So close to breaking 80 but just can't

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by David in FL

True.  But "no 3 putts" kind of takes care of that.......in that I'm assuming that someone on the verge of breaking 80 isn't going to miss a green by more than a stroke.

In actuality, it can certainly happen though.....no argument there!

Well, even a decent golfer can go OB, hit 3 from the tee, miss the green on 4, pitch on and 2 putt for a 7...but I get the gist...just playing Devil's advocate.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Well, even a decent golfer can go OB, hit 3 from the tee, miss the green on 4, pitch on and 2 putt for a 7...but I get the gist...just playing Devil's advocate.

Yep, it can absolutely happen.  Good chance that even jacking one out, a good golfer can still hit the green within a stroke of regulation though.

Bottom line, if you're hitting many (any?) balls OB on a regular basis, you ain't gonna be breaking 80.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Yep, it can absolutely happen.  Good chance that even jacking one out, a good golfer can still hit the green within a stroke of regulation though.

Bottom line, if you're hitting many (any?) balls OB on a regular basis, you ain't gonna be breaking 80.

Absolutely. That's why on Saturday I plan on not hitting driver unless it's WIDE open on at least one side. The length advantage isn't worth it right now. I have to trust my hybrid...on most par 4s and 5s, 210-225 from the tee is plenty to get me within' 7-8 iron distance to the pin. Will probably give me less birdie opportunities, but way more par opportunities. Must...restrain...self...

[WUTiger]

One thing I noticed: You had bogies on all three par 5s, and the longest was maybe 500 yds (?). It appears you hit no par 5 fairways. Unless you can reach the green in two, and fly the ball into the green on your second shot, you should probably concentrate on hitting the fairway, getting inside 100 yards, and chipping or pitching onto the green. You could get a par, and maybe a birdie.

If you probably can't get home in two, focus on landing your tee shot in the fairway. Go with a 3W or that Hybrid you talked about.

Also, just relax and let it happen. The first time I broke 80, I shot a 77 (and it could have been a 76 if I hadn't three-putted the final hole).

[drw0010]

In the same boat as you , man. The scrambling is what screws you, gotta hit those GIR's!

[rkim291968]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Absolutely. That's why on Saturday I plan on not hitting driver unless it's WIDE open on at least one side. The length advantage isn't worth it right now. I have to trust my hybrid...on most par 4s and 5s, 210-225 from the tee is plenty to get me within' 7-8 iron distance to the pin. Will probably give me less birdie opportunities, but way more par opportunities. Must...restrain...self...

I recently tried 2 rounds without a driver & 3 wood.  I didn't even bring them to avoid any temptation to use it.   Surprisingly, my score didn't suffer.   It forced me to use long irons a lot, something I can't practice at my local range where they use mats instead of real grass.

[mdl]

Totally agree that it's really just ball-striking in the long run.  Even the pros aren't getting up and down 80+%.  Best scrambling and sand save percentages on tour are <70%.  A more realistic, excellent amateur number is gonna be more like 50%. 6 GIR, 6 up and downs, no worse than bogey on the other 6 holes gets you a 78.  Relying on short game puts a serious ceiling (or rather floor!) on what kind of golfer you can develop into.

I had a stretch a while back where I was practicing short game ( < 30 yard shots and indoor putting) a ton!  Helped me shave a few strokes, shoot low 80s more often and flirt with 90 less often.  But never got me over that hump to being a 70s player.  My ball striking is finally improving a bit and I've broken 80 twice in my last five rounds.

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned as much is the mental game.  I shot 80 or 81 a bunch of times before breaking 80.  Couple times I came into the last hole or couple holes and got all pumped and tightened up and pressed and choked.  If you're the kind of person who doesn't automatically know what you're shooting, have a buddy keep score.  Or if you want to keep your own stats, work super hard on only considering the shot at hand.

[phan52]

If you are often close, breaking 80 is all in your head. The fact that you are so aware of it is your primary hindrance. You have to figure out a way, especially when you are playing well, to not be aware of where you are in relation to par while you are playing. One shot at time, and always let somebody else keep score.

[rehmwa]

If you are often close, breaking 80 is all in your head. The fact that you are so aware of it is your primary hindrance. You have to figure out a way, especially when you are playing well, to not be aware of where you are in relation to par while you are playing. One shot at time, and always let somebody else keep score.

Funny stuff - was working on breaking 80 last year and on the back nine of a good course. I just hit a great drive on 15 and I realized that I was 1 under for the back nine. Put the next shot in the greenside bunker and bladed the bunker shot over the green. :-P sometimes happy obliviousness to the score is a great place to live edited to fix "70" to reality of "80" or "breaking into the 70's....."

