Is trying to lower my handicap a bad goal?

[BuzzCat]

I've had a goal for a few years now to get to a plus handicap. Right now I'm 2.1. I'm starting to wonder if chasing a lower handicap is a good goal or not.

The course I play at was recently re-rated and the course rating is now 68.2, par 71. So if I ever want to get to plus I need to learn how to go low. Something I'm currently not good at. I've always been a par machine. I know several guys who are plus caps that play nice courses from the back tees with ratings of 73-74. Shooting even par does the trick for them. I know the course is more difficult since the rating is higher...but, I believe there is a big difference between 67 and 72, regardless of the course. So this makes me think a couple things: (1) I'm being whiny and just need to get better, (2) the difference between a 1-2 cap and a +1-2 cap is not that great, and (3) maybe chasing a handicap is a bad goal for myself. What do you all think?

[Celeras]

I hate course ratings. Anecdotally I don't know anyone who actually "feels" them. You're shooting the same score relative to par regardless and will eventually need to choose where you play based on the rating or stop progressing.

It's a fine goal to have, but that's been my experience. I had to stop playing easy courses all together because I was never going low enough.

[chisag]

 

... I am not a fan of the handicap rating system. I am playing to a +0.7 but my average score is probably around a 74. We all have challenges with our game and mine is a bad back and have had 2 surgeries. When it is stiff and hurts I can shoot in the mid to upper 70's. When it feels great I can shoot in the 60's. Of course instead of reflecting my average score, the bottom 10 of 20 scores are thrown out and don't count towards my index. Had a great week in early June with 5 sub par rounds in a row and index dropped to +1.7 but my back did not react well to so many rounds in a row and I started shooting in the mid 70's. Index quickly dropped to +0.6 and I feel it should be around a 2. My point being getting to a plus is not all it's crac kid up to be, unless you are young and consistent.

[davep043]

Wanting to improve is the goal, the handicap is simply a measure of that improvement.

The difference between a 2 and a +2 is huge, much tougher to achieve than the difference between a 15 and an 11. The better you are, the closer to "perfect" you need to be to get the next little bit better.

If you don't go low, why not? Don't you hit enough shots close? Don't you make enough putts? Don't you drive it long enough to hit enough short irons to get closer to make more putts? Do you make a a mistake or two every round that prevents the real low scores? Or maybe you just can't get yourself mentally over the "go low" hump? At your level, and wanting to get even better, I think you really need to assess your game, figure out where you have the most room to improve, and work on it. Let the handicap do what it will.

[TheCityGame]

Chasing a lower handicap isn't a useful "goal", IMO. Hitting the ball closer is a goal. Hitting more fairways is a goal. Making more putts is a goal. Hitting the ball longer is a goal. Make those things your goal and your handicap will follow.

You ALMOST sound like you're asking, "should I play a higher rated course in the service of lowering my handicap"? The difference between a course rated 68 and one rated 73 is like a course playing 5900 yards and a course playing 7000 yards. That is a HUGE difference in golf course. So, if you think you're a "par machine" and by switching from a 68 CR course to a 73 CR course, you're going to continue to shoot par, you're probably fooling yourself. That's like the difference between having a wedge in on every hole and a 6 iron in one every hole. You are going to miss more greens. Those "easy" holes on your course where you can hit 4 iron and have 90 yards in are gone. You're not going to carrying the dog legs. When you miss a green with a 6 iron instead of a wedge, that ball is going to go further away so your up and down game is going to suffer.

My course is rated 73 and we have a few holes that are driver wedge. We also have 5 par 4's that 430-470, one that is 410 but is a hard dog leg left with trouble through the FW and OB left. That's 6 holes where if I play +3, I feel pretty good about that and if I want to shoot par, I better be throwing in some birdies elsewhere. Not to mention, the par 3's are 165, 180, 195, 195.

It does seem to be true that some courses will give a golfer a lower index than another course, but if you want to get better, you need to identify your weaknesses and work on them.

Lastly. . .I know guys who bounce between -1 and +1. They're different cats than the guys who are +2's all season, and they're different cats than the guys who are 2's all season who might be a '1' for a couple weeks.

[juststeve]

Golf is about scoring. Scoring better is the definition of improvement. Handicap is a measure of you scoring ability o it is a good thing to chase a better handicap.

Steve

[SNIPERBBB]

You gotta switch from par machine to birdie machine. The course ratings are generally based on length, so shorter courses require a bunch of birdies to get to scratch or better.

