How I became a 10 handicap golfer in 2 years... and how you can too 

A huge turning point in my game came when I realized the last point. “When you’re playing golf, you’re not out here to play golf swing, you’re here to play golf”. Started eliminating swing thoughts during a round, and I started focusing on the target only. Your mind automatically does incredible things naturally.

Went from shooting 130s to 84 in 1.5 yrs. Everything your saying is very true. Practice, see a professional, make sure you have clubs that are made for your specs. I started and was using regular shafts when i needed extra stiff and that made an enormous difference for me. Get some lessons, get fitted. And practice putting and chips alot

I went from 28 (but consistently shooting around 98-102) to now a 6 after starting a swing rebuild in March of 2020. I also decided to start working out and training both for my health and for golf knowing I'd have better control with effectively trained muscles. I have only had two lessons, both being 30 minute ones that came for free with my membership in July of 2020 and March of '21. They were important but I decided to try to make myself fluent in techniques of the golf swing when I started in 2020, reading as much as I could and watching many videos of swings from the greatest players, alongside golf and golf history in general (for instance, I can name every masters champion since its inception in 1934). It was really productive for those lessons but my swing for the most part has been my own development. Turned me into a feels player and I learned a lot about my own body and limitations as far as techniques in the swing are concerned. My chipping is the only thing holding me back and I will need a lesson for that soon, but I'm consistently shooting 77-78 at my home course. So my advice is you can do it with minimal lessons, but you have to work for it and make yourself really informed. Because I've only met one scratch golfer since getting back into the game in 2019 who has never had a lesson. If you also work out and learn how to swing more easily, training the lower back and knees you will reduce risks of injury. Since training, I have not had sore knees or a sore back since. My goal is to be able to play good golf well into my 60s and 70s.

Not playing golf swing. This reminder resonated bc last night I cut my practice short “things were going really well on the range” that did not transition to the golf course. Ended up playing golf swing and it took away the awesome memory/feeling l had worked up in the range. Keep up the great videos, loving your journey and your enthusiastic disposition.

Love the video, great perspective!

Great video. Thanks for taking the trouble to post. BTW you have a great swing.

If you aren’t playing bogey golf and you play often it’s rarely a strategy problem and almost always a ball striking problem I think becoming obsessed with the golf swing is essential to getting better you need to learn from good and poor shots so you can get that millisecond of feed back to fix your next shot if you slide every drive and duff one Iron shot or chip a hole you’ll never get better

awesome video dude! congrats on 1k subs!!

Good video and recommendations. I finally took lessons from a pro recommended by a friend years ago. That was the ticket to getting better results . I finally broke 100 and was able to play better. Handicap improved from a 30 to 12 when I was playing at least once a week and practicing more often. I now play at least twice a week and single 8 handicap. Get rid of HERO shots. Swing with good tempo and stay in balance. Work on the short game and course management. For instance, on a par 5 that is typically at least 500 yards, think of a tee shot of two hundred, a second shot of two hundred for a third shot of 100 to green. Then 2 putts is par. Much better than swinging as hard as you can causing a huge slice and no chance of recovery because you hit it in a hazard. Keeping in play and under control is the ticket. Par is your friend then and possibly more birdies. Love this hard game.

Thanks!! Im done with the YT rabbit hole, i learn from watching and im lucky the son I coached in hockey is a natural and is now teaching me!!!

great vid erndog

I became a 11 handicap in about 2 yrs and Im 65yr. I agree...find or player around your same age that has a really good swing and plays well and ask who their golf instructor is... chances are very good that they take golf lessons. Stay away from YT golf tips... everyone has a different golf swing, flexibility, and may describe their feel in a swing completely opposite how you would describe it. take lessons from a PGA and stick to them.

Finally getting to a spot where I am functional on a golf course and it's the best feeling ever. Biggest thing for me was taking ego out of my game - taking more club, not going for the hero shot every time, and tracking my round honestly. There's no use in giving yourself a bogey when you know damn well you tripled the hole!

Love that course.. enjoyed your video as well

Great video! Thank you.

