A low handicap is considered a holy grail for golfers. If you can post a handicap between 0 and 10, it shows that you are a highly competent player and can easily get around a golf course without making many mistakes. While calculating your handicap is easy, lowering it can be challenging. It is very common for golfers to plateau in golf and get stuck at one level. While some may argue that the handicap isn’t that important for casual players who play recreationally, knowing your handicap and improving it can be hugely motivational and a good indicator of where you are as a golfer. If you play regularly and have been stuck at one level (or number) for an extended period, it is a clear sign that certain areas of your game need improving. In this post, we will look at 6 ways to lower your handicap.

Improve Your Driver Consistency

If you are serious about lowering your handicap, you will need to work on being consistent with your driver. Your first shot off the tee can make or break a hole, and a good first shot will give you the best chance of making a low score. To attain this consistency, you will need to hit the driving range frequently and keep practicing until you hit a good straight drive more often than you don’t. A virtual driving range (see below) is an effective way to comprehend where your drive needs improvement.

Reduce the Number of 3 Putts  

Nothing adds to your score more than constantly making three putts. If you want to lower your scores and lower your handicap, you must be hitting two-putts on a regular basis. As with the driver, consistency is the difference between being a high-handicap and a low-handicap player. You can implement many drills to improve your putting and green game, and you should also work on your short-game distance control to get the ball as close to the pin as possible.

Next Level Ball Control

The ability to bend the golf ball to their will is what makes the pros so good. The more you can get the golf ball to do what you want, the easier it will be to get around the holes. A useful skill that will lower your handicap is being able to slice and hook the golf ball on command. You will be able to navigate dog-tail courses more economically and get yourself out of trouble if you find a tree or hazard in your direct line of sight.

Work With a Pro

Most golfers plateau because they reach a level and don’t know how to progress. If you find yourself stuck at the same handicap despite frequently playing and practicing, your best course of action will be to work with a pro. No matter your level or how long you have been playing, a pro can improve every aspect of your game and teach you new shots (such as how to curve the golf ball). A good way to work on your game with a pro is to play a course with them, either as your caddie or a fellow player, so that they will be able to find and tweak issues that may not be apparent on the driving range.

Indoor Golf

If you want to lower your handicap, you must play a lot of golf. If getting to a golf course regularly is too costly and time-consuming, you should turn to Indoor Golf. Our golf simulation software at Golf X allows users to practice on a virtual driving range, showing you data points such as distance, ball flight, and ball speed that will give you an accurate picture of every shot and show you exactly what you need to work on to lower your handicap. You can also play on digitally accurate replicas of some of the world’s most famous courses, which will test every aspect of your game. The benefit of practicing on a virtual course is that you can take as long as you want and even replay shots without worrying about being pressed for time. The wide selection of virtual courses will also allow you to try different types of courses and challenge you in new ways compared to playing the same holes at your local golf club.

Lowering your handicap may seem like a difficult task if you have plateaued, but with the above tips, you will gradually improve your game and consistently get lower scores.