[dubbelbogey]

Do you actively compete in tournaments? I'm not talking about the men's league or home-course only events, but really get out there and put your game on the line against a full field of solid players?

I'm guessing with your current skills, you're at the place where if you want to make it to the next level, putting yourself in those situations will do more than anything else to make a real difference.

I'm not saying that everyone who's a plus does this, there are some just crazy talented golfers out there that can do this like falling out of bed, but they're the exception. Most players who get there and stay there are honing their game under live competitive conditions. This is pretty much universally true of all sports.

If you're not competing at this level, jumping in can be very humbling, but it can be very effective, too. It'll force focus, strip away what doesn't work (you know, those dumb shots you try in a casual round that cost you 2 or more strokes) and leave you using the tools that you can most depend on.

[llewol007]

I think handicaps are for competitions. Really if anything, it is being able to score what you are capable of on a regular basis.

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

I think you’re already very good. Scratch might be possible? I’m not that good and not really trying too hard. Makes the game more enjoyable rather that taking on a nearly impossible job in addition to what you do for money.

If I were you, I’d enjoy where I am more.

[Justsomeguy]

In the last I've tried to lose weight. Very mixed results.

Now I've decided to concentrate on a goal I know I can achieve: gain weight.

Success story right here!

Sorry, can't share my secrets. Proprietary.

[bluedot]

First of all, the difference between a 1-2 index and a +1-2 index is huge. Two ways to consider that; first, in your golfing life, you'll come across a lot more 2's than even scratch golfers, and second, if you look at the change from a 2 to a +2 on a percentage basis, you are talking about more than a 100% improvement. I know that probably isn't good math, but you get the point; that's a HUGE change.

The course rating thing is a tough call. I'm probably different than most others in the way I look at course ratings; I have a fair amount of confidence in the way those ratings are done, and the accuracy of the ratings if you are looking at large numbers of scores. While it's possible that your index might marginally go down if you play tougher courses by virtue of making a ton of pars, if you assume that at least a couple of your "normal" par saves on the easier golf course turn into bogey on the tougher course, you net out the same over time. I'm sort of like you; lots of pars, not many birdies, and I change back and forth between two sets of tees at my home course depending on the group I'm playing with; my differentials just don't change very much over time.

Given that almost everybody playing golf would kill to have your current index, if you really want to make the move that you are talking about, I can only think of a couple of ways. One is a REALLY careful look at your rounds, good and bad, to see where you are losing shots, which you are probably already doing. You might even consider a couple of playing lessons with a really, REALLY good teaching pro; you might be surprised at the insight into your game other eyes can bring. The other way is physical; you either have to get technically better, which isn't likely to be easy, if even possible, for a guy already playing to a 2 index, OR you have to do a ton of golf specific fitness stuff to improve what your body will let your swing do. Both of those things, for somebody at your level, are sort of a roll of the dice; you might or might not make the progress that you hope for.

One other side note, from personal experience over the last year. The index goal does hide one other really important aspect of the scores we shoot, which is our average and/or what we're doing on our bad days. Since you index is based on the best 8 of the last 20 rounds, an open question becomes "What are you doing on the other 12 rounds?" If you're a 2 on a course with a 68 rating, then your best rounds are basically averaging even par, right? It is REALLY tough to get a lot better than than on your best days. But you could shoot anything on the other 12 and not change your index in either direction; focusing only on the index might mask improvement or consistency OR a lack of consistency; those are of equal or MORE importance. How tight is the range of scores in your last 20 rounds? And it's possible that working on what's happening on your bad days might spill over into improving your best days at least a little bit, too.

[BuzzCat]

Thanks everyone, you guys are awesome.

After reading the comments I think it's safe to say chasing a lower handicap is not a great goal for me. I still want to be a plus some day, and if I need to get there with a bunch of mid 60s scores then that's what I'm going to do. And I know what I learn along the way will help me out in my local tournaments.

For those of you suggesting I take an honest accounting of the state of my game, I plan to do that going forward. I know without a doubt I need to clean up my wedge game and lag putting, a couple things which get in my way. More than anything I definitely need to learn how to go low, or at least not be afraid of going low.

[Mcgeeno]

Nice read in here.

 

I'm not officially a scratch but close. I didnt fully shave the necessary 3-4 shots (From 5.X index to 1.X index) until I broke down why I was scoring the way I was.

