To Golfers Who Score in the 70s - What's Your Story?

[MS256]

I usually shoot in the 70s but I'm fairly uncomfortable saying that since I am also fully capable of blowing up (mostly with tee shots) at any time and shooting in the 80s. I'm definitely the most up and down, inconsistent, golfer around here. If I'm on your team you never know what you are going to get. Maybe a 68 and maybe an 85.

I don't have a good golf swing but have always been pretty good at scoring fairly well with a crappy swing. Short game shots around the green came easily from the start and I could hit the ball with better than average distance from the tee but always battled the hooks (and still do when I'm not playing well).

Started out as a below average putter but decided after a couple of years to make that my strong suit and I believe I've done that with a LOT of work on it.

Other than improving my putting and learning to play all tee shots to the safest side of the fairway at all costs not much has changed since the first year I played but those two factors now at least keep me from having the REALLY bad rounds I had back then.

[c peterich]

Play it safe the 1 st few holes..( fairway/ green..2 putt) . If that means 3 wood or hybrid off the tee..than do it. Once you feel comfortable and more in control..take more chances late in the front 9. Par 5's usually have a "green light" for me to be aggressive. If I'm on, I can usually be 2 under on the par 5's alone. On all par 3's , I'm always thinking middle of the green..2 putt. I follow that, and I'm always under 80. Granted I used to always play the back tees..now..I'm strictly white tees.. I don't play enough golf to justify the back tees. This strategy worked wonders for me for 3 decades of golfing..

[c peterich]

Oops one more. I also think numbers as well. My goal 10 plus greens in regulation/ under 28 putts/ 15 plus fairways.. Up and down 50% from missed greens I do that always under 80.. To shoot low 70 / high 60's I just modify it..the modify would be greens I. Regulation. My new goal would be 14 or more greens and 28 putts or less Broke 70 once this year on a pitch and putt..shot par once on a regulation course. If I remember I had 15 greens and 24 putts. I love the stats side of it, than you can see what to focus on the remaining week of practice until I tee it up again Short game is paramount to breaking 80

[RetroJFrancisco]

Go all out attack, playing "too safe" is the downfall of many a great golfer IMO

[schdgas22]

dear want to shoot in the 70's

first thing first you need to be able to set up to the ball and have a proper grip, if you feel you have this then you need to

practice almost everyday to grove your swing because shooting in the 70 takes a repetive swing and I feel you can only accomplish this by hitting thousands of balls, first you need to start with your wedge and learn to hit it a certain distance granted the more you practice this distance may increase but you cant play golf without knowing how far you are hitting your irons, the way I learned to breaking seventy I had a shag bag and starting hitting my wedge and tried to hit them in a twenty or thirty foot circle, if you learn how to hit 50 or 60 balls at a givin time into that circle you will be breaking 80 and 70 before you know it.

[bjwestner]

Yesterday I broke 80 for the 5th time.  As of yesterday, it had been 17 months and 15 days since I first hit a golf ball.

Lots of great posts from people that have figured out how to break 80 and shoot in the 70's in a way that works for them.  I have not had any lessons and instead learned as much as I could from online, books, and tv.  Everyone is different.....the most important advice that I could give to anyone is that you are going to get the most bang for your buck as far as improving your golf scores by being able to put the club on the ball first consistently.  Most would respond to this with "no sh*t sherlock", but it worked for me because I thought of things this way.....when I first started and many were telling me to get lessons I realized that whether I got lessons or not, I knew that my coordination was not good enough to be able to strike the club on the ball first and that the only way to improve my consistency was to practice and play as much as possible.

Someone mentioned about those people out there with awful ugly swings but they shoot great golf scores, I'm betting that the reason they score the way that they do is because they hit the ball first.  You will hear people tell you to work on this or that first but putting the club on the ball first encompasses all of that (except bunker shots and other specialty shots).

Once you get to a point where you are comfortable with your consistency then you can tweak this or that or get lessons or etc......All summer I worked on ball striking with my irons to improve my GIR.  My consistency has gotten better and thus I was able to break 80 five times.  Do I still hit a fat shot every now and then?  Absolutely.  But my misses are not catostrophic and thus this has been the way that I was able to shoot in the 70's.

