Lower Your Golf Handicap fast
If you’re a club golfer, one of the things you are always striving to do is lower your golf handicap. It doesn’t matter if you play off 36 or 4; the goal is the same, to improve and ultimately reduce your golf handicap. It is challenging for many golfers who often feel stuck on the same golf handicap for what seems years. After all, if your handicap is going down, it means you’re playing better golf, winning club competitions and most likely having a lot more fun on the golf course. I’m going to break down and give you my seven very best ways to lower your golf handicap and play your best golf. An effective way to lower your handicap is to use the Lag Shot Golf Training Aid which I cover more in ‘Use the right training aids’ below.
Fixing your golf slice, poor golf backswing, and incorrect golf basics are just some of the reasons you are struggling to lower your handicap.
I’ll cover what I’ve tested and trialled in over 30 years of golfing to give you the best ways of shooting lower golf scores.
You’ll discover the best golf swing systems online as well as how top golf training aids can supercharge your progress.
Stop struggling to find answers and guessing how to lower your handicap. Everything you need is right below.
>> If you enjoyed this post, you’ll also like: Golf Backswing: The Complete Guide In 5 Easy Steps.
Why Your Golf Handicap Is Not Getting Lower
We’ve all been there before; you practice and watch every golf instruction video you can and still can’t seem to get that lower golf handicap. Even worse, your handicap is blowing out. You should be in A or B grade, but find yourself in C or D grade instead. Golf is a frustrating game, as you know, and finding even an ounce of improvement can sometimes feel like a lifetime away. Most golfers struggle to lower their golf handicap, and it’s usually for the same reasons. Lack of the right knowledge to fixing your swing faults and lack of awareness of what you should improve contributes more to shooting lower golf scores.
When trying to lower your golf handicap and improve, you must identify your strengths and weaknesses, ensuring you work on the right areas.
Suppose you regularly 3-putt during a round and have an average chipping game. It’s not a great use of your time working on fixing a golf slice when you only slice a couple of times a round.
I see most golfers at a golf practice facility hitting drivers trying to out-drive their buddies. Yet, the chipping and practice greens are mostly empty.
Over 50% of golf shots are made from 100-yards and in, so it makes sense that these are the areas that you need to be proficient in to see real improvement in your golf scores.
Start making notes of what your bad shots are during a round and make an effort to practice and improve them while honing your good parts.
practice 100-yards and in
About 50% of golf shots during a round are played from 100-yards and in, making sense to make this a priority. This is the scoring range and often the difference between a good and a bad round. If you can hit your wedges solid and chip and putt well around the greens, you’ll lower your golf handicap fast. Depending on how far you hit your clubs, this includes your wedges and usually 8 to 9-irons. Take the time to become proficient in this area, and you’ll be amazed at what it does to your golf scores. I use the Lag Shot Training Aid to practice wedge shots from 100-yards and it’s improved my contact and accuracy.
Practice your distance range up to 100-yards, and divide it into 25-yard increments.
Work out what you need to hit 25, 50, 75, and 100-yard distances.
To you, this might look like a quarter backswing, half backswing, ¾ backswing to a full backswing with a smooth tempo.
When you’re practicing your chipping and putting, do so from different lies, slopes, and positions, continually mixing it up.
You don’t always get a perfect lie around the greens or on the fairway, so it’s essential to practice a wide range.
The same with your putting, practice on several different breaks and slopes, and don’t just putt on a flat line.
practice under pressure and with a purpose
It’s fun to go to the golf driving range and pound ball after ball trying to out-drive your mates. However, if you’re trying to lower your golf handicap, this isn’t the best way to do it. In fact, doing those above can actually make you worse! Playing better golf and lowering your scores is as much about practicing the right way as it is about playing the right way. Randomly hitting golf balls at the driving range without any plan or purpose is mostly a waste of time.
A great way to improve your golf scores is to simulate putting yourself under pressure when practicing.
An example would be, pretend you’re on the first tee with 50 people watching you and you have out of bounds on the right and water on the left of the fairway.
Next, pick out a small target in the middle of this fairway and aim to hit it with your very first shot.
