Stuck on 100

[cliff2222tx]

As someone who's been in the same doldrums you're talking about, now with signs that I'm getting out of them (I play 9 hole rounds almost all the time, and the last few have been mostly 45 or 46), a couple things have helped. The first is learning the answer to the questions in the first reply: what is hurting my score? Track whether you hit near the fairway ("playable rough" counts here, you really want to know whether you lost a stroke having to play from under a tree, etc), how many putts, how many badly missed chips, and how many completely terrible shots (duffs, fats, skulls, etc) you hit on each hole.

This really sounds like THE PLAN. Thanks!

[alf174]

I play from the 6,300-6,700 yard tees...because the other guys are doing it! Now that you mention it, I'm more likely to be in trouble with the long hybrids and woods. I should concede, and leave my pride at home. Afterall, my average drive is about 200 yds, but man...it just doesn't feel right to be on the wimpy tee box.

Its okay to play the same tees but learn to play your game and not theirs. If you're on a long par 4, accept the fact its going to take 3 to get on the green. It makes a nice easy drive that you can concentrate on keeping it on the fairway and not worry about the distance. The 2nd shot is an iron/fw wood/hybrid that will position you for a short iron to the green. Basically, train yourself not to hit the hero shorts - usually those long 2nd shots to the green. Every once in a while that short iron will put you within a single putt of the pin, rewarding you with a par. If not, its a low risk bogie - which looks pretty good against a blow-up hole.

[Shooter McGreenkeeper]

What about steps 2, 3, and etc...?

2) start you pre shot routine and take a deep breath and forget about what has just happened

3) aim for a bogey now, and acknowledge that you are only going to make bogey, no hero shots.

[sean_miller]

2) start you pre shot routine and take a deep breath and forget about what has just happened

Yup. Taking your lumps and settling for a bogey (or even a double after going OB) is usually followed by a lucky chip-in or long putt that curls in. It's karma.

[lionking]

Hi All,

i would think in this situation, investing in lessons to groove an effective full swing will be the most direct way to break 100 on a consistent basis. it's probably easier to grind your way to a 95 with course management and work on the short game, but i think that's like putting lipstick on a pig.

[Brakkus]

I'm in the same position and have done some real soul searching as to what I'm doing on the golf course.I love hitting balls when it comes down to basics,and I hate hitting useless shots.So on the golf course the score actually is only the result of how I approached the game.It's my approach to golf that's wrong not the score of 100-105 that's bothering me,my enjoyment never rests on the score.
One poster said work on your swing not the score.I disagree both are related.You won't improve your swing overnight but you can change your approach now today.Playing par 4's as 5's is the simplest way to start.I often shoot 6's on these.I try for too much.The second shot in the fairway takes discipline to refuse.Just because I'm 180 yds out should I go for it?I can make that yardage with my 4 iron but will I hit the green?It's not until 150 and in can I say for any certainty that I will hit the green.

My own advice which I am personally going to follow is having 2 approach shots.Practice these only.A wedge distance of say 60-80 yds and probably a 7 iron approach of 130-150 that may be your 7 iron yardage I don't know.Plan your par 4's based on whether they are like 250-380 range or 380-450.Hit a club off the tee which you know you can keep in play.Mines the 20" hybrid.Then play a position shot with an iron you know can control the ballflight of and land it in a good lie to a wedge distance or a mid iron distance.

By all means continue to work on your game,but simplify your strategy if anything for the swing consistency and confidence gained from hitting more solid shots.

[Topper]

I sympathize completely as a fellow high handicapper. I don't have enough experience to provide much game improvement advice but I can outline some of the things I've done to move my game forward and maybe you can find something helpful.

1. Be realistic about how much time you have to practice and what you can accomplish in that time. I have a busy career and family so frequent 18-hole outings are a rare (i.e., never) event. So I focus on par 3 or "executive" length courses and play only 9 holes at a time. In the Spring, I practiced regularly with all my clubs (driver, hybrids, irons, wedges, and putting), but I found that I able to do a little bit with each but do nothing OK....even for a beginner. So I made a decision midway through the summer to focus my limited time on my irons (4-9), wedges, and putting. Leave the "long" clubs for later. This means that most par 4s become par 5s and par 5s become par 6s for me. I don't care.

