Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Caleb H. — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 22:45:37 GMT

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!

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:08:13 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Chuck Zirkle — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 22:39:18 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Scott D — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 17:53:11 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Edward K — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 00:28:04 GMT

[quote user="BMills"]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!

[/quote]

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

BMills — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 06:53:19 GMT

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!

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Deno — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 03:59:15 GMT

[quote user="AHorstman"]As a teaching and former professional player I can say the bloggers are close but are lacking a big piece. The mental side, yes. Confidence, yes. However, how do you obtain those things, because they are not you can pull out of thin air. The pre-shot routine is huge, but the biggest difference is course management. An amateur looks at each hole backward. The are on the tee and let their drives rip and hope for the best. I, and the other pros I played with, looked at the green; decided the best approach given the shape of the green; and would measure back 3 distances (mine were 125, 150, and 175 yards); then, draw a line back to the tee. The club used off the tee would be determined by which distance (125, 150, 175) gave you the highest probability of hitting the lay-up yardage. That increases your odds, decreases the errors, keeps you scoring from the fairway, increases confidence, and makes it so that when you go to the range that you practice primarily the 125, 150, 175 yard shots instead of every club in the bag. It makes practice more beneficial. Think about the times you see a pro hitting a 2 iron or 3 wood off the tee. They are laying up to that target distance- to a shot they have practiced. If a player hits the 125, 150, 175 yard clubs (again, your yardages can be what ever you choose) you will have much more confidence hitting those (hitting several hundred shots with them each week) rather than practicing with all of your clubs that you may only hit a few of each week. There is much more to course management than this, but this is just to give a glimpse as to what the low handicapper misses in approaching the course. I had one student that came to me as a 14 handicap player. through the course of a few months, he was playing to a +2 (2 below scratch) and 90% of his transformation was teaching him a strong course management and how to play to his strengths. He went on to win many titles and got a full golf scholarship.

[/quote]

An amateur looks at each hole backward. The are on the tee and let their drives rip and hope for the best. I, and the other pros I played with, looked at the green; decided the best approach given the shape of the green; and would measure back 3 distances (mine were 125, 150, and 175 yards); then, draw a line back to the tee. The club used off the tee would be determined by which distance (125, 150, 175) gave you the highest probability of hitting the lay-up yardage. That increases your odds, decreases the errors, keeps you scoring from the fairway, increases confidence, and makes it so that when you go to the range that you practice primarily the 125, 150, 175 yard shots instead of every club in the bag. It makes practice more beneficial.

I've said that for 50 years to anyone I've ever helped in golf.

The best tip by far!!!!!!

Deno

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Fred Closs — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 14:26:19 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Mike M — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 11:34:24 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

WT Martin — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 18:19:24 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Peter D — Mon, 31 May 2021 10:19:35 GMT

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

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Charles H — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:55:18 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Ed K — Sat, 01 May 2021 19:41:26 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Chris92009 — Sat, 01 May 2021 13:40:25 GMT

Great story!

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Ian T — Sat, 01 May 2021 04:53:04 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Barry M — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 19:06:07 GMT

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.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Erich F — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 17:54:52 GMT

Lowest ever was a 5.0, but it took a lot of work and during rounds it took real focus on every shot. I am currently a 10 and am looking to go much lower this year as I am finally starting to play enough to make that possible. I keep having to tell myself to slow down, both mentally and physically to put me in the right spots on approaches, and accepting the difference between a true birdie chance, and a good lag.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

JScott77 — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:15:54 GMT

Handicap is your best 8 scores out of 20. I am a .2 currently with scores from 70 to 78. Average score is 74.6. Course rating and slope obviously come into play. My 8 scores that count are 70,71, 72, 73,73,72,74,71. I have posted 78 twice but they don’t ‘count’ for handicap. He’s what got me from 3 to 0....proximity to the hole from inside 100 yards. Big difference between 20 feet+ and inside 10. Well, how did I do that? Practice practice practice. Ask yourself, when is the last time you spent an hour hitting an 88 yard shot? Then hitting a 72 yard shot over and over. Once you do that enough, it’s bringing it to the course and trusting it. The MENTAL side. Not as fun as hitting bombs but that’s what did it for me.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Chuck Zirkle — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 21:51:17 GMT

All the tour players are good or they would not be there. The great players have unbelievable shot making ability and know how to putt the ball in the hole. How many times do you see the great ones put the ball in the hole from off the green or sand traps? They are great shot makers when the money is on the line. The short version. With respect.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

TITLEISTUSER — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 19:19:13 GMT

Interesting discussion. I have another angle to look at it from. First off, the tour pro's and really good amateurs for the most part are 'born with it'. Hand-eye co-ordination. They are given a certain amount of talent (more than most) before they have even picked up a club. Yes, practice, training, mental game etc etc. is what separates' the absolute elite.

