My quest to break 80...

[LeftDaddy]

I just read someone else's post where he shot 79'on like his 5th round ever (rolling my eyes)...just kidding but that does annoy me, considering that I am about 20 years in and still haven't shot 79 or better. Anyway, some of you guys have been helpful with my previous posts on this topic. My handicap is slowly improving (down to 11 now). I've been struggling with several parts of my game post a third knee surgery a little while ago. That said, recently, things have started to come together and I played 4 rounds last week and felt like I would break 80 in each of them (until I didn't). I've been really close before but choked on the 17th tee both times. This last week, none of that happened. I played great golf, especially off the tee. But I just didn't quite make enough putts, or hit some bad chips and pitches. Each time, it was just a few strokes here or there.

 

So for those of you that have finished this journey, what is the key. The last time I posted this, pre-shot routine came up as the big thing I needed to,work on. I have worked on that. I would assess this time that I made some dumb course management mistakes (missed where I can't miss), and am just generally not sharp enough with my short game (even though I usually have a good short game).

 

Any pointers from all of you? I was murdering the ball off the tee all week long. I'm not sure I missed more than a couple of fairways over 4 full rounds. I just didn't score as well as I should. I'm struggling to make solid contaywith my irons for some reason but am mostly able to "manage" that problem by clubbing up or hitting bump and runs, etc.

[birdiefree]

Enjoy the journey and embrace the challenge. Golf is a tough game and even the pros can crumple under pressure. Rory choked away the masters but then went on to blow away the us open.

 

In your case it may not even be a choke though...at an 11 hdcp you're unlikely to play good enough to break 80 even when you're "on".. unless maybe you're talking about a really easy course or playing from the shortest tees . An 11 hdcp means on your best day that you bogey most holes. Yes maybe you can catch lightning in a bottle and get lucky... but that's not how you want to do this and you are setting unrealistic expectations if this is the case.

 

Simply put, you need to get better. Stop worrying about your preshot routine, etc... focus on hitting good shots. One shot at a time. This may mean you need better fundamentals or to fix a flaw in your swing that is holding you back from being more consistent. You should be striping the ball on the range and confident that most of your shots will roughly resemble what your intention is. You also need to get up and down from around the green MOST of the time. And you need to avoid anything worse than bogey at all costs...an 11 hdcp doesn't make enough birdies to offset a double bogey or worse.

 

if you want a game plan, here's what I recommend:

 

1. Focus on hitting good shots. Have a one way miss that is predictable. Don't miss on the wrong side of the green. Also, don't get cute with shots. you're likely not good enough to work the ball or hit specialty shots with any consitency and you're likely to do more harm than good. If you can't hit the shot 9 times of 10 on the range, don't try it on the course.

 

2. Par (or better) all of the par 5s.

 

3. Make it a priority to avoid hazards and OB. You're better off hitting 5 iron and being 50 yards short than hitting your drive into a hazard or OB.

 

4. Avoid hitting into unplayable lies. Similar to above. 50 yards back is better than under a tree.

 

5. you need to get up and down from around the green MOST of the time. You will miss more greens than you hit. Being within 5 yards of the green should be a par most times. Chipping and lag putting are some of the most important skills of playing good golf. You can't be three putting or making bogey when you're just short of the green.

 

6. Nothing worse than bogey. Seriously, make whatever decisions you need to make to avoid it.

 

7. Have reasonable expectations and enjoy the journey to breaking 80. When it happens it will be great. But you have to pay your dues and earn it. Good luck in your journey!

[DJ Aus]

The thing that made the biggest difference for me and getting me to a point that I could consistently break 80 (and eventually par) was working really hard on my short game and short putting which most people will highlight, the other thing that doesn't get much of a thought is taking plenty of club and learning how far you carry each iron. Most hazards are at the front of greens and we all tend to finish short rather than long, I am hole high a lot and if I am short it is often knowingly as I am taking the back of the green out of play.

 

if you are 30ft short you have a 30ft putt plus whatever you are offline (Pythagoras fans can quote numbers :-)) if you are pin high you will only be as far away as you are offline, sounds simple but makes a big difference being able to hit the right sections of greens and taking hazards out of play by having the right carry distance.

[CELTIC]

BirdieFree - I'm going to print that out and tape it to my bag. I'm on the same quest to shoot in consistently in the 80's so I assume the same advice applies. Thanks.

[doublepar93]

I think you are talking about the thread I started on my unexpected 79. I've been playing two years 1-2 times a week so definitely didn't do it my 5th time out. That would've been awesome though. Like others have said/will say, short game short game short game. I had to spend hours at the chipping and putting greens, and I just happened to have one of those days where the driver found the short grass, and my chipping and putting was excellent. I haven't come close to doing it again, but hopefully soon. Don't try too hard while you are out there either, as frustration can be a score killer as well.

