One of the questions I’m asked the most about my handicap drop from 34 to 9 in a year is: “How did you do it?” My answer is always the same: I tracked where I was leaking the most shots (what I call my “low hanging fruit”) and focused my practice on fixing those areas first.
The theory was simple: don’t try to fix everything at once. Instead, go deep on the part of my game that cost me the most before moving on.
As a high handicapper, the leaks were everywhere – 3-putts, bunkers that wrecked my confidence and tee shots that left me scrambling from the start of the hole.
Now as a single-figure golfer grinding to get lower, the approach hasn’t changed but the standards have.
I still look for the shots that cost me on those bogey or worse holes but I also track the missed opportunities, like the birdie chances that weren’t converted or the pars that weren’t saved.
Step 1: Identify The Leaks In Your Game
When I’m playing, I’ll make a note of the shot that cost me. As I prefer to stay off my phone when I’m focused on scoring, I’ll jot shorthand reminders on my scorecard like “Drive – right” or “50y – long.”
I’ll also keep a tally of my putts per hole so I can stay on top of any 3-putts as well as mark any up-and-downs that saved me.
After the round, I transfer my notes to my Shots Lost Scorecard – a simple tool I built to capture where and why I dropped shots and quickly identify the biggest leak in my game. Get a free copy here (scroll to bottom).
Sometimes the leaks are obvious but often they’re the quiet, consistent misses that add up – not the one-off disasters we tend to remember.
That’s the real power of the Scorecard: it forces me to reflect on why I lost shots. Was it execution? Was it my course management? Or was it mental – like rushing because the group behind was pressing or tightening up when I realised I was on for a personal best?
Step 2: Use That Data To Drive Your Practice
Tracking this data is pointless if it doesn’t drive what you work on in your game. That’s why when I’ve spotted a pattern, I’ll dedicate my practice to improving that area.
For example, when I noticed that most of my missed opportunities were happening from inside 100 yards, I knew I needed to dial in my approach shot…
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