Breaking Bad Club - A Thread for Golfers Trying to Break 100

[mcanadiens]

40 minutes ago, JonMA1 said:

I had 35 putts (better than average for me), kept the driver in play for the most part, and chipping wasn't bad. At least my practice wasn't a complete bust. I also hit a couple decent trouble shots.

If its worth anything, you beat the snot out of me in the putting regard today. I choked out a 39-putt round. It was insane. For the first time in a month I hit my driver well. Hit some greens. Had GIRs and three-putt more times than I'd care to recall. Turned a low-80s round into a 92.

 

 

 

[JonMA1]

25 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

Turned a low-80s round into a 92.

Not a bad round. But I know what you mean.... we can do so many things right and there always seems to be something in a round that holds us back.

[Jacktgolf]

I think learning to play a round of golf with one ball would significantly improve anyone's chances. If you play with one ball, and dont lose any, you're bound to break 100, easy. I shoot mid 80s, and am now an 8.5 handicap due to a 77 the other week. When I shot that 77, I played my Bridgestone e6 speed the whole day, with a few cleanings. When I shot 81 on a golf course I hadn't played up to that point, I used my titleist prov1x the whole time. When i lose balls, normally my score goes up by 6 shots, with just two lost balls. I lost four today in a tough 35 mph wind, and I shot my worst of the year 92.

Also lag putting. 3 putts are killers, and I routinely have 5 of them on the course every time I play. If those 5 strokes were to be taken off my score, Id shoot low 80s all the time. Learn to just get your long ones close and dont worry about holing them so much. And learn to make most of your short putts.

And with your short game, just get the ball on the green on your first shot. Anywhere on the green will do fine, and sometimes you might end up close. Avoid the bunkers, unless you practice that shot enough to have confidence in it, by course management, maybe laying up short of a green surrounded by bunkers, then using your short game, get the ball anywhere on the green and two putt max. Just using your head will help you immensely.

All of this combined, and you'll probably break 100 consistently. Of course, when you want to break 90, everything changes, but to break 100 it's not really that hard. Just have to keep the ball in play off the tee and with your approaches, short game green hitting, and eliminating most of your three putts.

Practice is all that's needed, but once you get it you won't look back.

[Lihu]

9 hours ago, Jacktgolf said:

I think learning to play a round of golf with one ball would significantly improve anyone's chances. If you play with one ball, and dont lose any, you're bound to break 100, easy. I shoot mid 80s, and am now an 8.5 handicap due to a 77 the other week. When I shot that 77, I played my Bridgestone e6 speed the whole day, with a few cleanings. When I shot 81 on a golf course I hadn't played up to that point, I used my titleist prov1x the whole time. When i lose balls, normally my score goes up by 6 shots, with just two lost balls. I lost four today in a tough 35 mph wind, and I shot my worst of the year 92.

Also lag putting. 3 putts are killers, and I routinely have 5 of them on the course every time I play. If those 5 strokes were to be taken off my score, Id shoot low 80s all the time. Learn to just get your long ones close and dont worry about holing them so much. And learn to make most of your short putts.

And with your short game, just get the ball on the green on your first shot. Anywhere on the green will do fine, and sometimes you might end up close. Avoid the bunkers, unless you practice that shot enough to have confidence in it, by course management, maybe laying up short of a green surrounded by bunkers, then using your short game, get the ball anywhere on the green and two putt max. Just using your head will help you immensely.

All of this combined, and you'll probably break 100 consistently. Of course, when you want to break 90, everything changes, but to break 100 it's not really that hard. Just have to keep the ball in play off the tee and with your approaches, short game green hitting, and eliminating most of your three putts.

Practice is all that's needed, but once you get it you won't look back.

That’s one way of doing it, but boring and you miss out on playing from other fairways and such.

[saevel25]

9 hours ago, Jacktgolf said:

Also lag putting. 3 putts are killers, and I routinely have 5 of them on the course every time I play. If those 5 strokes were to be taken off my score, Id shoot low 80s all the time. Learn to just get your long ones close and dont worry about holing them so much. And learn to make most of your short putts.

Could also be your short distance putting. Having your ball finish with in 10% of the distance you first putt was from the hole is pretty good. It's very tough to routinely get the ball inside 3 FT from 60 FT and out. If you leave a 50 FT putt 4 FT short of the hole and miss the putt, that is more on your short putting than is on your lag putting.

Maybe not posted yet, but understanding what is actually causing the golfer to lose strokes is big. Majority of the time it will be related to their long game.

[JonMA1]

While there is certainly one or more areas that are a bit weaker than others, the biggest hurdle for me is consistency with each part of my game. That makes it hard to know which part needs the most work. I'm beginning to believe that improving on everything will help me break 100 more often.

I've had rounds where I've hit a high percentage of GIR's or fairways, putted reasonably well, or chipped better than normal. But what has always hurt the most is an inability to have all of those skills show up on the same day.