Thanks for this mate, I played today in a stableford competition, and I thought I'd give it a go ! Overall it was really positive, miles away from where I want to be but it makes a lot of sense. I hit the best score that I've hit this year , grossed a 91 off 19.1 .... very happy 😊 I just wanted to thank you for the tips. ⛳️⛳️

Great video thanks bro!!!

Love tip number 5, I initially came across your lessons, and am so worried about playing golf swing when I start diving into technical things. Nice to see you can get technical off the course and still go play golf, not golf swing.

I am currently a wayward 7 handicapper. Improving your chipping and putting is key and masks all manner of sins. My lowest rounds have always been saved by confidence building saves. Hole looks bigger etc.

Great video

I just hit one year of playing golf. I’m not really sure my handicap, but I went from shooting 120s to consistently shooting low 90s. The best thing I did was buy a net and a hitting mat, when you’re just beginning you need repetition to get the feel of good shots, bad shots, and why those bad shots were bad shots. I got an outdoor heater and went in my sun porch every night and hit 60-80 balls. It definitely got a lot more fun once I bought my garmin R10 launch monitor, but I’m glad I waited till about 6 months into practicing. That kind of data is useless without a semi-constant swing, and beginners will definitely find themselves chasing numbers rather than true technique.

Sounds like good advise,

Nice video! A lot of good tips. In line with what you said about play golf, not golf swing… my turning point was when I started to play what I call architect. When I step up to a T box, I look at how I can place the ball, with my shot to make the hole rated for one less par for each shot. For instance, on a par three you were trying to make your next shot manageable so that you can play it as a part two or a par one. So if you hit green side in the rough for the bunker, that is OK, you just have a tough part two as your next shot, likewise if you meet your goal and you are within 10 feet of the hole I would consider this a par one, and as you putt depending on the slope of the green, you are, of course, trying to hole out but in-vision an ideal tap in just behind the hole. I call that par zero. After I changed to this mindset, I am much more aware of my surroundings on a golf course and execute shots, more deliberately, and well thought out.

I made a 60 yard chip in (for bogie) but it was still the most glorious shot of my golf career. Slowly working towards breaking 100! Thanks for the video bro!

Golf is hard. My son got a HC at 8 years old of 18, stopped golf for a few years, picked it up again spring time last year, his HC went up to 20 from lack of playing for years, and in 9 months he was an 8 HC. He's now on the verge of being 6 HC. He can shoot in 70s from the tips quite often now. Makes me realise how talented he must be when I see how people struggle with the game. I dont play golf and only see my son play, (he watches golf on my YT, hence why this video came up), but it gives me a new respect for him seeing how hard it is for most people.

We LOVE the mentality shift

Hey Ernie, this is a great video. Well done. What's your goal for this year? I'm trying to get down to low single digits this year and definitely also planning on using stats as much as possible. Got Arccos on the sticks at the moment as well.

You should post your stats so we can see where your at in your game. Good video, I feel pretty good when Im on the green with a chance at par, might be long put, but thats ok.

Mate you're striping it! my dad's never broken 90 and he tops or chunks a shot almost every hole. He could probably do with some lessons. I switched to left handed golf last year and my best round is still +24, I struggle with consistency and ball striking and distance, though to be fair my short game (which I was doing right handed) was pretty poor too. I can't hit a 7 iron more than 120 yards which sucks! (I was single digit right handed golfer and could hit 7 iron 170 so it has been a painful journey!).

I made a commitment to be better at golf this year. Went to Golftec for lessons before it became too expensive. I need to get out to the real course. Spend more time on my simulator in my garage. This is a good video. Gives me hope that I can be a better golfer

Not focusing too much on swing mechanics really served me well most of this season, however.... During tournaments, playing in conditions that I wasn't used to and when the pressure was up I believe a swing with more solid fundamentals would helped me big time. As far as seeking help from a golf professional goes, the only lesson I had this year I consider to be a waste of money. I'm not saying that will be the case for everyone, I just don't have the money to switch between pros until I find one that works for me. The AI tools in apps like 18birdies and golf fix aren't perfect, but they offer a great starting point to fix glaring issues in your swing.

