Question For All The Other Single Digit Handicappers on Here

[DShepley]

5 minutes ago, torbill said:

 For me there are few things in life as satisfying as self-improvement and finding my own way to success; good golf is infinitely complex and perfect in this regard.

Let's highlight this mindset as a key

[Pepperturbo]

Physical alignments are mostly the result of inheriting traits or genetics.  Some hiccups may have been circumvented using proper instruction, but if PGA Tour players are any indication; most of them have had all sorts of instruction since childhood, yet many today cope with a myriad of physical complications.

 

It was said earlier by a few; being self-taught is far easier in youth, than taking up golf in 30s or later, and I agree.  I would never suggest to anyone to tackle the road I took.  Started at 40, right after my first rd of 94 from white 6400yd tees.  From that day, did what I've always done to excel, took a myopic golf focus and applied myself.

[pseudoswede]

As a middle/high schooler, I got lessons every week, and I got down to low/mid single digits. I quit golf in college, picked it up again senior year, and got back down to around 6 with no lessons and just spending a ton of time on a range. I quit again after my kids were born. I started playing again after my youngest turned 3 (she's turning 18 next month). I've been hovering between 7-11 with no lessons and no time on the range (I might hit 20 range balls before a round if it's included in the green fee). If I didn't putt like a 30-capper, I could probably stay around 6-7 for the rest of my life.

[Johnny Biarritz]

On my own, more or less. I did a couple clinics, had some pros give clinics during high school, but mostly just found my swing in the dirt. Took a lesson after high school and maybe a handful more with that pro. Took a few more later. I've had maybe a dozen lessons. I do want to get one soon but I doubt it will be a regular thing.

[flyingwedges2]

Nature vs Nurture.  Nature is highly dependent upon having the innate ability to know what your body is doing (highly unlikely), and then responding to it.  Nurture is highly dependent upon having an instructor who teaches in a manner the student can internalize (visual, auditory, tactile) and then being able to successfully practice what was taught.  Success via Nature or Nurture requires the ability to forget the incorrect performance, internalize the positive performance,  and have reassuring 'self-talk' that keeps the success moving forward in a positive direction.

[Obee]

I'm not sure if this applies, but someone mentioned earlier about not having to play often to play well. I'm not sure what that has to do with this discussion but I thought I would relate something that is kind of interesting.

 

In 2008 I had three different surgeries back to back to back (gall bladder, weight loss, shoulder) and I didn't touch a club in any way shape or form for right about two years.

 

I am not a practicer, so I didn't chip or put and I wasn't a member of a club because I wasn't playing, so I simply didn't do anything golf related.
 

Well, it was time to start playing again as my shoulder finally felt well enough.

 

I went to a local driving range and hit a small bucket of balls. The next morning, I played with my son and his friend, both of whom were solid high school players. 
 

I shot 69 with one bogey on a course rated 72.

 

I will never forget that day.

[DLiver]

I do want to reiterate that it is much easier to get quality swing advice today (via the Internet) than it was 30 years ago. If I were trying to get better today (verses 25 years ago), I'm sure I wouldn't have taken many lessons at all. YMMV.

[DShepley]

3 hours ago, flyingwedges2 said:

Nature vs Nurture.  Nature is highly dependent upon having the innate ability to know what your body is doing (highly unlikely), and then responding to it.  Nurture is highly dependent upon having an instructor who teaches in a manner the student can internalize (visual, auditory, tactile) and then being able to successfully practice what was taught.  Success via Nature or Nurture requires the ability to forget the incorrect performance, internalize the positive performance,  and have reassuring 'self-talk' that keeps the success moving forward in a positive direction.

Good point and something that reminded me that my mindset when I improved most rapidly was overwhelmingly to convince myself that I was better than I really was.  I hit the great shot once and had a belief, ABSOLUTE belief that I was that guy.  To improve, you can't settle...if that makes sense.  The trick is to not show that to your peers because you look like a d*ck.  There are always shots that could have made any round better....

Edited June 19 by DShepley

[DShepley]

3 hours ago, Obee said:

I'm not sure if this applies, but someone mentioned earlier about not having to play often to play well. I'm not sure what that has to do with this discussion but I thought I would relate something that is kind of interesting.

 

In 2008 I had three different surgeries back to back to back (gall bladder, weight loss, shoulder) and I didn't touch a club in any way shape or form for right about two years.

 

I am not a practicer, so I didn't chip or put and I wasn't a member of a club because I wasn't playing, so I simply didn't do anything golf related.
 