My way is not THE right way.  There are lots of right ways to shoot in the 70's.  It's about finding the way that works for you.  No pictures on the scorecard so as long as you shoot your goal legally, that's all that matters right?  Good luck!

[mvmac]

Once you get to a point where you are comfortable with your consistency then you can tweak this or that or get lessons or etc......All summer I worked on ball striking with my irons to improve my GIR.  My consistency has gotten better and thus I was able to break 80 five times.  Do I still hit a fat shot every now and then?  Absolutely.  But my misses are not catostrophic and thus this has been the way that I was able to shoot in the 70's.

Glad someone is paying attention Congrats, keep it up!

[jvalhalla]

I've fired off a few rounds in the 70s. I've been playing off and on for 27 yrs. When I got in the 70s it was due to me playing ~9 rounds a week on a course that I was extremely familiar with (and a fairly simple course in all honesty). For me the keys are plain and simple. I have to be very hot with my short game. If I put in the work with the putter and wedges I can be very good, even with a mediocre driver. These days I don't have the time to work on the short game as much as I require to be good and I'm playing some longer, more challenging courses. In my opinion, the key to getting into the 70s is practice but even more playing. I think a lot of golfers spend too much time on the range. That is fine if there are some mechanical things you are trying to work out but for me, I can't replicate the situations I find on the course in the practice areas.  You build your strategy and mental toughness through playing rounds, not mashing range balls.

[plum]

a really good golfer taught me something this year that helped me finally break 80 a few times. "Aim for the center of the green, if it goes closer to the hole, your lucky but it will rarely miss the green and put you in trouble "  half the holes are cut in the center or close to center of the green.

made sense to me and it helped me.

[johnnyv11502]

I've played golf since I was 8. My grandfather taught the game to me and he was a serious scratch golfer. I never was able to play any course until I was in middle school. I quickly fell out of love with the game because my grandfather was stringent and precise with everything I did. I picked the game up again in my late 20's. It was something to do. Drink smoke whatever have a good time. After time though if you read this you realize you want to get better. I finally broke down and I got lessons !! Yes LESSONS for all of you self taught players. I took them seriously and I tried to perfect everything they told me. After 6 months of lesson and practice I shot in the 70's. I've read a few posts on this subject and most of them are right on. I can hit a driver 330 off of the tee but it's where you leave yourself. Getting yourself off of the tee on all 18 holes is critical and also being able to 2 putt. You can shoot in the 70's with bogeys but any doubles need the same amount of birdies and you can never force birdies they just come.

[XxGorillaxX]

I've been playing serious for about 3-4yrs, I learned the short game and decent putting was the secret code to shooting low. Getting a sweet string of pars will keep your confidence up. I first shot a 78 when I broke 80, my friends didnt tell me if I par the last two holes i'd get a 78, low and behold I did just that infact missed a short birdie on a par 5 18 and shot 78, i remember it and cherish it like yesterday. Ended up shooting my next 4 rounds in the 70's cause I felt like I saw the blueprint. Now I level out about high 70's nd low 80's. practice...practice...but not blind practice...learn and understand each...EACH...swing. ball contact.. so important...a good solid dependable drive will make it easier to achieve. most of all.. be dedicated.

[nachosgrande]

Just play a Par 54 course.

Seriously, I started playing golf at 12 and shot a 74 when I was 14.  That summer I posted a lot of rounds in the mid and upper-70s.  I never worked on the range. I just played every day. I was self taught up to that point and my parents paid for me to have lessons that winter to take my game to the next level.  Swing changes ruined my ball striking and I spent the majority of my high school golf career doing my best to avoid hooking it off the course.  I no longer shot in the 70s and was more of a mid-80s player.  Senior year I found my swing and got back to the point where I was regularly posting scores in the mid/low 70s from the tips at tougher courses.  Biggest improvement was I became fairly automatic with my wedges from about 50-115 yards.

