Breaking 80 Thread

[Patch]

I have a friend who just turned 74. He shoots in the high 70s/low 80s most of the time. 

He is very accurate for the short distances he hits the ball in his long game. He is even more accurate with his short game. He is just a very consistent golfer.

He took the game up 10 years ago. 

Edited March 20, 2017 by iacas
testing something, didn't change content

[Fairway_CY]

Well... looks like I should be posting in this thread instead of the Breaking 90 thread.  I've been consistently at or below the 90 mark.  I had a really good shot at breaking 80 on Saturday.  

I was +1 through my first 10 holes and then kinda struggled with a few holes coming in and ended up posting an 84.  

My biggest issue at the moment is my putter.  I have zero confidence when standing over putts.  If I find myself over a putt from 5 - 7 feet, I just can't seem to get the speed correct.  I worry more about hitting it 4 feet past the hole than about just putting it in the hole.  

I probably won't be touching a club until Sunday but then I'll be playing 4 times in an 8 day span so I'm hoping that begins to instill some confidence in my putting stroke.  

CY

[shanksalot]

If you are afraid of hitting it four feet past the hole I would suggest you go to the practice green and take three balls with you. Go to a hole there and put down  a coin about 4 feet from the hole. Practice hitting putts from that distance in order to get the feel for the distance. Make sure you try this all around the hole so you can have putts that break right and left and uphill and downhill. Keep practicing each time you go to the course. Once you are comfortable with those four footers they should not bother you on the course. Another drill is put a tee three feet from the hole, another tee six feet from the hole and a last tee inside 10 feet. Start putting at the shortest distance and when you make all three without a miss go back to the next tee. If you don't make all three putts start all over again. Keep doing this until you can make three straight putts from each tee. If you can get comfortable with this drill try doing it from putts that break left to right and uphill and downhill. it is pretty tedious work and it is easy to do once you have confidence in your ability to make these putts.

[RandallT]

I hear congrats are in order for @Marty2019! Nicely done with a 10-foot putt for 79. 

 

[Marty2019]

40 minutes ago, RandallT said:

I hear congrats are in order for @Marty2019! Nicely done with a 10-foot putt for 79. 

 

Thanks. 

I've never hit the ball better in my life.   The lessons must be paying off, haha.  

I did the usual addition on the 17th tee, where usually I find I need something like a birdie-birdie finish to break 80, and usually I have a bogey-bogey finish.   But today, I added it up, and was surprised to see I only needed to play the last 2 holes 1 over par to break 80.   So I come to the 17th green with a 10 foot birdie putt and wind up 3-putting it!   I was so mad.   Why couldn't I just lag it up there and 2- putt and then all I would need on the 18th hole would be a bogey.  Damn, was I pissed.   But, fortunately, I managed to sink a 10 foot putt for par on the 18th hole for my first ever 79.  

[Fairway_CY]

1 hour ago, shanksalot said:

If you are afraid of hitting it four feet past the hole I would suggest you go to the practice green and take three balls with you. Go to a hole there and put down  a coin about 4 feet from the hole. Practice hitting putts from that distance in order to get the feel for the distance. Make sure you try this all around the hole so you can have putts that break right and left and uphill and downhill. Keep practicing each time you go to the course. Once you are comfortable with those four footers they should not bother you on the course. Another drill is put a tee three feet from the hole, another tee six feet from the hole and a last tee inside 10 feet. Start putting at the shortest distance and when you make all three without a miss go back to the next tee. If you don't make all three putts start all over again. Keep doing this until you can make three straight putts from each tee. If you can get comfortable with this drill try doing it from putts that break left to right and uphill and downhill. it is pretty tedious work and it is easy to do once you have confidence in your ability to make these putts.

Thanks for the drills!  I'll give 'em a shot.  

I'm thinking about making a putter change.  I have been using an Odyssey Sabertooth XG which I find to have too much weight to it on those slick, downhill putts.  I'm looking at going to something lighter and smaller like a blade.  I like the new Odyssey putters and I've been looking at a Scotty as well.  Just gotta pull the trigger!

CY

[Fairway_CY]

Today was slightly frustrating.  I got out to play at a course I have only played a few times but I really enjoy.  My buddy, who is a member there, asked me to join him and since I had nothing else to do... I figured I'd get out.  