Well, it was time to start playing again as my shoulder finally felt well enough.

 

I went to a local driving range and hit a small bucket of balls. The next morning, I played with my son and his friend, both of whom were solid high school players. 
 

I shot 69 with one bogey on a course rated 72.

 

I will never forget that day.

I really think that once you have gotten to the low index, you have a mindset that will help you keep a round together regardless of how much you play.  It's because you never really think that your game slipped.  You are always the best version of your game....if you weren't thinking that way, you wouldn't have improved in the first place.

Edited June 19 by DShepley

[DShepley]

2 hours ago, DLiver said:

I do want to reiterate that it is much easier to get quality swing advice today (via the Internet) than it was 30 years ago. If I were trying to get better today (verses 25 years ago), I'm sure I wouldn't have taken many lessons at all. YMMV.

And I think also that a lot of us who got good prior to say 2000 would have possibly improved further or faster.

[AyeAre10]

Y’all must not have heard about the golf swing sub on Reddit. Those dudes will get you squared away.

 

😂

[biglou11]

I started playing when I was 30, and it took me several yrs to get to low teens, mostly because work kept me from spending the time I needed to practice.  I took a few lessons here and there, saw some improvement but then would slowly creep back up to low teens.

It wasn't until I changed jobs, had more time to play that I broke into single digits.  When I learned some game management skills, that's when I finally dropped to a 5.3.  Currently at 8.1 but it fluctuates up and down between 5-8.

[parbung]

17 hours ago, murdoc613 said:

I'm a plus and I've done virtually no lessons ever, it was just a lot of hard work at the course, simulator, putting green, and range

curious as to what your typical practice sessions looks like. 

 

Do you have a routine that you follow or just work on different things based on how your game is at the time? 

[Ty_Webb]

17 hours ago, Obee said:

I'm not sure if this applies, but someone mentioned earlier about not having to play often to play well. I'm not sure what that has to do with this discussion but I thought I would relate something that is kind of interesting.

 

In 2008 I had three different surgeries back to back to back (gall bladder, weight loss, shoulder) and I didn't touch a club in any way shape or form for right about two years.

 

I am not a practicer, so I didn't chip or put and I wasn't a member of a club because I wasn't playing, so I simply didn't do anything golf related.
 

Well, it was time to start playing again as my shoulder finally felt well enough.

 

I went to a local driving range and hit a small bucket of balls. The next morning, I played with my son and his friend, both of whom were solid high school players. 
 

I shot 69 with one bogey on a course rated 72.

 

I will never forget that day.

 

That was probably me - I was just commenting on what DShepley said about time. The people who do what you did that day people think they're just blessed, but in reality they've put the work in before and it's easy to forget that when you look at them playing a few times a year and playing well. I'm fairly sure there are quite a few people out there who say things like "I don't get lessons", but they used to and that contributes to their ability.

[mn723]

I'm 44 years old, currently have a 2.5 handicap and never have had a lesson.

Started playing when I was 10, lots of caddying & playing at the club on Mondays when caddies could play.  Read Golf Digest religiously and tried to learn.

Played pretty competitive high school golf and low level college golf.  Didn't have an official handicap, but guessing I was a 2-5 from my teens through mid 20's.

Joined a club in my late 20's and started to play & practice a ton, 100+ rounds a year up north in a 7-ish month golf season.  Had a USGA handicap by that time and occasionally got below scratch.

Got married mid 30's and have a bunch of young kids.  Now play around 40 rounds a year and never have time to practice in the summer.  I do hit balls probably 1-2 times a week indoors during the winter.  Handicap now hovers around 3.  My score is all about the tee shot.  If I can keep it on the course I generally do well.  Occasionally have a round where my driver is all over the planet and then I post something 80+.  Iron game is pretty consistent, good but not great.  Same for short game.  If my putter gets on fire I can shoot par or better (maybe 2-3 times a year these days).

 

[dayvei214]

Started at 13.5 at the beginning of covid it was the first time I had a ghin. Got down to a 9 after at the end of that season but I was playing 2-3 rounds and week. Its been about 4 years since then and currently hovering at the 4.3-4.6 range. I had a couple of lessons the last 4 years that would spike my hcp for a brief moment before things would click towards the last couple of months and drop. Last year's goal was to get to a 3 but ended up finishing at 4.3.  To be honest I almost want to just stop with the whole ghin thing... I remember when golf was fun, now it's semi stressful at times,  and even more stressful when I feel the need to play to my hcp all the time.

