What I like more than anything else is having a card in my hand. ‘Start round’ on the app – what a wonderful feeling. I can be six-over after three holes (I often am), but I’ve never found myself wishing I hadn’t started a card.<\/p>\n
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Even after a poor start, you can claw it back with a good run of scoring. Forget the actual competition – this is your own personal battle. As far as I’m concerned, nothing beats it, not even taking cash off your playing partners (OK, maybe that).<\/p>\n
So, I’ve got into the habit of putting a card in<\/a> every time I play. It doesn’t make me play slow, ignore my playing partners, or become totally self-absorbed; it just gives me a focus and that extra something to play for.<\/p>\n When it comes to handicaps, this is a hotly debated topic. Should you always put a card in when you play? How often should you have to put a card in? Do some golfers use general play cards to bump their handicaps up or down? So many questions. It’s difficult to satisfy everyone and keep things fair.<\/p>\n For me, I think it’s time to stop putting cards in.<\/p>\n Recently, a playing partner said to me – and he was being totally serious – “You need to take some time away from the course, mate, that hook is killing you.”<\/p>\n He’s right – it is, and it got me thinking, at what point should you stop playing in competitions, stop putting in cards, stop accepting invites to play, and generally just stop setting foot on a golf course?<\/p>\n “What you need to do is go to the range with a 7-iron and just try to hit some fades<\/a>,” explained my friend. “Until you can do that, your handicap is only going to go in one direction.”<\/p>\n It has been. Seven to eight, to nine, to 10… it’s climbing rapidly, as are the number of ‘picked up’ entries on my scorecards that now mostly start with a 9. So, maybe it is time to stop putting in cards.<\/p>\n It’s not my handicap increasing per se that concerns me – more that when I do figure out my vicious right-to-left shape, it won’t be very accurate. The last thing anyone wants is to be called is a handicap bandit<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n The duck hook has been responsible for some very big numbers <\/p>\n (Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n Most golfers go through a bad period of form. However, when it’s something mild like a slight push or the occasional duffed chip, it’s unlikely to impact your handicap too severely.<\/p>\n As for the duck hooks, there can’t be many shots quite so destructive, except maybe for the shanks (had those, too). Even with chipping or putting yips<\/a>, golfers end up finishing the hole.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/HieAxiPZdJfQaJ9NRGx83o.png\")
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