I used to think that all I had to do to score lower was reduce the penalties off the tee and improve my putting. But on my last round of the season I did just that... only to have my iron game fall apart.

Even during rounds where I string together several good holes from tee to green, those mean little when too many of the other holes have resulted in blowups. 

We just have to improve our mechanics and consistency on all aspects to the best of our abilities.

[Lihu]

10 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

While there is certainly one or more areas that are a bit weaker than others, the biggest hurdle for me is consistency with each part of my game. That makes it hard to know which part needs the most work. I'm beginning to believe that improving on everything will help me break 100 more often.

If you knew how inconsistently I hit my clubs you'd be surprised how I even find my ball after every shot. Breaking 100 isn't really about consistency so much as tenacity.

Two things could really help. The first one is playing a course that is way shorter than you think you should be playing. The second one is basically doing what @Jacktgolf said. My joking aside, what he stated makes a lot of sense.

Breaking 100 on 60 rated tees or less still counts. Play that until you get super comfortable with it, then move back when you're shooting in the low 80s or high 70s from those tees.

I play courses that are 800 yards less than my driving distance maps onto the PGA tee it forward chart. When I say play less course, I really mean play less course.

 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Lihu

[JonMA1]

9 hours ago, Lihu said:

If you knew how inconsistently I hit my clubs you'd be surprised how I even find my ball after every shot.

I'd only be surprised if you were less consistent than most of us with higher handicaps.

9 hours ago, Lihu said:

Breaking 100 isn't really about consistency so much as tenacity.

That's funny. I wish it were that simple. Sorry, but consistency is a big part of it. Now, the root cause of inconsistency may be debatable, but suggesting tenacity or desire play a bigger role than mechanics or execution just isn't the case (for me). Maybe others in this thread can relate to what you're saying.  

9 hours ago, Lihu said:

Two things could really help. The first one is playing a course that is way shorter than you think you should be playing. The second one is basically doing what @Jacktgolf said. My joking aside, what he stated makes a lot of sense.

I agree with both of these points. I thought @Jacktgolf brought up some useful points as well.

As far as playing a really short course and playing it over and over again... sure, that will help folks break 100. But at some point, that ceases to be good enough. I'm ok knowing that I will never be able to break 100 on a 7200 yard course. But it bugs me when breaking 100 on a 5800 yard course is as difficult as it is. Perhaps this is a little delusional, but I can regularly make any shot I've ever seen any bogey golfer make. Yet, the strokes add up for me and do not for a bogey golfer.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, JonMA1 said:

As far as playing a really short course and playing it over and over again... sure, that will help folks break 100. But at some point, that ceases to be good enough. I'm ok knowing that I will never be able to break 100 on a 7200 yard course. But it bugs me when breaking 100 on a 5800 yard course is as difficult as it is. Perhaps this is a little delusional, but I can regularly make any shot I've ever seen any bogey golfer make. Yet, the strokes add up for me and do not for a bogey golfer.

I don't think you're delusional about being able to play bogey golf or better. Even a lot of better players can break 85 with your distances. They just don't panic every single shot. Not saying you do, but I doubt you're relaxed.

Try a 5000 yard course, or even shorter. Play that until you feel like it's getting too easy. If you commit yourself to doing that for a year, I'd guess you would start scoring better because you aren't trying to hit your "maximum distance" all the time and would be more relaxed on every shot. Once you are more relaxed, your distances could actually increase, but that's not the critical part. It's the fact that you know that if you mess up a tee shot, you know you are a lot closer to the hole and can feel less panicky about making that shot.

I did this for a season. I even played the ladies tees for a while, and committed myself to play that way the entire year. I played that way for 3 months every morning, then one day just felt like moving up once I was able to break 80 from those tees.

This was the best advice coming from some of the lower handicaps on this site like @David in FL and @Dave2512 and I just took their advice committing for an entire year to do this. Didn't need that year.

[JonMA1]

I appreciate the advice @Lihu, but I've been playing from 5,000 yard tees for several years now and I now regularly shoot in the mid-90's at that distance. Unfortunately, when I play a "normal" set of tees or a course near 6,000, it offers other challenges I'm unaccustomed to.

I think occasionally playing a longer course also forces you to improve as opposed to trying to score low.  

Either way, it's all good, I'm getting used to the high scores and finding ways to enjoy my level of golf.

[Lihu]

4 minutes ago, JonMA1 said:

I appreciate the advice @Lihu, but I've been playing from 5,000 yard tees for several years now and I now regularly shoot in the mid-90's at that distance. Unfortunately, when I play a "normal" set of tees or a course near 6,000, it offers other challenges I'm unaccustomed to.

Have you made any attempts to analyze short and long tee rounds separately?

I'd guess your short game could use some work as well. That's actually fixable. Again relaxation is key for chipping and putting.

