Being a golfer is a privilege, and starting as a high handicapper is an exciting opportunity. It means your journey is just beginning, filled with fresh discoveries and growth at every turn.
Like many, I started golf right before the pandemic, and it became more than just a game—it was an escape, a way to focus, and a chance to connect during uncertain times. It grounded me and kept me engaged while everything else felt uncertain.
Golf truly is a journey—an adventure filled with ups and downs, challenges, and joys. Together, we’ll explore three key areas to help you grow as a golfer: building your Basic Skills (understanting Golf Clubs & The Game), reflecting on how to Practice, and simply Playing & Enjoying Golf! Each step builds a foundation to help you improve and savor the journey, no matter where it takes you.
Golf Basics: The foundation of every player's journey is built on key fundamentals—grip, ball position, posture, and swing essentials. Mastering these core skills ensures consistency and improvement. Regularly revisiting these basics helps prevent unnecessary adjustments that could throw off your game, while applying these to the "big three—impact location, ground contact, and face angle" (referencing The Sweet Spot podcast)—is key to unlocking better performance without complicating things.
Your golf clubs are as unique as your swing, and selecting the right set is crucial. Each club—putter, wedges, irons, hybrids, woods, and driver—serves a specific purpose. Though you can carry up to 14 clubs, careful selection helps simplify your choices and improve performance. In my What's In The Bag (WITB), I’ll share my setup, but remember, the best setup is the one that suits your style and goals.
Basic Skills Golf Clubs WITB The Game
Disclosure: Just a reminder, I’m not a golf pro—just a stubborn golfer who’s learned through trial and error! Take everything here with a grain of salt.
When I started, I went all-in on lessons, expecting my instructor to give me exact directions—do this, turn that way, left here, right there. I thought golf was all about mastering technique and following clear instructions. But quickly, I realized that’s not how golf works!
Looking back, I’m lucky to have had a great instructor who was honest with me. He encouraged me to get out on the course and practice consistently. He knew what I was slow to accept: golf takes time, patience, and a lot of intentional practice.
Range Short Game
Golf means different things to different people. Some aim for scratch, while others enjoy social rounds with friends. Most of us fall somewhere in between—though I’d love to see data to confirm that!
What we can agree on is that golf is harder than expected. Instead of resisting this, let’s embrace it. Golf is as much about self-discovery as it is about improving. Personally, my goal is to stay a low-mid handicap, enjoy great courses, and yes, also challenge my fellow golfers in some fun rounds.
Golf is competitive, and winning while having fun is nice! But above all, the goal is to enjoy the game.
Golf often goes from hard to very hard—technically, mentally, and in many ways. There’s so much to explore, and I’ll keep sharing my journey (and reflections), whether you’re looking to learn or just need a laugh from this Lousy Golfer trials.
For now, I’ll keep it simple and not dive too deep into topics. The basics covered so far are enough to get started.
However, I’d like to briefly introduce two additional topics:
These topics can enhance your golf experience. Stay tuned as we build on the basics and explore them further.
Disclosure: I’m not an expert, just someone learning along the way, so don’t expect detailed exercise plans. Instead, I’ll share my experience from a process perspective.
Before golf, I stayed active by running, which I thought would be enough for the game. But I quickly realized that running alone wasn’t sufficient. Golf requires more flexibility, strength, and stability, which I hadn’t developed. Over time, I began to worry about how my muscles and joints were handling the game.
After some research, I found basic golf-specific exercises. I’ve never been great with gyms, but this time I had a clear goal: improving my fitness for golf. I committed to a simple routine—2/3 sessions per week, each lasting 30/40 minutes. I started light and gradually built up strength, sticking with it consistently for the past two years. This has improved my stamina, well-being, and recovery.
Recently, I even started speed training! It's been a fun challenge, and I’m using The Stack System for a structured approach. If you're curious, check out No Laying Up – Golf Podcast #913: Gaining Speed with Dr. Sasho MacKenzie for a great intro. After the off-season, I’ll share more about my speed training journey. Spoiler alert: so far it’s been a blast!
Everyone has their own handicap journey, full of ups and downs—and that’s okay! Don’t let your handicap define you. Instead, use it as a tool to enjoy the game more.
The golf handicap system is great because it levels the playing field, allowing golfers of different skill levels to compete fairly. But it can also be a trap if we let it control how we feel about the game.
Your handicap doesn’t define your potential as a golfer. It’s just a snapshot of where your game is at the moment, helping to create fair matches.
Not everyone wants to be a scratch golfer, and that’s fine. Many golfers, including me, don’t have the skills, time, or desire for that goal. If that’s your goal, great! But for me, I’m happy with a solid mid-to-low handicap.
I don’t focus on a specific number for my handicap. My only goal is to stay eligible for my home club competitions! 😊
It’s important to submit your scorecards so your handicap reflects your current level, whether you’re in a competitive or casual match. For me, it’s not about having the lowest handicap, but the most accurate one.
Handicaps can also motivate you to improve, and that’s a positive aspect of the system. But I do wonder if we talk about handicap too much. Maybe it’s something worth reflecting on...
Golf is a journey of learning and improvement. By focusing on the basics and exploring these areas, you’ll develop a balanced approach. Whether you’re new to the game or are just trying to refine your skills, remember to enjoy the journey and stay patient. Golf is all about growth and fun.
For a more complete (and fun) vrs, please feel free to get my (note) book! I hope it will inspire you to document your own journey...
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