Golf Tips, Golf Lessons and Golf Instruction- Guide On How To Break 80

Most players who take golf lessons from me don't have an official golf handicap. That comes as no surprise to me since most recreational golfers don't have a golf handicap anyways. Of the more than 26 million golfers in the United States (adults who played at least one round of golf during a season), less than 20 percent have a handicap, according to statistics provided by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 2003. And that's just the U.S.

Reasons exist for not having a golf handicap vary. Some players feel they're not good enough to have one. Others feel that having one is pretentious. Then there are those who feel that going through the effort to get one is just too much trouble or are intimidated by the paperwork involved. Despite how these golfers feel, the benefits of having a handicap far outweigh the reasons not to have one.

A Golf Handicap Defined
A golf handicap measures a player's potential ability to achieve a certain score compared to an expert-amateur's ability to do the same. Defined by a number, a handicap allows golfer's to compete on an equal basis, which is great when playing in tournaments or other golf venues.

The key, of course, is that a handicap creates a level playing field, so players of unequal ability can play at the same course on equal footing, making the match fairer and the game more enjoyable. Nothing in golf, however, says you must have one to play. Golfers who don't have one violate no rule of the game.

Reasons For A Handicap
One reason to get a golf handicap is that it lends credibility to your ability level and to your status as golfer. A legitimate handicap also helps you make matches with your friends and playing partners fair, and eliminates guesswork when allocating strokes and awkwardness when playing in tournaments. Most state, regional, and national competitions require a golf handicap to enter.

But one of the biggest reasons for having a handicap�and the reason I encourage players who attend my golf instruction sessions to get a handicap�is that it can help improve your game. By posting your scores�whether by using an online tool or submitting them to someone in person�you'll have a highly effective tool for tracking your improvement and spotting playing trends. You'll also have a goal to shoot for as you work on your game.

For example, let's say you decide to improve your short game. If over the course of a year or so and after dozens of practice sessions, you see your handicap dropping you know you are on the right practice track. If you don't see it dropping, either you're not putting in enough practice, practicing correctly, or working on the right thing. You can then make changes to and see how that works.

How To Get A Handicap
Most players who join a private country club are automatically put on the handicap roster. But players who are not members of a country club must initiate the effort. The most likely�but not the only�way of doing that is through a sanctioned golf organization, like the USGA.

The USGA, for instance, calculates a handicap using a fairly complex formula that's applied to the 10 best of a golfer's last 20 rounds. Getting a USGA handicap requires membership in a club. But it can be a friendly golf group at your local public course or your own ad-hoc assemblage of 10 golfers, which would form a "club without real estate."

There are other ways of obtaining a golf handicap, depending on where you live. Golf Record (http://www.golfrecord.com), a Web site designed to keep track of your scores, provides the tools for you to generate a golf handicap, as does Elite Golf Solutions (http://www.elitegolfsolutions.co.uk), another golf only Web site. Both require registration to join. Meanwhile About.com's Golf section does a fine job of explaining how the handicap is calculated http://golf.about.com/cs/handicapping/a/howcalculated.htm.

What's important is not how you calculate a golf handicap or how you obtain it, but that you get one. It not only helps you improve your game by providing a goal to shoot for, but also provides direction for planning practice programs and basis for boosting your confidence every time you lower it. In addition, a golf handicap will provide some credibility to your playing ability and make it easer to compete in competitions and tournaments.

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.