2. Like other have said, know what your major "leaks" are and focus limited time on fixing your leaks.....which means track your stats and make field notes. I actually take a notebook with me on the golf course. I know that my number one stroke loss is topping shots from the t-box. Until last weekend, I topped an amazing 75% of my T-shots (including every mulligan). I have T-box phobia because I only topped 20-25% of my approach shots (still pretty significant). Surprisingly, my wedge game and putting are OK (for a beginner). I only 3-putt once every 8 or 9 holes. I love using wedges and experiment with lofted wedges shots and bump-and-runs all the time. I know this because I keep notes.

3. Know what your swing really looks like. You can only do this with a video camera and/or take lessons. I did both this summer and found that they're helpful in moderation. The only problem I have with lessons is that most PGA Instructors are very mechanics orientated focusing on specific orientation of the club, the ball, and various body parts during the golf swing. I'm sure it works for many, but I found my brain so full of swing thoughts that I spent most of the summer with "brain freeze" and topping golf balls to the point that I was wondering if I should divert golf time back to boxing and Thai-boxing. I hit people way easier than golf balls!

4. Once you know what your golf swing really looks like, focus only one or two key swing thoughts to make improvements. From video, It was easy to see that I tended to take the club back steeply and lay it off slightly at the top. Typical for a beginner but I didn't really know it until I saw it. After a few lessons, I filtered out all the instructional chaff and latched onto a simple swing thought that worked for me. For me, it was to take may hands away and reach slightly behind me during the back swing (only to the point where I felt comfortable). This one thought cause my swing to go more around me, no layoff at the top, and a reasonable shoulder turn (given arthritis in my lower back), and weight shift to the right without excessive body movement. One thought did a lot things and I focused on that for a while. Then, someone told me I needed a "trigger" to initiate the downswing. I really struggled with this but recently stumbled on what seems to be working for me. I make a slight hip turn (open) immediately followed by tucking my right elbow into my side as the club comes down. That action seems to allow me to "whip" the club with the "swooshing" sound happening near the ball instead of earlier in the swing. The weight shift kind of happens on its own. That didn't fall into place until last weekend when I played 9-holes on Fri, Sat, and Sun which is the most golf I've ever played on a weekend. What a difference! Zero topped shots on Saturday and only 4 on Sunday. I'll have to see how it holds during the short time remaining until winter. You'll need to see what works for you but keep your swing thoughts few and simple.

Good luck.

[ks8829]

keep track of your scores with the following:

1) putts per round
2) up and down for a one putt attempts and successful attempts
3) fairways hit
4) greens hit on regulation

if you want to break 100 work on the short game, putting on backwards. once you keep scores from the above 1 - 4 in will see what part of your game needs the most attention first then practice and keep practicing

[max power]

As a recent article in Golf magazine (or Golf Digest) laid out, amateurs throw away significantly more strokes in their long game than their short game. Most important skill for breaking 100 and lower is hitting full swing shots relatively straight and approximately the distance you expect.

[zeg]

As a recent article in Golf magazine (or Golf Digest) laid out, amateurs throw away significantly more strokes in their long game than their short game. Most important skill for breaking 100 and lower is hitting full swing shots relatively straight and approximately the distance you expect.

I agree with this, and I'd emphasize straight over distance control. To break 100, you don't have to do anything more than avoid blow-ups, and there are not many blow-ups to be found in the short game once it's better than "totally awful." If you botch a chip or a putt, you probably only cost yourself that stroke. It's easy to cost yourself 2 or more strokes with a bad full swing.

If you can be chipping distance from the green in regulation, all you need is to be able to get on in one chip and 2-putt and you'll bogey. You can take an extra shot from there about half the time and still break 100. That takes an adequate but hardly impressive short game. Trying to achieve this by getting near the green in reg+1 instead means you've now got to get up and down in 2 more than half the time, which I think is a lot harder than just getting a full iron somewhere within 20 yards of the green.

[8.5_Drive]

Breaking 100 is all about damage limitation.

Avoid OB's. And if you do have to drop, forget it and move on.

[Hollister]

Hey, good read so far.

Been analyzing my last 18 hole round from last weekend.

Off the tee, mostly drives:
200 to 240 yard carry (too wet for any roll), constant 20 to 50 yard pushes. Lost a couple of shots getting out of the rough, say 4 shots.

On the fairway: decent layups.