 

Meticulous stats. How far I hit it, where I hit it, what I shot, what the yardage was on each shot. Where I missed it, the ball flight, the contact at impact. How it felt. I would rate it out of 10. I would give my overall round a grade too (EG: Chipping 6/10, putting 10/10, wedges 5/10). I would track regular stats like GIR/FIR/PUTTS but also broke down how close I was too a greeen or how close the parr putt was. I would mark the difficulty of the weather or the shot I had if it stuck out to me.

 

I would go through each round (Or as many as I could right after with a notebook and plug it into excel. Nerdy for sure but it helped me a ton haha)

 

Tracking all my shots and breaking down the stats helped shine a real light on my issues not just what I felt.

I found my main weaknesses and concentrated on fixing them. I still have holes in my game obviously but I didnt truly know my main issues until I had some real data to go off of. (Missing greens long vs short or Hitting X number of OB/trouble drives a round or struggling from 60-100 yards after a big drive or not making a share of 6 foot and in putts I should be making etc).

 

 

[2bGood]

If courses are rated properly, then it should not matter much. One season, my teenage daughter wanted to play lots of golf in the evenings, so I used to go out with her and play the same tees for 'fun'. I was playing real golf and I was posting these scores and it became super clear to me that I had to go crazy low from her tees to keep my handicap from going up given the rating difference. It meant I had to have a birdie mindset as I need to be 4or 5 under for 9 holes. It turned out to be really good for my game, as it tested different parts of my game and forced me think birdie/eagle rather than par.

I will say it has Been a LOOOOOOOOONG time since I was + so take my advice for what it is worth (not much).

 

Well I am it, what do you want to be a +? If you are like me the difference between being a low single digit cap and being + will take lots of time and practice. At some point the practice felt like work for me and I realized having fun was the goal not being a +.

[BuzzCat]

I think I remember iTeach saying once you should play from the red tees to learn how to go low. I've never done it as I'm afraid of being embarrassed, but maybe I should.

The reason I want to be plus is that I want to do more than just make the cut in my regional tournaments. If I want to take down some of those college boys I need to take my game to another level.

[2bGood]

Sounds like you don't care about being a plus, you care about winning - that is the best goal ever but it is a different mind set. I think this thread would go a little different if you asked how to be more competitive at high level tournaments.

The guys I play with that are winning events, don't care about their cap at all as they don't play net events or money games with handicaps. I can't give you great advice an how to win high level events. I never did or really even tried. My goal was just to get to a 0.

[A.Princey]

I've read your avg score should equate to course rating + handicap + 3-4. So course rated at 70, with my 3hcp, I should avg 76-77. That's fairly accurate.

[N0rs3man]

There is a huge difference in Hitting a green or missing a green and having a 30ft putt, or a nice up and down, and in having realistic birdies. The way you shoot 66 is with birdies. You have to become a freaking birdie machine. This means hitting it close to pins. What you should work on is your approach shots. Do no settle for good enough, you must get every approach shot inside 10ft and fire at flags all day. Your number one priority should be starting the ball at the pin, not off course on either side. Figure out how to do that and birdies will come.

[Keen2bDumb]

Closer to "perfect"? Yes, that's a good dream to have. If you can't recover, chip and pitch, and use your head then golf is just that. I don't think perfect is the word. If you short side yourself, leave your drive in a poor spot, and have a terrible mental game it's game over anyhow. Perfect isn't the word, it's the fact that it's not, and golf is game of management more than anything.

 

Handicaps are not "improvement" measurements. It's a competitive mechanism. You play with better players and can compete with them without penalty of skill. It's good to improve, but handicap shouldn't be a focus. Just practice, get your short game sharp, your ball flight patterns grooved, and get your mind right. Whatever your handicap is, it'll be a result of that.

[mgoblue83]

Spot on. Play the forward tees and attack every hole/pin. Your mind set will change from making par to trying to birdie every hole.

[pinhigh27]

It all depends on your game and how consistent you are.

Someone who shoots 70 every single round has the same handicap as the guy who shoots 70 8 times and 85 the other 12 times (assuming same ratings/slopes), but obviously we'd all want to be the guy who is shooting 70 every day.

Handicap is more about potential than skill as above. Those guys have the same potential but obviously golfer A is better.

