How long were you playing until you broke 100?

[MattyMFC]

Recently I've felt I've been getting close, and was beginning to think I'd be dropping the 28 handicap to something more respectable (until I just had a very bad 100 balls at the range). My best is 102 and I've been playing since July, I've probably played around 20 rounds. I'm starting to get impatient and concerned. How long did it take you all to break out of triple figures?!

[Jakester23]

Everyone is different. If you can afford it go get some lessons and go to the range. Practice with a purpose once your instructor gives you something to work on. When your swing gets better and your course management gets better you'll be in the 90's.

[Dave2512]

I honestly don't remember, started playing as a kid. But I didn't play for some 13 years, late 90's-2012. When I started again it took a few months to break 100. I wasn't overly concerned with scores other than the dispersion was frustrating. Being stuck in the 90's was even worse for me. That took much longer to work through. Though same thing now stuck in the 80's mostly. As you get better expectations and goals change.

[mdl]

Honestly I don't remember.  Wasn't stuck in triple digits very long.  But I was stuck only breaking 90 occasionally for a good bit, then was stuck never breaking 80 for a number of years, and now have been stuck only breaking 80 on my very best days for another couple years.  Take it slow, practice with a purpose, and enjoy the times when you're making progress.  I sympathize with the expense of good lessons.  I'm on a golf (well, everything) budget, and consistent lessons for however long would mean I basically couldn't afford to play any rounds for at least twice as long as I took consistent lessons, so I've been not doing it for years.  But at least hang out here and on other good resources online, try to learn about the swing, video yourself, and practice with specific changes in mind (again, I say this even though I only sometimes do it myself!).

But like @Dave2512 said, you get better and your expectations change.  If 5-6 years ago I suddenly had the game I have now, I'd have been over the moon.  Now I feel frustrated with my game when I'm not consciously trying to work on my mental game (both in golf and life!) and trying to maintain a positive attitude and remember that I'm annoyed at not being as good as I want to be at a fun hobby that lets me hang out with my friends and spend a morning outside doing something athletic that I love.

[rehmwa]

Used to be around the 16th hole....

why do you ask?

[MattyMFC]

Used to be around the 16th hole....

why do you ask?

Just curious. I think i'm making steady progress but it's not as quick as i'd like it to be.

[Dave2512]

Everyone is different. I know people that have golfed a lifetime that don't break 100. More than time playing figures into it.

[FooFader]

Started off as a junior playing short par 3 courses, <100yrd holes. So by the time i was playing on the full course i'd already been hitting golf balls for 2-3 years. And then i broke 100 for the first time probably after a year or so of playing on the course, age 13. So you could say i took me almost 5 years to break 100.

But as people have said i know adult beginners who have taken 4 years to break 100 and others 6 months. It really is very variable, but i would say dont worry too much about it because it does take different people different lengths before they 'get it'. you know that point where they stop having frequent air shots, huge chunks etc. I think the people who break 100 within a year normally play at least once or twice a week and usually more if they truely start counting that year from the first time they swing a club.

Good Luck!

[RayG]

almost embarrasses me to say, but I never shot over 100.. Was a driving range project with my Dad. "No course until you have some idea of what you're doing". Spent that summer on the range and putting green while he went to play. The following Spring after a couple of range days it was time to "play". I shot a 98 and beat my Dad by 4. That was when I was 12. As it went, he never beat me. I know it was a bit of an annoyance for him, but he also would beam about me to his friends and he was proud of me for how I stuck with it- knowing I wasn't going to play for a year and had to learn the game before playing the game.

[Lihu]

Recently I've felt I've been getting close, and was beginning to think I'd be dropping the 28 handicap to something more respectable (until I just had a very bad 100 balls at the range).

My best is 102 and I've been playing since July, I've probably played around 20 rounds. I'm starting to get impatient and concerned.

How long did it take you all to break out of triple figures?!

First of all, welcome to TST.

You've come to the right place for any golf related information.

Breaking 100 will happen for you. Just learn how to swing, and you'll get there without even trying.

Look up 5 simple keys videos in the TST search engine.

It took me a while to get comfortable breaking 100.

[zenbudda]

things to ask yourself if all you are interested in is breaking 100:

1. how many 3 putts are you making?  if you made 3 3-putts, then you should have made a 99 to break 100.  this means you work on putting only (which is very easy on the back lol)

2. how many 5 foot putts did you miss?  imho you should never miss these putts.  maybe 1 putt every 2-3 rounds, but never more than 1 a round and hopefully not more than 1 every few rounds.

3. how many 10-15 foot putts did you miss?  if you missed more than 10, then you need to work on getting that down to 5.  That saves you 5 strokes!

4. how many chip shots did you scull?  not land on the green?  not land within 25 feet from the hole?

5. how many easy bunker shots did you not make within 25 feet from the hole?

these are all easy things to train yourself to get better at by simply getting repetitions in.  remember, don't burn yourself out while practicing.  take a break.  mix it up.  have fun with it.  practice distances on putting by trying to hit another ball.

my goal right now is to break a 70 (70-79).  after examining my last card (an 85) I could have shaved 6 points by doing the following:

1. not flubbing a bunker shot (1 stroke)

2. making 90% of my 10 footers (i missed 2 so 2 strokes)

3. laying up on short par 4's and not losing my ball by going for a big drive (happened twice so 2 strokes)

4. hitting better shots out of the rough (winter rough) (2 strokes)

The easiest to practice out of all of these is putting and bunker shots.  Hitting out of winter rough can only be practiced in the winter.  My issue was coming down too strong on the ball.

Anyway, food for thought.

