Our Handicap Is A 'Lag Indicator' - It's Just A Byproduct... Why I've Stopped Chasing A Cut, And The Simple Game Plan To Try Instead

So what’s the handicap goal for this year then? It’s easily the question I’m asked most.

After setting an ambitious goal to go from 34 to 9 in a year, the curiosity is understandable. But my answer now tends to surprise people: I don’t have one.

That isn’t because I’ve lost my drive to improve – quite the opposite. I’m still obsessed with getting better. It’s because the way I measure my progress has changed.

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That year of dropping 25 shots taught me a key lesson about goals – where they motivate us and where they fall short.

The Problem With The Number

Our handicap is a "lag indicator" – it’s an outcome, a byproduct. With it being built on the average of our best eight rounds, our performance around those can feel like a rollercoaster.

I’ve realised that when we become overly focused on our index, two things usually happen:

If we’re on track for a cracking round, the pressure builds. We stop playing like we were and start overthinking what this means, which almost always leads to a wobble.

If we realise a handicap-dropping score is out of reach, we mentally check out, abandoning a round that could still offer some positives.

That’s why I’m no longer chasing a handicap. Instead, I’m chasing score and round goals.

Making The Shift

During my sprint to single figures, I lived with an overwhelming sense of never doing enough. My sights were so firmly set on the destination that I brushed over the breakthroughs along the way. Going from 20s to the teens or from 15 to 12 didn't feel like a victory – it just felt like I wasn't at 9 yet.

Even now, when people suggest "scratch?" with a smile when they ask about my goals, I can feel the mountain growing between my current 5.4 handicap and that distant peak.

That’s why my mindset has shifted. I’m no longer rushing to scratch. Instead, I’m focused on shrinking my scoring window, like shooting in the 70s more consistently. I want my “bad” rounds to get better and the gap between my best and worst to be less extreme.

Within that, I’m setting mini quests. These are the round goals, like no three-putts, committing to every shot or birdieing more par 5s.

They give me something to play for even when my score might be slipping. And keep my focus sharp as I plot my way around.

Why This Works

Breaking my goals down like this gives me immediate feedback. I’ve got something specific to measure in my rounds. And whether I’m coming up shy of my scoring window or sitting within it but not quite hitting my round goals, I can look for where the “leaks” are.

Here are three specific ways it helps me:

1. Closing the gap

If my goal is to break 80 and I shoot an 82, I don't look at it as a failure as such, I look at it as data. Where did I leak those three shots? Was it missing greens, not getting my wedges close enough or a couple of tee shots that left me chipping out?

By identifying where I’m dropping those shots, I can dig into why and focus my practice on plugging those leaks.

2. Saving the "bad" rounds

This is where the mini quests come into their own. When my scorecard isn’t going as hoped, I can still "win" against my round goals, like keeping three-putts off the card or grinding out those up-and-downs. This keeps my mental game sharp.

Plus, the more I achieve these small goals, the more the bigger goals will take care of themselves.

3. Driving the plan

This is the bridge. When data drives your practice, you invest your time on the parts of your game that will have the biggest impact on your score. If you know you’re leaking shots from 100 yards, that’s where you spend your next session.

The feedback loop tightens and that is where improvement truly compounds.

The Bonus Benefit

Every time your handicap drops, a strange thing happens: the new number starts to feel like a burden. Imposter syndrome sets in and you worry that the rounds that got you there were just flukes.

But when your focus is on shrinking your scoring window, that pressure softens. You aren't "trying" to play to a new number – you're already playing that way.

Your handicap is simply a byproduct, finally catching up to the golfer you’ve already become.

Follow Jess’ golf journey on Instagram & TikTok.