What is everyones handicaps In this school? (Be honest)
i started the school end of June playing of 27, I’m now down to 20 and playing very well (for me). Some weeks I tread back to my old habits but then I come back to certain videos from Tom and fix it up. Hoping to play of 18 by January 2022, that will be 9 shots cut in 6 months.
The way I look at handicaps is this:
If you hit your drive, then the 2nd shot to all par 4s, then Rory McIlroy takes over from there, and Rory takes over the 2nd shot (or putting) on par 3s, and takes over the 3rd shot on par 5s, all the way to holing out the ball...what would "you" shoot?
I've posed this question to 85 golfers and most often they said "low 70s". Therefore, their short game, and putting, is effectively adding about 12 to 13 strokes per round.
I am 59 and have been playing for 4 years. Current handicap is 12. Played basketball forever, but the knees no long enjoyed the game. At age 59 I did not want to spend years learning to shoot in the low 70’s. I started last year looking into better ways to learn the game. Came across Moe Norman, then stack and tilt. stack and tilt just seems like the way to go. It eliminates a lot of timing and unnecessary movements. Plus, the constant ball contact was a huge selling point for me. Looking forward to going through the course.
For years I can get mid 20s in my handicap and after a year with Saguto Golf and @Russell Hogue, PhD my handicap is down around 1718 my putting kills me and the driver I don't wanna speak about that right now.
I’m 64 and have been playing golf for more than 50 years. I’ve generally been between 5-7 hcp for the past few years… with an average score in the low 80s. My ball striking with irons has always been below average (short, very high, with a tendency to slice). I decided last winter to get better, to learn the right way to swing a club (I’m essentially self taught). I started searching through YouTube and came across S&T. I waded through the S&T naysayers and started following Tom, Rob Cheney, Nick Taylor and Jess Frank on YouTube. I live in the northeast and was fortunate to go to the greater Orlando area last February for a month. I decided to test S&T on the course… and I started shooting consistent scores in the mid 70s. My distance was shorter than normal but it was laser accurate. I also developed a horrific case of “golfers elbow”. I videoed my swing in the Spring and noticed I was way inside and low on the takeaway. Hence, I started the journey to improve in earnest. At the time I was a 5.1 hcp… in the coming months I ballooned to a 8.2 (chunking and topping the ball became a problem caused by my very steep downswing). Mid-summer I was desperate, even thinking of abandoning S&T, until I decided to join Saguto Golf. There’s so much content that I’m still not through all of the videos. My hcp stayed in the 8+ range until one day from out of nowhere in early September I shot 71 (one under). Ball striking was superb. Shortly after I shot a 75. The hcp dropped back to mid 5 range. It has since gone up to 6.7 hcp (avg score of 81) since the 71 and 75 dropped off of my last 20 rounds. I still have an issue chopping my irons with an over the top move, especially on par 3s. I’ve been working on it but the cold weather is slowing me down. My goal is to consistently shoot in the 70s. There is a huge mental difference for me to shoot 79 vs 80. I may need a video lesson with Tom to sort it out before the Spring season starts. I have to admit that on occasion I’ll go back to my old swing, but it doesn’t feel crispy when I hit a good shot. Tom’s school has given me a much better understanding of the golf swing. For now I’m sticking with S&T.
Started the swing change I was a 14 and got down to a 9 after 7 months. I hurt my back (nion golf related) so currently an an 11. But just geting bavk into the swing of thinga so I am sure it will drop again soon, The nice thing about this is I am not as rusty as I thiught I would be arter the time off to recuperate.
Life long golfer, 58 years old, Stack and Tilt player, current index is 6.6 which is a couple of strokes higher than beginning of summer, which was a couple of strokes higher than last year. Going in the wrong direction, so I just joined SagutoGolf yesterday and am starting over with the basics course. Already found a couple of things with grip and setup that I didn't realize I was doing. I'm excited to keep going!
Agree with my mates here about getting a USGA ID. There are also some golf apps (already mentioned) that will calculate your HCP. I use The Grint which allows you to link your GHIN ID so you can get a WSH and GHIN hcp rating which is cool. Plus it has the on course GPS and score keeping functions as well as some statistical analysis.
It depends a bit on what you want to do with the Hcp. If you plan to play in sanctioned tournaments then an official GHIN Hcp is probably the best way to go. If you just want to know for personal reasons or to play against friends just get a good app - or at least start there and see where it leads.