[Lihu]

things to ask yourself if all you are interested in is breaking 100:

1. how many 3 putts are you making?  if you made 3 3-putts, then you should have made a 99 to break 100.  this means you work on putting only (which is very easy on the back lol)

2. how many 5 foot putts did you miss?  imho you should never miss these putts.  maybe 1 putt every 2-3 rounds, but never more than 1 a round and hopefully not more than 1 every few rounds.

3. how many 10-15 foot putts did you miss?  if you missed more than 10, then you need to work on getting that down to 5.  That saves you 5 strokes!

4. how many chip shots did you scull?  not land on the green?  not land within 25 feet from the hole?

5. how many easy bunker shots did you not make within 25 feet from the hole?

these are all easy things to train yourself to get better at by simply getting repetitions in.  remember, don't burn yourself out while practicing.  take a break.  mix it up.  have fun with it.  practice distances on putting by trying to hit another ball.

my goal right now is to break a 70 (70-79).  after examining my last card (an 85) I could have shaved 6 points by doing the following:

1. not flubbing a bunker shot (1 stroke)

2. making 90% of my 10 footers (i missed 2 so 2 strokes)

3. laying up on short par 4's and not losing my ball by going for a big drive (happened twice so 2 strokes)

4. hitting better shots out of the rough (winter rough) (2 strokes)

The easiest to practice out of all of these is putting and bunker shots.  Hitting out of winter rough can only be practiced in the winter.  My issue was coming down too strong on the ball.

Anyway, food for thought.

It's very likely that the long game is the cause of many short game woes.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/14930/relative-importance-of-the-long-game-short-game-etc-mark-broadie-strokes-gained-etc

[mdl]

things to ask yourself if all you are interested in is breaking 100:

1. how many 3 putts are you making?  if you made 3 3-putts, then you should have made a 99 to break 100.  this means you work on putting only (which is very easy on the back lol)

2. how many 5 foot putts did you miss?  imho you should never miss these putts.  maybe 1 putt every 2-3 rounds, but never more than 1 a round and hopefully not more than 1 every few rounds.

3. how many 10-15 foot putts did you miss?  if you missed more than 10, then you need to work on getting that down to 5.  That saves you 5 strokes!

4. how many chip shots did you scull?  not land on the green?  not land within 25 feet from the hole?

5. how many easy bunker shots did you not make within 25 feet from the hole?

these are all easy things to train yourself to get better at by simply getting repetitions in.  remember, don't burn yourself out while practicing.  take a break.  mix it up.  have fun with it.  practice distances on putting by trying to hit another ball.

my goal right now is to break a 70 (70-79).  after examining my last card (an 85) I could have shaved 6 points by doing the following:

1. not flubbing a bunker shot (1 stroke)

2. making 90% of my 10 footers (i missed 2 so 2 strokes)

3. laying up on short par 4's and not losing my ball by going for a big drive (happened twice so 2 strokes)

4. hitting better shots out of the rough (winter rough) (2 strokes)

The easiest to practice out of all of these is putting and bunker shots.  Hitting out of winter rough can only be practiced in the winter.  My issue was coming down too strong on the ball.

Anyway, food for thought.

As @Lihu said, it's pretty much always the long game costing you more strokes.  Though if you're quite bad with the short game and putting, that is an easier place to gain a few strokes more quickly.

But your assessment of short game and putting goals is way way off.  Pros only make 50% from I believe 10 feet (it might be 8, don't remember exactly but it's definitely not longer than 10 feet).  Making 90% of ten footers would make you the best putter of all time, so that's not a realistic goal.  And making nearly 100% of 5 footers is also an unattainable goal.  Pros aren't close to that either.

The more realistic goal is minimizing 3-putts and always at least getting on the green, not super far away barring really tough conditions (say short sided, downhill lie, steep fast green falling away from you).  It is an attainable goal to almost never 3-putt from 20 feet, quite rarely from 30 feet, and not too often from 50+ feet.  A more realistic assessment of lost short game strokes is 1/2 stroke for missed 5-6 footers (if you missed 4 of those and made 0, you could realistically count that as 2 lost strokes), a full stroke for 3-putts, and a stroke for any green side shots (including bunker shots) that you didn't get on the green and then didn't get up and down.  Most of us playing 80s or worse golf lose at least a few strokes each round from the short game even with that more realistic counting of lost strokes.

[Robi1026]

Took me 1.75 golf seasons

Didn't keep score the 1st season - Started keeping score mid way thru season 2 and finally broke it that August ... 1 year later (almost exactly) broke 90

Rob

[vangator]

I started playing when I was 18. i was a pretty good athlete. I played my first year exclusively on a par 3 course. My first round on a par 72 course was 111. That's my only round over 100. That was 40 years ago.

[golfertrevor]

If you want to break 100, stop hitting your driver. I used to play with a 2 handicap who hit a 3 iron off every tee. Keeping the ball in play will keep the big numbers away. Also play the up tees but that should go without saying.

On your short game chips, put the ball back in your stance and let the ball roll out. Shorter swings are easier to control, don't go for flops or high chips yet. With putting, swing through the ball, don't hit at it.

[MattyMFC]

If you want to break 100, stop hitting your driver. I used to play with a 2 handicap who hit a 3 iron off every tee. Keeping the ball in play will keep the big numbers away. Also play the up tees but that should go without saying. On your short game chips, put the ball back in your stance and let the ball roll out. Shorter swings are easier to control, don't go for flops or high chips yet. With putting, swing through the ball, don't hit at it.

I appreciate the reply mate, but for an amateur I tend to hit a driver pretty consistently! I'm far too hit and miss with irons!

[straightslice]

Still on the Break 100 grind as well.  About a year now.  6 months of heavy play not counting the back spasms.