Arccos Ambassador Tips To Help Lower Your Scores

Golfers know that getting better is as much about playing smarter as it is about playing better. If you’re chasing a lower handicap, your focus may need a bit of a shift—whether you’re moving from a 20 to a 15, a 15 to a 10, or breaking through to scratch. To help guide you through that journey, Arccos Ambassadors; Trillium Rose, Ryan Crysler, and Andrew Rice have shared key insights to get you there faster. So, let’s dig in by handicap level and reveal the secrets to shooting lower scores.

Trillium Rose’s tips the 15-20 Handicaps: 

Find consistency and put your best foot forward. As a 15 to 20 handicap golfer, you’re on the edge of hitting more fairways and greens, but there’s still room to boost your accuracy. Here’s what Trillium Rose says will make the biggest difference:

1. Think Offense and Defense
1. Consider your long game as your offense—setting up the fairway shots that will help you reach greens in regulation. In golf, a balanced game is the best offense and defense!
2. Get a repeatable feel: 
1. Find that rhythm in your warm-up. Whether it's a smooth swing or solid tempo, dialing in a consistent, repeatable swing can make a big difference.
3.  Visualize Success—Broadly
1. Visualize aiming for a target that feels more approachable—like a house instead of a flag! Picture hitting the broadside of the house rather than the pin. You’d be surprised how hitting a larger “target” helps ease pressure and get you closer to the hole.
4. Use Arccos for club selection and avoid overthinking each swing. 
1. The data-backed recommendations allow you to focus on committing to your shot.

The goal at this stage is consistency. You don’t have to be perfect—just keep your focus broad, your shots controlled, and let the insights guide your next move.

Ryan Crysler’s tips the 10-15 Handicaps: 

Now that you’re knocking on single digits, the pressure to “be consistent” is real—but as Ryan Crysler wisely points out, what you really need is to be adaptable. Each shot will bring something new on the course, so the trick is learning to work with what you have that day.

1. Embrace Adaptability Over Consistency
1. On the course, no two shots are identical. Challenge yourself during practice with what Ryan calls a “10-ball drill”—hitting shots with each club to different targets to test how well you can adjust. Take notes on where you succeed to build confidence with different yardages and clubs.
2. Try a fun challenge on the range with a buddy, like who can land closest to a target. These “game-like” practices will get you primed for adapting mid-round when conditions change.
2. Expand Your Horizons—Literally
1. A great way to improve accuracy on approach shots is to aim high—look for tree tops, clouds, or another elevated spot behind the pin to keep you focused on the line rather than the exact distance
2. Focus on the top half of the flag as you get closer. Many shots fall short, and that little mental trick will help you extend your reach.

At this stage, embrace being a reactive player—when you learn to adapt, you’ll start to feel like you have the course under control instead of the other way around. Keep track of your stats and improvement by watching the trends on the Arccos App. 

Andrew Rice’s tips the 0-5 Handicaps:

This is the pinnacle—where every shot counts, and even small improvements have a huge impact on your scorecard. Andrew Rice has some razor-sharp advice to help you cut those final few strokes.

1. Precision and planning
1. Improve the quality of your strike: Use clubface spray to check your impact point on the face during each warm-up. Control the low point of your swing so that you’re making ball-first contact.
2. Know your dispersion patterns, and don’t “hero” shots. Keep an honest track of your dispersion and hit more greens by aiming center instead of pin-seeking every time.
2. Prioritize hitting more greens
1. To get more GIRs, Andrew suggests “settling” for the middle of the green. Tour players do it all the time because it works—and that’s why they score.
3. Use Arccos to track distances accurately. Many golfers tend to overestimate their distances, so it’s crucial to have the most accurate numbers in your arsenal. Even a small miscalculation can lead to overhits and missed greens.

The margins here are super fine. It’s not about being flashy; it’s about being smarter and reducing errors as you bring those numbers down.

Ready to Start? Track Your Own Improvement

Let’s face it—the path to lowering your handicap is about the small wins. It’s not about perfect shots every time; it’s about smarter decisions and finding your strengths and tendencies. And remember, Arccos is your data-driven partner on this journey, with insights and recommendations for every level, every swing, and every challenge on the course.

Now grab your clubs, fire up Arccos, and put these tips into practice. Each smart swing is a step closer to your next milestone!