[LeftDaddy]

I think you are talking about the thread I started on my unexpected 79. I've been playing two years 1-2 times a week so definitely didn't do it my 5th time out. That would've been awesome though. Like others have said/will say, short game short game short game. I had to spend hours at the chipping and putting greens, and I just happened to have one of those days where the driver found the short grass, and my chipping and putting was excellent. I haven't come close to doing it again, but hopefully soon. Don't try too hard while you are out there either, as frustration can be a score killer as well.

 

Yes, I was being facetious (and being a crotchety old jerk). I'm very happy for you. I've been on the verge of breaking 80 for 3 years now (broke 90 for the first time about 10 years ago). About 2.5 years ago I shot two 82s within a week or so of each other and in both cases had the realization on the 17th tee that if I go par-par I shoot 79. I choked it away both times with a bogey and a double. And in those cases, it was just that...a choke job. I then had knee surgery shortly thereafter and have frankly been struggling to get back to breaking 90 until about 6 months ago. Once I got back into my "rhythm", I've felt like I'm on the verge of not only breaking 80, but I feel very capable of shooting low 70s. I have enough "game" in any of the facets to do it...I just need them all working at the same time.

 

This past week, I shot 4 rounds (81, 83, 83, 85) where my score was the worst it could possibly have been. Like I said earlier, I was murdering my driver and might have missed two fairways in the entire 4 rounds. I did put myself in jail both times though. Anyway, for example, on one of the 83s I couldn't make a putt from any distance to save my life. After that, I was sure that if I just figured out how to make 3-7 footers more frequently I would break 80 any day now. The next day I went out and made putts all over the place (and honestly I putted pretty well for 3 of the 4 rounds). But I still shot 83. In this round, chipping just killed me. I was either short or long all day. But again, I'm normally a really good chipper. In each of these rounds, I've never felt like I felt...I was so confident standing at each tee box that I was going to par or birdie the hole. I knew my drive was going to split the fairway and leave me short irons in, and that was true almost every time. All but one of the par 5s became exceedingly reachable. I was just "on".

 

But, I came away with two conclusions...(1) my irons still need a lot of work...I can be an excellent ball striker, and then I can stink it up like I am doing now. I've just lost my feel for how impact should be. I get it right about every third swing (and of course on the range I'm mostly fine)...I'm managing it by clubbing up and hitting bump and runs, etc, but that is no way to play. And (2), I've stopped practicing chipping and putting for a while now to fix my iron problems, and so I realized I need to get back to it.

 

If I had been sharp with my chipping and putting last week, I would have easily broken 80 each time even with mediocre (at best) iron play. With better-than-average iron play I would have also easily broken 80 all 4 times regardless of my chipping and putting.

 

So I'm really really close. The iron problem isn't unsolvable...I've been a good ballstriker before (and even as close as a month ago was striping it). I've just lost my feel for it consistently...I will get it back. And then of course my driver will go to pot...but hey, that is golf right?

[LeftDaddy]

And to add...thanks BirdieFree! Most of your advice applies very well to my situation (especially about chipping and lag putting, and good shots). I came to the realization about 2 months ago that I am fully capable of hitting good shots every time. I do it quite often, and I seemingly do it all the time on the range. That realization finally helped me understand the importance of pre-shot routine. It is just a set of activities designed to get you focused on hitting that shot well. I've been better lately at doing that, and my shot quality has improved.

 

I also just started to realize how defensive I am as I prepare for a tee shot. I've been so bad at it for so long that even when I'm feeling good, I'm still "seeing" trouble everywhere and constantly playing short of trouble or laying back with a hybrid / iron. My goal is seemingly to avoid trouble...not to hit a good shot. And that was probably a good approach up until fairly recently. But after my newfound success this past month or so, I've been a lot more aggressive off the tee and that has been refreshing.

 

I'm close...really close.

[LeftDaddy]

The thing that made the biggest difference for me and getting me to a point that I could consistently break 80 (and eventually par) was working really hard on my short game and short putting which most people will highlight, the other thing that doesn't get much of a thought is taking plenty of club and learning how far you carry each iron. Most hazards are at the front of greens and we all tend to finish short rather than long, I am hole high a lot and if I am short it is often knowingly as I am taking the back of the green out of play.

 

if you are 30ft short you have a 30ft putt plus whatever you are offline (Pythagoras fans can quote numbers :-)) if you are pin high you will only be as far away as you are offline, sounds simple but makes a big difference being able to hit the right sections of greens and taking hazards out of play by having the right carry distance.

