Breaking 100

[bruno]

Witout a doubt short game practice (100yds in) would probably be your best time spent. Be honest with yourself about your game and learn what your tendancys are. If you tend to hit a slice off the tee and there is trouble on the right, aim for the left side. If there is trouble behind the green, make sure you hit a club that if you hit it pure won't be too long. If you have trouble putting, spend more time practicing chipping and putting. Know your game and learn how to score better with what you have untill you have time to practice on your weak spots. Make notes when you play is also a great way to know what needs improvement. When i play i will leave leave room on my card between mine and playing partners name, and write down putts, greens in regulation, and anything else that i feel i will want to remember that will help me improve when i practice. With a little thought and honesty with yourself you can easily break 100 without improving your swing. Hope this helps you out.

[trageserk]

Thanks again everyone, so the past couple of days I've spent practicing at least an hour an a half, despite the >100 deg weather (maybe I can be considered a dedicated golfer now? ). I've been working on my iron striking, my three wood from off of the tee (and a little from the deck), and my chipping with my 64 deg. I was kind of messing around with my tempo and swing speed, and I found that (pretty predictably) if I slowed my backswing and if I didn't attempt to crush the ball, I would make consistent contact AND my distances didn't decrease much (this surprised me). I think I'm playing tomorrow with a couple of friends and actually one of my teachers after school, so I'll track all of my putts, Fairways hit, GIR, anything I can think of. I had previously done this once or twice before, but thanks bruno, I'll make sure to do it for all of my future rounds.

I also just set up an account at oobgolf.com. It's pretty cool in that it can track everything and I can figure out where I'm losing most strokes.

By the way, anyone know of any good cures for blisters? I plan on sucking it up and still playing, but any ideas for afterwards?

[johnnyb588]

5 weeks ago I was shooting a consistent 105. Now I've worked myself into the mid 80's. The best advice I can give you is "don't try to do too much." When I was scoring higher, I would always assume that I could hit the ball much further than was really likely. I would swing away without thinking "Where do I NOT want this ball to end up?" and all too often, I would end up in the middle of some trees, or in the rough, or with a tough bunker shot, etc.

Club selection is critical before you get onto the green. If you're driving 270, then you should be able to hit your 3 iron somewhere around 210 or so, so if you're on a short par 4 (360 or so), maybe just hit a 3i instead of going with the big stick. If you're 160 out and you think you can make it with a 7, but you are pretty sure you'll end up short and a bunker awaits at the front of the green, club up to the 6 and be sure you fly the trouble. If you're stuck behind a tree, don't try to make a miracle shot and get yourself into more trouble. Find the easiest way to better your position with the least chance of getting into more danger.

For your short game, I would HIGHLY recommend that you do not settle for flop shots around the green. You should really work on your bump and run techniques. If it's a short chip, try keeping your arms straight and stiff and really letting your torso do the work to move the ball. That will minimize mistakes greatly, becuase your restricted movement is going to allow you to have a better control of your distance. If it's a far enough shot that you have to cock your wrists, be absolutely sure that you do not go weak and decelerate before you strike the ball. So many golfers with poor short games take nice solid practice swings, but decelerate when they're actually going at the ball and they'll hit it fat or skull it or leave the club face open, etc. Do not decelerate.

The best place to remove strokes is in your short game. Improve your pitching and chipping, and work on putts within 10 feet until you can't hold a putter any more. Do those things, and you'll break 100 with a few weeks of hard work.

[rudygu]

I highly recommend trying out Scorecard . It tracks many, many stats and really helps to find exactly what needs the most improvement in your game. Find your single greatest weakness and work on it until it becomes a strength. It has worked wonders for me.

[jasongst]

Hey everyone,

I remember breaking 100 vividly because it was only a few years ago. If you are hooking the ball then my guess, being that you are a new golfer, is that you are using a strong grip. Are you? In that case you might consider switching to a more neutral grip. But in doing so, you might have to re-learn a lot of things in your swing.

My advice is to pick a model swing for yourself and go with it. I picked up the Hogan "5 Lessons" book and never looked back. I don't swing exactly as the book describes, but any time I am uncertain about how I want to do something (back swing, grip, etc.) I try to copy what's in that book. If nothing else it keeps you organized and prevents you from going all over the map with your swing techniques. My short game tip, aside from recommending typical practice sessions, is to consider picking up a wedge during a round when you're stuck behind a slow group. If nothing else you'll be able to practice sweeping the grass. If the wait time is especially long you'll be able to actually hit some golf balls at a short target (try landing it on the tee box). Good luck!