[MelloYello]

I don't know how to interpret the question, @buzzthecat. As to whether you should start playing a tougher course:
Most definitely! A 68 course rating is low. Either you're playing the forward tees or you're playing an exceedingly easy/forgiving golf course. You should at least try others to mix it up. As to the legitimacy of course & slope ratings:
Sometimes a particular course can be rated a bit easier than it really is. For instance, over the last 2 years I've primarily played a course that's exceedingly treacherous and yet the slope rating was still only 135. Every hole required precise shots to stay "in position" and yet getting out of position often meant a forced lay-up and an inevitable bogey. It was hilly. It was long. I had OB on virtually every hole. It was a frustrating test for everyone who played it. It was 18 holes of "hope this isn't a double bogey!"
And yet when I moved away and joined a new club last month I found it was actually rated harder (140) but played easier (as far as I could tell). As a result my handicap has gone from 7 down to 4 without me really changing anything about my game. The biggest thing I've noticed is that it's now rare to see a ball go OB. So it's good to get out and mix it up on different tracks.As to whether you should put the pedal down and go lower:
Yeah, why not? If you're wanting to be a + then you're going to need to be able to string together birdies. It's easy to argue that you're best positioned to do that now on an easier course. If you can't string together 3-4 birdies in a row on an easy course, you're going to find it really difficult to play well on a tougher course. As someone said above, you're going to make A LOT more bogeys when you move to a course with a slope of 135-145 so it's imperative that you be able to make a few birdies off your better approaches as opposed to merely racking up a bunch of pars. As to whether handicap should be the goal in general:
No, you should find another reason to play golf. You're not a pro. You're probably not going to get to + unless you dedicate enough time and energy to golf that it begins hurting either your mental state or your performance in other areas (e.g. education, work, relationships, family, etc.). Think of it this way, you're going to peak at some point. That's inevitable. At that point it's all going to be a slow and steady decline.That's a fact. How does that jive with this goal you've set for yourself of constant improvement? What are you going to do when you get to +? Are you going to quit and simply say 'mission accomplished?' Or are you going to accept a lower level of performance? If so, what was the point of getting to +?
So why are you seeking to be a + handicap is the question. Who's that going to impress? What made you want to do that as opposed to running a marathon or getting a graduate degree or figuring out how you can manage donating 10% of your income to charity or switching careers or getting married or having a kid or restoring an old car or buying a boat or making a retirement plan so you can get out 5 or 10 years early? Are they going to write "+" on your tombstone?
Remember that whatever you do, you're the only one who truly cares. To me, + sounds like a made-up goal you pulled out of thin air. Similar (arbitrary) numbers have been the goal for many people who ultimately got to something like a 1- or 2-index and subsequently stalled out because (shocker) they're grown-ups with actual lives. As it turns out, refining one's game to the point of reaching that + level requires real work which is by definition bound to be hard (and therefore not enjoyable) and that becomes all too apparent around the time people start asking questions like the one you are now about 'how much more it's going to take.'
I know it's not as easy as merely saying "I'm going to get to ___ index," but why don't you try and reverse that thinking? Figure out how much you're willing to give to the game of golf and then work out from there what level of golf you can sustain and be happy with. That's the healthy approach. No offense, bud, but you aren't a +2 so exactly how do you know what it takes to get there? Or to sustain it? To be fair, you're not really qualified to declare what your end result is. Saying you have a goal to be a + is pretty inconsequential if you've never been there before. It's just a dream.
And golf doesn't care about your dreams. If you're not good enough to get to +2 you simply won't get there. And if you honestly think that you're just going to work hard each time you come up short you haven't learned much about yourself. People don't just "try harder" and "get further." If it's not in the cards then you're going to find many reasonable justifications for quitting long before you're attained your dream. Tons and tons of people have set out in search of scratch golf only to learn, 'oh, darn, I don't want it that bad!' and 'oh gosh, I don't want to play that often!' and 'oh jeez, I don't want it to consume that much of my life!'
So to answer your question directly, no, some arbitrary handicap (even an impressive one) is not a good goal. It doesn't bring anything with it. It doesn't bring fame or fortune or even happiness. It's probably more likely to burn you out, actually.
So instead, decide up front what you want to put in and then attempt to maximize the production of your play based on that amount of time, energy, effort, frequency of play, etc. If that gets you to scratch, then great! But if it leaves you somewhere short you won't end up feeling like a loser. You'll reach that end point knowing you did everything in your power and worked effectively according to the plan you set.