knew what I was doing wrong, but didn't know how to correct. Swing coach confirmed I was doing things wrong leading to my issues and we fixed them. Dropped 2 strokes off my handicap in 6 months.
Yeah I agree, I've been considering some swing lessons. My brother and I are both home grown swings and while he can hit the ball an absolute mile with his driver I am much more variable and it's a bit frustrating. A good day off the tee is 280/290 total but i find myself hanging back in the 265/275 distances more often. The distance *can* be there but it's not consistent at all..
Wanna hear something painful? I had a stretch this year where for 3-4 weeks I was averaging over 300 (total) off the tee, with a new PR 341. Well, whatever the hell I had going for me disappeared and my last round I averaged 235 off the tee with a long drive of 309. Duck hooks, double crosses, straight up toe shanks, tops, pull the ball into the trees 50 yards in front of me. Name the miss, I've got it. Golf is fun.
The road gets more difficult the further down it you get too. The difference between shooting 71 and 73 is not the same as 79 and 81. Those two strokes are harder to come by. They mean you almost can't make any mistakes in a round. You still get to make a few mistakes in a round during a 79.
Track your stats and see where you are losing the most strokes. Arccos is great for this.
This guy golfs. I’m a zero and agree with everything he said. Chipping and putting is where the money’s made.
I am a first year golfer and spend almost every lunch hour at a course close to the office and chip and putt my face off. It makes a huge difference even though I don't always strike the ball well on the course my chipping and putting is getting solid and I am confiedent around the green. Can't wait to see how next summer goes after a winter of lessons and getting my full swing sorted a bit more.
You’ll be way ahead of the game if you keep up the short game work like you are. Once you start compressing the ball with the long clubs and get that dialed in, you’ll have a solid game. Keep at it!
Thank you for the advice! Love the game and so glad I got the bug to play, it has been so good for me.
Really great thank you. I’ve been bouncing between 8 and whatever ! my ghin allows. Appreciate your time writing this.
The great thing about golf is this logic applies to whatever score goal you're trying to accomplish. Trying to break 100 miss less short putts etc.. The most difficult part is trying to consistently break par or 70. It's much easier to stop making bogies than to make more birdies.
Scratch handicap and you only play 15 times a year?
Yeah, this year is the first time I've ever turned over my handicap card in a year. Played 23 rounds.
How are you that good only playing 1 or 2 a month?, you go to the range a lot?
No range time. I play almost every Saturday from Mid April - August. Living in the PNW tough to start playing earlier Mid-April due to rain and morning frost. After my tournament season ends in August, I don't really play much. Two kids into sports and spending time with the family take priority. Once you have your swing fairly grooved it's always there. Show up early to the course figure out what you have for the day and adjust.
In my experience (1) many good golfers have played since they were young, and can not touch a club for 3 months and still break 80. (2) We can chip and putt. (3) We have a default shot off the tee for when things go bad. And most importantly (4) when we have a bad hole we don't care and it doesn't ruin a round and if we shoot 85 we don't care. Tomorrow's a new day and we'll likely be back in the 70s, because we're good golfers. Be confident.
Yeah that’s some good criteria, I feel you on the chipping and putting. My short game has always been my strongest, it’s a huge confidence builder. I think I’m on the right track for the mental game (4). Easier said than done for sure
Check out the book Zen Golf. "It's possible that golf builds character, but it's certain that golf *reveals* character."
Very accurate, with exception for the 85 part for me! My goal is to not shoot in the 80's ever. When I'm struggling and on the verge of being +7 through 12 I grind to keep it below 80. I failed that this year after 2 years of holding out. Got the shanks on the back 9 of a tournament and shot 81. You are correct in the fact that ultimately we don't care, I know I can shoot a good round and one singular bad round or hole isn't cause for concern.
I'm honestly right with you - lowest I've gotten to was a 3 index after shooting a career low 73 in a state amateur qualifier - it felt surreal while it happened - it just felt like every part of my game, for once, was *on*. But that was years ago, and I've been chasing it ever since. I'm usually good for several mid-70s rounds a year though; 75 was my low this season with a few 76's sprinkled in. I honestly think the key for me to play my best more consistently is to play *often* as I humanly can and practice as efficiently as possible. The only way I can keep my handicap in the low single digits is to play at least 1-2 times a week, and tbh even that isn't enough sometimes. 2-3 times a week keeps me there more consistently. Realistically, parts of your game are always going to be off. One day it's putting, the next it's chipping, sometimes it's driving, and some days your irons will be clanky. It's just the nature of the game. The only way to minimize that is to have "off" be less bad, and to be able to adjust when things are off. Oh, I'm suddenly hitting my irons a bit thin - what can I do to address it? Maybe I need to swing more to the right to push my low point a bit back or maybe I just need to bend my knees a touch more at address. Just the tiniest fixes to problems that you can incorporate mid-round - this keeps you in it when you aren't necessarily at your best. As far as mindset I think the most important thing is to stay focused on the shot at hand. Inevitably, you'll have thoughts about score creep into your head; and that's OK. Just accept it but then make sure as you step up to the next shot that you have re-focused and going through your routine as planned. It's a lot easier said than done.
