7 Things I Did NOT Do to Become a Scratch Golfer

What if I told you that becoming a scratch golfer is easier than you might think?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lofty goal, but more achievable than you might think. As Golf Monthly said, “Scratch players are in the top 1% of all amateur golfers.”

I’m Michael Leonard, a golf writer, mental golf coach, and +2 handicap. Today I’ll share 7 things I did NOT do in my quest to scratch golf.

7 Scratch Golf Secrets 

Having a goal to be a scratch golfer is awesome. But it doesn’t mean doing more, sometimes it’s about avoiding the most common mistakes.

Avoid these seven mistakes so you can speed up your quest to scratch golf sooner rather than later. 

1. Don’t Neglect Short Game

The first thing I didn’t do to become a scratch golfer is to neglect my short game.

If you want to be a scratch golfer, you cannot neglect your short game. 

Golf Monthly and Arccos data found that scratch golfers only hit about 56% of greens in regulation. 

While professional golfers only hit about 67% - needless to say, no matter how good you get, you must dial in your short game.

Make it a priority in practice to spend ⅔ of your practice time inside 100 yards. 

2. Don’t Avoid Practice 

The second thing I didn’t do is neglect overall practice.

If you want to be good at anything - golf or life - you must put in the work. I have spent countless hours at the range, short game area, and putting green.

However, a longer practice session doesn’t always mean a better practice session. Focus on having a plan to work on your weakness and spend your time intentionally. 

3. Don’t Overcomplicate Your Swing

The third I didn’t do to become a scratch golfer is over complicate my swing

If you never want to be a scratch golfer and always want to struggle, keep watching endless YouTube swing videos. 

I wasted too much time trying to swing like others. The truth is, if you want to play great golf, you must learn to swing your swing and play your game.

Don’t forget, no matter how good you get, your swing is always a work in progress.

4. Don’t Neglect the Mental Game 

The fourth thing I didn’t do is neglect the mental side of the game.  

Golf is such a grind mentally as you’re out there for 4–6 hours, battling the course, weather, and playing partners. If you’re mentally weak, you’ll never reach your true potential.

I like to think of the mental game as a sliding scale. The more skilled you get and the lower scores you shoot, the more important your mental game plays a role. 

Make mental game training a priority if scratch golf is your goal. 

Some of my favorite mental hacks include developing a pre-shot routine, having a dedicated golf journal to document your wins/learning moments, swing thoughts, and a way to brain dump your thoughts before rounds. These mental golf books will help your mindset too. 

Also, don’t forget to learn more about Mental Golf Type too. 

5. Stop Worrying About the Opinion of Others 

The fifth thing I didn’t do on my quest to scratch golf is worry about the opinion of other golfers.

Okay, just kidding, I totally made this mistake but want to help you avoid it. One of the biggest mistakes I made (and most golfers make) is worrying about the opinion of others… especially if you’re working on a swing change. 

Here’s a good example, next time you’re at the driving range, watch a golfer hit a bad shot and notice how quickly they reload to hit a better one. 

The truth is - just like in life - you cannot worry about the opinion of others. Everyone who’s a scratch golfer already understands that it’s a process and filled with lots of ups/downs. 

6. Don’t Ignore Course Management

The six thing I didn’t do is ignore the importance of course management. 

An extension of the mental game is course management - learning to think your way around the golf course. If you’re serious about becoming a scratch golfer, you need to learn how to think your way around the golf course. 

One of the best programs I’ve ever used is Decade Golf - created by Scott Fawcett. This system makes it wicked easy to learn how to make better decisions and save shots from tee to green. This is the same system that is used by top amateurs, college teams, and professionals such as Bryson DeChambeau, Will Zalatoris, and countless others.

Use the code “Wickedsmart” to save 20% on Decade Golf subscription. And don’t forget to read more about seven course management tips next. 

7. Stop Trying to Shoot 72 or Better 

The final thing I didn’t do on my quest to scratch golf is try to shoot 72 or better.

Please stop setting score goals. 

First off, becoming a scratch golfer does not mean you will average 72 every round. Don’t forget, handicap is potential scoring and not an average of your rounds. 

In reality, most scratch golfers will shoot a few over par most rounds. Some might sneak in below par and some might get into the 80s depending on the course rating, tee played, and a variety of other factors. 

The point is - whether you want to break 90, 80, or become a scratch golfer, you should never set score goals. This puts too much pressure on yourself and only makes things more difficult.

Instead, you should have one goal for every round - stick to your pre-shot routine. There is not a lot you can control during the round, but a routine is one of them. Not to mention, it’s the only thing I can find that all good players have in common. 

Develop and stick to your routine as often as possible so you can get your mind and body ready 

for every shot you’ll face on the course. 

Closing Thoughts 

As I mentioned in tip #4, the mental game is vitally important to playing your best golf. To improve your mindset, make sure to download The Mental Golf Playbook - my FREE guide to helping you improve your mindset with seven proven strategies that I share with my mental golf coaching students. 

Or, if you want customized advice to fit your game and improve fast, learn more about mental golf coaching.