Five incredibly easy things golfers can do to get their handicaps down quickly

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It is actually possible for amateur golfers to lower their handicaps just by making some really simple changes.

Golf is a difficult sport but often, amateurs make the game far more complicated than it needs to be.

All amateur golfers can get down to single-digit handicaps if they put plenty of hard work and time into practicing.

Now, with his plethora of knowledge accrued through playing the professional mini-tour circuit in America, Antony Martin has compiled a list of five easy changes amateur golfers can make to improve their games.

• Read also: The three big mistakes amateurs often make when trying to get their handicap down

There are plenty of easily accessible golf tips and pieces of advice out there for all of us to take on board.

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However, the fact is that, sometimes, those tips are simply too difficult to put into practice for amateurs who don’t actually have that much spare time.

So forget all the noise about how hard it is to lower your handicap.

Golf is actually a simple game in essence, so why overcomplicate matters?

Five incredibly easy things golfers can do to get their handicaps down quickly

Let’s take a look at numerous little changes every golfer can make in order to take their games to new levels entirely.

Buy alignments sticks

The most important part of playing good golf consistently is your setup.

Your swing can be perfect, but if you can’t align yourself to the target correctly it will be totally useless to you.

By practicing with alignment sticks, you will be able to train your brain into lining up correctly to the target.

This will make a huge difference for the vast majority of amateur golfers when they actually go out on the golf course.

Throw away your mid-long irons and replace them with hybrids

Any club from a 5-iron and above should be taken out of your bag. The longer irons are just too difficult to hit for amateur golfers.

Getting the ball airborne requires plenty of speed, which most amateurs simply don’t have.

Put a hybrid in your bag and watch your game instantly improve. They are specifically designed to get the ball up in the air quicker and are far more receptive to off-center strikes.

Ditch the 60 degree wedge

The 60 degree wedge causes far too many problems for mid-high handicappers. It’s time to get rid of the lob wedge.

The sharp edge of the lob wedge makes chunking or blading the ball a common outcome for amateurs.

Stick to 56 degrees as your highest loft and you’ll be just fine.

Simple changes equal lower handicaps

In order to get better, amateur golfers obviously cannot continue to do the same things they’ve been doing throughout their golf careers.

Let’s take a look at two more small, yet very significant, changes you can all make…

Purchase a laser measurement device

This may prove to be fairly costly, but it’s the best long-term investment you will make as a golfer.

Laser measurement devices also represent the easiest and most simple way to improve your game.

Knowing exactly how far hazards lie away from you in the fairway or around greens gives you the opportunity to avoid them just by changing what club you hit.

Put a mallet-shaped putter in your bag

Numerous PGA Tour players have made the same move over the past couple of years, including the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Scottie Scheffler.

Blade putters require far too much precision in order to roll the ball consistently well.

Meanwhile, mallet putters are designed for minimal face rotation and a straight back and straight through stroke.

Your consistency on the greens will improve simply by swapping the model of putter you’re using.

Follow those five extremely simple steps in order to improve your golf game and subsequently lower your handicap.

By making some smart decisions, perhaps you will enjoy playing much more in 2026 and beyond.