Is this the way to LOWER handicaps?

 I'm learning, as I continue this golf journey of mine, that getting to the lower echelon of golf handicaps, is bloody difficult. 

In summary, I started golf in 2021. And went from a 21 handicap to a 15 handicap without much effort. The occasional range session here or there, but that was about it. 

In 2022, I hovered around 15 and dropped to 12. Also without much thinking. 

Last year, I started to really try harder, I bought myself a good set of wedges, focused on short game and began shooting in the low 80s and even broke 80 a couple of times. 

Now, I sit on a 8.3 handicap, and I know that it is only mid-February. But I am finding it increasingly harder to move the needle. Ideally, I need to be breaking 80 most times. Shooting a 78 or 79 should be an 'average' round. And I should be shooting 75 maybe once or twice this year. However, that means that I need to move closer to 'par golf.' And I don't really know how to switch to this mindset. 

I know that I am athletic, I know that I have natural hand-eye coordination. I know that I have the strong mindset needed. I know that I have the determination. I just need the results to follow. 

Hence, I find myself here, journaling about my golf journey. The plan is to be conscious about what I am doing. I continue to work hard, but not mindlessly going about my practice. The more time that I can spend being mindful of what it is that I am actually working on, the better. Do I want the whole world to read this blog. No. Do I care if no-one other than my mother reads this, also no. However, the point of the exercise is to actually sit down, once a week, and write about my golf. What it is that I am working on, what I learnt that week. If I played, what did I shoot and what can I take away from that round. 

So if by some chance you are reading this. Welcome to my golfing journey. I hope I can keep you entertained. 

Some of my basic goals - just so that you know and can keep track (mainly so that I know and that I can keep track - not sure why I'm acting like 100 000 people are reading this right now). 

I want to get my handicap down to a 4. A 4,9 will do. But a 4 nonetheless. I am currently at 8,3 at the time of writing. 

I know that to reach the proverbial handicap of 4,9 I probably need to shoot a few rounds that are about 6 or 7 over par. Therefore, 77-79 scores are needed. My most recent round was a 82 at my home club. So I feel like those scores are not a million miles away. However, I still need to find another 5 shots. Which gets difficult. 

In the long run I want to give myself a shot at making my provincial team and playing in some mini-tour events. I would need to be lower than a 3 handicap for both of those dreams to come true. This year, I want to play in the Mpumalanga Open and make the cut after two rounds. I would also like to make a top 10 in one of the 'Opens' that I plan on playing this year. My goals are lofty, but they are what they are. I believe in myself. 

I think I should save some more information for my next blog, but for now. Good luck to me. It is a Wednesday, and looking forward at the upcoming weekend, I can see temperatures of 33 and 34 degrees. So I really want to play, but I'm not sure I will get the chance to.