[jasongst]

Breaking 100 is a simple process (not saying it's easy, but simple): you just need to work on your swing.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Many professional instructors look at scoring data and determine that amateurs would benefit most from work on their short game. But I believe these statements to be slightly out of touch with what most new golfers are experiencing. New golfers need techniques that are rewarding both for the score card

and for the psyche. You may be the best pitch & putt guy on the course, but if you are hitting tee shots and approach shots into water hazards, then you are probably not enjoying yourself. I know when I was a new golfer I would have vastly preferred scoring double bogey on every single hole to scoring a mixture of singles and doubles mixed in with the occasional PLUS SIX. Not only is a good, repeating swing more rewarding for a new golfer, I also think it requires more attention regardless. In my experience, becoming a decent ball striker requires far more practice than becoming a decent pitch & putt guy. They both require practice, but learning the full golf swing is far more difficult. I feel that if you work primarily on the golf swing, then the short game will gradually improve along with it, if only because you'll be spending so much time around the golf course that you won't be able to help but gain experience with it.

[trageserk]

Hey everyone, I just thought I'd give an update. Today I shot a 54 (on 9) which is a lot better then my ~65's I've been shooting as of late. My drives were off, I think I took 3 penalties- all of which were from tee shots. My approach shots were pretty good- my practicing with my 64 deg has paid off a lot so far, my touch with it has improved a lot. My irons reverted back to hooking, I'm going to reexamine my grip and see if that's what's causing the issues. My putting was really good today (for me at least- 17 on 9) and I had a 33 footer downhill with about a foot break to the left- that pumped up my round pretty fast. I've been reading How to break 100 and How to break 90 and they've given some pretty good tips that I've transferred over to my game/practice routines.

Thanks everyone

[LongIron]

Is there any particular reason why you use the 64* wedge? What other clubs do you try to chip with, and what problems are you seeing with them?

I would shelf the club and work on using an 8/9/pw/sw around the green.

Another suggestion (as someone else mentioned) is to keep the driver in your bag for an entire 18. 230 down the middle every time with a 3iron certainly helps work your score down.

[trageserk]

Is there any particular reason why you use the 64* wedge? What other clubs do you try to chip with, and what problems are you seeing with them?

My 64 deg is probably my favorite club in the bag. I can hit it better and more consistently then any other club (kind of ironic given it's reputation). My main problem in chipping is that I actually end up inadvertently aiming at the hole- not taking into account how far the ball will roll. When I practice it, which is almost always in my backyard, I set up buckets and just try to get it in those from 15-30 yds away. I think I now end up visualizing the pin as that bucket, so I try to get it to go there in the air. As for my SW I cannot hit it at all, I'm looking to replace it sometime in the near future. I'm also looking to get a wedge in between my 64 and PW- maybe a 52 Deg. It's a really big gap that I've noticed makes it a lot more difficult trying to get on from 50-100 yds because of that gap.

I've never tried a three iron or even my 4. I took them out almost immediately and replaced my 4 with a 4 hybrid and the 3 spot is empty (just because I haven't bought another club yet). Is it any easier to hit the 3 or 4 iron from the tee then from the deck?

[LongIron]

Any club is easier to hit from a tee vs. the deck. If you can hit your 4hybrid well, just tee off with that for 18. Everyone wants to hit it far, but its being accurate and staying in play that really matters.

I honestly would stop using the 64*. Its just going to hold you back from learning the shots you need. If you dont bump and run, you will never chip any in.

Something that helps me is to take 3 practice swings for the chip, address the ball and go. Make the exact same swing for your actual hit (4th swing) as the 3rd practice swing and dont think about a single thing. If you think about the chip, you will end up skulling it.

[Shindig]

Hey everyone, I just thought I'd give an update. Today I shot a 54 (on 9) which is a lot better then my ~65's I've been shooting as of late. My drives were off, I think I took 3 penalties- all of which were from tee shots. My approach shots were pretty good- my practicing with my 64 deg has paid off a lot so far, my touch with it has improved a lot. My irons reverted back to hooking, I'm going to reexamine my grip and see if that's what's causing the issues. My putting was really good today (for me at least- 17 on 9) and I had a 33 footer downhill with about a foot break to the left- that pumped up my round pretty fast. I've been reading How to break 100 and How to break 90 and they've given some pretty good tips that I've transferred over to my game/practice routines.

If you have uncharacteristic bad shots, forget about them. I hit a slice at one hole today, forgot about it, ripped the next driver down the middle. If it becomes a pattern, and I mean over more than one round, then it's something worth worrying about. Otherwise, it may well have been a fluke. But after a bad shot, you should double-check your grip and stance on the next shot, pre-shot. You said elsewhere you threw out your 3- and 4-iron. Literally, or are they in the house/trunk somewhere? Oh, and if you're good with the 64, stick with it. While I wish I had spent the time I spent getting good with my old 58 on something else - say, being good with a more versatile club - I know it helped to have a good short game club I could count on. And way to go on the improvement.

[trageserk]

I still have the 3 and 4 Iron, they're in my room keeping each other company.

I just got back from the golf store, I bought a 52 deg two dot Cleveland CG14. I tested it with the Vokey's and I have to say that personally I liked the weight of the cleveland a bit more, but they were both fine clubs. Hopefully fixing that huge gap between my PW and 64 Deg will help a bit.

I'm probably going to play at Richter Park tomorrow up in Danbury, CT. If I like it, I'm considering joining it. It was rated in the Top 25 Public courses in the nation by golf digest. It's a steal for a junior at only 275 for an unlimited season pass.

