Breaking 90 is one thing. Breaking 80 is something else entirely. For mid-handicap golfers, that next step often feels like hitting a wall.
So what truly sets apart the mid-handicap golfers from someone flirting with single figures? Is it better ball-striking, sharper putting, or simply more practice? And perhaps more importantly, are golfers focusing on the right areas to actually lower their scores?
The latest insights from the Your Golf by NCG podcast, alongside fresh Shot Scope data, suggest the answer might be simpler than expected.
When you dig into the numbers, the gap between mid and low-handicappers isn’t exactly enormous in lots of areas. Instead, consistency is the biggest separator of playing abilities.
PGA professional Jack Backhouse and golf pro Nicola Slater outlined the keys areas they think you should focus on to start making some positive head-way towards becoming a scratch player.
Fairways over distance
The pair believe one of the biggest misconceptions among mid-handicappers is that they need to hit the ball further to improve. Finding the short grass off the tee is far more valuable than bombing it extra yards.
Slater explained why that thinking is flawed: “Consistency massively comes into it. You find that these lower handicap golfers are just so much more consistent. They’re hitting the fairways more often.
“They’re getting more run out of it, and they’re leaving themselves less into the greens off the back of that.”
The Shot Scope data backs that up. While better players are longer on average, there is significant overlap in driving distance across handicap levels. This infers most golfers already have enough power as it is.
“Something I think about is people have to let go of the idea that they need to hit the ball straight to hit the fairway,” Backhouse added.
“If you’re a hooker of the ball, it’s the wrong thing to do to go out on the course and try and stop hooking it.
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“Most courses, there’s enough space in between the trees to be able to play your curve. If you’re out on the golf course, you should accept what you’ve got.”
Mastering approach shots
If there’s one area where mid-handicappers can make sizeable gains, it’s approach play.
From 150 yards, Shot Scope say a scratch golfer hits it to about 40 feet on average, whilst a 25 handicapper will typically hit it to 70 feet.
“When we’re on the fairway, we need to hit more club”, says Backhouse. “Stop leaving ourselves short from pointless mishits.
“It’s much more about getting the ball on the green, because you’re expected to score when you’re on the green, and your expected score is much lower when it’s on the green.
“So, play pass the flag, expect the mishit.”
Slater agreed: “At the end of the day, all handicap ranges aren’t going to be that close to the flag, but getting on there is so much more important than proximity (to the hole).”
Simplifying your short game
It’s important to remember you’re not Phil Mickelson. There is no need to pull out the flop shot at every given moment.
“If you know you’re not very good out of bunkers, or if you know that you’re not great at chipping – certainly chipping over bunkers – play to avoid that shot,” Backhouse noted.
“The big thing for me is having a shot that just gets you on the green reliably. You can get quite good around the greens, or get to a really good standard of golf, with having one shot that just gets you on the green.”
The Shot Scope data noted that from 50 yards even scratch golfers take three shots on average to finish the hole. Figures like this show why the pair believe getting up and down every time is an unrealistic ask.
Slater added: “I quite like the saying there’s no pictures on the scorecard. At the end of the day, it’s how you get the ball in the hole. I’m a sucker for a nine (iron) bump and run.”
Improving efficiency on the greens
“I always think if I have a lag putt within sort of that three to six feet range, I’d walk up to my next one feeling pretty confident over it. And I think that is just a massive gap in lower to mid handicappers, and something that of any age and ability can practice and improve,” Slater explained.
According to Shot Scope’s data, it is actually when you get closer to the hole that mid-handicappers start to differ most.
Their findings show scratch golfers make 80% of putts inside three to six feet. Five handicappers see a 10% drop-off from this success rate, whilst 15 handicappers are even lower at 60%.
Slater added: “It shows that lower handicappers aren’t suddenly holding these ‘worldy’ putts that are 12 to 18 feet away, they’re just much better at the short-range stuff.”
Main image: Golfer hits sweeping driver down the fairway | Source: Getty Images
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