I’m Stuck In Mid-Handicap Purgatory. Can My 7-Point Checklist Help Me Reach The Single-Figure Promised Land (And Stay There)?

In many ways, I’m the archetypal amateur golfer – capable of good rounds and occasional spells of great golf, but prone to wild slices, tops, thinned iron shots and infuriating three-putts.

I’m also very good at crumbling when I’m playing well. Wherever I am on the course, I know exactly how many Stableford points I have or how many shots over par I am. My brain works it out subconsciously and I haven’t found a way to stop it.

The combination of all the above means my current handicap index is 11.9. I’ve spent almost all of my adult life somewhere between 10 and 18, with occasional stints as a single-figure golfer (just!) over the past couple of years.

However, if I’m honest with myself, I’m not a single-figure golfer. As far as I’m concerned, the World Handicap System is spot on – 12 feels pretty bang on for me at this moment in time.

That said, I do believe I have the potential to play off high single figures as I’m able to shoot rounds in the 70s on my day and my short game and putting are strong. Plus, ever since moving to the TaylorMade SIM2 driver, I’ve been much straighter off the tee.

But If I want to get back to single figures and, crucially, stay there, I know I need to make changes. However, there’s only so much time I can dedicate to golf and I’m not a club member, so, in 2026, I’m focussing on small, achievable goals that I feel will make a tangible difference…

Strategic improvements

I’ve often looked down my nose at strategic changes and dismissed them as boring and pointless. However, if the world’s best golfers don’t aim at every pin, I probably shouldn’t be doing that. I now realise if I want to score better, I have to think smarter.

But what does that mean for me? Well, as someone who has a right miss, I’m going to stop chasing right-hand pins. I’m also going to stop brainlessly whacking driver off every tee and I’m going to play safer on par 5s.

Often, I’m 250 yards from the green and instinctively pull out a 3-wood. Why? I can’t reach and it’s more likely to land me in trouble. If I hit 8-iron, wedge, I’m unlikely to make worse than a par.

Practice instead of pint

Often, I get to the golf course ahead of my tee time with the intention to do some practice, but then someone says “pint”? This year, I’m going to eschew a pre-round drink in favour of five minutes in a net to loosen up, ten minutes of chipping – from different lies – and ten minutes of putting drills.

Mental Game

I need to find a way to forget holes as soon as I’ve played them, whether good or bad. Thinking ‘I’m two-over-par after six, this is going well” isn’t helpful at all.

I’ve heard of a mental technique where you put something in a box in your mind, so as soon as I finish a hole, I’ll put that number in a box, lock it and tuck it away on a shelf. It might not work, but at least I’m trying a new approach.

Putt-reading process

I’m fairly proficient on the greens, which I think has led to me taking some shortcuts. I wander up to my ball, not really paying attention to the topography, take a quick look from behind and fire away.

In 2026, I’m going to be more aware of the green’s slopes and shapes as I approach the ball, as well as looking from behind the hole and both sides. Holing one or two more putts a round will make a significant difference.

Work out my numbers

I’ve been playing golf for 25 years and I’ve never gone to the range with the specific intention of working out how far I hit each club. Of course, I’ve struck enough shots to be in the right ball park, but I’ve never hit ten shots with each club and measured average carry distance and total distance.

That will be my first golf activity of 2026. So many amateurs come up short and overestimate their distances. I’m not going to fall into that trap this year.

Stop missing short and right

Related to the above, I’m going to work on minimising my short misses and, more specifically, my short-right misses. I’d say at least a third of my iron shots miss short and right, so I’m going to take more club and work on getting my belt buckle pointing towards the target in my follow-through.

If it’s 150 yards to the pin, hitting a club that can go 160 or 165 gives you far more margin for error.

Swing thoughts

I’ve been guilty in the past of having a massive checklist in my mind before and during a shot. This year, I’m going to strip things back and focus on one succinct thought before each shot.

Off the tee, it could be ‘hit the bottom right of the ball’ or ‘bump your hip’. On the greens, it could be ‘focus on that spot in the back of the hole’ or ‘roll it over that blade of grass’. Having just one thought can sharpen the mind.