 

4 minutes ago, JonMA1 said:

I think occasionally playing a longer course also forces you to improve as opposed to trying to score low.  

No argument there.

[Hiway1tele]

27 minutes ago, JonMA1 said:

I appreciate the advice @Lihu, but I've been playing from 5,000 yard tees for several years now and I now regularly shoot in the mid-90's at that distance. Unfortunately, when I play a "normal" set of tees or a course near 6,000, it offers other challenges I'm unaccustomed to.

I think occasionally playing a longer course also forces you to improve as opposed to trying to score low.  

Either way, it's all good, I'm getting used to the high scores and finding ways to enjoy my level of golf.

Jon,

I have played a 5400 yard course for the last 5 years, My short game is better than average...Like yourself, I still play it poorly, all due to the long swings..I have played it in the mid 90's sometimes...

and the high 90's moreso...as you mentioned, its a consistant repeatable swing that is needed for a consistant game...when its not there, the game sucks...when its there, I play good...playing a short course hasnt

fixed anything for me...I hit the same lousy shots regardless...

[JonMA1]

Are you still able to enjoy the game @Hiway1tele?

Towards the end of the season, I had some success appreciating the fact that I was out there doing what I really enjoy instead of focusing on scoring or statistical goals, as I had previous to that point. I went back to playing more solo rounds and tried to accept things as they came. I'd still get a little PO'ed at times when I'd duff an approach shot or hook a drive, but you know... it ain't life or death.

 

[Hiway1tele]

Hey Jon,

I gave it up for most of last year..a week or two ago I went to the range and did okay, I got a great deal on a set of XR irons,

so I got them..and went to try them out...when I could keep my speed slow and my tempo in time I did reasonably well, the shots stayed nice

and straight, and the impact felt good...the larger clubs still present a challenge..still try and swing from the top with big clubs....just not enuff swing

in my hips and body..

 

and no, I probably still a have a temper that kills my game if I hit a few bad shots in a row...

[mcanadiens]

With my DIY swing, I find that relatively decent golf fades in and out at maddening frequency.

My guess is that I got swing faults that I compensate for with varying degrees of success. At times, that has allowed me to break 90 on a tough course or challenge 80 on an easy course (like one of those 5,000 specials that I have near me). When my compensations go sideways, my score explodes.

I need to find out where my big faults are and I can't do it by myself. Lots of time has past and I can't do it alone.

Edited December 15, 2017 by mcanadiens

[JonMA1]

8 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

My guess is that I got swing faults that I compensate for with varying degrees of success.

I believe this is what causes the inconsistency in my game as well - probably most of us. The way I've heard it explained is that with a poorer swing, there's a smaller margin of error. 

Who knows? Even if better mechanics I'd still have to execute them properly.

Anyway, I agree that trying to teach myself this game is not going to offer much in the way of success. But then again, I've paid for lessons, put everything towards making that work, and still ended up in the same situation. For me, it's one thing to suck at this game, and quite another to throw money at it and still suck.

32 minutes ago, Hiway1tele said:

I gave it up for most of last year..a week or two ago I went to the range and did okay, I got a great deal on a set of XR irons,

so I got them..and went to try them out...when I could keep my speed slow and my tempo in time I did reasonably well, the shots stayed nice

and straight, and the impact felt good

Ok, I might remember in another post where you thought about giving up the game for a while. Anyway, I'm glad you're trying it again and that the new clubs and time away may help. I believe keeping expectations reasonable is good approach.

[mcanadiens]

4 minutes ago, JonMA1 said:

Anyway, I agree that trying to teach myself this game is not going to offer much in the way of success. But then again, I've paid for lessons, put everything towards making that work, and still ended up in the same situation. For me, it's one thing to suck at this game, and quite another to throw money at it and still suck

And hence my big fear. Well, that and parting with more money than I have to. But practically speaking, I've been stonewalled at the same place for two years now. I gotta do something different.

Maybe all you can really ask of yourself is to do what you can. Just don't let unnecessary things get in the way.

 

[gregsandiego]

On 12/12/2017 at 9:22 PM, Jacktgolf said:

I think learning to play a round of golf with one ball would significantly improve anyone's chances. If you play with one ball, and dont lose any, you're bound to break 100, easy. I shoot mid 80s, and am now an 8.5 handicap due to a 77 the other week. When I shot that 77, I played my Bridgestone e6 speed the whole day, with a few cleanings. When I shot 81 on a golf course I hadn't played up to that point, I used my titleist prov1x the whole time. When i lose balls, normally my score goes up by 6 shots, with just two lost balls. I lost four today in a tough 35 mph wind, and I shot my worst of the year 92.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean. If you could play with one ball and not lose any of course your score would be better because shots into the water, out of bounds, in the trees etc are missing.

Isn't that almost like saying just hit straighter?