Thanks and the tips resonate with me. I picked golf up 1.5 years ago and started playing on course may 2022. It has been a journey… What would you recommend if I live in a packed urban city with limited golf facilities, and if I am keen on practicing short game? The public golf course is 1.5 hours away and it is the only place I can practice pitching and putting. I have a putting mat at home (I live in an apartment, so cannot practice even half swings without breaking stuff)… I have joined an indoor golf simulator location for practice, but that is just practicing off artificial mats… I also get to play at that public golf course at most 4-5 times a month (there is a max limit to give a fair chance to the public to play) I’m keen to get better. But the mats make it difficult to gauge the fats from the good shots, and the different lies and upslope/downslope on a golf course is impossible to understand when I only encounter them on the course! Thanks for the video! Subscribed and look forward to your next one!

I'm at the very beginning of my golf journey, but I put way too much time into hitting driver on the range before I had lessons, and then had 2 lessons before I went onto the course. I had such an unrealistic expectation of myself based on performance at the range. My confidence quickly turned to frustration when I couldn't hit my irons off the grass like I was hitting them off the mats at the range. I've now stripped back my game and am hitting a selection of clubs with more confidence rather than every club in the bag and have implemented a driver ban to consistently get on the fairway with an iron from the tee. Hoping to break 100 this summer.

Erndog -- can you talk a little more about Arccos and how important it was to your journey? I'm considering purchasing.

Good points Erndog.. My tip for higher markers. Get wedges with lofts and bounce angles that suit your short game. Use a premium Ball. Practice a lot.. Your ability to hit all shots around the green is going to be your biggest handicap lowering superpower. I hit the ball literally like a 10 handicap most of the time but my short game is scratch level or better. I feel i can do anything with wedges.. I play off 2 and being able to do this takes a lot of pressure off the long game. I think most high to mid markers don't see the short game as important because they just want to figure out how to hit golf balls. Very few people actually ever learn how to be consistent, long and powerful but absolutely anyone can become consistently good chippers and putters. without a short game you can't save or recover and you struggle to make those birdies when you get near the par 5's for 2 shots.

Ernie, you're becoming a legend, but when I look at your videos what I see is that, like all single-digit handicappers, you rarely mishit a shot and you're really good at lag putting. I assume that is because you've done so much work on your swing with great guidance from Zach, who identified what you needed to work on, because you practice a lot more now, and because you spend 50% of your practice time on the short game and putting. You know all your carry and total distances, and you can get out of trouble if you need to. I think you've demonstrated that to become a single-digit handicapper you need to have such a solid swing that you have close to zero mishits per round, you need to almost eliminate 3 putts, and you need to be smart about avoiding trouble (which you haven't talked about, I don't think). Your Garmin R10 launch monitor probably lowered your handicap faster than you otherwise could have by enabling you to get feedback on the metrics that Zach told you to work on. You haven't mentioned yet what effect your equipment has had on your handicap, but we are all interested to know. What technology that you've tried so far actually lowered your handicap, and which didn't? How do you analyze and use the stats you collect to lower your handicap?

Awesome video. New sub here. I see you at Texas star. I'm over in Weatherford😂👍

I got stuck on 8 for 9 years. I've got a serious neck injury and several times a year my neck will seize up destroying my golf game. Try swinging when your head will turn with your shoulders. I did finally get down to 5 in 2010 and I'm still a 5. Every time my neck gets better I have to work really hard and have lessons to get my swing back. I am in constant recovery mode. Best of luck with your journey.

The ball you hit at 6:20 sounded like a Titleist AVX. What ball are you using?

Stuck at a 12.3 - 13 for three years now. What a maddening game it is!

I tried fixing my swing with an instructor, but he had trouble working with my grip,, As it is I have some nerve damage on my left thumb and index finger,, so I can only use a 10 finger grip,, no overlapping.. ,, I did my own improvising,, Took 4yrs,, but I've gone from 27 to 9 now,, it is my own swing,, right hand dominate, left come along for the ride. usually get on in two, so when my short play and putting in particular is on song I scratch my local course. I never bothered scoring from the beginning,, Just remembered how may pars I got,, In the beginning I was happy with 2 par's in a game,, even now I only score for the HC,, other that that, I just remember the eagles and birdies,, last game I had 1 eagle( eagle was a putt off the green) and 3 birdies, putting was the key.