[Obee]

On 6/19/2025 at 9:24 AM, Ty_Webb said:

 

That was probably me - I was just commenting on what DShepley said about time. The people who do what you did that day people think they're just blessed, but in reality they've put the work in before and it's easy to forget that when you look at them playing a few times a year and playing well. I'm fairly sure there are quite a few people out there who say things like "I don't get lessons", but they used to and that contributes to their ability.

All that is well and good, except I've had a total of less than 10 lessons in my life. I was blessed with good "hands" and I just happen to have ingrained a very "compact," short swing, so there's just not a lot that can go wrong!!! 😉

[Ty_Webb]

9 hours ago, dayvei214 said:

Started at 13.5 at the beginning of covid it was the first time I had a ghin. Got down to a 9 after at the end of that season but I was playing 2-3 rounds and week. Its been about 4 years since then and currently hovering at the 4.3-4.6 range. I had a couple of lessons the last 4 years that would spike my hcp for a brief moment before things would click towards the last couple of months and drop. Last year's goal was to get to a 3 but ended up finishing at 4.3.  To be honest I almost want to just stop with the whole ghin thing... I remember when golf was fun, now it's semi stressful at times,  and even more stressful when I feel the need to play to my hcp all the time.

 

Not sure if this will help, but you don't need to play to your hcp all the time. You should average approximately 3 over your handicap. I think though the best thing to do is forget about your handicap and your score, hit each shot the best that you can and add it all up at the end and post it. Your handicap is what it is and your score is what it is. And it will likely be lower if you can get yourself to approach it that way. 

[ShowMe]

1.4 index.  Got here all by myself, no lessons ever.  Read a lot of books and watched a lot of videos.  The concepts of Stack and Tilt got me to a single digit handicap.  Don’t strictly adhere to them anymore, just try to stay centered while maintaining my posture. Doing that got me down to a 1.4.  Chipping is my weakness, but I hit 13 greens a round on average so I don’t need to rely on it that much.  That said, improvements in golf club forgiveness over the years has played a big part in it too.  I don’t think  I’d be a 1.4 if I was still using my original set of Northwestern blades and a persimmon driver with a balata ball.  

[Obee]

20 minutes ago, ShowMe said:

1.4 index.  Got here all by myself, no lessons ever.  Read a lot of books and watched a lot of videos.  The concepts of Stack and Tilt got me to a single digit handicap.  Don’t strictly adhere to them anymore, just try to stay centered while maintaining my posture. Doing that got me down to a 1.4.  Chipping is my weakness, but I hit 13 greens a round on average so I don’t need to rely on it that much.  That said, improvements in golf club forgiveness over the years has played a big part in it too.  I don’t think  I’d be a 1.4 if I was still using my original set of Northwestern blades and a persimmon driver with a balata ball.  

We need to talk about chipping and putting if you hit 13 GIR and are a 1.4!!! 🙂

[ShowMe]

3 minutes ago, Obee said:

We need to talk about chipping and putting if you hit 13 GIR and are a 1.4!!! 🙂

Yes, definitely room for improvement there.  At this point it’s more mental than anything.  Anything inside of 20 yards (ie, chipping distance) is a challenge.  Pitching (ie, 20+ yards) is fine.   No issues there.  I’d rather be 40 yards from the green than 4 yards.  

[DShepley]

34 minutes ago, Obee said:

We need to talk about chipping and putting if you hit 13 GIR and are a 1.4!!! 🙂

This!  Yikes...statistically, scratch golfers only hit around 50% of their greens and scramble at around 50%.

[pgetzen]

Started playing in my late 20s, but was pretty active in other sports.  Currently play to a 4, got as low as a 1 back in the day.  No lessons, got there on my own, but often wonder if I could have gotten there faster if I had good instruction early on

[ShowMe]

3 hours ago, DShepley said:

This!  Yikes...statistically, scratch golfers only hit around 50% of their greens and scramble at around 50%.

So they get 4 or 5 birdies per round?   9 greens missed.  Up and down on 4 or 5 of them puts them at 4 or 5 over par, assuming no 3 putts.  That’s a lot of birdies to be getting on a consistent basis.  That would be about 28 putts consistently per round (4 one putt up and downs plus 4 one putt birdies, and no 3 putts). They must be world class putters.  I envy them. 
 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, ShowMe said:

So they get 4 or 5 birdies per round? 9 greens missed.  Up and down on 4 or 5 of them puts them at 4 or 5 over par, assuming no 3 putts.  That’s a lot of birdies to be getting on a consistent basis.  That would be about 28 putts consistently per round (4 one putt up and downs plus 4 one putt birdies, and no 3 putts). They must be world class putters.  I envy them. 

