Alright, let’s talk about getting down to a 6 handicap. It wasn’t some magic trick, let me tell you. It was a grind, plain and simple.
I remember starting out, floating around a 10 or 11 for what felt like forever. Kept thinking, “Yeah, I can get lower,” but wasn’t really putting in the focused work. Just playing weekend rounds, hoping for the best. That doesn’t cut it if you seriously want to drop numbers.
The Real Work Started
So, I decided, okay, let’s actually do this. First thing? Commitment. Sounds simple, but it meant hitting the range consistently, not just before a round. I’m talking two, sometimes three times a week after work. Just banging balls isn’t enough, though. I had to have a plan.
- Driving Range Focus: I stopped just trying to smash the driver. I started working with my irons, specifically the 7-iron down to wedges. Trying to hit specific yardages, not just whaling away. Picked a target flag and aimed for it, over and over.
- Short Game Hell: This was the big one. My short game was honestly garbage. Costing me so many shots. So, I spent hours on the chipping green. Different lies, different clubs. Trying to get that feel. Putting was another beast. Bought one of those indoor putting mats and used it almost every night. Focused on pace mostly. Three-putts kill your score.
- Course Time: Played more often. Not just weekends, but tried sneaking in twilight rounds during the week. But here’s the key: I started playing smarter. Stopped going for impossible hero shots. Played for the middle of the green more. Laid up when I was in trouble instead of trying some miracle recovery through the trees.
Dealing with the Ups and Downs
It wasn’t smooth sailing. There were days I felt like I was getting worse. Shanked shots on the range, blew up on holes I usually played well. Super frustrating. You practice hard, and then you go out and shoot a terrible score. Makes you want to throw your clubs in the lake.
But I kept track of my scores religiously. Put every single eligible score into the system. Watched that handicap index slowly, slowly creep down. It wasn’t one big drop. It was like 9.8, then 9.5, then maybe back up to 9.7, then down to 9.1. Took months.
The breakthrough really came when I started accepting bogeys. Sounds weird, right? But instead of getting mad after a bogey, I just focused on making par on the next hole. Avoided the double and triple bogeys. That’s what really lowers the handicap – consistency, not just hitting amazing shots once in a while.
Hitting the Number 6
I remember the round that pushed me under 7. Wasn’t even my best ball-striking day. But I managed my game well. Scrambled like crazy, made some clutch putts inside 10 feet. Didn’t make any huge mistakes. Shot something decent, maybe a 78 or 79 on a reasonably tough course.
Plugged the score in, waited for the handicap update the next day. And there it was: . Felt pretty damn good, not gonna lie. All that practice, the frustrating range sessions, the boring putting drills – it actually paid off.
Maintaining it is another story, though. Golf is fickle. You have good weeks, bad weeks. But knowing I got there once gives me the confidence I can stay around that level if I keep putting in at least some consistent effort. It’s not magic, it’s just work.
