10 Simple But Effective Tips and Strategies for High Handicappers
Being a high handicap golfer can be just as rewarding as it is frustrating. Don’t believe me?
Think about the last time you made a par and followed it up with an 8.
The experience on the golf course changes considerably from one round and even one hole to the next for high handicappers. I’ll give you 10 simple but effective tips for high handicappers that can change how you think about your golf game.
Whether you were a mid handicapper and recently started to struggle or you are a beginner on your way down, these tips can be implemented into your practice routine and golf game today.
Key Tips for High Handicappers
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of tips for high handicappers to become better at golf. Here are a few of the key takeaways: I’ll encourage you not to jump into changing your swing all that much; in fact, don’t make any changes unless you fully understand their impact.
- Golf technology like HackMotion can help you understand complex issues in your golf swing and fix them by working on feel and consistency.
- The fundamentals; grip, setup, stance, balance, posture, and weight distribution should be the key focus points in your practice and pre-shot routine.
- Start to think like a better golfer with more pre round planning, positive thoughts on the course, and learning about your golf game.
- Practice your aim and then learn to trust it on the golf course.
Top 10 Best Tips for High Handicappers
Here are the tips that I have personally seen work for high handicap golfers looking to improve their game. It’s so important to look at each of these tips not as swing changes or alterations but instead as strategies for improvement and more enjoyable golf.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Setup is Just as Important as the Swing
So many amateur golfers, high handicappers, and beginners do not put in the type of time that they should be to get great at setting up to hit a shot. The setup will get you into a position that makes hitting your shot possible.
In other words, if you don’t trust your setup and feel it’s something you can repeat, you need to spend time on it.
Practice golf with alignment sticks down on the ground to get your feet, hands, head, hips, and shoulders in the right position.
As a high handicapper, you are likely more worried about the position of your golf club than the position of your feet or hands. I can tell you without a doubt that if your setup is not correct, your golf swing will never be correct.
Learn the Role of Wrist Action
Wrist action in the golf swing is a difficult concept to understand. Many low-handicap golfers do not even understand the role that the wrists play. Luckily, with the use of HackMotion, you can quickly learn what it takes to position your wrists correctly throughout the swing.
Why do wrists matter in golf?
The wrists directly control the position of your clubface. If your lead wrist is too extended, your clubface will be open. If your lead wrist is too flexed, your clubface could be closed.
HackMotion gives you an exact wrist pattern range to follow to become a more consistent player. The pattern ensures that you do not add wrist extension as you take the club to the back, and it encourages a more flexed wrist position at impact.
With more than 1,000,000 swings analyzed, high handicappers no longer need to guess the position of the club that could be correct. HackMotion will help you feel that perfect spot to make consistent contact.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Do Your Homework
There are a few things that you can do as a high handicapper when you are not out on the course that will help you play better golf on the course.
- Take a look at the golf course you are going to play and go through a mental round of golf, thinking about the golf shots that you plan to hit.
- Spend some time working on your yardages and how far you hit each club, pay close attention to carry distance so you are ready to make the proper club selection for each shot.
- Learn what your typical miss hit is and prepare for it when playing golf holes with bunkers and hazards.
Choose a Line and Stick to It
Aim and alignment are difficult for high handicappers to figure out.
In golf, your clubface will aim at your target, but your feet, shoulders, and hips are parallel to that target. It’s a difficult feeling at first, but aim is something you can practice.
When you practice at the driving range, make sure you are picking a target for each shot that you hit. The target practice helps you when you get out to the golf course. Be hard on yourself and try to only miss the target by a few yards here and there; 20 yards left or 20 yards right won’t help you on the course.
Once you have chosen a line, learn how to stick to it and trust it. Doubt is never a good thing in the game of golf.
Trust your line on the putting green, from the tee, and on your approach. If you picked the pin, stick with it. If it turns out your line was wrong, you can make an adjustment on the next hole.
Use Technology to Lower Your Handicap
Technology can be a great way to lower your handicap. Use technology like golf rangefinders, GPS devices, and HackMotion to learn more about your game and to make you a more accurate golfer on the course.
In addition, if you have access to a launch monitor, you can learn a bit about your distances and spin rates to help see if there are weaknesses and strengths in your game.
I would also encourage you to have equipment that is correct for your golf game. Many high handicappers are not using game improvement technology when they should be. If more forgiving golf clubs are out there, go ahead and use them to help you become a better player.
Slow Backswing Won’t Hurt You
Don’t rush the backswing.
Taking the club back a little slower is not going to cause you to slow down at impact. However, taking the golf club back a little slower does help ensure that your takeaway is correct and you don’t add too much extension right off the bat.
You can take a slow backswing and still accelerate through the golf ball to hit a great shot.
Stop Accepting the 2 Putt
So many high handicap golfers are happy to get a 2 putt. Although a 2 putt is certainly better than a 3 putt, make sure that you are not settling. When you have a putt that is 20 feet or less, your first thought should be to 2 putt, not to simply get the ball close to the hole.
Don’t accept the 2 putts because it’s not going to help your scoring. If you could turn just a few 2 or 3 putts into 1 putts, it could change your score considerably.
Don’t Get Stuck with a Favorite Club
Do you have a 4 hybrid or an 8 iron that you just love? It’s not rare to find a golf club that is just a perfect fit for your needs and helps you score. However, if you get too stuck on this concept, it could hurt your game.
Challenge yourself to use all the golf clubs in your bag. If that happens to be 10 or 12 clubs, that is acceptable. However, if you are continually pulling out the same club over and over, don’t expect to make big changes in your scoring.
Exercise for Better Balance
Exercise, especially improving your leg and core strength, will help you become a better golfer.
Balance issues cause problems with consistency in your game and make it very difficult to create the same swing over and over again.
Start by doing some extra walking on a daily basis and then continue this with some swings with a weighted club. Challenge yourself to hold every finish position and look at your target from a balanced finish.
Better balance increases your stability, consistency, distance, and accuracy on the course.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Increase Your Distances
Finally, the further you hit the ball, the easier the game of golf gets.
Many professionals will try to tell you that distance is not as important as accuracy. Although I can agree with this, you have to be able to hit the ball a certain distance if you want to succeed on the course.
Would you rather have 185 yards into a pin or 150 yards into a pin?
One of the best ways to increase your distances in golf is to learn to hit the golf ball with a square clubface. HackMotion can be worn to help you understand how your clubface is turning and moving throughout the swing.
If you are not in a square or slightly flexed position at impact, it’s costing you distance.
In addition, distance can be increased by improving your overall strength and clubhead speed.
Swinging the club faster (on the downswing) increases total distance. Swinging the club faster and also having a square clubface is the combination you need to truly improve your game.
Final Thoughts
If you want to lower your handicap, these best golf swing tips should make it a reality for you. Golf takes some time, but it mostly takes an understanding.
Use tools like HackMotion and spend some time working on the fundamentals to become the best golfer you can be.
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