 

Thanks...good stuff. If I'm being honest, I've never really worked that hard at short putting. That is on my to do list.

 

The funny thing to me about iron distances is that I know mine quite well. My issue has been the inconsistency. In the round that I shot 81, I had 5 double bogeys. Three of those were from situations where I was playing more club because I've been so inconsistent, but then I flew the greens in spots that left me with practically impossible up and downs. The issue could have been inconsistent irons, but I chalked them up to poor course management. The pins were back pins and I should have known better than to club up to a back pin. I think something along these lines is exactly the point you were making.

 

And then maybe I was trying to get too cute to try to save par and ended up costing me a double. Again, poor course management I guess.

 

Thanks everyone!

[596]

Breaking 80

 

1. No hero shots, take your medicine and move on

2. No penalty strokes

3. No 3 putts

4. Never miss a green with a chip or pitch

 

Not bragging, well maybe I am, but I broke 80 easily and was a 2 handicap within 2 years of starting golf at the age of 54.

 

That said I learned the game from tee to green. Be sure you can hit tee shots without harming your game. Then work steadily on irons. Good iron play takes pressure off your short game. Then practice chips, chips and more chips. Then add pitching to the arsenal. I got to a 2 handicap without knowing how to hit shots inside 80 yards. I recently, after playing for 7 years, just added pitches (20 to 80 yards) to my game.

 

I never practice putting and still average right around 30 putts per round.

 

I have never done the "work on your weakness" thingy. I just learned tee shots, irons, and chips and was good to score under 80.

[Hilts1969]

Enjoy the journey and embrace the challenge. Golf is a tough game and even the pros can crumple under pressure. Rory choked away the masters but then went on to blow away the us open.

 

In your case it may not even be a choke though...at an 11 hdcp you're unlikely to play good enough to break 80 even when you're "on".. unless maybe you're talking about a really easy course or playing from the shortest tees . An 11 hdcp means on your best day that you bogey most holes. Yes maybe you can catch lightning in a bottle and get lucky... but that's not how you want to do this and you are setting unrealistic expectations if this is the case.

 

Simply put, you need to get better. Stop worrying about your preshot routine, etc... focus on hitting good shots. One shot at a time. This may mean you need better fundamentals or to fix a flaw in your swing that is holding you back from being more consistent. You should be striping the ball on the range and confident that most of your shots will roughly resemble what your intention is. You also need to get up and down from around the green MOST of the time. And you need to avoid anything worse than bogey at all costs...an 11 hdcp doesn't make enough birdies to offset a double bogey or worse.

 

if you want a game plan, here's what I recommend:

 

1. Focus on hitting good shots. Have a one way miss that is predictable. Don't miss on the wrong side of the green. Also, don't get cute with shots. you're likely not good enough to work the ball or hit specialty shots with any consitency and you're likely to do more harm than good. If you can't hit the shot 9 times of 10 on the range, don't try it on the course.

 

2. Par (or better) all of the par 5s.

 

3. Make it a priority to avoid hazards and OB. You're better off hitting 5 iron and being 50 yards short than hitting your drive into a hazard or OB.

 

4. Avoid hitting into unplayable lies. Similar to above. 50 yards back is better than under a tree.

 

5. you need to get up and down from around the green MOST of the time. You will miss more greens than you hit. Being within 5 yards of the green should be a par most times. Chipping and lag putting are some of the most important skills of playing good golf. You can't be three putting or making bogey when you're just short of the green.

 

6. Nothing worse than bogey. Seriously, make whatever decisions you need to make to avoid it.

 

7. Have reasonable expectations and enjoy the journey to breaking 80. When it happens it will be great. But you have to pay your dues and earn it. Good luck in your journey!

 

I get very close to breaking 80 most rounds I play managed it only a few times, no offence but those points aren't going to help much

[RBImGuy]

I just read someone else's post where he shot 79'on like his 5th round ever (rolling my eyes)...just kidding but that does annoy me, considering that I am about 20 years in and still haven't shot 79 or better. Anyway, some of you guys have been helpful with my previous posts on this topic. My handicap is slowly improving (down to 11 now). I've been struggling with several parts of my game post a third knee surgery a little while ago. That said, recently, things have started to come together and I played 4 rounds last week and felt like I would break 80 in each of them (until I didn't). I've been really close before but choked on the 17th tee both times. This last week, none of that happened. I played great golf, especially off the tee. But I just didn't quite make enough putts, or hit some bad chips and pitches. Each time, it was just a few strokes here or there.

 

So for those of you that have finished this journey, what is the key. The last time I posted this, pre-shot routine came up as the big thing I needed to,work on. I have worked on that. I would assess this time that I made some dumb course management mistakes (missed where I can't miss), and am just generally not sharp enough with my short game (even though I usually have a good short game).