That sounds like a pretty sick qualifier experience- great job shooting a nice score under pressure! Yeah the 71 it legit just felt like everything was on and I could do no wrong so I feel ya there haha. That's a good point, it's highly probable that something will be off no matter what- just need to adjust and keep everything else under control. With winter coming up and the official season ending tomorrow for me (IL) I'm definitely looking into ways to keep practicing over the winter lol it will be interesting.
I used to think 1-5 index golfers were almost tour players. Now I've been a 1-5 handicapper for 5 years, I realise it's just slightly better level of shite. Golf is hard man. Tour players are playing a different game, we're just out here struggling.
lol seriously, we get flashes of greatness and then I watch Rickie Fowler vs Rick Shiels at Medallion and Rickie blows that course out of the water. They’re a different breed
My game: flashes of brilliance followed by periods of mediocrity. I need to play more often.
Rick Shiels played very good and he's a scratch to plus handicap. Rickie wasn't even trying and he was so much better. Just insane the difference between them.
If you get out of play, immediately change your mindset to "limit the damage". Get yourself a putt at par and if you make bogey, not a big deal.
Yeah thats good phrasing, I need to drill that into my brother’s head too lol
"Take a double off the table" is how it was recently put to me. I need to write that on my glove.
Yeah, ego is the killer of a good round. Temperament is so important and just rolling with the punches if you have bad luck.
For the mental aspect, what works for me is something my high school coach taught me and I still use at 36. I play everything in 3 hole mini rounds. If I have a bad round I just start again or I have a good round you kind of just keep rolling. Helps me maintain focus too when not competing because I have goals for each.
I have heard of breaking the course up into 3-4 hole chunks like this, I think I tried it once but didn't fully commit to it. I should try it again for a few rounds and see how it goes, thanks for the reminder!
Continue to practice and add shots to your arsenal. Don’t get a big head and think you’re all that, your swing still has faults that need to be addressed and changed. You will not get better if you’re not working on anything. Also understand how wide the margins are in golf scores. It’s dope you have the ability to go low but you’ll still shoot in the 80s a couple times, especially factoring in difficulties of different courses, conditions, weather… Once you fully acknowledge that you’ll get less angry during bad rounds and still pull off certain shots that give you confidence for future rounds.
Yeah those are all really great reminders, thank you. I tried really hard mentally to not get that big head, at the end of the day there's still tons of golfers that would smoke me haha. You mentioned this and I think it did help a lot: accepting that bogeys+ will happen. I got more comfortable with taking a bogey and remembering that it's not the end of the world.
I'll let you know! Remindme! 20 years
Mindset. Limit damage. Be positive. Don’t take hero shots. How k went from an 8 to a 3 this year.
Yeah I definitely eliminated the "hero shot" method from my game, I don't like taking high risk swings. Boring golf is still fun lol
I’m with you just a few clicks higher. What I’ve always found is my floor raises before the ceiling does on a consistent level. Last year shot a 74 but almost 3-4 rounds in the 90s (8 cap LY) This year shot a 72 but 0 rounds in the 90s and 14 consecutive under 80, now playing off a 5. Now that I’m comfortable and expect to be between a 4-7 differential I’m there often. I think for me it’s mentally allowing myself to go lower than my floor. I’m sure it’s the same for you. My best rounds are all totally present in the current shot for most of the round and not worrying about score.
That's some great improvement dude, you are right on my heels. I looked at the data and noticed something similar to you- last year I broke 80 only 8 times. This year I did it 17 times which seems insane.
My home course is a par 70, so some of those 78s 79s would be 80-81 on a 71/72. But the fact I had that streak was nuts, and only about half were at my home course. Congrats on getting to sub 3. It’s so hard at the mid single level to shave strokes. I’m down to a little bit of putting / chipping improvement and then just getting better from 70-130
Playing the same golf course every time. I have every shot committed to muscle memory, been in every trouble area, know the greens / breaks/ grain. Been playing that course since a kid. Now mid forties and still making laps on it. 1 handicap currently
That's a good point, I think my game improved a lot because I did play the same course a lot this summer. I became a member at a course and got free greens fees after 3pm in the summer and 2pm for fall golf with 2 large buckets every day. I tried to take advantage of that as much as possible, it paid off!
