I hope you’ve been making the most of this gorgeous weather and getting out on the golf course as much as possible. Perhaps you’ve even managed to reduce your handicap this early in the season. I know my home course, West Essex, is in great condition at the moment and if you’re game is on song it’s a good time to score before the ground gets really hard and we get those horrible bounces.
A handicap reduction has not applied to me for a long time, but I could relate to Jess Ratcliffe’s Golf Monthly article about the mindset you should have if you are rewarded with a handicap cut after a great round including tips on how best to maintain it and continue to improve.
She’s so right, if we cut out handicap, we often dwell too much on the shots we’ve lost, saying things like, “I used to get a shot here,” or “It’s difficult, I don’t get any shots on the par-3s and they’re not easy.” I admit, in the past I’ve definitely made the latter comment!
As a golfer who reduced her handicap from 34-9 in a year, Jess suggests thinking about what you’ve gained, you’ve cut your handicap because you’ve played well, so look at it as a positive based on what you’ve achieved. Also, you’re aware of how many shots you get per round, but don’t focus on where you do and don’t get them, just play!
Another thing I’m definitely guilty of is tracking my score hole by hole. I really admire players who have no idea how they’ve scored until they’ve signed their card. I think it stems from some well-meaning advice I got when I first started playing, back when there were a lot of numbers to add up! To keep it simple, I was told to score everything against a par of five for 9 holes. So, if I made a 7 on the 1st and a 6 on the 2nd, I’d be 3 over ‘fives.’ It stuck, and now I find it hard not to keep a running total. But I know it just adds pressure.
If you do this too, Jess has a great tip. When she catches herself starting to count mid-round, she makes a conscious effort to refocus on the shot in front of her. Because if she doesn’t, she knows her score is only going in one direction, and not the one she wants.
We all know how hard it is to always stay in the present, especially when you duff the first couple of holes, or a bad shot creeps in that you can’t shake off, but that’s what the best players in the world do so well, they quickly move on and all is forgotten.
Remember Rory McIlroy at the Masters when he hit his third shot at the par-5 13th in the creek to finish with a double bogey. He dropped another shot at the 14th only to bounce back with a birdie on the 15th. I rest my case! Talking of Rory, it’s a big week with the second men’s Major of the year – let’s hope he can make it two in a row.
Happy golfing!
Alison Root
Women's Editor Golf Monthly