 

Any pointers from all of you? I was murdering the ball off the tee all week long. I'm not sure I missed more than a couple of fairways over 4 full rounds. I just didn't score as well as I should. I'm struggling to make solid contaywith my irons for some reason but am mostly able to "manage" that problem by clubbing up or hitting bump and runs, etc.

 

basically, mental focus performance.

 

[augustgolf]

^^^again?^^^

[AJ Joseph]

I would say you need to practice and prepare to play in a stroke play individual tournament. When your done with that tournament do it again. To me casual rounds just establishing a handicap becomes much easier after playing tournaments

 

I would say you need to practice and prepare to play in a stroke play individual tournament. When your done with that tournament do it again. To me casual rounds just establishing a handicap becomes much easier after playing tournaments

[xmanhockey7]

It's typically not one thing or a secret. Just keep working on getting better. Improve your short game. Improve your putting. Get good with your wedges inside 100 yards. Keep the ball in play. Keep working on improving your swing. Big one for many at your level is the mental game. It's a process. Keep getting a little better everyday and one day you'll shoot in the 70s and you'll hardly even notice.

[LeftDaddy]

Breaking 80

 

1. No hero shots, take your medicine and move on

2. No penalty strokes

3. No 3 putts

4. Never miss a green with a chip or pitch

 

Not bragging, well maybe I am, but I broke 80 easily and was a 2 handicap within 2 years of starting golf at the age of 54.

 

That said I learned the game from tee to green. Be sure you can hit tee shots without harming your game. Then work steadily on irons. Good iron play takes pressure off your short game. Then practice chips, chips and more chips. Then add pitching to the arsenal. I got to a 2 handicap without knowing how to hit shots inside 80 yards. I recently, after playing for 7 years, just added pitches (20 to 80 yards) to my game.

 

I never practice putting and still average right around 30 putts per round.

 

I have never done the "work on your weakness" thingy. I just learned tee shots, irons, and chips and was good to score under 80.

 

I've heard tale of people like you and either (a) I think you are a complete liar, or (b) the world has conspired to make people like you be complete torture to people like me. I'm just kidding about the liar part. I'm sure you know this but you are extremely lucky. Extremely.

 

I used to be very sharp between 20 and 120 yards. I had this amazing set of wedge shots that I could stick to almost any distance in that range, and they would take one hop and zip back to the original pitch mark.

 

Then, I tore my ACL and I've never fully gotten those shots back. I went through a period of shanks. Now I alternate between good days and days where I chunk those shots almost every time. I'm close to getting it back but I'm still not fully confident when I pull the trigger on the course. On the range, I always hit them perfectly but that is another story.

[SNIPERBBB]

The key is to develop confidence. You can't fight yourself over every shot. Especially with driver. Ill give an example of my home course with the hole that causes most people to fail to break 80 for the day.

 

This is the 9th hole. Short par 5, with a 240+ drive you are inside 200 yards, the end of the line of the left is about 230. The fairway is 17 yards wide at the widest. Those two trees bracketing the fairway are tall so that carry distance gets harder without going dead down the middle or flying high. The only flat spot is the fairway anything off the fair way and the ball is the level of your knee. You can chicken out and lay short of those trees but that brings the trees into play if your not far enough right for your second shot. You can bomb it over all the trouble if your long enough off the tee, but a hook or slice/block puts you hitting 3 for your next ball.

 

Oh and for your approach shot, if you go long or left, you risk going OB.

[jslane57]

There is truth in all these responses. Improvement in golf can be cyclical, and reach plateaus. I'd practice all parts of your game equally where you're at. And as far as course management, always look for places that are the best for getting up and down. Maybe aim between there and the hole. Lastly, don't give up, and don't try too hard, just hit shots you know you can hit. Be your own best caddie:)

[deathbymuffin]

As someone said above, confidence is key. I think you need to be reasonably (course) confident in 2 or 3 phases of the game to get it done. So, driving it well and chipping/putting. Or good ballstriking (tee to green), but weak short game can get it done. If you have doubts in 2 or more areas of your game, it will not happen for you.

 

I'm driving it well right now and confident in my chipping and putting. I expect to drive it in every fairway about 280-295, hit all my pitches to within 25 feet, easy chips within 5-6 feet and avoid three putts inside 50 feet. My iron game is terrible at the moment (around 20% GIRs on par 3s), but the other stuff listed above is good enough to keep me in the 75-80 range most rounds.

 

Also helps to play courses that suit your game or hide your weaknesses. You're pretty close as is. If you want to break 80, go play a wide open municipal course with minimal ob and play from the white tees. That should do it. Then, once you're over the mental hurdle you can go back to enjoying the game and improving little by little.