Practicing with a purpose means rather than just hitting the same club repeatedly without a target in mind, you do the opposite.
Instead, pick out a small target in the distance and try to hit that target in many different ways.
Aim to draw one at the target, aim to fade one. Finally, try to hit a golf ball straight at the target with no curve.
This kind of practice simulates real live play increasing your chances of playing at a higher level when you’re on the golf course.
I love practicing with the Lag Shot Golf Training Aid as it’s the only training tool that enables me to feel how to load the club like a professional golfer.
stay in your golf posture
Arguably, the golfing fault I see in amateur golfers is losing their golf posture or suffering early extension. This is especially common in the golf downswing where golfers stand up, thrust their pelvis towards the golf ball, raise the right heel early and have to extend out to hit the golf ball. It feels like a powerful move, but it is just the opposite causing golfers to lose distance, accuracy, and consistency. On the other hand, Touring professionals stay in their posture and, as a result, can make a consistent and repeatable golf swing that delivers excellent results.
Here’s a couple of simple ways to help you stay in posture and eliminate any early extension in your golf swing.
Stand at address with your butt about 1 inch from a chair. Turn to the top of your backswing and push your pelvis back, trying to move the chair.
You can do this in practice without hitting the ball against a wall or take it to the golf driving range using a chair and hit short to longer golf shots.
Stand at address with your trail heal on top of a sand wedge keeping it elevated. Make golf swings, and don’t let the sand wedge fall to the ground until after impact.
This is a great drill to practice at home with or without hitting balls, training your rear foot to stay on the ground longer, assisting you in staying in posture.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE a simple way to keep the pelvis tucked in the golf swing:
shallow the club in the downswing
Nearly every golfer I’ve met has struggled with being too steep in the golf downswing and wanting to shallow the club more. Shallowing the golf club is what gets your downswing on plane and in the slot where great things happen in your swing. If you’re wondering how do you lower your golf handicap quickly, you can do it by making some useful improvements in just this one area. Unfortunately, most golfers find it challenging to shallow out the golf club, come down steep and end up with many swing problems. This results in hitting slices, pulls, tops, and many other bad shots.
Like many swing faults, there are many ways to shallow out the downswing. Finding the best way that works for you is the key.
One great way is to practice externally rotating your trail shoulder in the downswing. This naturally shallows the golf club.
Also, bowing your lead wrist not only shallows out the golf club but also squares the clubface early in transition. This gets you into an excellent golf impact position.
Combining these two moves together is a proven way of shallowing and making a tour-pro golf downswing.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE another simple way to shallow out the golf club:
invest in online golf instruction
What’s excellent about modern golf instruction is you have access to the world’s best golf instructors without having to leave your own home. Over the years, golf instruction has come a long way, and getting quality online golf instruction is now just a few clicks away. Get a detailed analysis of your golf swing from multiple angles, helping you play better golf. It educates you on the golf swing and why and how you should be swinging the golf club. Online golf instruction is inexpensive, with an individual analysis costing from as little as $15 to $150 with golf instructors worldwide.
You will find many affordable online golf courses, including multiple golf training videos. These guide you step by step through every part of the golf swing.
I have personally watched and implemented The Strike Plan from Adam Young and Rotary Swing from Chuck Quintin and recommend them.
Other excellent golf instruction programs include the Stress-Free Golf Swing by Jeff Richmond and Wisdom In Golf by Sean Clement.
All of this online golf instruction is available instantly and helps you work through your swing issues and play some fantastic golf.
See a professional for a face to face lesson
If you prefer to have an in-person golf lesson and don't mind the extra cost, getting a face-to-face golf lesson is a great idea. A fully qualified golf professional can fix your golf swing issues and get your swing back on track. In just a 60-minute golf lesson, they can identify areas for improvement and remove faults that you may not realise you were doing. This often leads to a lower golf handicap in the weeks following the lesson. Most golf teaching professionals will have access to the latest golf instruction technology. They will analyse your golf swing from the correct angles and provide a great golf practice plan. Seeing a good golf coach early or later in your golfing career is a great way to eliminate lousy golf swing habits and ingrain good ones.