[hypocritenutter]

I have the exact same problem. It seems that the harder I try, the harder it is to break 80. In my case the putting is killing me, especially short putts, I have developed such a case of the yipps that I'm putting left handed now and I'm a righty. I'm dropping easily 5 shots per round through missing silly short putts. I find hitting a lot of greens in regulation and then I three putt, it's enough to drive you crazy. So, what I'm trying to say is figure out what you're struggling with the most and then fix that first, the 70's will follow quicker that way. It looks like your having difficulty with GIRs , so hit the driving range with your irons for a week or two and then go back out on the course again and break 80!

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Kletus

I play my best golf when I don't know my score.  If I can... I tell my buddy my score and let him keep it.

If I'm keeping it then I try not to keep track of where I am.   If I know that I'm shooting a good number then I tend to try too hard and blow it.

I've only shot 79 once but it was a total surprise when I totaled it up.  I knew I was playing well... just didn't quite know how well.

I agree with bplewis and others who gave the technical sort of advice of upping your GIRs but also Kletus and others who emphasis the mental part--not obsessing over the number.

The first time I broke 80 (I've done it only 3 times), I did it by hitting 60% of my fairways and 50% of my GIR (I have averaged about 35% for each this year).  It didn't feel like a special round--I just kept it in play, hit it on or close to the green, and didn't make mistakes.  Not a single birdie.  But I think what allowed me to do that was ignoring my score.  I stopped using the app on my phone and went back to paper and pencil so that it wasn't automatically tallied.  It lets you focus on the swing.  The only thing that stands out from that round (apart from the score) is that I remember feeling extremely focused on every shot.

And to that point, right after hitting a perfect drive on 18, I added up my score walking to my ball.  I was lying 74, 140 yards out.  Began to obsess over the score, double-bogey was all I needed.  Shanked it behind a tree, chipped out, hit a mediocre pitch, a bad putt, and made a 6 foot putt for double-bogey 79.  Almost blew it because I went back to counting.

That being said, I've gone back to using my app and being aware of my score.  I really enjoy the challenge of knowing that I need to shoot X and doing it.  But you've got to be able to put that away when its time to hit the shot.

[rkim291968]

I am always aware of what my score is.  Needing & knowing a par on the last hole to break 80 ... I think that's a major part of fun.  I would not deprive of myself of that fun.

[Jodastra]

Do you play different courses? You need an easier course, Bowie's got too many trees and narrow fairways. play an open course, go eastern shore, get your score then tackle that shrew. I went through that with my home course. I'd shoot in the 100's on it's tree laden fairways and then go to an open course and shoot low 80's...last time I shot in the 70's I was playing a course that looked hard but had fairways 70 yards wide. Watch the PGA championship this weekend , I think the widest fairway is 30 yards...you will feel at home.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by rkim291968

I am always aware of what my score is.  Needing & knowing a par on the last hole to break 80 ... I think that's a major part of fun.  I would not deprive of myself of that fun.

When I shoot my best scores it's usually when I'm playing in a team game. I'm only focused on trying to make as many birdies as I can so the team can win.

The better I'm playing the less I'm aware of my personal score.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by rkim291968

I am always aware of what my score is.  Needing & knowing a par on the last hole to break 80 ... I think that's a major part of fun.  I would not deprive of myself of that fun.

Have you done it yet?

[rkim291968]

Originally Posted by phan52

Have you done it yet?

Yes, a 79 on a local course.   I needed a bogey or better on 18th hole and bogey'd the hole.   I was slightly nervous on every shot I hit on the 18th.  When the final putt went in, I was in golf heaven.

[Roblar]

Ha.

My last two rounds out, I would have broken 80 with a bogey on 18.

...Shot snowmen both times... (trees-->water the first time, OB--->water the second time --- bleccchhh)

I *have* shot under 80 (78, 73, 79), so I don't have to worry about the number, but I play a short, totally open course  -- super easy. (Or, at least, it should be --- I'm in the 90s as often as the 80s these days.)   I am happier now if I'm playing consistent golf (no blow-up holes, no three putts --- but probably a ton of bogeys...) than if I luck into a lower score.

[rkim291968]

Originally Posted by Roblar

Ha.

My last two rounds out, I would have broken 80 with a bogey on 18.

...Shot snowmen both times...     (trees-->water the first time, OB--->water the second time --- bleccchhh)

Ouch.  What was it that made you build a snowman?   Did you buckle under pressure, got tired at the end, or is the hole exceptionally hard?