To the green (>100 yards): I do not know how far I hit, except for the 4h. I can not really figure how far it is to the flag. This lead to loosing three shots in the bunker (short or left). Hit an average of 39 feet to the pin, thought it is much, but the pro have 34 feet on average.

To the green (<100 yards): I am anxious hitting 20-40 yard shots. I tend to hit it fat or skulls out of bunkers. Most times I hit the ball well, but need more distance control.

Putts: had 43 on 18 holes - way too many, but on my way. 10 tap-ins from 2 feet and less. Distance control mostly OK - knowing differing green speeds and reading the greens could be better.


My next steps would be:
1. get rid of the pushes (try to hit constant push-draws) - continue to work on the full swing
2. practice < 100 yards, esp. <50 yard shots
3. practice bunker play
4. approach the green (bump and runs, etc.)
5. practice 100-150 yard approaches
6. putting

Next year in spring:
1. get to know my distances for approach shots (7i and down)+
2. putting on real greens
3. 6i and up distances

Got limited time, but the winter is too long anyways.

Do you agree? Did I miss something?

[cliff2222tx]

I agree with this, and I'd emphasize straight over distance control. To break 100, you don't have to do anything more than avoid blow-ups, and there are not many blow-ups to be found in the short game once it's better than "totally awful." If you botch a chip or a putt, you probably only cost yourself that stroke. It's easy to cost yourself 2 or more strokes with a bad full swing.

I've just read the GD article, and reminesce at my recent game this past Monday where I shot 102. It was a beautiful afternoon in S. Texas, and I had to take a half-day off. Anyway, I can remember at least 2 blow-ups, both of which are shots over the water at about 150 & 180 yards. I, of course, attempted the short-cuts to get on the green. I could have gone around the water, but I was feeling pretty confident with my swing and decided to go for it. It didn't work out too well. On the previous day, Sunday, I shot 97 on the same course. I recall at least one other blow-up on a different hole on Sunday as well, I think it was another crossing the water and bunker. Likewise, there was an alternate route for layup that I didn't take. Again, feeling confident got the best of me.

By blow-ups, I meant dunking in the water, took another shot, and got dunked again.

[cliff2222tx]

Its okay to play the same tees but learn to play your game and not theirs. If you're on a long par 4, accept the fact its going to take 3 to get on the green. It makes a nice easy drive that you can concentrate on keeping it on the fairway and not worry about the distance. The 2nd shot is an iron/fw wood/hybrid that will position you for a short iron to the green. Basically, train yourself not to hit the hero shorts - usually those long 2nd shots to the green. Every once in a while that short iron will put you within a single putt of the pin, rewarding you with a par. If not, its a low risk bogie - which looks pretty good against a blow-up hole.

Thanks for the advice, and I do think it's the 2nd shots that kills me. Looking back at my recent rounds. I don't worry too much off the T. Not too many O.B.'s that I can remember. I did learn how to pull out my 3W instead of drivers on the T box, so it seemed to help. I don't worry about chipping or putting. I track my putts, and normally take about 36 putts per round. It's the long (150+ yds) 2nd shots that seemed to put me in the rough, water, bunker, and the other fairway.

[cliff2222tx]

Breaking 100 is all about damage limitation.

I think this applies to me well. After I take a drop, I would try again, and get skunked again, 4 more strokes added.

[mcgriff]

Next round, don't take a full swing at anything and aim for the middle of the green....see what happens. Leave the driver at home.

[cliff2222tx]

Next round, don't take a full swing at anything and aim for the middle of the green....see what happens. Leave the driver at home.

I will seriously consider leaving the driver at home, along with my ego. The driver put me at about 200 yards, and the 3W put me at about 190 yards...but...but...for an extra 10 yards, the sound of the driver is so nice on the T box.

[wubskis]

From my perspective as someone looking to break 90 instead of 100, I can offer up a mindset that has done well for me recently. I play bogey golf, but very literally. Increase every hole's par by one in your mind, but instead of thinking "oh god I'm going to make another bogey", just shift up what you 'call' your score to compensate. If you score a literal bogey, call it a par. If you score a literal par, call it a birdie. It helps me control my urge to go for shots I know I'm highly unlikely to pull off, when I think "oh wait, I have another shot to get on this green 'in regulation'".

Worked like magic for me.