[tatertot]

If you are an 11 and never broke 80, you must play a course with a pretty high rating.

 

Go play someplace "easy". Give yourself a few chances to shoot in the 70s at a course with rating in the high 60s/low 70s.

 

Once you do it once, mentally it becomes easier. The first time I broke 80 was on a par 71 ... Still counted, and made it easier to do the next time out.

[596]

Breaking 80

 

1. No hero shots, take your medicine and move on

2. No penalty strokes

3. No 3 putts

4. Never miss a green with a chip or pitch

 

Not bragging, well maybe I am, but I broke 80 easily and was a 2 handicap within 2 years of starting golf at the age of 54.

 

That said I learned the game from tee to green. Be sure you can hit tee shots without harming your game. Then work steadily on irons. Good iron play takes pressure off your short game. Then practice chips, chips and more chips. Then add pitching to the arsenal. I got to a 2 handicap without knowing how to hit shots inside 80 yards. I recently, after playing for 7 years, just added pitches (20 to 80 yards) to my game.

 

I never practice putting and still average right around 30 putts per round.

 

I have never done the "work on your weakness" thingy. I just learned tee shots, irons, and chips and was good to score under 80.

 

I've heard tale of people like you and either (a) I think you are a complete liar, or (b) the world has conspired to make people like you be complete torture to people like me. I'm just kidding about the liar part. I'm sure you know this but you are extremely lucky. Extremely.

 

I used to be very sharp between 20 and 120 yards. I had this amazing set of wedge shots that I could stick to almost any distance in that range, and they would take one hop and zip back to the original pitch mark.

 

Then, I tore my ACL and I've never fully gotten those shots back. I went through a period of shanks. Now I alternate between good days and days where I chunk those shots almost every time. I'm close to getting it back but I'm still not fully confident when I pull the trigger on the course. On the range, I always hit them perfectly but that is another story.

 

It really really helps to improve quickly in golf, as in any sport, if you have an athletic background and natural ability. I have/had both. I played sports consistently for my entire life. I've competed in organized sports from the time I was 16 years old. I played college level tennis and competed in triathlons for 22 years, retiring from tris at age 56. At 54 years old I was in excellent physical condition and as a result found golf pretty easy.

 

I can shank a ball in the blink of an eye. I shanked at least a dozen yesterday at the range. Mostly as a result of getting tired so I don't worry about it. My game goes up and down, not a lot, but enough that I can have good and bad days driving, good and bad days pitching, good and bad ones with full irons. You have to make due with what is up and down on any given day. Some days I won't hit that 60* wedge over the trap to save par, so I"ll actually chip around the sand trap (yes, I've been seen doing that...lol) to take double bogey out of the equation. Some days I can flop that 60* anywhere I want it.

 

My game was tailing off a few years ago as the result of a bad left hip. So I had it replaced last year and found my game improved as a result. I've gained distance as well as consistency.

[jmkenn0]

If you are an 11 and never broke 80, you must play a course with a pretty high rating.

 

Go play someplace "easy". Give yourself a few chances to shoot in the 70s at a course with rating in the high 60s/low 70s.

 

Once you do it once, mentally it becomes easier. The first time I broke 80 was on a par 71 ... Still counted, and made it easier to do the next time out.

 

Yeah I was going to say this - the first time I broke 80 (78!) was on a muni, no real OB or hazard trouble except on a few holes bordering the perimeter, and there was plenty of room on the otherside to aim at. Still haven't broke 80 at my home course, but I'm steadily in the 83-86 range. But its much longer and more difficult than most courses.

 

The other thing with me is I play maybe 5 rounds of competitive medal play a year? The rest is some sort of match play, where you may need that "hero" shot to stay in the hole. That's definitely not conducive to scoring.

[Nard_S]

Have tasted breaking 80 a dozen times in the last several years,having to dwell in the 80's for a very long time (15 years), I concluded that no mental approach or strategy would get me to cross over to sub 80's. The reason for that was my swing was just too flawed. So I did not go to the range to groove my swing , I went to improve it. Broke it down and re-tooled (within reason and) based on common principles that good swingers share. The height of success last season was going 37, 38 & 37 on 3 consecutive 9 hole outings. Real life interrupted since but the range time has continued,

 

For me, the due diligence was required, Good short game got me through 85 but never thru 80..A healthy mental approach is predicated on complete trust of your swing from tee to green. My trust is being realized from a cold eye on my faults and the patience to rectify them through work and attention on fundamentals. I go into this season tempered and calm about playing to potential. That in itself is a first.

