Handicap Not Going Down!

Despite the high number of rounds of golf I play my handicap doesn't appear to be coming down as fast as I would like!

The problem for me know is what do I do about it?

Should I drop a round a week and use the time to practice more, or should I take more lessons?

There are three things I've noticed from my stats over the last month.

The first one is that my Fairways In Regulation is well below what it should be for somebody with my handicap.

Secondly, I seem to miss greens with alarming regularity!

And the final one I noticed was that when chipping I don't seem to get the ball to the hole.  I chipped 21 balls at Burnham-on-Crouch GC last Sunday and only three of them were past the hole.  This was from about twenty feet!

So what should I do?

Russ

Russ,

Stapleford is a short course with a lower SSS than par so you are always going to be at a slight disadvantage trying to lower your handicap as you'll have to shoot 3 below your handicap to get any cut (if sss vs par is still 2).

Whilst playing why not try scoring your card stableford off scratch (rather than with your handicap allowance) with a target of 30 pts or more. It will take your mind off your current handicap and help you focus on playing the course the best you can.

Thanks guys.

Chris, I'll try what you say as I do keep a check on how I'm doing whilst playing as I like to know what I've got to do for a good score.  So mabye doing what you have said will take my mind off it.

Christopher, I've always said that if I could hit the fairway on a regular basis that my handicap would come down.  I'm off 12 at the moment but my FIR stats say I'm playing to a 19 handicap, but my GIR is at a 12 handicap.

I do use different clubs for chipping.  When I had a lesson I was taught to let the ball run like a putt, so my advice was get in on the green with my first bounce of the ball and then let it run like a putt.  Changing the club for the amount of roll I need.

Wayne, would I do a thing like that?  I'm certain that by the time we get to Portugal I'll have my handicap down to 13!!!

Russ

Russ

Where do you get these stats of I'm playing to a 19 on FIR and a 12 on GIR. Is there a rule of thumb for various GIR and FIR stats?

Dave CAC handed Geordie.

David, it's some software that I use to keep my scores/stats.

I'm not sure where they get the level of handicap from!

Russ

Which software is that Russ?

Short game and putting is where the bread and butter of this game is - I realise that now!