how to break 80. - Page 2

I was always too focused on the score whenever I got close and it got in my head. The day I finally did it, I was focused on the match I was playing and I didn't even know that I shot 78 until the round was over. I've done it a lot since because the pressure was off.

Breaking 80 is becoming a joke for me. I have shot 80 more this season than most people do in their life. I can not get to the other side....

My driving is great, long irons great, short irons are below average at the moment ( last week I missed several greens from inside 120 yards ) and my putting is O.K.

I feel like once I break it, I will be like a Juggernaut and not look back

put the ball in play off the tee.  this is much more important than the short game except for putting.  avoid penalty strokes off the tee and its hard not to score better.

stop worrying about "80"  If you're figuring out in your mind what you need to do over the last 3,4, 5 holes to break 80...it's anti-productive. As long as you're doing the things everyone is saying in this thread...fairways, no 3putts, no penalty strokes etc...focus on one thing and one thing only. The shot you're about to play. Play one hole at a time, one shot at a time. Stop looking at the scorecard 10 times during the round. I was where many in this thread are...lot's of 81's, 82's...and I stressed myself out by the time I got to the end of the round. Now I check my score at the turn, then I check it again after 18th. Looking at it every other hole isn't going to help me in the least. You know when you're playing well...don't put extra pressure on yourself by doing calculus on the tee when you should be concentrating on splitting the fairway. After adopting this strategy...my next strong round was a 75. That was last year....this year I shot 73 and shot many rounds last year and this year in the 70s. I have my eye on par now. When I get there, it will be a nice surprise.

Good luck...try your best to play hole by hole, shot by shot and let the scoring take care of itself...if the course is playing hard or the other competitors nervous you never know what will qualify...could be an 80, 81...

oh, and remember to verify every hole on you score card before signing it http://thesandtrap.com/t/62443/scoring-101-don-t-record-a-35-on-18#post_773861

That's not a bad round, under that kind of pressure!

The two common stats for rounds under 80 are;

seven greens in regulation

30 or less putts per round

Do that and you will regularly break 80.

How to reach these objectives is the hard part.  The holy grail for most amateur golfers and one I rarely find. 

Lessons from a good instructor and practice, practice, practice.  Neither of which I have ever done.  Shame on me. 

The easiest way for me to break 80 is to eliminate penalty shots for lost balls, hazards and or OB.  As long as I keep the ball in play - I can break 80 without issue.  On the rare occassion, I'll have a terrible putting day and have 3-putts.  But that is very rare.  So I'll add that you need to be able to chip and putt decently enough to get the ball into or close to the hole.... This will help you break 80.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rph23 

My high school golf season is over. Played right to my handicap, 84. Guess im going to go practice.

Playing to your index under pressure is nothing to sneeze at.

Quote:

Quote:

Originally Posted by rph23

My high school golf season is over. Played right to my handicap, 84. Guess im going to go practice.

 

Originally Posted by sean_miller 

 

Playing to your index under pressure is nothing to sneeze at.

Yeah, but what pressure is there really if your handicap is 84?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elvisliveson 

Yeah, but what pressure is there really if your handicap is 84?

you did notice that his handicap is 12 and he shot 84....maybe not as low as he would have liked, but respectable for a high schooler under pressure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEfree 

you did notice that his handicap is 12 and he shot 84....maybe not as low as he would have liked, but respectable for a high schooler under pressure.

You did hear of something called sarcasm at one time or another, no?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elvisliveson 

You did hear of something called sarcasm at one time or another, no?

I enjoy good sarcasm as much as the next guy, but find it hard to pull off and understand on the internet (especially when I am multi-tasking)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEfree 

I enjoy good sarcasm as much as the next guy, but find it hard to pull off and understand on the internet (especially when I am multi-tasking)

Look for the winking (or other) smiley,  it's a dead giveaway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elvisliveson 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEfree 

I enjoy good sarcasm as much as the next guy, but find it hard to pull off and understand on the internet (especially when I am multi-tasking)

Look for the winking (or other) smiley,  it's a dead giveaway.

Speaking of sarcasm, that's winking guy is probably the most sarcastically judgmental smiley I've ever seen.  Some people use that specific smiliey quite often and I never know how to interpret what they've just said.