Having a trained professional’s experience and knowledge critique your golf swing in person can fast-track your improvement.
Most will guide you through your golf swing, showing you specific movements you need to make, ensuring significant progress.
Going through a swing analysis with your coach live is a great way to learn and understand how and why things are happening in your swing.
Top golf instructors such as Adam Young and Chuck Quintin offer both online golf lessons and in-person.
Otherwise, google your suburb followed by "golf lessons." You will find many top golf instructors in your local area to work with.
master the 3 keys of the downswing
The golf downswing is one of, if not the most challenging part of the golf swing for most golfers. It’s usually what separates the best golfers in the world from the weekend hackers. The downswing happens in less than a quarter of a second so there’s little time or margin for error. I’ve seen many ordinary backswings at the pro-level that get ‘saved’ by a world-class downswing. You must perform a great downswing in golf is a must if you want to play consistent golf at any level.
Sequencing the downswing is vital so the body moves the right way and ensures you time the lower and upper parts of the body.
This involves getting a slight lateral shift, rotation, and syncing up how the lower and upper half move.
Shallowing in the downswing means getting the club shaft to flatten or shallow out so your angle of attack strikes the golf ball on the correct plane.
Squaring up the clubface is often overlooked, but without it, you’ll come down open or closed and find it difficult to control your ball flights.
Square the clubface early in the downswing by bowing your lead wrist and you’ll be able to strike more solid and consistent golf shots.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE how to make a tour-pro golf downswing:
use the right golf training aids
Using the right golf training aids is a great way to improve your golf swing and lower your golf handicap. They are especially effective when working on a swing change or new movement pattern. A good training aid will provide instant feedback and guide you through the correct sequence of what you’re trying to fix or change. Golf training aids have been developed for all swing faults and changes. Some of these include fixing golf slices, early release, and how to create more lag in the downswing. Whatever your current golf swing is, a good golf training aid is a great investment in the future of your golf swing.
One of the best golf training aids is the Lag Shot Golf Training Aid, which is designed to feel the weight of the golf club, so you move your body and the golf club correctly.
It’s an actual golf club with a super flexible shaft that ensures you can swing with a smooth tempo and rhythm and don’t try to flip or early release the clubhead.
The Total Golf Trainer is another effective all-round training aid that fixes every swing fault you have as has numerous benefits to golfers.
Understand your golf swing inside out, your swing issues, and what you need to improve upon, so you can choose the right training aid for you.
Take the first step to playing better golf and grab yourself a great golf training aid online today.
PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS - BONUS TIP
This is a bonus tip that I think all golfers can benefit from to help you lower your golf handicap. All of us golfers have strengths and weaknesses in our golf game. Play to your strengths during a round, so you give yourself the best chance of playing well. It could be you have a great short game such as chipping and putting, or maybe you hit your irons solid. Manage your way around the golf course and aim to put yourself in positions where you can play to your strengths, making it easier to break your handicap and shoot lower golf scores.
For example, if you have a great short game, don’t take dead aim at difficult flag positions and risk short siding yourself.
Aim at the fat part of the green. Back yourself to make the putt and, at the worst, get down in two.
If you have a strong iron game but are not so strong with your woods, don’t be afraid to tee off with your long irons, especially on short par-4’s.
You’ll still be able to reach the green in two, but instead of hitting a wedge or 9-iron in, you might have a 7 or 8-iron.
Golf is about playing smart and using your strengths to your advance so you can manage your way around the golf course shooting the lowest possible score.
WATCH YOUR GOLF HANDICAP DROP
So now, you have some powerful ways you can implement immediately to lower your golf handicap and start enjoying your golf.
Identify one or maybe two ways you feel you need to see the most improvement in your golf game.
If your short game is reliable but feel your long game needs work, focus on staying in posture and shallowing, creating a better downswing.
Conversely, if your long game is sound but your short game is not, spend the time sharpening up your chipping and putting, and your golf game will improve.
Playing better golf and lowering your golf handicap doesn’t have to be a struggle. Practice these keys and watch your handicap drop today.
If you have any questions regarding this lower your golf handicap post, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to help you out.
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