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Help Me Break 80


fairwaysngreens
Note: This thread is 6094 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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First time I broke 80, I actually should have shot about 74. I finished in the dark and lost two balls because I just didn't see them! What I discovered then about breaking 80:

* You can't win it off the tee, but you sure can lose it. My friend yanked my driver after I started E after four holes without using it. If I missed a fairway, it wasn't by much. I was in play on every hole to start. Not long, not bombed, not cut corners, just in play.

* Your second shot just needs to avoid trouble. Hitting a green is great, but failing that, you can't doom yourself. I stayed in control by taking enough club (never 'too much' club) and just aiming for the fattest area I could. I didn't aim at pins (never mind tough ones) or envision 1-in-100 shots. My first missed fairway was the 9th and I had a tough sidehill lie. I took a 9 iron, aimed at the middle and hit the green, parred it.

* When it comes to your greenside game, dammit, make 'em! If you have a reasonable shot at it, then try to make it. But, take the easy approach. Don't flop a shot when you can just hood a sand wedge and hit a little skipper. Above all else, these shots require simply hitting the ball crisply with the club. Think about it: how easy is it to point the club where you want on a 15-yd bump and run - easy, right? Then, there's only speed left, so just envision it like a putt. Hit it crisp and roll it in. No, you probably won't make many, in reality, but I bet you'll have more kick-in's.

* Putting: you simply will not break 80 without making something like 4-5 "good" putts (meaning, something outside of a double-bogey tap-in). Even if you're doing everything right, you may end up with nothing but six-footers all day, and some will be for par, some will be for bogey. You HAVE to make a few of these, so CONCENTRATE on them. It's so easy to get over a putt of 7, 9, 12 feet and be thinking, "ooh, I hope I get it close," or "I hope I don't run it by." You have to get that out of your head. Someone who breaks 80 is a good player and you have to think like it. Every putt, even the 40-footers, are putts you're going to try to make, unless it's on the side of a cliff. It is UH-MAZ-ING how much better you putt when you're putting to make.


OK, so not such a short lesson, but good luck.

Nothing in the swing is done at the expense of balance.

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P U T T I N G and C H I P P I N G

Stop three putting and get up and down every time.

Callaway RazrFit Extreme 9.5 w/Project X 6.5
Callaway XHot Pro 15* 3Wood w/Project X 6.5
Callaway XTour 18* 2h w/S300
Callaway XHot Pro 4/5 irons w/S300
Callaway XForged III 5-PW irons w/S300
Callaway Forged 52*/58* Wedges
Odyssey 7 Versa 90
Callaway Hex Black Tour

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Well most people have already said it. Practice PUTTING AND CHIPPING. You have the same goal that I had at the beginning of the year. The way I went about it was to go to the practice green at least 4 days a week for 1-2 hours just practice putting and chipping. I also try to get to the driving range a few time a week. And then I take all this practice to the course at least once a week.

I have since broken 80 twice this year. I shot a 79 with a double on the last hole and then shot a 73 a few weeks ago. I had everything working that day. I hit 15 greens in regulation and made pretty much everything inside 10 feet. My new goal for this year is to be under par on 9 holes. Then it will be under par for 18.

Just keep practicing and you will achieve your goal.

Driver : SQ Sumo 5000 9.5˚ VS 65 proto
3 Wood : V steel
Irons : MP-32 3-PW
Wedges : R-series 56˚ & 60˚
Putter : Tri-Force 2Ball : Pro V1x

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Relax, don't take it seriously, and only swing at 90 percent of full power. When I swing at full power, or god forbid, 120+ percent, the chances of mishits multiply big time. But I swung at 90 percent today for the back nine. Sure, I lost 10 yards on my shots - but I'm not going to complain about a 37. Ever. Also, relax when putting. Just take it easy and don't wring the putter's neck out. I drained a few snakes when I needed them most today, and lagged longer ones surprisingly well - all because I relaxed and didn't take it seriously. Sure, it burned me up when I missed the putt for 36, but hey, didn't matter. Not a big deal. It's just a game.
"Shouldn't you be going faster? I mean, you're doing 40 in a 65..."

Driver: Burner TP 9.5*
3 Wood: 906F2 15*
2I: Eye 23I-PW: 3100 I/HWedges: Vokey Spin-Milled 56*06, MP-R 52*07/60*05Putter: Victoria IIBall: Pro V1xCheck out my new blog: Thousand Yard DriveHome Course: Kenton County...
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OK- it is all about strategy. First thing, walk your course thinking about your tee shots. Identify on each drive, what is the place that will hurt the most. Write it down for every tee shot. Based upon that information, aim for the part of the fairway that is farthest from that place you cannot afford to be. ie. There is OB left off of the tee, a perfect drive in the left center would be the best drive. Aim just inside the right first cut.

Do the same thing for par 3s and approach shots. Figure out what shots will kill your score. Say your greens are very hard and fast and it's hard to stop the ball. If the pin is in front, choose a club that if you hit perfectly, it will get to the front fringe and a slight miss will leave you short. Also, if the missing right gives you an impossible up and down, aim for the left 1/3 of the green.

If you understand how to manage the course, you'll avoid big numbers and should break 80.

Once you can regularly score in the low to mid 70's, you can begin to play for the perfect shot, IF you can hit that shot. Until your skill level gets to that point, play away from the bad stuff.

Driver- Geek Dot Com This! 12 degree Matrix Ozik Xcon 6 Stiff
Adams Tour Issue 4350 Dual Can Matrix Ozik Xcon 5

Hybrids- Srixon 18 deg
Srixon 21 deg Irons- Tourstage Z101 3-PW w/Nippon NS Pro 950 GH - Stiff Srixon i701 4-PW w/ Nippon NS Pro 950 GH-Stiff MacGregor...

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I think the key to breaking 80 is irons and solid putting. The other day I couldn't hit my driver if my life depended on it, and my woods weren't much better, so I played the entire back nine hitting 3 iron off the tee, keeping the ball in the fairway, and two-putting. I ended up with a 39, just because of all the GIRs.
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Note: This thread is 6094 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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