I opened really well.  Except for missing 2 birdie opportunities early on, I was on fire.  I started with 7 straight pars before I let a flyer with a 9 iron derail me a bit.  I made a double on the 8th hole but then rebounded with another 3 pars.  I was sitting at +2 on the 12th tee.  

On the short par 5, I hit a bit of a pull and my ball found the rough (still mostly dormant) up the left side.  I was left with 158 to the hole and I'd have to carry it about 155 to keep it out of the hazard.  There was a tree overhanging that was preventing the straight line.  I figured I'd be able to start it out to the right side of the green and draw it back in.  The contact was solid but the draw didn't happen.  The ball slammed into a pine just to the right of the green.  I had no shot so had to take an unplayable.  Even with the drop, I didn't have much of a line.  I tried to hack it out onto the green but it didn't make it.  The end result was an ugly triple.  

The next hole was a par 3 over water.  Short, playing 121, but into a breeze.  Typically, that would be a pitching wedge for me... but I decided to go with the 9 iron to carry the hazard.  The breeze died down just as I was about to hit.  Instead of being smart and either waiting or changing to the wedge, I tried to take something off.  My swing was all arms and I hit it about 50 degrees to the right and into the hazard.  I was deep with my 3rd shot and took a double.  

After getting up & down on the 14th, the rest of the round was a series of stupid mistakes.  I was 30 yards from the flag after my 2nd shot on the 15th (a par 5) and I managed to somehow make a bogey.  A perfect drive on the 16th was followed by a pretty good approach, but my ball caught a slope that fed it off the right side of the green leading to another bogey.  My tee shot on the 17th found the green, but then I three-putted from 45 feet for yet another bogey.  

To top it all off... I hit a horribly ugly 3 wood off the 18th tee.  I had to lay up because of the water, so I hit a perfect 7 iron to 104 yards out.  My 50 degree wedge was dead on line but the wind carried it JUST too far.  I closed out my round with a double.  

I went 38 - 46 = 84 on a day that I really should have been very close to the 80 mark.  Oh well... I'll get there one of these days.

CY

[Fairway_CY]

Since the 84 I posted about above, I've had 2 more opportunities to get to that 79 mark that I let slip away with a few bad holes.  The most recent was on Saturday morning.  

I started poorly and that meant I never had that shot, but... if I could have taken a few bad swings/decisions and a pair of bad breaks out early on... I'd have been close.  

I missed a 7 footer for birdie on the 1st hole.  On the 3rd hole, I landed on a fallen tree branch and the ball sit on the 'v' of the  split in the branch meaning there was no way to move it.  My only shot was to hack down on the ball, hope I snapped the branch and advance the ball.  It led to a bogey.  On the 5th, I tugged my tee shot into some trees.  Instead of playing to the larger opening, I tried a 'hero' shot (it was match play so I needed to try it).  The ball hit a tree and went backwards.  It resulted in a double bogey.  

I still managed to shoot a 42 on the front.  

On the back, my big downfalls were on back-to-back holes.  On the 12th, I hit my tee shot shy of the green then put too much on my putt from there.  The ball caught the grain and the slope and ran it off the back of the green.  2 chips (trying to get cute) meant a double bogey.  On the next hole, my tee shot was hammered but took an awful kick and went behind a tree and finished on the base of it.  I had no way to advance the ball forward, to the left or backward... so I punched it out to the right and deeper into the rough.  Again, being match play, I tried to get cute towards the green and posted a double bogey.  

In the end, my back nine was a 41.  

42 - 41 = 83

One of my better scores... but it could have and should have been better.  A bunch of foolish decisions coupled with some poor luck.  

Live and learn.  On to the next round.

CY

[Hazsa]

Shot 84 today. Been playing ok recently, but today was probably the most realistic chance of getting towards 80 I've had in a while.

I feel like I played really solid consistent golf, but just didn't quite capitalise on the opportunities I had. 

I had four good looks at birdie and didn't make any of the putts, and missed three 3/4 footers for par after really nice chips/ bunker shots. I've worked hard on my short game and it's nice to get it that close to the hole, but I need to sink those putts! I'm not saying I should be making all of those, but let's say I left 2 shots out there in putts.

the other disappointing aspect of the day was approach shots from within 100 yds. I missed the green entirely on three occasions with a SW in my hands. Enfuriating, especially after big straight drives. I'm normally ok from this range, so I'm gonna call that another two shots gone.

