10 Ways to Lower Your Handicap in 2020

Depending on your part of the world, you'll be getting ready to dive into another great season of golf, or you're already grinding away trying to make 2020 your best golfing year yet.

To help you on your way to golf-improvement we've pulled together a list of standout ways you can lower your handicap this year. If you follow this advice with plenty of drive and determination, you'll be in great shape to become the best version of yourself on the golf course.

Nail Down Your Fundamentals

Many poor golf shots can be routed back to what happens before the golfer starts their golf swing. Get your posture and stance ingrained, work on finding the perfect grip, make sure your alignment is correct and get the ball in the correct position for each club.

Practice Smarter at the Range

We've all seen that guy who 'machine-guns' a bucket of golf balls at the driving range with absolutely no plan of action. Heck, many of us have probably been that guy at some time or other.

We all have busy lives, so making the most of the time when you're at the range is critical. Start structuring your practice and set yourself goals while focusing on the different areas of your golf game.

Level-Up Your Short Game

A sure-fire way to get those scores tumbling is to spend plenty of time on the short-play area of your local practice facility.

Whether it be a lofted chip, a bump and run, or maybe even a flop shot, having a varied arsenal when you're around the greens is essential when you're aiming to reduce your handicap.

Get Fitted for New Golf Clubs

If you're in the market for a new set of clubs, the likelihood is that getting fitted with a trained professional will ensure you're paired with a set of golf clubs that best suit your game.

Clubs fitted to you and your swing will help optimise ball flight leading to more overall distance with likely accuracy gains also.

Don't Neglect Your Putting

You've heard the saying 'drive for show and putt for dough' so when you're working on your short game, remember to dedicate some real practice to your putting.

Find drills to work on those pesky knee-knockers, improve your distance control to avoid three-putts, and level-up your green-reading ability to help with those slippery putts.

Work on Your Golf Fitness

To get the most from your golf game, and to ensure you minimise the chance of a niggling injury which keeps you off the golf course, you need to work on your golfing fitness.

Better fitness will significantly help with the key components of a reliable, repeatable golf swing: stability, power, balance, and coordination.

Improve Your Mental Game

When our golf round isn't going the way we hope, it's very easy to become entangled by self-doubt and clouded judgement on the golf course. Throw in a little bit of anger and, before long, you have the recipe for a disastrous round of golf.

If you're going to lower your handicap in 2020, you'll need to get better control of your emotions and learn to live by the old saying... 'the most important shot in golf is the next one.'

Manage Expectations and 'Chill Out'

As a past-time, golf has the potential for being one of the most relaxing sports we can play. Trouble is, many golfers arrive at the golf course with lofty expectations and all it takes is one bad swing for the muscles to tighten and that free swing to all but disappear.

As far as possible, rid yourself of preconceived ideas of how your round 'should' go and you may be surprised with the outcome.

Hit the Shot You Can

Premier sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella once said "hit the shot you know you can, not the one you think you should". If you're a high-handicapper aiming to break 100 - should you really be pulling out the big dog on every par-4?

Exercising restraint and playing to your strengths will help you post lower scores and drive that handicap southwards.

Upgrade Your Hole19 Experience

One great way to use your days away from the golf course is to review your recent golf performance and put together a practice plan to help improve on your areas of weakness. The three packages available via Hole19 Premium will help you become the best version of yourself with a powerful set of advanced features.

Gain a better understanding of your game and watch those scores tumble by joining Hole19 FREE today. Simply click your iOS or Android button below. You can also learn more about the game-enhancing benefits of Hole19 Premium.