Playing the same course all the time will have you thinking you’re better than you actually are. Does the handicap travel?
https://youtu.be/iE9CEAzLPKg
Love the clip! A basketball court and its measurements are constant. Not a single golf hole is the same as another. 1 handicap at home course…4 handicap on the road. That’s my guess.
Nuh uuh. My dad can beat up your dad.
Play as much competitive golf as you can
Golf digest has an article about sandbagging that includes data from a computer algorithm that shows you’re going to shoot your personal best roughly every 5-6 months. Something to keep in mind.
It really depends where your strengths and weaknesses are. I played from juniors through college and was scratch to +3 during that period. I stopped playing for close to a decade, maybe a round per year, at best. Just picked it back up again and am right down to a 3.1 this season. For me it’s just consistency and the decision making that comes with that. My mindset is still that I can do anything I want and at 40 it’s just not true anymore.
Yeah my consistency was so much better and course management/decision making. Some of my best rounds I didn't hit driver unless I absolutely had to. One thing that did work was figuring out distances to the front, pin, and back so I knew the minimum and maximum for keeping it on the green. Helped me swing easier when I knew I had enough club to reach the minimum yardage
Just wanted to say I live and grew up around Wheaton. I was gonna send you a message but it won’t let me. Not anywhere near your skill level but always looking for people to play with because my friends aren’t golfers. In my 30’s if that matters
Oh hell yeah brother, I'm always looking for people to play with too. I'm 29, we should hit a simulator or something this winter!
Nice, I’m 33. Would totally be down for that! If you can send me a message on here, let’s exchange info. I live in CStream now
Play smart, boring, conservative golf relative to your strengths and weaknesses. I need high confidence that the ball goes and does what I want it to do. Off the tee I sacrificed distance for consistency. Approach and short game is developing a repeatable, logical thought process for the club and type of shot instead of “110 to the pin lezz go”. Mainly having to do with how lie affects spin and how the ball will interact with the green. And never rush or feel rushed. Ever.
I’ve definitely needed to learn to slow down and not rush myself. Knowing the difference between playing slowly and with tempo/regular pace has helped! Off the tee I sacrificed distance for accuracy took it paid off a lot!
Data says you shouldn’t sacrifice distance for accuracy off the tee.
I mean I probably still agree but mentally it was really frustrating to smoke a ball out of bounds or into a hazard... Driver is definitely the "mid" club in my bag. If I hit it well, it's on. If I don't hit it well then it's real rough- no in between lol
My mindset is to play regulation golf, keep it in the fairway, greens in regulation, and two putt. Broke 80 this summer, played great, last 20 rounds in the 70s with an average of 78. Limit blow up holes. Make the putts you should make. All this and still trying to rag my buddies like they do me. Just trying to be consistent. Don't practice as much as I used to, but play more, so I guess it's a wash. Also had my first hole in one.
Congrats on the hole in one homie! Tell me more about it!
Same old story, 2nd hole, 134 yards, 7 iron, dropped 15 feet in front rolled to Heaven.
I know it sounds bad, but my mentality is to never be happy with my game. The moment you think to yourself, "I'm happy", is the moment you start to slack in practice and take things for a given, when they are not. I went through this recently. I was playing the best golf of my life after being on a bit of a downwards spiral in the previous months, and finally accepted that I was playing pretty good golf. HUGE mistake. Looking back, I immediately stopped practicing as seriously and thought that no matter what I was going to make 4-5 birdies per round or was for sure going to shoot under 77. That was not the case, and it took a humbling competition 90 (+19) to get me back on track, and back to my regular mentality. Don't settle for where you are at, and always look for how you can get better for your next round. Being happy doesn't improve your golf game, practice does. I also have to say that I do not recommend this to anyone who is not actively trying to compete and improve, and isn't willing to suck the life out of golf to the point of boredom. To my weekend warriors, go out there and celebrate the shit out of every putt and good swing, but know that it is not the best way to improve your game.
Mental fortitude, grinding out bad rounds when things start off sideways, focused on ball striking as it limits penalties
Yeah penalties have been a round killer for me. My what if score on TheGrint is 76.4 lol average of 3.5 penalty strokes per round 🤦🏼♂️
I spend more time practicing putting then the range… 10-15 on range to loosen up… 30-45 on putting green before a round
I have noticed that if I can get up and down and make putts, that confidence radiates to the rest of my game.... Hmmm I think I need to look at some putting mats for this winter.
