My journey to breaking 80.

[Finley]

Good luck today Randy. I hope you get it. Islanders, hang in there. We all have those days when the ball is allergic to the cup. Tefunk, hopefully you can get after it soon.

[RandallT]

Good luck today Randy. I hope you get it.

Islanders, hang in there. We all have those days when the ball is allergic to the cup.

Tefunk, hopefully you can get after it soon.

Just finished. No luck, but close. Oh so close.  One of my easier courses, but I needed to finish the final 4 holes in +1.  They included one long par 4, but three easy-ish holes.  I went +2. Darn.

My scorecard here--> http://handicaptracker.golf.com/golf-handicap/scores_detail.asp?scoreID=97762274

Time for the tougher courses again, and I'll be ready to go lower next time around on this one.

[wils5150]

its tough getting stuck on a number but it happens to all of us at some point.

[inthehole]

WOW - this post is for me !!     I've improved alot in the past few months - now shooting from 86-89 consistently.      Realistically, I know I'm not ready to break 80 yet ... I'm still trying to get more par's than doubles to make sure I break 90 EVERY time.     It's an interesting journey - my game has become very conservative trying to eliminate the errant tee shot - basically eliminate overswinging & play in control.

For me, my wedges are pretty solid - I'm usually on or near the greens.     My lack of scoring always comes down to putting letting me down & as importantly, not getting chip shots close enough to allow easier putts than having to make 6-10 footers all the time.     I often flirt with 40 on one side or the other, but can never keep the front & back 9 together to break the glass floor & get under 80.

[Brakkus]

Sounds exactly like my game inthehole. I need to chip much closer to give myself one putts and I'm woefully shirt of bunker practice. I can get out but not control it. Saw Jeff Ritter's Facebook page had a picture of him hitting wedges on the beach with his dog. I do this with my dog in the garden for chipping and pitching so when the holiday season is over about now I'm off to one of the many beaches near me to do a Seve Ballesteros and hit wedges.

[RandallT]

WOW - this post is for me !!     I've improved alot in the past few months - now shooting from 86-89 consistently.      Realistically, I know I'm not ready to break 80 yet ... I'm still trying to get more par's than doubles to make sure I break 90 EVERY time.     It's an interesting journey - my game has become very conservative trying to eliminate the errant tee shot - basically eliminate overswinging & play in control.

For me, my wedges are pretty solid - I'm usually on or near the greens.     My lack of scoring always comes down to putting letting me down & as importantly, not getting chip shots close enough to allow easier putts than having to make 6-10 footers all the time.     I often flirt with 40 on one side or the other, but can never keep the front & back 9 together to break the glass floor & get under 80.

Yes, for me, breaking 80 became possible when I stopped getting in trouble off the tee, and trying to get somewhere near the green in regulation. Shoot for bogies and pars, and when a birdie pops up, that helps!

So I shot 80 today, and it seemed to me throughout the round that it demands a pretty precise game to get past the barrier. I felt very little room for error. Sure, you can miss a fairway or a green, but you can't flub a shot really (wasting it). You can't pull one OB. You can't afford a lot of 3-putts. That's a pretty refined game to get near the green in regulation and limit 3 putts, but it's do-able.

[Finley]

Brakkas and inthehole, my chipping it close is the reason I've scored 39 twice in the last few weeks. I've spent several hours on or around a practice green. For my 60, 56, 52, pw, and 9iron I use the same chipping stroke. Same distance back, same follow through. I know how far each club will carry my ball and roll out. I pace off the chip, consider up vs down hill, and pick the appropriate club. Now all I have to do is a simple chipping stroke I've practice a 1000 times. Randy, nice 80 today! Oh so close! You'll get it soon!

[inthehole]

^^ good advice.    No substitute for practicing the short game - I have to put in the time on my different wedges around the greens.     Also, need to get better at reading the greens with regard to where chips need to land, etc etc...

[TJBam]

I[quote name="Finley" url="/t/69585/my-journey-to-breaking-80/30#post_893358"]Brakkas and inthehole, my chipping it close is the reason I've scored 39 twice in the last few weeks. I've spent several hours on or around a practice green. For my 60, 56, 52, pw, and 9iron I use the same chipping stroke. Same distance back, same follow through. I know how far each club will carry my ball and roll out. I pace off the chip, consider up vs down hill, and pick the appropriate club. Now all I have to do is a simple chipping stroke I've practice a 1000 times. Randy, nice 80 today! Oh so close! You'll get it soon![/quote] I'm with you there. As a guy who shoots in the 80s my score is mainly based on how close my chips can get. Yes I will hit a gir every now and then. But on a 400 yd par 4 a 250 drive 150 is a little longer when you're standing behind the ball. That being said I think the most important part for us breaking 80 is when we miss the green stick those wedges close. Shot +2 through 9 for an all time best recently. I only hit 1 green on the par 3s 2 greens on par 4s and 2 greens on par 5s. Here's to the short sticks!!'

[Finley]

Anybody get close lately? I'm going to practice short game today and play tomorrow.

[Dave2512]

Shot 80 Sat. and 83 Sun. Both could/should have been sub 80 rounds. I actually played better the day I shot 83, lipped out putts were my undoing. The day I shot 80 I limped to a double, bogey finish on 17 and 18.

[Finley]

Ended up playing today.

82... 39 on the front, 43 on the back.

Doubled 16 and 18.

Played good golf today. Just two bad shots on 16 and 18.

[RandallT]

Ended up playing today.

82... 39 on the front, 43 on the back.

Doubled 16 and 18.

Played good golf today. Just two bad shots on 16 and 18.

Damn, Finley, now I'm gonna feel guilty if I break 80! Heartbreak for you down the stretch. You are due.

No rounds planned for the week here, but maybe next week. Of course, I'll be rusty by then (and playing the tougher courses in my rotation).

[Finley]

Any luck fellas??! 85 on Monday. 84 today. I'm getting pretty consistent at shooting 39 on the front, but I can't seem to keep it going.

[GingerGolfer]

The first round I ever broke 80 on I shot a 38 on the front and a 40 on the back. I hit 7 greens all day. I think its key to try to put a sub 40 number up on the front, as it takes a lot of the pressure off. If you know your best is a 39 then you also know you're going to have to be playing pretty well to do it. This doesn't mean it's impossible if you're not playing well but it sure does help. My best ever round was a 74 and I was hitting the ball very poorly but my short game was really good, put yourself around the green and give yourself a chance to get up and down for par, but don't get too upset with bogeys, as the pars and birdies will come if you stay patient.

[tefunk]

Playing an easier course this weekend (71.3 rating 117 slope), and I always play very well except a few holes (typically shoot low to mid 80s on this one).  I've written down a gameplan on each hole based on past experience on the course, and going to give that a shot to if it is helps me focus.

I'm hoping this Saturday will be the day!

[David L Yskes]

Finley,

Jmo, try playing 3 different courses... for the next couple of weeks, then go back to your original 3 courses and see what happens..

And then have a rotation of as many courses as you can manage that way you might play the same course every 8 or 9 weeks...

also search out 2 or 3 of the tougher courses to throw into the mix....

[RandallT]

No progress here, Finley. Life has gotten in the way of my golf game, and my season might have ended on a high note of shooting exactly 80. Maybe I'll sneak back out once next week, but I haven't been to the range in a couple weeks. Seems ages ago! Sometimes being fresh helps, but if it happens, it happens. Mostly likely 2014 for me though!