[LeftDaddy]

All great thoughts as always...thanks again everyone.

 

To respond to a few points...

 

1. Yes, my home course has a pretty high CR and slope...don't remember the numbers but certainly above the average. It isn't very long from the blue tees... ~ 6400 yards...but it is super tight, and many of the greens have a good bit of slope in them. Usually when I play any other course, it feels so wide open that I don't even have to think twice about pulling driver. My course definitely presents a lot of trouble off the tee, so to have gone 4 rounds with barely missing a fairway is saying something.

 

2. I've thought about playing an easier course or moving to the white tees at my course, etc. just to do it...maybe I should...but it feels a little like "cheating" to me. Anyway, I'm confident I can do it at my course form the blues.

 

3. I've posted on my swing before, but my coach tells me that my swing is practically perfect...it has a few small flaws but nothing to quibble over. But for some reason I am still struggling with irons. I'll figure it out, and when I do I know I will break 80...but for now I am fighting them.

 

Thanks again for all of the responses!

[4thand11]

I am in a similar boat, have shot 82 several times but have never broken 80. My handicap is higher though, around 15. At any rate my goal is to break 80 this year.

 

One think I am trying to do this year, is try to accept the challenge and fun of improving at ALL parts of the game. Like many others, I neglect the short game. Practicing putting seems boring. Likewise chipping. Much more fun to bang drivers on the range.

 

This year I hope to accept the challenge of becoming a decent putter and chipper, and not make it feel like a chore that needs to be done in order to enjoy the "fun" parts of the game. I am realizing that there are many days I've struck the ball well enough to break 80, but 3-putts or bad chips ruined me.

[TheCityGame]

All great thoughts as always...thanks again everyone.

 

To respond to a few points...

 

1. Yes, my home course has a pretty high CR and slope...don't remember the numbers but certainly above the average. It isn't very long from the blue tees... ~ 6400 yards...but it is super tight, and many of the greens have a good bit of slope in them. Usually when I play any other course, it feels so wide open that I don't even have to think twice about pulling driver. My course definitely presents a lot of trouble off the tee, so to have gone 4 rounds with barely missing a fairway is saying something.

 

2. I've thought about playing an easier course or moving to the white tees at my course, etc. just to do it...maybe I should...but it feels a little like "cheating" to me. Anyway, I'm confident I can do it at my course form the blues.

 

3. I've posted on my swing before, but my coach tells me that my swing is practically perfect...it has a few small flaws but nothing to quibble over. But for some reason I am still struggling with irons. I'll figure it out, and when I do I know I will break 80...but for now I am fighting them.

 

Thanks again for all of the responses!

Easiest way to break 80. . .play a LOT on EASIER courses.

 

But, if '2' is to be believed, you're really not asking about how to break 80. You want to be better at golf so that "breaking 80" is really just a by-product of your game. You want to break 80 from 6400 yards, not 6000 yards. Which means that maybe, you really want to shoot a round that has a handicap differential of 7.5 or something.

 

If I were you, here's what I'd do. . .I'd stop focusing on breaking 80 and start focusing on this . . ."I'm struggling to make solid contact with my irons for some reason but am mostly able to "manage" that problem by clubbing up or hitting bump and runs, etc."

 

That's crap.

 

Solid contact is simply essential for playing lower handicap golf (and breaking 80 from 6400 yards is pretty solid). Last year, I played a lot as a 4/5 with a guy who was a 2/3. We were similarly as long. My short game was maybe marginally better than him (maybe), but he just made solid contact all the time compared to me. My contact is good, but a few times per round, I had a miss that he didn't have. He'd hit 11 A drives and 3 B drives. I'd hit 11 A drives and 3 D drives. I'd thin or fat a wedge twice a round. Not thin/fat like a massive skull, or turning the sod over it, but enough to wind up in a trap, or have a tough chip back onto the green.

 

What did I do. . .went to an instructor last October and told him, "I need to make better contact". He addressed some minor issues in my swing that I worked on all winter long, and now it's golf season and i'm hitting the ball pretty nicely.

 

You need to identify your weaknesses and work on them. When you go to the range, I'd do nothing for a month except work on good contact with irons. I'm talking a grass range. . .center face, divot starting after the ball.

[oregongolfguy]

Its a interesting topic. I mostly agree with TheCityGame comments.

At some point, people that are really wanting to improve run into a truth about golf in my mind. You have to have a solid full swing to really start dropping into the shooting in the 70's range.

hot putting, or great chipping is good to have, but will only carry you so far.