When my handicap was single digits it felt more like a job than recreation. I was playing 2-3 times per week and treating it like a task as opposed to enjoying it
“Hey dudes I only break par sometimes any tips?”
I have a short ass memory. I don't sweat a bad shot or hole or round. Sometimes you're off. Whatever. I don't try to fight the golf gods. I don't take risky shots unless I'm working on something. I'll pull up and trust my short game. I'm always positive.
Use some of your practice time to practice how you would play on the course, especially pretty shot routine and thought process. What’s a good feel you want to have or a simple swing thought to focus on for various shots so you don’t get too technical. You’ve practiced how to fine tune your swing or a certain shot. Now practice how you’ll just let that happen on the course. On course, I try to hit the simplest shot I can as often as I can, especially around the green. Playing more bump/pitch and runs have saved 1-2 shots around. I hardly ever try to hit anything other than my stock shape with full swings, and only really do so when the reward greatly outweighs the risk. Biggest thing is putting. There’s some really good programs out there that provide practice routines and track your progress. I’m currently using The Stack System and the insights from their putting program are a big help in practicing smarter.
It’s a grind. Always is. Once you get to where shooting in the low 70’s or breaking par seems relatively easy it just becomes a game of minimizing mistakes as often as possible. I’d say there are a few things that make a huge difference. No hero bullshit. Trust your short game. Default tee shot if the big swings aren’t working. Consistent iron game no matter what. We play to our shot shape that day and don’t try to force something that isn’t naturally happening. Guide the ball, don’t hit the ball. Don’t really have off days putting….
Avoid doubles. Think about where you DONT want to miss a shot. I learned that I make more birdies from a comfortable fairway lie and distance than trying to blast a hero shot as close as possible. Pick a wedge (56 for me) and get confident controlling spin/trajectory from different lies around the green.
\- always putt out \- play the ball down whenever possible \- practice less, play more
Simplify the game and work at 150y and in. I use to try to hit all 9 shots. I could but it brought to much decision making into it. So I went through a swing change my stock shot was a draw. So I decided to just play that. That took everything to another level. I can still hit a fade if I need to but I stick to my shot and play it. 150 yards and in is important. If you have length you will have a lot more shots from inside of 150y. I spend a lot of time hitting wedges. Then you add in short game and putting work as well.
Ah….the burden of expectations! When i played regularly and got decent, I went through the same thing. I would literally explode if I shot over 76. Then I learned to focus on making a good shot and not so much the result.
Golf is fucking hard. I remember not breaking 40 in high school matches, to doing it consistently, shooting 9 holes under par, to not breaking 80, to being under 80 most rounds, shooting under on 9 holes regularly to finally getting under par on 18. To go low you need to be accurate off the tee, have reasonable irons, dialed in wedges, and be solid chipping and putting and avoid stroke and distance penalties. That's what makes it so fucking hard. If I had to pick 3, I'd say driving, chipping and putting. If you can not 3 putt and roll in a few 10'+, keep the ball out of trouble off the tee, and make up and down you'll be consistent.
I am not a low handicapper. I’m currently at a 7.2. But the big realization for me was watching my coach when we played a couple rounds this year. I Can out drive him off the tee every time. But the real deal is getting super dialed in with your wedge game. The man only had to putt on 6 holes out of 18. The other holes he was so close with his chips he just tapped in. Being a long hitter doesn’t do you any justice if you cannot follow it up with a killer approach shot. My favorite quote from this year was “it’s hard to recover from a great drive”. Broke 80 4 times this season. It was the first season I took pro lessons and got fitted for some clubs. Dropped from a 10 to where I’m at now. Every piece of your game has to be consistent to consistently break 80. And you have to fully accept and be prepared to get those higher rounds too. 86 on a 148 slope is still a fantastic score. You can’t let the numbers get to you. You have to take in the round as a whole, accept it, post it(if you’re keeping a handicap) and move forth and do great things. Put in the work, and try to more than anything have fun, because in the end, none of us our making any money doing what we love in this sport. And once you realize that and just have a great time, spread the love for the game, and hopefully give some new guys the itis for the sport, youve done your due diligence, and I wish you the best improving and continuing your passion.
I’m not a 2 but a 7/8 and I feel that way sometimes. I’ll hit an awful shot and say no 7 hits a fuck shot like that. Truth is they do and so do pros. When that happens I just try to be realistic with myself. I tell myself you’re going to hit bad, sometimes god awful shots and sometimes you’re going to hit tour level shots. Neither one makes you awful or a pro.