I started playing last July and got to a 17 handicap by October. Now that winter is finally over I’ve been on the grind with the goal of a 10 handicap by the end of this summer. 16.9 right now I’ve seen no improvement in scores yet. Bogie golf plateau

Last tip would be play more golf. Practice is huge but you need to play golf to learn course management, greens, rough, ball above/below your feet, etc. Great video

this is my first year playing golf and my I went from a 25 to a 15 in a month of just constant practice and commitment

Great video!! Would love to see ball traces.

I agree with all of this except the time allocated to the short game. I think more like 70% should be short game. I can have a horrific ball striking day but save bogey with a decent chip to guarantee a 2 putt or get up and down for a par. New golfers will be missing so many greens that the short game is more important.

Oh congrats on the video exploding. Well done 👍Let’s go!

Great video. What course is this?

That’s wild. I went from 30 to 15 in a couple months this season. Working to get to 10! This series is A1

I got to a 8 handicap in 1 year, granted that I’m pretty damn athletic and fishing has taught my hand eye coordination as well as using wind to get my lure/ ball where I need it to be. My goal is scratch golf by February of 2024. That will be 2 years in, that being said, credit is due…. Saguto Golfer Phil Mickleson And a couple local legends.

What course is this, buddy? Nice video!

This is a conversation I'll have at the range when I talk to people around me. Me: what are you working on? Hacker: working on? Me: ye, what drill are you doing? Hacker: drill? I use to be this guy. When I started doing drills, split hand grip drills, impact and post impact drills, my full swing improved immensely. The biggest change in scoring happened when I started doing putting and chipping drills. My up and downs became easier. Putting drills: the around the clock drill and 10 to 20 footers. Chipping and pitching drills: this is where you get to know your wedges. Practice vary distances. Try flop shots to carry shots. Try bump and run with your irons on longer shots. Combine your Putting and chipping drills into up and down drills (the gauntlet). By far and away the best performance short game drill out there. Full shot: split hand grip drill, swing fast stop quickly drill, impact position drills. You don't need to be at a range or hit balls to practice full swing drills. It's the repetition you want. Remember, a good golf swing is an unorthodox swing. You need the reps to change your biomechanics. I'm breaking 80 because of these drills. You have to practice at a minimum, 3 days a week for an hour. Put more of an emphasis on your short game. Your score card will thank you for it.

I became a 4.6 marker in 3 years, 27 years later at 51 i am only down to 2 handicap. many people can achieve single figures but 3 to scratch is the part many many golfers get stuck on and never get there or cant keep it if they do.

Can’t emphasize enough how important step five is, my most common mistake and the reason I average 3-5 more strokes on the front nine

Is this Texas Star? Awesome course.

I’m 11.5 and started playing last year

You didnt mention having a game plan for the course. So important, remember you can make bogey with 6iron 8iron pitch just same as trying to smash driver and short iron. Another good practice game is play course with only irons.

I started playing a year ago and I grinded my ass off to get to an 11. Step 0 is to take the game seriously. If you want to just play on Sunday and get drunk with your friends that’s totally fine. But if you want to improve at a decent pace you need to dedicate yourself to actually practicing on a regular basis not just playing. My opinion is that in order to get from 30 handicap to around a 10 you don’t need to get into statistics at all. Your step 3 is step 1 in my opinion. Take a lesson from your local pro, bite the bullet spend whatever you need to, and then hit balls as frequently as you can in order to implement the tips you received. If you expect to take a lesson and just download a golf swing into your brain like Neo in the matrix then you’re sadly mistaken. Put in the time and the results will come. As an adult beginner I think it’s best to develop your game from the outside in. Meaning that developing a golf swing should be priority number 1. There’s no use in spending most of your time chipping and putting if you’re shanking the ball around the course.

This sounds like a good approach to your rounds...bogey golf. Heck, if the greatest golfer ever Tiger Woods uses the "no bogey round" approach when he plays, why can't we use the same approach on a more realistic level?