I played Soccer professionally as a younger adult. My career (or lack of) was cut short at age 21 due to a knee injury. As a youngster I also played Cricket, Tennis, and Australian Football all at a decent level. Thankfully Golf has kept my competitive spirit alive. At age 21 after my knee situation was the first time I picked up a golf club, ever. Within a few months I got my first handicap, which was 11. In a matter of only 18 months playing regularly I was down to 4, then to 2, then to scratch. A few years later I am know playing off +3. I am lucky enough that I can go six months without playing and still shoot par or better. I never practice, if anything I may chip and putt for a few minutes before my round. I usually have a few beers during the round and I don't think too much about what I am doing (or not doing) on the course. Point is, I was blessed right from the beginning. Almost any sport is fairy easy for me.

That said, short game is a big deal for me. I'm not (and never have been) a great putter so my strategy is always to hit the ball as close as I can and if I miss the green I rely on my 60 degree from everywhere to put it as close to the hole as I can. I always say to other amateurs who as for advice is to just work on your chipping. We miss more greens than the tour pros (obviously) so work on that short game.

I've met many amateur players who get to scratch and all of a sudden think they are good enough to 'make it'. Haha. Not even close!! The Tour Pro's are incredibly good!! The ball makes a different sound when they hit it. Makes even a +3 handicapper look pathetic.

Happy golfing!!

Dave

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

DV — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 01:29:57 GMT

I have been as low as a plus 4 and now a 2.4. The key I felt to score well on the course was to have a plan as to how you were going tackle the course. I knew before I even played the round what clubs I were going to use on every shot I made. I knew when I was going to play conservative and when I would play more aggressively on a hole. I did the mental preparation the night before I played. Before the round I would determine what one swing thought I would use consistently for the round that day. The next step was just executing my plan focusing on the process you planned the night before. I never ever focused on score, or what I needed score wise to get my par if I was grinding. I just stayed focused on the process. Leave swing mechanics back at the range not on the course. Stay in the present not thinking about the last hole, or the last shot, or what you need to do on the next hole to recover a stroke. The icing on the cake was to do all this without being stressed and to be mentally relaxed as if you were playing a round of golf with your Dad or wife. Whenever I scored well for the day this is the one take away that always stands out in my mind. How relaxed I felt while I was playing. My pre-game preparation in conjunction with my low-key approach to the round many times seemed as if it was a key I needed to perform well. As the round would progress my confidence would build on itself as I went from shot to shot achieving the shots I had planned the night before. The score I would achieve hole by hole were just the result of my preparation and execution and not a result of me saying to myself that I need a birdie on this hole to get me to 2 under par for example.

Anyway, this is what always seemed to work for me. Prepare, stay focused on your plan and the processes needed to execute your plan (ie pre-shot routine), and stay mentally relaxed for every shot. Getting pissed off because you missed a 3 foot putt will never help you achieve your goal so why get upset? If you start to implement these types of stratergies I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised at the results you will achieve also.

Best Wishes,

DV

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

AHorstman — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 16:50:01 GMT

As a teaching and former professional player I can say the bloggers are close but are lacking a big piece. The mental side, yes. Confidence, yes. However, how do you obtain those things, because they are not you can pull out of thin air. The pre-shot routine is huge, but the biggest difference is course management. An amateur looks at each hole backward. The are on the tee and let their drives rip and hope for the best. I, and the other pros I played with, looked at the green; decided the best approach given the shape of the green; and would measure back 3 distances (mine were 125, 150, and 175 yards); then, draw a line back to the tee. The club used off the tee would be determined by which distance (125, 150, 175) gave you the highest probability of hitting the lay-up yardage. That increases your odds, decreases the errors, keeps you scoring from the fairway, increases confidence, and makes it so that when you go to the range that you practice primarily the 125, 150, 175 yard shots instead of every club in the bag. It makes practice more beneficial. Think about the times you see a pro hitting a 2 iron or 3 wood off the tee. They are laying up to that target distance- to a shot they have practiced. If a player hits the 125, 150, 175 yard clubs (again, your yardages can be what ever you choose) you will have much more confidence hitting those (hitting several hundred shots with them each week) rather than practicing with all of your clubs that you may only hit a few of each week. There is much more to course management than this, but this is just to give a glimpse as to what the low handicapper misses in approaching the course. I had one student that came to me as a 14 handicap player. through the course of a few months, he was playing to a +2 (2 below scratch) and 90% of his transformation was teaching him a strong course management and how to play to his strengths. He went on to win many titles and got a full golf scholarship.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

Edward K — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 00:59:37 GMT

In the END, you gotta go hunting birdies.......18 pars on most golf courses isn't scratch....LOL

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

MMcintyre — Sat, 28 May 2016 12:44:44 GMT

I having been as low as 2 at my best I always believed the difference between a 3/4 and a scratch was not so much the quality of the good shots but more the quality of the not so good shots, which I guess is as much mental as physical. Excepting that every shot will not be perfect and missing in the right location or knowing where your pressure shot will miss is the difference in my mind. We see this every time we watch a tournament, the players that control the quality of there misses always seem to be at the top of the leader board.

RE: Difference Between 3 and 0 Handicap: Peak Performance?

rodney t — Thu, 19 May 2016 02:40:11 GMT

i agree on confidence. On days I have a good flow the game is easy. I can shoot under par, I have the feeling the game is easy. But when I start out slow, I change my swing, tempo, lose confidence in my putting., The I can shoot well over par. I am thinking what has happened.