In golf, handicapping is a way to tell how great a player is at the game.
Lower handicap players are known for shooting low scores and winning tournaments.
Higher handicap players are typically beginners or those who play the game of golf just for fun.
However, this leaves an entire middle range of players known as the mid handicappers.
If you are wondering what a mid handicapper is and whether or not you fit into this category, we have the answers you need.
What Is a Mid Handicapper?
A mid handicapper is a golfer with a handicap ranging from 11 to 20.
These golfers typically shoot anywhere from 80 to 94.
As a mid handicapper, you will likely have a few bad holes, but the rest of your round will be relatively uneventful.
The mid handicap range makes up the largest percentage of people who play the game.
This is an excellent thing for the mid handicapper because they are able to have access to a ton of equipment.
The mid handicappers are very heavily marketed to, and they have all the access they could need to equipment and solutions to their game.
Golfers who are mid handicappers are usually fine with their scoring, or they are working towards becoming a low handicapper.
What Is a Bogey Golfer?
A bogey golfer is a player who typically scores about one over par on each of the holes.
This usually means that, during the course of each hole, there is a shot that they could have done a bit better.
This could be a drive that ends up in the rough or an approach shot that misses the green.
Regardless, there are many ways to make a bogey on the golf course.
A bogey golfer is typically going to shoot around 88 to 92 depending on the course that they are playing.
The bogey golfer is considered to be a mid handicapper.
Many people think that bogey golf is not all that good.
However, when you look at what the majority of people shoot and the types of shots that they hit, it is not all that easy to be a bogey golfer.
Some golf courses are very long or have difficult greens that are hard to navigate.
You will have to have some skills to become a bogey golfer.
People who have taken their game to this level should not discount the fact that they are a bogey golfer.
Sometimes all it takes to get to the next level is to put more time into your golf game.
The more time you put into golf, the better you are going to get.
It is a game that is almost always impacted by the time you spend playing and practicing.
How Does a Mid Handicapper Become a Low Handicapper?
If you are a mid handicapper on your way to becoming a low handicapper, there are some tricks and tips that you should learn to make this process more attainable.
Players who have done it will tell you that this process is involved and takes more than just hitting the golf ball further.
Here are some ways you can take your mid handicap game and turn it into a low handicap game.
1. Practice More
Being a low handicap golfer takes some time.
You will have to have played the game of golf for a while, and you will have to put in time on the driving range as well.
The more time you can practice your swing and learn how to become more consistent, the better the chance you have of lowering your scores.
Low handicappers tend to know where their misses will go.
They may hit some bad shots, but the shots will typically go one way.
There is more predictability in what the players can shoot because they have put the time in, and they know what to expect.
For instance, if you ask a lower handicap player what their miss is, they will be able to give you a quick and simple answer.
If you ask a mid handicapper or high handicapper, they may say that their miss depends on the day of the week.
This kind of inconsistency and unpredictability is what makes it hard for the mid to high handicappers to shoot lower scores.
2. Mental Game
When you get better at golf, the mental game is going to become more and more important.
Without the proper thoughts in your mind, you are going to have a hard time scoring low.
You must be confident in your abilities, and you must be able to plan where your shots are going to go and what makes the most sense when playing a hole.
Part of the mental game also includes course management.
Making sure you aren’t hitting shots with very low percentages of being successful is key.
Mid handicappers will attempt shots on the golf course that they know will take a small miracle to work out.
The lower handicapper typically hits shots that they have practiced and they know they are going to be able to pull off with a great chance of success.
The mental game of golf is challenging, and it takes a long time to understand and master.
However, if you want to move from a mid handicapper to a low handicapper, you will need to learn to work on your mental game.
3. Proper Equipment
Golfers who want to be low handicap players need to play with equipment that is properly fitted to their game.
The equipment does not need to be high-end or brand-new equipment, but it does need to be capable of helping players score low and give them more workability in their shots.
The workability of a golf shot means that you can hit shots that fade or draw on demand.
As a mid handicapper, most of the shots that you hit will not be entirely as intentional.
The equipment for mid handicapper is meant to be very forgiving and will correct most of these bad shots so that they don’t cost a player more strokes.
Although this game improvement equipment is helpful, it does not allow players to work the ball the way that they need to.
The proper golf equipment can get a bit expensive.
It can make sense to purchase this equipment in pieces and add a new piece to your set each year that will help you become more successful.
4. Golf Lessons
Sometimes, to take your game from the high or mid-handicap level to the low handicap level is going to take a few golf lessons.
You will have to spend time working with a golf professional to learn what is wrong with your game.
If you don’t have goals to help, you start to become a better ball striker, and it gets challenging to lower your handicap.
All golfers should have goals in their game and be trying to improve their overall performance.
You don’t need to take golf lessons every week to get better.
In fact, it may be better to take a lesson once a month and work on making real changes in your game between lessons.
When you go back to the professional, you can check on your progress and see how far you have come.
5. Short Game
The mid handicap players may be good at chipping or putting, but to have everything working together in one day can be difficult.
With the lower handicap golfer, the short game has to be a strength of the game.
Players need to be able to hit chips and putts that will help save their score and keep them in their scoring range even after a bad shot.
The short game is the best place to start making a significant difference in your scoring ability.
Start practicing making ten-foot putts and getting up and down from all different locations.
To be a low handicapper, it is not good enough to chip on a green and make two putts.
You must be able to get on the green and make one putt.
Conclusion
Mid handicappers are in a good position.
They can use their scoring ability to build off of it and become a low handicapper rather easily.
Mid handicappers can also take advantage of some of the best equipment on the market.
Playing a round of golf as a mid handicapper is just competitive enough to make the game fun and keep you coming back.
Leave a Reply