 

check the obvious stuff first. Make sure your not throwing away shots. 7 bogies and the rest pars will put you at 79. Gotta eliminate or extremely minimize errant tee shots, thats where most blow up holes start. Forget about the hero short shot. Make sure that you get your pitch or chip shot on the green, don't worry about how close to the pin. If you have to carry it 10ft past the hole to ensure you don't land short or aim 15ft to the side to make the shot easier then do it. Then take your two putt bogie and walk, you can afford some bogies, just nothing higher. Aim your approaches towards the middle of the green, and shade away from trouble like water and bunkers when possible.

Know how far you hit the ball on average, if your consistantly leaving it short with a decent strike then club up.

Work on that full swing. Clean contact etc.

 

The more GIR you hit the more your scores will drop. And the better your misses are on approaches the easier your up and downs will be.

 

My personal experience was i couldn't break through until i was a better ball striker. Period. When i started striking the ball better then it wasn't terribly difficult. I think people overestimate how good a ball striker they are just as much if not more then how far they hit the ball.

I have been away from the game for almost two yrs now. And i have to retool my swing and get it going again. I won't start shooting in the 70's again until i do.

[LeftDaddy]

Just to clarify something...I don't think I currently have a mental barrier around 79. I did a couple of years ago when I flirted with it a few times. But I didn't "choke away" my 79 this time...I just realized that I don't have the total game I need. I am currently a great driver of the ball, and am decent at putting, actually pretty good with chipping, have been good with wedges and have been good with irons.

 

But right now, my big problem is hitting the center of the face with my irons. This hasn't been a problem before...my evolution here is that I started about a year and a half ago overdrawing everything, and it didn't seem to matter how far left I aimed...I would end up right of the hole. About 6 months ago, that slowly became a problem with solid contact. My hands would literally hurt due to all of the off-center hits. So I went to see my coach. At that time, he had me trying to go on a more "out-to-in" pattern because I am too far in-to-out, and he had me hold off my release a lot...and for one glorious week I hit the center of the face and hit the ball dead straight. But then it slowly crept back to off-center hits (mostly thin and on the toe). So about 2 months ago I went to see my coach again, and he basically said my swing looks perfect or darn near it. He said my big issue was tempo which he thought was leading to the off-center hits. That could be true but I haven't really been able to make it work. One swing thought that seems to help is that I imagine the butt of the club pointing down and behind the ball just as I start down toward it...but it doesn't always help. I'm confident I will figure it out though.

 

But even with the inconsistent ball striking, because of my really good driving recently, I'm rarely hitting anything more than a wedge into any of the par 4s. I know I will get the WRXer eye rolls for throwing this out, but everyone of my drives was between 275 and 305 last week. I'm sure dry/hard ground and help-wind was the reason. I don't consider myself a bomber but I'm no slouch, and I was ON with the driver. So I had 80 yards into a lot of the par 4s. So honestly just a more consistent wedge / short game would have also yielded a 79 or better last week. For 2 of the rounds, even though I shot 81 and 83, I felt like I could easily have shot 75 both times.

 

I'm definitely going back to work on my chipping and putting...I haven't done that in a while and so it is time to do it again. And I am going to try to fix this pesky iron problem (it comes and goes...some days I'm good, others definitely not). It's mostly a problem with short irons if that helps...I'm better with a 3, 4 or 5 iron than I am with an 8 or 9.

[Swisstrader98]

Breaking 80

 

1. No hero shots, take your medicine and move on

2. No penalty strokes

3. No 3 putts

4. Never miss a green with a chip or pitch

 

Not bragging, well maybe I am, but I broke 80 easily and was a 2 handicap within 2 years of starting golf at the age of 54.

 

That said I learned the game from tee to green. Be sure you can hit tee shots without harming your game. Then work steadily on irons. Good iron play takes pressure off your short game. Then practice chips, chips and more chips. Then add pitching to the arsenal. I got to a 2 handicap without knowing how to hit shots inside 80 yards. I recently, after playing for 7 years, just added pitches (20 to 80 yards) to my game.

 

I never practice putting and still average right around 30 putts per round.

 

I have never done the "work on your weakness" thingy. I just learned tee shots, irons, and chips and was good to score under 80.

 

I've heard tale of people like you and either (a) I think you are a complete liar, or (b) the world has conspired to make people like you be complete torture to people like me. I'm just kidding about the liar part. I'm sure you know this but you are extremely lucky. Extremely.

 

I used to be very sharp between 20 and 120 yards. I had this amazing set of wedge shots that I could stick to almost any distance in that range, and they would take one hop and zip back to the original pitch mark.

 

Then, I tore my ACL and I've never fully gotten those shots back. I went through a period of shanks. Now I alternate between good days and days where I chunk those shots almost every time. I'm close to getting it back but I'm still not fully confident when I pull the trigger on the course. On the range, I always hit them perfectly but that is another story.