I've always been a terrible short game player, so the key for me breaking 80 is ball striking and greens in regulation.  If I happened to have the rare good putting day, I could shoot in the low 70s.

My advice is to do whatever it takes to keep the ball in the fairway off the tee and then play the most conservative approach possible if you are outside of 160 yards.  Do those things and you will regularly break 80.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by nachosgrande

I've always been a terrible short game player, so the key for me breaking 80 is ball striking and greens in regulation.  If I happened to have the rare good putting day, I could shoot in the low 70s.

My advice is to do whatever it takes to keep the ball in the fairway off the tee and then play the most conservative approach possible if you are outside of 160 yards.  Do those things and you will regularly break 80.

this fits my game as well - fortunately, my driver is straight on days when I'm hitting well.  Then GIR is the difference between "birdie opportunities" and scrambling for par (no kidding)

[komputodo]

I'm a conservative player, not a risk taker. That is how I manage to shoot consistently in the 70's.

There's a big difference between someone that occasionally shoots a round in the 70's and someone that expects to shoot in the 70's every time he plays.

Also, there's a big difference between shooting in the 70's playing official USGA rules and playing "friendly" rules.

Also a big difference playing from the white tees or playing from the TIPS.

That being said, I think you can break the game down into 2 parts, physical and mental.

The MENTAL part requires that you NEVER GIVE UP. You have to concentrate on every shot. Don't let your previous shots affect your next shot whether it was good or bad. You need to be able to focus your attention to the point where nothing distracts you while you are taking your shot. There are no do-overs because someone was talking during your back swing or a bee landed on your ball. In my case, I'll never play a shot unless I'm 100% sure I can pull it off. And to be 100% sure requires lots of practice and playing time.

Practicing your game backwards is one way to go. In other words, if I feel confident over 3 foot putts, that takes pressure off my lag putting and short game. Feeling confident about lag putting and the short game takes pressure off my iron game. And so forth.

Creating consistent pre-shot routines will help you focus on each shot. Those pre-shot routines should never vary whether it's a drive, chip or putt. You should use those routines when you are practicing too. Get it to where it's automatic. It will calm your nerves and will also help block out any distractions around you.

When I practice at the range, I never just hit the ball straight away. Everything at the range is set up so you will line up to hit the ball straight. The mats, cones, fences, etc. I like to find targets to the left and right to make myself learn to aim at different angles. That way I always feel comfortable aiming on the golf course.

Playing golf with players that are better than you also helps a lot as long as you don't mind losing every match. I find it harder to focus when I'm playing with 90's shooters compared to high 60's or low 70's shooters.

The PHYSICAL part requires that you are able to consistently strike the ball well. If I'm going to miss a shot badly, I'd much rather hit it thin than fat. At least I'll get my distance that way. Really its just about controlling the ball and minimizing your mistakes. For a 7 handicap player, any hole can be bogeyed. So when you come up to that tough hole, make sure you get your bogey and be satisfied and move on. There is no reason for a double bogey or worse. You can afford to make 7 bogeys per round and still shoot in the 70's. Throw in a few birdies and now you shot 75.

Probably my biggest problem with my swing is remembering to "SLOW IT DOWN". When I get anxious, I have a tendency to speed it up.

[golfbarefoot]

