6 Things Most Single-Figure Handicappers DON'T Do

If you're looking to lower your index or break 80 for the first time, it's good to know what single figure handicappers do to help you achieve your goals, but it's also good to know the things you need to avoid.

Single figure players are in the top 18% of golfers according to England Golf so they do a lot of good things, but they also know the bad things they need to stay clear of to keep their scores down.

So, what do most single figure handicappers not do? Here we list 6 things, and comment below what we've missed...

Blow-out holes

Single-figure players will always have blow-out holes, but far fewer than higher handicappers.

Triple bogeys and straight-up blow-out holes are a disaster if you're trying to break 80 and put a good score together, and single figure digit golfers tend to be good at limiting their mistakes by rarely making worse than a double.

If you want to shoot lower scores, limit your double bogeys and worse instead of trying to chase more birdies.

Follow one mistake with another

One way single figure players limit big numbers is to realise they've hit a poor shot or made an error and make up for it with either a smart decision or a good swing to follow it up.

The world's best golfers almost never compound a mistake, and it's certainly something that single figure players can be good at when playing well.

If they hit a wayward drive, they'll likely get themselves back in play for their next shot, or if they duff a bunker shot they'll almost always get it out on the next attempt.

Get stuck in the trees

Sticking with the themes of mistakes, you'll very rarely see a single figure golfer take more than one stroke to get out of the trees.

This is something you'll regularly see higher handicappers do, where they're prone to hitting another tree and be forced to duck for cover as their ball ricochets back past them deeper into the trouble.

Perhaps single figure golfers have been playing longer so they know from experience that once you put yourself in the trees it is not worth biting off more than you can chew.

Yes, you can get it through that small gap...but only once or twice from ten efforts. Take your medicine, pull out a 7-iron and punch it out sideways back to safety.

Struggle with a slice

A sliced drive is a shot that plagues a large number of higher handicappers, and it's likely a shot that most players struggled with when they started the game - but single figure golfers, on the most part, have figured it out.

They might still have a pronounced fade and lose the odd tee shot to the right on occasions, but by understanding the golf swing and swing path (i.e. not cutting across the ball), working on technique with training aids and having custom fit clubs, they manage to hit a much straighter ball than higher handicap players.

Use random golf balls

When you look into a single figure golfer's bag, you might see some slim, cavity back irons, a few different brands throughout and a beat-up putter with a grip that looks like it has seen better days (usually a sign of someone who holes a lot of putts).

But you'll also likely find multiple sleeves of the same model of golf ball. Using the same golf ball every time you play is a simple but effective way to shooting lower scores, as you know how far it travels, how much it spins and how it reacts into the green.

They'll often be one of the best three-to-five piece premium golf balls which gives them good distance off the tee and ample control on their approach shots.

Higher handicappers tend to have a ball pocket filled with models from multiple brands with vastly different profiles they've found in the bushes and rough, which makes their games less precise as they realistically can't predict exactly how far their shots will travel or what the ball will do once it has landed on the green.

Lose golf balls

Single figure handicappers probably can afford to spend more on, and think more about, their golf ball choice due to not losing as many.

It is a real trophy and cause for celebration for a higher handicap player when they complete a round with the same ball they started with, but this happens a lot for single figure players on most 'regular' courses where there's only one or two lakes or ditches.

They do this by being far more accurate off the tee as well as having better course management, by taking a hybrid off the tee on dangerous holes or laying back of danger when faced with trouble.

Don't get me wrong, single figure players still lose their fair share of balls from time-to-time, but I would be certain it is far less than an 18-handicapper who is more wild off the tee and goes for the hero shot more often.

What else do single figure handicappers not do? Let me know in the comment section below...