 

Scratch golfers don't average even par. Closer to +2.5 over the course rating as an average, which of course includes the 12 scores of their last 20 that don't count toward their scratch handicap.

 

Edited June 22 by iacas

[ShowMe]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

 

Scratch golfers don't average even par. Closer to +2.5 over the course rating as an average, which of course includes the 12 scores of their last 20 that don't count toward their scratch handicap.

 

+2.5 over the “course rating.”   The course I play most often is rated at 70.7/132.  I suspect that’s around an average CR for the thousands of golf courses in the country.  Don’t know for sure.  
 

So on that course it’s a 73.5 average over your best 8 out of 20 rounds to have a 0 handicap.  

My numbers generally hold in that case.  On more difficult courses, you could shoot higher scores and be considered “scratch.”  
 

I miss on average 5.37 greens per round on that course on my best 8 out of 20 rounds, get up and down about 1.5 times and have about 1.5 birdies with about 1 three putt per round.  

So, like I said, chipping is my weakness.   Putting would be second.   Pretty good with the driver and full shot irons.  
 

 

[TheDeanAbides]

20 hours ago, Obee said:

We need to talk about chipping and putting if you hit 13 GIR and are a 1.4!!! 🙂

Should be a +4!

[Obee]

4 hours ago, ShowMe said:

+2.5 over the “course rating.”   The course I play most often is rated at 70.7/132.  I suspect that’s around an average CR for the thousands of golf courses in the country.  Don’t know for sure.  
 

So on that course it’s a 73.5 average over your best 8 out of 20 rounds to have a 0 handicap.  

My numbers generally hold in that case.  On more difficult courses, you could shoot higher scores and be considered “scratch.”  
 

I miss on average 5.37 greens per round on that course on my best 8 out of 20 rounds, get up and down about 1.5 times and have about 1.5 birdies with about 1 three putt per round.  

So, like I said, chipping is my weakness.   Putting would be second.   Pretty good with the driver and full shot irons.  
 

 

Wait, on your best 8 of 20???

 

How about on ALL rounds?

[fwilliam]

Age 71, playing to a 4 Hdcp from 6700 tees on a RTJ course. I started at age 10, gave up hockey and baseball as my mom dropped me off at our local muni, where friends and I played/ practiced all day.  Read Golf Digest and had a few early lessons but essentially self-taught. By HS, I was All-state, was a +2 on the college team (D-3) then med school, family etc and didn't touch a club for 25 years. Long story short, I had some bad instruction when returning thus went back to basics ie proper grip, rotation, footwork with mirror work and slow motion swings, gym work and stretching, which I have continued to this day. Hand-eye coordination is paramount for me , as well as moderate athleticism, plus learning the game early. Watching our local instructors with high handicappers makes me shudder as it is a band-aid approach with no chance of helping.

[ShowMe]

1 hour ago, Obee said:

Wait, on your best 8 of 20???

 

How about on ALL rounds?

Since my handicap is based on the best 8 out of 20 previous rounds, and not all the rounds, it really doesn’t matter in terms of this discussion, does it?   I suspect that scratch golfers hit more than 9 greens per round on their best 8 out of 20 rounds, too, don’t you?  Plus I’m 63 so I hit from the white tees now, which are at least 20 yards closer than the blues on most holes.  If I hit from the blues like I did when younger, I would hit fewer greens.  If I hit from the tips at age 63 on a course the pros play with super fast greens, I might not hit any greens.  
 

The point being is that you have look beyond the raw numbers and determine the context behind the numbers.  An another example of context - I’ve literally played more than 1,000 rounds on that course so I know exactly where to hit it off the tee to have the best chance of hitting the green and the greens are very large.  If I played 20 rounds at an unfamiliar course with smaller greens, I would hit fewer greens on my best 8 rounds and score higher.  
 

So back to the scratch golfer.  There are people who are scratch golfers on their home course but score higher on unfamiliar courses, and there are what I would consider to be a true scratch golfer, who would score a relative par (taking the course rating into account) on any course.  My 1.4 index falls into the former category.  
 

So to hopefully end this particular thread, yes, I suck at chipping and might be able to get closer to scratch at my home course with some chipping lessons.  Or maybe if I actually spent some time practicing it like I practice my full swings?  Hmmm…