I've been practicing, working a lot on my putting and ball striking , and I hope I've fixed my grip for the time being. Recently, I also learned that I can hit my 5W out of the rough of my backyard really well- something I had thought was impossible (at least for me).

Thanks everyone for staying with the thread.

[$2 Nassau]

In my opinion, it's all course management. Choosing the right club, punching out from under a tree instead of trying to pull off a crazy shot and go for the green, etc.

If you really want to break 100, add 1 stroke to every hole. i.e. a par 4 is now a par 5. So, on a short par 4, even if it is a straight forward "easy" hole, do you need driver? No. Hit 3 wood or maybe even an iron, doesn't matter because you have 3 shots to make it to the green and then 2 putt for your 5.

On par 5's you have 4 shots to get to the green because it is now a par 6. Play like this and you'll be amazed at how often you actually make real pars. Then, as your swing develops you slowly become more aggressive.

This is what I used to do. Just played every hole for bogey.

Do not go out there with any swing thoughts in mind. Just concentrate on making the ball fly to your target.

If you hit a bad shot, don't let it bother you, you will hit bad shots throughout your golfing career.

Perfect example:

I went to the Travelers Champ this past weekend. Justin Rose bombed a drive on a relatively short par 4 (9th hole playing around 405). Had maybe 90 yards to the pin, tops. He shanked his wedge shot so bad, it was horrible. Made a terrible sound that only a shank can make. Went through a tree to the right of the green, bounced over the cart path and almost off the property. Was a good 15-20 yards right of the green. Just a horrible shot. He didn't react even a little bit, maybe a little grin and that was it. Then he got his butt over to his ball and began scheming for his third shot. Hit a nice soft chip out of a bad lie that rolled to within 5 feet, and he made par. Then he had a little fun with the crowd by raising his hands like he had just eagled the hole or something.

Don't let the bad ones bother you, just concentrate on making a good follow up shot.

[steve617]

A friend of mine told me once that he counts his putts and trys to get better at the putting. He says if you count them by writing them on your score card you can track your improvement.

[trageserk]

Thanks guys.

Nassau- From what I've read of How to break 100 (a great book by the way as is breaking 90) they've both heavily stressed the idea of a personal par like you suggested. When I play tomorrow I'll try the strategy and see if it helps.

Steve- Thanks for the tip, someone else suggested it earlier on, and it has helped a lot.

To everyone else, at what course/slope rating or distance do you guys consider breaking 100 or any barrier for that matter legitimate? Not saying that I'd go out to the easiest course (kind of defeats the whole purpose) I could find, but what about something playing like a 65/115?

[InTheTwenties]

I read this old book called: T he Duffers guide to bogey golf by Swarbrick, Brian. It was a funny read, but it also gave good advice that I have followed. The result: My first round of golf enjoyed with a score of 93.

The main theme: leave the driver in the trunk for a few rounds. The gist: on a par 4 of 300 yards: take two control shots to the green with your 150 club instead of killing the ball with the driver. The 150 club should land you in the fairway, then the next should land you on the green or just off. 2 Putt, par.

The other main theme: look at a par 4 like a par 5. Bogey is your new par. The result is bogey golf, or more specifically: a score of 88- 93.

Swarbrick's book was a special find at the library. I'm glad I read it. You should too.

[Shindig]

To everyone else, at what course/slope rating or distance do you guys consider breaking 100 or any barrier for that matter legitimate? Not saying that I'd go out to the easiest course (kind of defeats the whole purpose) I could find, but what about something playing like a 65/115?

I had to look it up.

My first time breaking 100 was at a course that is 69.8/116/6308. I consider that an accomplishment. I consider breaking 100 anytime the par is >=66 to be a good accomplishment for a beginner. You still have to play better than double-bogey golf. You still have to get the ball from the tee to the hole 18 times without making some huge messes. Now, once you have accomplished that, then go and try with a CR of at least 68. The yardage isn't really a big deal - 6000 or more is good. You certainly don't need to go to a 7000 yard area.

[Guest]

I agree with the previous post regarding the 64* wedge....I know you say you are confident with it and that is important, but it really and truly is not as versatile as many other wedges out there. As someone else said, you should be using the pw and 56* sw around the green. I have seen a few 64*...but who really uses them??

Another piece of advice... you talked about some of your crazy drives or some penalties you take out of the box... choke down on the driver about an inch. I read somewhere Tiger uses a 44.5" driver and suggested that most golfers could benefit from 44-44.5" drivers. I currently have a 45" that I choke down about an inch on. I have always been longer and further out of the tee box than just about anyone I play with, my longest drive is 340 -- but I always used to be much more wild and lose shots to penalties, etc. So now, choking down...I am hitting the ball right down the middle much more often and some yardage, but it just makes the entire round better.

But again...work around the green...the single most important shot, in my opinion, is the shorter approach and the ability to put it close enough to ensure a 2 putt and sometimes the 1 putt. Goodluck man...greatest sport around!!