[MacDutch]

The not so shots are just part of our game. You should be on the green from 100y in, but you hit the bunker and make a double. Therefore it is (for us to break 80) important to work on shortgame (bunkers shots, chipping, pitching).

Yes, you need a good long game, if thats not working, you won't challenge 80. But most single digit players can hit their driver 220y (or better) and with consistancy. Ask yourself how many minutes (hours) per month do you train on bunkers, chipping and pitching. 

Yesterday long game was outstanding hitting 12 out of 13 fairways (5 par 3's). 

10 gir, 9 par and 1 birdie

1 ngir, bogey

4 chip distance, 2x par, 2x bogey

2 greenside bunker, 1 bogey and a double          

1 waterhazard, bogey

Shot a 77 (+6), could never have done that without an almost perfect long game. But when the long game is on, you still need a pretty good short game.

 

 

[Shark9]

I hit my first sub 80 round in a roll up at my local course last week sunday. Hit a 79 on a par 71, it was a solid round with lots of up and downs.

On Wednesday three days later I played the back tees of my normal course, par 72 and hit a 78, for my best round ever, really solid golf, had a triple bogey on the 6th hole and 2 birdies, the rest all pars and bogeys.

 

Really happy with my game, broke 90 for the first time earlier this year and broke 100 for the first time late last year.

[woodzie264]

28 minutes ago, Shark9 said:

I hit my first sub 80 round in a roll up at my local course last week sunday. Hit a 79 on a par 71, it was a solid round with lots of up and downs.

On Wednesday three days later I played the back tees of my normal course, par 72 and hit a 78, for my best round ever, really solid golf, had a triple bogey on the 6th hole and 2 birdies, the rest all pars and bogeys.

 

Really happy with my game, broke 90 for the first time earlier this year and broke 100 for the first time late last year.

I'll have whatever it is you're having. Dang, that's some real improvement in a short period of time - congrats!

[Shark9]

9 hours ago, woodzie264 said:

I'll have whatever it is you're having. Dang, that's some real improvement in a short period of time - congrats!

Think the three rounds a week all year and the extra practice sessions have helped ;)

 

Said to myself once I break 80 I would get fit for clubs so going to look at doing that in the next month

[jkelley9]

I'm back up to speed on my game where I'm starting to push breaking 80 again. Swing feels good, putts are decent, chips/pitches are pretty good, approach shots are a little weak (getting very few GIR but a LOT of nGIR so not terrible). 

I was 4 over through 13 last weekend and wasn't fatigued or anything, still feeling good, feeling positive. I really didn't feel like it got in my head either, but I did end up pulling my drive on #14 into the woods left and thought it was an easy find.... nope. Re-teed and hit it left rough on a dogleg left so I had to lay up. Ended up triple bogey. The only reason I feel like I have blow up holes is because I start rushing, because I don't want to slow my playing partners down - I learned that about myself this past weekend. The next few holes I had some poor shots that ended up costing me. Only shot an 85. Oh well, it was still a lot better than I had been playing (score-wise). 

Also noticed this past weekend that my shots are NEVER long, always short. I need to club up way more often than I currently do.

I think I'll be pushing low 80's again soon. I feel like my swing is there, but probably not my overall game. It's still early in the "season" here. From May-Nov is the best time for golf here so I have plenty of time.

[Hazsa]

Shot 82 on a tough 6,400 yard par 73 course local to me that I very rarely play. 

Hit 2 birdies, 9 pars, but 2 doubles and a ghastly triple. I started so well, walked onto the 5th tee on -1, and was invited to play through by the guys in front (that's never a good thing for me). I duly hooked my tee shot OOB, and blocked my re-tee into the trees. I somehow recovered to make a 6, and then finished the front 9 on +2. 

I started the back 9 ok, scrambling really well but starting to struggle with my long game. This culminated on the 14th and 16th where I hit terrible drives, which blew any chance I had of breaking 80.

Im really pleased with how I finished though. Hit a monster drive on the par 5 18th, leaving myself just 170 in, hit a perfect 6 iron to 20 feet and 2 putted for birdie. If I can just cut out horror drives, or even just cut it down to one per round rather than two, three or four, it would make a huge difference. My short game is probably the best it's ever been right now, and tbh a lot of it is down to simplifying things. Most of the time I'm simply aiming to get within 10/20 feet.