How often are you having a lesson, and how often are you at the range practicing

I can say this once you can let go of a bad shot and not get frustrated your game will change

Currently playing off a 12. Down 10 strokes from last year. Would say filming your swing is very important. What you think you’re doing vs what you’re actually doing can be so far off and watching video of yourself can help you understand it better. Putting, chipping and shots within a 100 yards so important too. Like now I don’t even swing my wedges full, half swing 60 gets me 40-45, half swing 54 gets me 60-65, half swing 49 gets me 80-85. Instead of mindlessly putting around greens too practicing speed mainly underrated, having feel for 5ft, 10ft, 20ft putts etc. and practicing up and downs around the green. Recently shot an 83 last week, practicing all of this. Hope everyone continues to grind and get better. 🙏🏼

Texas Star. Nice.

got to 7 in 8yrs… after having played tennis to a high level. Cross-sport play is an under-valued asset. ….Still, it's all about process for me…. and improving on the illusive chipping and putting.

I was a 10 hcp in 4 months and now after 10 years +1 and i am 60 years old. Just played, read, watched and practiced 12 hours a day. Easy ha ha ha

I went from a 28 handicap to an 11 in 6-7 months but play5 days a week

If I could get rid of “no chunks” on my 2nd shot/approach shot, I can play bogey golf.

Never played until I was 43 and Finished with Softball after Baseball .took Me 6 months to break 90 and 5 years to break 80 and have Once Shot 69 am 66 and average 75-76 ,have one Hole in one 145 yards 9 iron

I did it by starting at 4 and getting worse.

3 biggest things that have helped me are: Being able to hit the green from 150 in. No hero shots And two putts. My score went from high 90s to low 80s with just 2 of those. Now for getting rid of 3 putts.

"The wintertime is a little tougher, you dont have as much daylight" Yeah bro I can't even see the freaking ground in the winter. Cause theres 13 feet of snow on it.

I’m a plus 12 and I’ve only been playing for 9 weeks. So I’m hoping to be a plus 30 in two years time. Lmao.

I think you’d learn from listening to Harrington. You’re on to something when you found a reason to free up on the course. Harrington talks about speed being about “removing inhibitions” Perhaps your view, that speed is something you can control, is why it’s been so fickle for you. Go watch highlights of any pro heading down the stretch. They tend to get a bit wild, they do adapt but they don’t often seem to hold back. Perhaps that inclination towards letting go is worth exploring.

54->3.2 in 6months

Actually great tips. Basic, but things that you might not always think about. And getting an instructor can't be emphasized enough. I've watched golf majors for 20 years, watch tons of RU-vid videos, etc and after 2 or 3 lessons i played better than I've ever plsyed before. Which leads to MORE FUN. Ha ha

Or or hear me out… unlimited mulligans 😂 works for me

A 10 or an 8?

Became a ten by starting as a two and playing terrible for two years.

getting golf lessons at the start from a pro is huge..dont wait until youve learned bad habits

You are not going to achieve all those things you said if the person has an inconsistent swing, everyone needs to practice their swing to get consistent ball contact. Go to the range burn sometime hit 5 large buckets per day, and on top of that you have to squeeze in some tee times in between those practices you did and apply.

Just play more. Challenge yourself and STOP gambling on shots you can’t hit. Wish I could’ve told my younger self this. Now I’m a single digit cap

Tip #6 - MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS, stop trying to hit like pros on TV with big powerful swings. YOU'RE NOT A PRO! You only need about 70% swing effort to make bogey golf and break 90. Hit for accuracy, not distance. Swing to just above waist height, not up to the top. If you can get lag and compression with proper wrist hinge then you'll be doing better than 70% of the average players, even with short swings. Sequence and tempo is everything. SLOW DOWN and hit well, not hard. Tip #7 - STAY OUT OF TROUBLE by not hitting into trouble. No more hero shots onto a green 140 yds away surrounded by bunkers. You're not that good, yet. Hit short of the bunkers to lay up an easy pitch on. When your handicap drops to 15, then you can attempt more ambitious shots. Just because you can "get there" doesn't mean you should. It's very hard to short your swing when you know you can hit longer but you have to take dispersion rate into account and the possibility of landing 30 yrds from target into trouble. Don't do it. The better your accuracy gets in the short game, the more relaxed and confident you'll become to eventually start hitting ambitious shots.

Step 6: Don't have kids.

Too much talking

Step 0: get rich

I’ll save you all 8 minutes. Basically all he suggests is to get lessons and practice. Who knew??