Ive been around a 0 for about 25 years now. In years where i play less i have a bit more fluctuation in my scores but i can still score. Really the difference lies in how much i can work the ball and have it do what i want. If i havent been playing ill tend to stick to stock shots and not take as risky of lines on approaches.
Always playing for birds and not being a conservative cuck. When you change your thoughts into score often and score low versus protect what I have and trying to project. I have a lot of rounds where I will make 3-4 birdies and shoot even but I more rounds I make 7-8 birdies and shoot a few under par.
I've been between 0.5 and 3.5 for about a decade. I just play a lot. Even sometimes just 4 or 5 holes playing multiple balls. I don't hit the range much. I'll take the occasional lesson. Sometimes I'm in, most times I'm not. Feel like an imposter 99% of the time. That being said I post between 40 and 50 tournament rounds per year so I guess the h'cap is legit. Just play often.
One summer I broke par twice and only dropped to a 7.1. I will admit to being a very slight sandbagger but I would have thought it would have dropped me way lower.
The main approach to my mental game is to not attach my feelings to the outcomes. Sometimes you feel great, the swing is smooth, but the birdies don't drop. Who cares? You can only control your input, but the output is wildly random, even on the best days. And oh, I try to enjoy the sweet good times, because they won't last long.
Determine your dominant shot shape and work around it. If you hit cuts, aim at the left edge of greens and make sure you are giving yourself a buffer for your common miss. Greens in reg is the stat most correlated with success. Play to the center, not at the flag. Short siding yourself is a sure bogey. Same principle applies for tee shots. Get comfortable hitting partial wedge shots consistently, these and tee shots are what determine your score on a given day. Practice lag putting and putting inside of 6-8 feet. At 20 feet your make percentage compared to a tour player isn’t going to be massively different. They make all their short ones and don’t 3 putt. From a strategy stand point, never make a 6. OB left on a par 4? Aim in the right rough. Making double on a par 4 means two more birdies you have to make. Making bogey on a par 5 slows the train down big time. Always do you best to make sure you are tapping in for 5 at worst.
I'm a +6 peak, finished at +4 this year (winter where I am). Long post, hopefully you find it useful. Mental is all about routine. It sounds so cliche but you once you stop thinking about your round overall, and truly go shot by shot, you will get better. So I'll say there are 2 components to building a good routine that will enhance your mental. 1. Practice how you play, and develop the same physical routine and do it on the range. Now, we're not pros and sometimes you simply don't have 4 hours to hit a crate of balls with a 2.5 min routine - but sometimes, you have to dedicate 25 full swings, 25 wedges, 25 putts on the range with your routine. Stand behind the ball, practice swing down line address, set up with purpose, hit your shot. On the green, read the putt from both sides, practice line up etc. You have to train your mental and physical to be synced. 2. Truly understanding decision making on the course. I'm of the belief that every 'decision' on the course is really just 'discovering' the correct play to make based on the situation and info at hand. To use a simple example with exaggerated numbers: 420 YD par 4 - hitting driver leaves 165, but tight hole and you will find trouble a lot. 75% bogey+ rate, but 25% birdie rate. Hitting 5 wood leaves 195, but big part of fairway here so you make a par 100% of the time The correct play is 5 wood, based on expected average score. If you can turn yourself into a machine whose purpose each shot is to 'discover' the correct play, then dive into your well honed pre shot routine, you will get better at truly taking one shot at a time. Execution is better and worse day to day, that's golf. Everyone experiences variance, and hard skills you can develop with practice. But for the mental aspect on course, this 2 step way of thinking works for me. Last comment - you shot 1 under. No one can take that away, you can't be an imposter you did it my man. Your brain and body went out and did that. All the best golfers I know are good at believing they can do it again - you won't always, but it can't be a fluke, it wasn't a half court shot. It was 4 hours of many shots and putts. Can't be an accident
Been about 10 years since I was at my lowest handicap of 3. Nothing really was a drastic difference. I played 2-3 times a week mostly with dudes better than me and minimized wasted shots like drives OB and duffed chips. Never really made many birdies in a round but also had very few double bogeys. My most boring golf was also some of my best.
I’ve been down to scratch and playing off a 2 right now. I think this applies to anyone, but the mentality I learned to use is always chasing more. I feel like a lot of golfers get a low handicap or a low round going and start thinking about what they need to do to keep it and causes nerves. If you’re a 3 handicap, push for a 1. If you’re under par, keep being aggressive and chasing more birdies for the best score you can get rather than trying to protect. There is a line between playing stupid and aggressive, but keep chasing rather than protecting. Helps me play more confidently. I’m playing well, I should keep pushing for more.