Agree with TITLEISTUSER. Hand-eye coordination. Some people got it, and some don't. Doesn't mean you can't work your way to be a quality player, but explains why some people can go out only a few times a year and shoot in the 70's. I have a couple buddies like that, and no matter how many times I roll a ball or throw a headcover at them in their backswing, no matter what set of clubs or what ball they play, no matter what shoes they wear (if any), no matter what they are drinking while playing, they always end up with a 70 something on their card.
Me - I just keep buying the latest balls, shoes, clubs, etc. that advertised "guaranteed to save a few strokes". Not quite working out that way, but there's always another product coming out.

So true! Dr. Bob Rotella has written a whole series of books on the mental game of golf. Just finished reading, Golf is Not a Game of Perfect. It will help you with overcoming that hurdle. Definitely well worth the read.

I am not qualified to speak with authority - the lowest I ever reached is 6. The mental thing and course management are huge.

Also, for those who are still high single digits, here's some arithmetic: if you drop from 3.0 to 2.0 you have improved 33%; from 2.0 to 1.0 = 50%; from 1.0 to 0 = 100% improvement. Those digits seem small (from 3 to 2 to 1 to 0) but the statistical improvement is substantial. So it seems to me that the improvement on the course must be as well.

As someone said, the scratch/plus folks shoot par on a bad day.

Currently scratch. First if you get down to 3 you can hit the shots. And yes you still have to put in the practice time. double that when it comes to inside 150yds and putting. I still find it amusing when I'm on our range practicing hitting around 200 balls at the 50, 75 and 100yd targets. When those around me pull driver first and "hit for distance"

But...

One of the biggest things missing is course management, and as one other poster mentioned having a "plan". Scratch and lower player take out the possibility of the big number by playing smart. We have "No Go Zones" where we know you cannot hit the ball there, and expect to score. We no this because we see how the course fits together. It could be one side of a fairway or a particular side of a green. This allows us to play to distance to give us the best shot into a green or take trouble out of play. Also scratch players understand the concept of a "good miss". If I don't hit this shot perfect where do I want the ball to go. How often on one of our hole at my home track has a playing partner asked "Why didn't you hit driver you could reach the green?". Yes but I could also reach the trouble on both side and maybe over the green. High risk with a big downside. 3wood puts me in front of the green 40-50 yds out holding a 54* wedge. Easy par good chance for birdy no chance for taking a drop to double bogey.

If your the person pulling driver on a hole like that without considering what happens if the shot isn't perfect. You can forget ever being a 0.

I'm currently playing off 3.

I've been told by my coach that the next phase of improvement is learning how to actually play golf, not improve my swing.

He's suggesting that I research into DecadeGolf, this is a great information tool that teaches you how to plot your way around the course and eliminate silly mistakes.

He thinks this will save me those 3 shots which will get me down to scratch.

Peter

The difference in a 0 and a 3? At least $100K.
No, that's not the price you can pay up front. You can't buy it.
That is the minimum investment in lost wages, equipment, instruction, club memberships, travel, etc...

It takes playing and practicing A LOT. Not just the same track, but a full schedule of serious rounds of golf on correctly maintained properties. And access to a REAL practice facility, not a converted cornfield without decent balls and grass tees.

It will not simply fall in one's lap.

Chris, I totally agree.Once you've attained that level of performance , I think what's happening "between the ears" is the determining factor in decreasing your handicap.. At that level, you can hit the ball squarely 9 out of 10 times; you hit a lot of greens in regulation, and presumably when you don't, you've got a short game that will bail you out.


I think the mental part of golf sometimes gets overlooked.

A wise person once told me, "If you believe you can, you're right. If you don't believe you can, you're correct." A positive mental approach is crucial to every endevour. ALL players go into slumps where they just can't hit fairways or strike the ball solid enough to seek out pins and make birdies. It does affect their mental approach and many never recover. To me, it all starts with solid contact. If you are in a slump, you might try working on making solid contact with the driver and teed up 6 irons, as though you're on a par three. An hour a day during the week and usually the slump is over.

Having said that, putting woes can drive a golfer into oblivion. Just ask Jason Dufner. Putting too starts with dead solid contact. What seems to work well is finding a straight putt and set a target ball 18" from the putting ball. The drill is to putt the ball such that it hits the target ball solidly. You then leave the target ball in it's new position and move the putted ball back to it's original spot and do this again, until you miss. Then, go back to 18" apart. In no time, you will find you are hitting you intended line, striking the putts solid and putting more firmly.

Yeah, the difference between a 3 and a 6 is 3 shots but the difference between a 3 and a 0 is realistically more than 3.
Off my handicap (+4) I’d hazard a guess that the difference between me and a world top ten is even bigger!

Let's put it this way, I play regularly with the medalist from Stage 2 Korn Ferry Qualifying a few years ago, he lapped the field and shot -20 at 7,600 yards. He went to the Finals, played "Good" in his eyes, was out of the Top 25. I've always said add 3-4 shots to your club handicap as soon as you're taken out of your comfort zone. His game doesn't blow me away except he's never out of a hole. I've been a Plus handicap for 30 years, get lapped regularly, and yes, the difference between 0-3 is ALOT more than 3 shots.

Thank you AHorstman! That is a great tip. It seems so logical yet we amateurs forget logic and figure we have to bomb the ball.

That six inches is a killer. Not talking about putting or chipping. That 6 between the ears. Affects all golfers. Sometimes spending too much analyzing shots that you make all the time. Just like testing when you second guess, you normally are wrong. My coach tells me. Just hit the ball. You know what are doing. My 1/2 cents worth.

Chris,
Great topic and great analysis on your part. I'm currently at 3.5. My lowest index over the past year was 2.0 about 10 months ago. My goal has always been to get as good as I possibly can. At age 56 that's meant putting in time in the gym for mobility, flexibility and some strength training to avoid injury. It's also meant a good amount of work on putting, chipping/pitching, iron play, driving and other shots. But I believe that the most important ingredient that has personally helped me as I improve has been to be sharp mentally. Just as you describe it, playing without fear or more accurately, playing while ignoring the fear and just being "in" each shot mentally. Accepting all results and making the best of each consequence.

It's also been a bit tough because as my index goes down it also quickly goes up and seems to hover around 3.5-4. Last year when it got down to 2.0 it was a series of good rounds all in a row. I think I need to commit more effort and time into the mental game as I continue on this journey. My goal is to get to +1 but time is not on my side. I'll be 57 this year and a lot of days my body just doesn't want to do what I need it to do to play my best golf. Particularly painful is trying to play more than 2 days in a row. Will I ever get to my goal? I believe I can but my window is getting narrower.

Thanks for a great, reflective post.

The mental game and the ability to navigate a golf course plays a huge role in how you score and knowing when to be aggressive and when to play for par!

There are so many factors that go into a round of golf, but a solid mental game can make or break a round!