The simple seven-step guide for beginners to get down to single-digit handicaps

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Only 10-15 per cent of amateur golfers worldwide hold handicaps of 9.9 or lower.

That goes to show just how difficult it is to become a single-digit handicapper.

However, we have compiled a list of seven golf tips here at the Golfing Gazette to help you find your way inside the top 85th percentile of players the world over.

• Read also: Three things amateur golfers can do to improve their handicap this winter without leaving the house

Antony Martin was a plus-four handicap and played on the professional mini-tour circuit in America, winning three times in total.

With his experience, Antony has put together a seven-step guide for beginners looking to lower their handicaps as quickly as possible.

Seven-step guide for beginners to get down to single-digit handicaps

If you’re just starting out in the game, getting down to a single-digit handicap will certainly not be easy.

However, there are certain things you can do which will greatly enhance your chances of reaching the promised land, so to speak.

Get fitted for your driver, irons, wedges and putter

It doesn’t matter how good you swing the golf club, if your equipment is not fitted to your body size and swing plane, you will have absolutely no chance of succeeding.

Make a visit to the closest golf store to you which is fitted with Trackman technology and purchase a set of golf clubs that are suited to your body.

Your best bet will be to find a store that has a PGA professional on staff who will be able to help provide you with expert advice.

Get the basics right

Grip, stance and setup; it really is as simple as one, two and three. Your grip doesn’t have to be perfect but it MUST be the same every time you hold the golf club. Just choose one that feels most comfortable to you. Your swing will then be built around your grip.

For instance, if you have a strong grip with more than two knuckles showing on your lead hand, your club-face will be closed at the top of the swing, so you will need to rotate your body harder through the ball in order to keep your club-face square, and vice-versa if you have a weak grip.

Once your grip is sorted, you must ensure that your setup is correct. Try and get in an athletic position at address, with your eyes looking directly down to the ball.

Now we come to your stance. Simply lay down some alignment sticks on the range, or a couple of golf clubs, parallel with your feet and the golf ball. Alignment is key. You can hit the ball as well as anyone, but if you’re not lined up correctly, it won’t mean anything.

Finally, once you have sorted your grip and stance, you must ensure that your setup is correct. Try and get in an athletic position at address, with your eyes looking directly down to the ball.

Keep things simple

Find your shot shape and work with it, not against it. If your natural shot is a draw, don’t start trying to hit fades, just embrace it. The only thing you should try to do is refine your shot shape.

For example, if your ‘draw’ is getting dangerously close to becoming a hook, then you need to reach a stage where you become more aware of where your club-face is as you move through the downswing and on into the impact position.

The only way to do this is through continual practice, although some lessons with your local PGA qualified professional will help you on your way.

Learn your carry distances

You have to learn how far you carry each and every club through the air.

When I say that, I mean your average carry distance; not your best possible strikes. Hit 10 balls with each iron in your bag and all of your woods and wedges.

Calculate the average carry distance via Trackman technology and go from there.

If you’re trying to get down to single-digits, you won’t be perfectly striking shots more than 20 per cent of the time, so averaging out your distances is the best way to do it.

Once you have your yardages in place, firstly you will be able to avoid trouble more often, but also hit your approach shots closer to pin-high more regularly.

Practice, practice, practice when it comes to chipping and putting

Becoming a solid chipper and putter can bail you out of all sorts of problems.

Your putter can be a great equalizer and the more you practice, the more confidence you will gain on the greens.

Your best bet is to try and become more consistent, and two specific drills should help you do just that.

Firstly you need to practice as hard as you can from three-feet away from the hole. Find a straight putt, a left to right breaking putt and a right to left breaker, then place four tees in a circle around the cup.

Putt as many balls around the circle from this distance as you can, and the mere sight of the ball hitting the back of the cup and dropping will increase your confidence.

Next up, you need to work on your distance control from 40 feet or more. Amateur golfers three-putt far too often and you cannot afford to give away strokes that easily, if you’re going to get down to a nine-handicap or below.

The best drill for this is to place four balls at 10-foot intervals from the hole. Then hit 10 putts from each distance, moving further away each time. By doing this, you will quickly learn the feel required for the longer putts and how much longer your stroke needs to be each time as the putts become 10 feet longer.

Remember, it’s the length of stroke that needs to change as the putt gets longer, not the power with which you hit the putt. Keeping the rhythm and tempo the same, while simply lengthening or shortening your stroke depending on the length of the putt is a far better way of achieving more consistent results.

Take your medicine and cut out silly mistakes

If you do find yourself in bad situations on the golf course, there really is no point in attempting the hero shot.

Taking on the next-to-impossible can result in double bogeys, triple bogeys or worse, and there is no chance of getting down to single-digits if you continue to make so many card-wrecking scores.

Remember, you don’t need to par every hole to get down to a nine-handicap. Bogeys are fine, it’s the doubles and triples that will kill your hopes of shooting 80 or less in a flash.

Course management

This is arguably the most crucial attribute to have if you are to reach single-digits.

This tip is closely tied to getting to know your distances. Once you have your carry yardages set in stone, you can then avoid as much trouble as possible out on the golf course.

If you’re serious about improving, you will need to purchase some kind of yardage measurement device, like a Bushnell.

If one of those is out of your budget, you can purchase a simple yardage book at the golf course you’re playing on that specific day.

Find out how far it is to reach the trouble on each hole you play, and choose a club that will give you the best chance of avoiding said trouble, both off the tee and from the fairway.

This will take some time to get used to but once you do, it will become second nature to you.

Nobody ever said golf was easy. In fact, it is one of the most difficult games to perfect, if not the most difficult.

However, you can give yourself the best opportunity possible by doing the simple things correctly. By following our seven-step guide, then who knows, you might just be able to break the 10-handicap barrier at some point in the future.