[jkelley9]

Shot 41 par 37 Friday evening from the senior tees 2,937 yards at my home course. 5 pars, 4 bogeys - an excellent feeling round after not having touched a club all week. It's nice looking down at the scorecard with no double boxes - looks much "cleaner." Especially since I play by the rules of golf when I play there.

Shot 82 par 72 (+10) with my Saturday group. This isn't really close to breaking 80 with this group. They have "easier" rules so even if I shot a 78 I don't think it would count. For instance, any ball not on the green they allow you to move one club length, improved lie  it's still fun golf though. I'll just can't record that for true handicapping purposes (by a LONG shot lol). But this past Saturday I made it through hole 15 only +7 with a drive-able par 4, an easy par 3, and an easy par 5 to go. I roll up to the par 4 and the dang tees were WAYYYY in the back so I'm like crap, "just gunna lay up at the dog leg." Duffed my drive 50 yards ahead. I'm like "okay no big deal dude you've been scrambling your butt off like a champ today, just knock it down where you wanted your tee shot. So that was an easy 3H. Hit that stupid fat and ended up 10 yards short of clearing the trees so I had to play the same 3H to punch under the trees and try to roll up to the green @ about 120 yards away. I literally WHIFFED. Chunked the grass 5-6 inches behind the ball. I hadn't done THAT in like 2 YEARS. The guys looked at me, I look back and say "yyyyep... that's a stroke. I actually tried to hit it." They're confused and the older guy said "but you didn't touch the ball so it doesn't count." Obviously I wrote the stroke down anyways. Then punched up fine and trickled into the front side bunker. Got out of the sand on the very edge of the front side green, pin literally 90 feet severely uphill. I felt like I had to take a full swing - the amazing part? I almost made the putt!  but alas, it was a tap in triple bogey lol. But I didn't let that get to me, I par'd the last 2 holes. Final scorecard was 1 triple (#15), 1 double (#2), 5 singles, 11 pars! I think I hit 4 greens lol. I scrambled like a freaking champ though. The round included 1 duffed drive, 1 "dumb" lost ball, a whiff, a WILD 9-iron blistering newbie shank. A duffed 3-wood on 18 (that I still managed to par), and a missed 2-foot putt - you heard that right.... 2 feet  

But playing at my home course in the evenings I'm hoping to break 80 still. It's usually only 9 holes at a time, though.

Breaking 80 is tough!

Edited June 11, 2017 by jkelley9

[Buckeyebowman]

On 3/20/2017 at 0:49 PM, Fairway_CY said:

Well... looks like I should be posting in this thread instead of the Breaking 90 thread.  I've been consistently at or below the 90 mark.  I had a really good shot at breaking 80 on Saturday.  

I was +1 through my first 10 holes and then kinda struggled with a few holes coming in and ended up posting an 84.  

My biggest issue at the moment is my putter.  I have zero confidence when standing over putts.  If I find myself over a putt from 5 - 7 feet, I just can't seem to get the speed correct.  I worry more about hitting it 4 feet past the hole than about just putting it in the hole.  

I probably won't be touching a club until Sunday but then I'll be playing 4 times in an 8 day span so I'm hoping that begins to instill some confidence in my putting stroke.  

CY

The only thing that will instill confidence in your putting stroke is developing a good stroke, and seeing the ball go in the hole! Why do you think the pros practice so many short putts? Two reasons. One, to build a repeating stroke and two, to see the ball go in the hole over and over again.

I heard Dottie Pepper describe a drill she used when she was on the LPGA Tour. She'd putt 3 balls each from 3 feet, 5 feet, and 7 feet. She would not leave the green until she made all of them in a row. Sometimes she was out there 10 minutes, other times she could take over an hour!

She said if this was too daunting for an amateur, then shorten the distance to 2, 4, and 6 feet. Or 1, 3, and 5 if that's what you need to get started. And these were straight putts on a level part of the green.

[Aus10]

A few weeks ago I shot an 79 at a decently difficult course and that included a ball going into the lake and magically bouncing out and onto the green. I 2-putted for a birdie. Not sure if anyone else has that shot in the bag but it really helped me