The Forgotten Maths Behind Lowering Your Handicap

Happy Monday,

This week, we look at some stats that are often overlooked when it comes to improving your handicap.

This Week:

• Article – The Forgotten Maths Behind Lowering Your Handicap

• Practice Challenge – In Regulation 9 Hole Challenge

• Short Video – Short Game Tip From Gary Player

The Forgotten Maths Behind Lowering Your Handicap

🏌️ Rapid-Fire Takeaways

✅ Going from 25 handicap to scratch, birdies only increase by 2.16 per round — Double Bogeys + drops by nearly 9.

✅ Scratch golf isn't spectacular golf — it's boring, disciplined, damage-controlled golf.

✅ Every double bogey carries a hidden cost beyond the shots — it shifts your decision-making from disciplined to desperate, and the next big number often follows.

✅ Aiming away from danger, aiming for the middle of the green (not the pin), and chipping out from danger will do more for your handicap than working on hitting your iron shots closer. The article above discusses these tips in more detail.

✅ Map out how and when you make your double bogeys and focus your practice on improving those core shots. Also consider how you can improve your decision-making next time on the golf course.

⛳ A Challenge for Your Next Round

🔷 High-Handicapper (15+): Before every tee shot, identify the danger zone (OB, water, thick rough) and pick a landing area that avoids it entirely — even if it means a shorter club. Count how many times you are OOB, in water or have a lost ball off the tee and note it after the round. Reduce the number on your next round.

🔷 Mid-Handicapper (7–15): Every time you're outside 90 yards from the green, aim for the centre of the green regardless of pin position. No exceptions. Track how many greens you hit and compare it to a typical round.

🔷 Low-Handicapper (<7): Track your DB+ this round and for each one, write down the situation that caused it. After the round, look for the pattern. Was it off the tee? Around the green? A poor decision compounding an error? That's your practice target.

In the mobile beta app, you can tap on any hole to see exactly how you made that score.

Practice Challenge

The following on-course challenge is one of the best I know for lowering your bogey and double bogey rate. Head out for 9 holes and see what you can score.

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