It is a little confusing at first and the USGA site provides a lot of information for a good start.
AE
Right now I am hoovering around a 21 hcp. It is somewhat frustrating since my hcp with my old swing was about 15. Too be fair though that was about 8 years ago and I just took the game back up this summer so I am a tad older - although still very athletic. I missed most of the golf season due to some health issues early on but have been trying to get out one or two times a week to shoot nine holes for about a month or so now - packing my new swing of course.
That said, my ball striking is just so much better than it ever was with my old swing. I practice pretty much every day using a net or practice balls and it's a real good feeling to make that consistent contact and take a divot - which I never really did before. So while I might be frustrated, I know it's just a matter of time before it starts to come down as the swing becomes more second nature and I get back to spending a little time on my short game - which was the strongest part of my game back when I was a 15.
Still for right now I put 90% of my practice time on honing the new swing. Yeah I know you need that short game too and I agree with @GolfLivesMatter when it comes to how it can impact your scoring and hcp, there is no doubt it is what is keeping me at 21 right now. But I also know with just a little focus I can get that back pretty quick. There will be plenty of time next spring to work on the short game, for right now though I am loving the solid contact and can deal with my hcp being a little high. I am confident I can get it to the mid to low teens next year and hopefully break 80 one time.
Great topic with some interesting comments.
AE
Handicaps are interesting because, at least after my 40 years of watching "90" golfers playing golf, most of the strokes lost are due to inferior short games and putting. Oddly enough, this part of the game does not require athletic ability, swing speed, etc, but yet contributes to a significant amount of strokes over par
Started this year…was shooting in the upper 120’s…since watching the YouTube vids and signing up for the online school (and hours of practice!) I just shot a 100 even yesterday (like 6-7 inches short on a putt to break 100 and finish at 99 🤣)…I‘ve been getting better and better and hope to break 100 before the season ends here.
I started playing golf about 4 years ago and have been around 100-105, with a mid-90s here and there. Usually get in about 12 rounds a year.
Stumbled upon Tom on YouTube and found his videos on lead foot weight and arm/body/head movement to be extremely helpful. Implementing on my next outing got me instant ball-striking results that seemed to be repeatable, as my second round was more consistent and lower scored, breaking 90. My improvement from watching YouTube spurred me to pay if for nothing else but a thank you to Tom for helping me make a big leap in my game, and will definitely check out the full curriculum. Can't wait to play my next round!
15.8 after a year of playing so far..
Drive for accuracy...putt and chip for distance.
Spend 80% of your time on the short game and putting. Seriously. Even the pro's hit only 11 greens out of 18.
Ha! Always! So Tom, what's your recommendation on practice to see improvement? I know there are guys who never practice and can fire off a 75. I'm not one of them. Is there a standard ratio to play vs practice?
I have gone from an 18 to an 11. To get to single digits I need to practice more and focus more on 100 yards and in. And to stop watching so many YouTube golf tips when my wife forces me to watch HGTV! Goal for 2022 is to get get to an 8.
I just returned from a golf trip to Phoenix. I shot a 106, 105, 101, 105 and 101. I’m totally frustrated with my full swing shots, so it’s time to try something new. I joined today and am ready to get started. My handicap is 22.3.
5 handicap. I was a 12 handicap 3-4 years ago. I switched to single length clubs and over the last 3 years I have made some real improvements (I am still the shitty golfer in my normal game).
I believe S&T will help me get under 3 this coming year. I need more consistency off the tee, more GIR, and eliminate the 1-2 monkey shots every round...that's the key. Just cleaning up the game should get me to 0-2 range pretty quickly.
@GolfLivesMatter WOW GLM, I just read what your handicap is, awesome!! Thank you for all your contributions on here to myself and others, I appreciate it. And yes, as usual, you are spot on with your comments about the short game and the strokes.
I normally score 97 to 103. However, since beginning the Saguto Training, Oct 13, 2021, I shot a 90 today! I implemented the Tilt, Turn, Extend, about 60% of the time. It is a wonderful feeling of ball compression. I really have to think about the process. Also what hurt me today was the Short Game, within 100 yards. In the final analysis, I am having more fun now. So, I am still camping out with Saguto, 2.8, and practicing drills. Cooking marshmallows. :)