[COLOR=1F497D]To consistently break 80, there is 1 main area of your game you must work on…SHORT GAME.  The best players in the world practice their short game more than any other aspect of their game.  Short game (inside 100 yards) accounts for 60%-70% of all your shots in a round, so it would only make sense that working on this is the area would cut the most strokes off your game the quickest.[/COLOR] [COLOR=1F497D]Here are a couple tips on what and how to practice short game:[/COLOR] [LIST=1] [*] [COLOR=1F497D]Short Putts- Practice from 3-5 feet until you can make these putts without thinking.  When you are on the course, recall the visual of the ball going in the hole during practice. (save 3-5 shots per round) [/COLOR] [*] [COLOR=1F497D]Lag Putts- Practice lag/longer putts while staring at the hole and not looking at the ball.  I know this seems different and maybe strange to some, but think of this, all other sports you are looking at your target before you perform the action (i.e. Basketball, Baseball, Football, etc.).  This will help your mind and body get in-sync with proper distance control.  (save 3-5 shots per round)[/COLOR] [*] [COLOR=1F497D]Chipping- Start with your Wedges (LW, SW, PW) and work all the way through bag to your 3 wood.  Understanding how far each club goes with the same amount of effort helps you gage chipping from different distances.  (save 3-5 shots per round)[/COLOR] [*] [COLOR=1F497D]Pitching- Place golf balls all around the Pitching Green and vary distances and lies (uphill, downhill, sidehill, buried, fluffed, etc.) and try to get up and down from each location.  This will mimic the various types of shots you encounter on the golf course.  (save 4-6 shots per round)[/COLOR] [*] [COLOR=1F497D]Wedges from 100 yards and in- Find a target that you know the distance exactly.  Practice hitting shots with about 80% power with each Wedge until you find the most consistent Wedge/Distance combination (i.e. I hit my 56 Degree about 85 yards every time with a smooth swing).  This will be your “go to” shot each time you choose to lay-up on Par 5’s and short Par 4’s.  When it comes to crunch time, you will know you have this shot! (save 3-5 shots per round)[/COLOR] [/LIST] [COLOR=1F497D]Taking this part of your game seriously will drastically improve you scores and you should be in the 70’s inside a season (granted your practicing or playing 2-4 times per week).  Good luck and Play Hard![/COLOR]

Good reply. Recoverability and mental game is huge. The visualization and creativity needed to go low is really needed in the short game. Golf is a game where you must learn to play each shot by itself and get the most out of it.. Not thinking ahead or looking back. Saving par or even salvaging a bogey is huge. Limit your bad holes to bogey at most and you must sprinkle in a couple birdies. Good ball striking off the tee and a tight short game will get you there faster than you think when you aren't hitting GIR. To score you need GIR, to shoot 70's you need to play consistent, play a lot with other good golfers, play it down, play the course smart, go with your swing for that day and have a good short game assuming your ball striking got you to 80. I'll tell you this, the closer you get to par, it gets very difficult to shave any strokes at all. Hope that helps. I rarely break 70, but usually hanging around par.

[HawkNballs]

I'm usually bummed out if I'm not in the 70s.  I've shot par twice and one under once.

I think lessons are important, but you need to try different teachers.  You need to find one that speaks in a language that clicks with you.  You have to be open to change, because the change could be HUGE.  I've had several lessons with teachers ONCE.  I've had 90% of my lessons with one teacher.  He's good.

When you finally know your swing (like the back of your hand)... it's easier to make adjustment during a round.  You know WHY you pushed the ball or WHY you just hit it fat, because you've gone through it before.

I started playing in my late 20s and got serious the last 5 years.  (I'm 44 now).

I wish I knew the importance of spine angle years ago.  Improper spine angle causes so many faults.  I still early extend and flip sometimes when my swing gets funky.

Use impact tape if you're not sure where you're hitting it on the face.

That previous poster that is scratch and doesn't practice could probably play on tour if he did. Practice is important!  Even if practice means just playing four times a week!

[jackieMoon]

I shoot anywhere from 76-85. I have never taken lessons and am 19. I tinker with my swing a lot so I'm pretty inconsistent

[Paul1980]

It took me 3 years of playing consistently (2-3 times a week) and when going to the driving range, only taking my PW. I noticed a big difference in my scores when I worked out my pre-shot routine and consistently shifted my weight when striking the ball. I was hitting a 5 iron maybe 150yrds then suddenly I was hitting 170-180yrds. When applying this to your short game, it makes a massive difference when you are hitting PW instead of an 8 iron in to the green. If your aim is to shoot consistently in the 70's you can already strike a ball, so you need to apply good course management and know your limitations. For instance, I know hitting fairway driver when the ball is above my feet is a weakness in my game so I will tend to use a 4iron and lose a few yards instead of getting into a mess. Its all about being realistic and understanding golf is about how good your good shots are and mitigating how bad your bad shots are.