 

It really really helps to improve quickly in golf, as in any sport, if you have an athletic background and natural ability. I have/had both. I played sports consistently for my entire life. I've competed in organized sports from the time I was 16 years old. I played college level tennis and competed in triathlons for 22 years, retiring from tris at age 56. At 54 years old I was in excellent physical condition and as a result found golf pretty easy.

 

I can shank a ball in the blink of an eye. I shanked at least a dozen yesterday at the range. Mostly as a result of getting tired so I don't worry about it. My game goes up and down, not a lot, but enough that I can have good and bad days driving, good and bad days pitching, good and bad ones with full irons. You have to make due with what is up and down on any given day. Some days I won't hit that 60* wedge over the trap to save par, so I"ll actually chip around the sand trap (yes, I've been seen doing that...lol) to take double bogey out of the equation. Some days I can flop that 60* anywhere I want it.

 

My game was tailing off a few years ago as the result of a bad left hip. So I had it replaced last year and found my game improved as a result. I've gained distance as well as consistency.

 

You find the game so easy that you shanked a dozen balls at the range??? WTF??!!

[Nard_S]

OP, the feeling of pointing the butt at the ball on the way down is a good one, when I am swinging real well I point the butt at the target line but off of my back foot.

 

Issues of good with long clubs and not so much with short maybe due to nothing more than ball position and a stance too wide. A shoulder turn that is too flat can do that too. Ask your pro if he sees something with a wedge in your hand. Good luck.

[596]

Breaking 80

 

1. No hero shots, take your medicine and move on

2. No penalty strokes

3. No 3 putts

4. Never miss a green with a chip or pitch

 

Not bragging, well maybe I am, but I broke 80 easily and was a 2 handicap within 2 years of starting golf at the age of 54.

 

That said I learned the game from tee to green. Be sure you can hit tee shots without harming your game. Then work steadily on irons. Good iron play takes pressure off your short game. Then practice chips, chips and more chips. Then add pitching to the arsenal. I got to a 2 handicap without knowing how to hit shots inside 80 yards. I recently, after playing for 7 years, just added pitches (20 to 80 yards) to my game.

 

I never practice putting and still average right around 30 putts per round.

 

I have never done the "work on your weakness" thingy. I just learned tee shots, irons, and chips and was good to score under 80.

 

I've heard tale of people like you and either (a) I think you are a complete liar, or (b) the world has conspired to make people like you be complete torture to people like me. I'm just kidding about the liar part. I'm sure you know this but you are extremely lucky. Extremely.

 

I used to be very sharp between 20 and 120 yards. I had this amazing set of wedge shots that I could stick to almost any distance in that range, and they would take one hop and zip back to the original pitch mark.

 

Then, I tore my ACL and I've never fully gotten those shots back. I went through a period of shanks. Now I alternate between good days and days where I chunk those shots almost every time. I'm close to getting it back but I'm still not fully confident when I pull the trigger on the course. On the range, I always hit them perfectly but that is another story.

 

It really really helps to improve quickly in golf, as in any sport, if you have an athletic background and natural ability. I have/had both. I played sports consistently for my entire life. I've competed in organized sports from the time I was 16 years old. I played college level tennis and competed in triathlons for 22 years, retiring from tris at age 56. At 54 years old I was in excellent physical condition and as a result found golf pretty easy.

 

I can shank a ball in the blink of an eye. I shanked at least a dozen yesterday at the range. Mostly as a result of getting tired so I don't worry about it. My game goes up and down, not a lot, but enough that I can have good and bad days driving, good and bad days pitching, good and bad ones with full irons. You have to make due with what is up and down on any given day. Some days I won't hit that 60* wedge over the trap to save par, so I"ll actually chip around the sand trap (yes, I've been seen doing that...lol) to take double bogey out of the equation. Some days I can flop that 60* anywhere I want it.

 

My game was tailing off a few years ago as the result of a bad left hip. So I had it replaced last year and found my game improved as a result. I've gained distance as well as consistency.

 

You find the game so easy that you shanked a dozen balls at the range??? WTF??!!

 

LOL.....Yep. A shank really is nothing more then the opposite of a toe shot. It really is not that big of a deal. I'm proud of the fact that I can score in the upper 60's - low 70's and low 80's without bragging that my clubs have a wear spot the size a quarter in the middle of the face. I have wear spots the entire face of the club. It's about scoring and minimizing the bad shots. So, ya, golf is not all that hard if you keep it in perspective. Am I a tour level pro, heck NO! Not even close. But I also have not sniffed 90 in a long time. So comparing my self to the average golfer....I'm good to go.

 

Just because I shank or toe some shots at the range does not make the game hard.