Breaking 80. (The Little Things)

[shimm9]

I shot an 86 on a tough course I never played before. Only my second round with my new irons (Wilson Staff Pi7, love them). I learned so much. Breaking 80 is all about the little things. Choosing the right club. A few times I walked up to my ball to chip and realized I should be using a different lofted wedge. Forgetting my swing thought, being lazy. Going for it when I should have laid up. Rushing my shot. I learned today that the mental game is 50% of the game if not more. Question. You fellas that are single digit handicaps (I'm a very frustrated 13 hcp). Do you have any tips for breaking 80? Any tips on how to keep your concentration?

[ctw262]

Take it one shot at a time. Once you pick your club and step up to the ball, commit to that shot and think nothing else, but sticking it tight. Also, like I've said in other posts, a good short game is crucial for scoring well.

[enarhi]

Pick the 5 hardest holes on the course. Play those for bogey. Pick the 2 or 3 easy ones that you can attack, and play those for birdie. The rest of the way, play for pars. For me, the first time I broke 80 had nothing to do with ball striking and everything to do with course management.

[deronsizemore]

For me, the first time I broke 80 had nothing to do with ball striking and everything to do with course management.

Yeah, you can hit the ball poorly and still break 80, just as long as you're keeping it in play and advancing the ball. 80 or worse comes into play if you hit a lot of tops, chunks or have a lot of penalty strokes.

It's about choosing the right club for the shot, let go of your ego and play the safe shot (so you don't add unnecessary strokes). If you do those things and put half way decent you should break 80.

[glk23]

My hdcp is'nt far from yours and sub 80 round is one of my goals for the year. Shot an 81 a week and a half ago on the same course I shot a 90 the week before. For me, putting and course management is the key. I have really been focusing on taking enough club and not aiming at every pin on approach shots. I had been short siding myself a ton lately and this change has really helped out.

I also think at my hdcp, some breaks need to go my way. For example, during the first hole of my 81 a horrible approach shot left me 57yds to the pin, but blocked by an overhanging oak tree. Aim thirty feet left of pin knowing even a good shot is going to leave me a tough 2 put bogey. Push the shot, it smacks one oak leave and comes to a complete stop six inches from the pin. I had 5-6 "breaks" like that during the round.

[uttexas]

To break 80, I need to putt well.
I putt better if I take the time to look at the putt from different angles---behind the ball, from the hole to the ball, and then from the low point on the line.
I line up the ball to the initial intended line with the logo or drawn line.
Imagine the ball rolling into the center of the cup (for a right to left breaker, the center of the cup will be on the right side of the hole)
Take two practice strokes, then strike the ball accelerating and releasing through the ball. I hold my putter clubface square to the intended initial ball path (some disagree with this), but my error under pressure is a pull. Holding the putter face square to the target line helps to prevent this.

[DaCus3]

Spend almost all of your practice time working on 100 yards and in and u will be a single diget handicap

[SpringBokVol]

don't pin seek. play for greens in regulations and take your two putt pars. there will be a few holes that don't go your way or you miss club, hit a bad chip. But you have six bad ones and you still shoot 78.

[jamo]

GIR GIR GIR

if you hit greens you will break 80

and to hit greens you need to hit fairways, but thats another story

[ks8829]

It simple:

during a round keep your stats on the following:

1) putts per round
2) up and downs for one putts to save par, make birdie and even to save boogie
3) green on regulations
4) fairways hit

work on lower your score from the hole backwards.

keep your putts under 30
getting up and down 50%+ of your attempts

[Golfing Dad]

What does GIR mean?

[iacas]

What does GIR mean?

Greens in Regulation.

[shimm9]

Alot of excellent ideas. Has anyone been helped by reading a book on the mental side of golf?

[shimm9]

Last year I bought Pelz's Short Game Bible and started to focus on the short game and have taken probably ten strokes off my score. Still a work in progress though.

[Leftygolfer]

The reason I haven't been in the 70s this year is 2 things. 3 putting and not hitting greens.

A thing I hope that will create success for me is working on my putting. I don't mean going and just practice hitting different putts but rather drills.

I have two. I do the 3 foot putt drill that phil is famous for. All you do is put 10 tees around the hole and then balls beside, then start going around one after another. I have only done it 4 times and can already see a difference. The only reason I miss short ones is speed. The highest number I got to was 27. This shot is the most important shot in golf IMO.

The other is a lag putt drill. It is practicing 40, 50, 60 foot putts. 3 at each location then a final at the 50 foot location. If you can get all 10 inside of 3 feet, you are a really good lag putter. Never have I been able to complete the drill. It is hard.

This and chipping is all I am practicing right now so I hope it helps. I don't have time to do more.

[MackJL06]

its painful...i shot 83 (35 putts) and 80 (37 putts) respectively this weekend. for the 83 i 2 putted holes 2-18....dang...on the 80...3 putted 18!

[David in FL]

GIR GIR GIR

I agree.

Plan your round around GIR's. You have to hit every par 5, half the par 3's, and only 3 par 4's. Then, with no 3 putts and only 2 one-putt up and downs from the 9 greens that you missed in regulation, you just shot a 79.

[SpringBokVol]

I agree.

Easy game, isn't it? :)