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Breaking 70 is about the following key items

1) Work on your scoring game (wedge shots near the green, bunker shots, and putting) which will help #2 below.

2) Limit your bad holes to bogey's. Doubles and triples will probably cause you to need birdie's.

3) Take advantage of your good holes and get a birdie or two

4) If a song works for you great, but I find most people fail to concentrate for 18 holes. It is hard, but if you want to score a bit better, you need to focus on the lie, conditions (wind, heat, slope of green,etc.), where your target is, and what shot you need to hit.

5) Commit to the shot and have confidence the ball will go where you wanted it to go.

If those don't work...get a pencil with an eraser to break 80.

The handful of times I have broken 80 it has been because I hit it in the fairway and hit more than usual greens in regulation. I need to work at my putting because I have never had less than 32 putts in a round, usually it is 35-36 so I need GIR's to have a chance.

I've only cracked 80 3 times and going low(even low 80s) for me has always been about GIRs or at least being able to putt for bird... that could include fringes or just off. I'm a decent putter and am usually in the fairway or just off with my tee shot. I probably don't hit more than around 4 or 5 greens on average, though I haven't really tracked it. I'm usually in the vacinity for a reasonable up & down, though. While my short game around the greens is not terrible, 5-8 feet is about average and no one is going to make 5-8 footers all day, consistently. So I know that chipping/pitching is what I have to work on. It's really what everyone should be spending the most time on... and putting, of course. I was watching TGC awhile back, either Phil or Furyk I believe, and he was saying that the key to his short game was getting it inside of 3' consistently because that's where his % of makes increases dramatically... almost to 100%. This came as somewhat of a surprise to me as I'd come to think that 5-6 footers where almost gimmies for those guys, but that extra couple of feet is actually quite significant. Well to wrap up this ramble, given the current state of my game, when I turn a few of those just off the greens into putts (and stay away from the blow-up holes, of course), is when I go low.... for me.

Very true. I practice with 50 putts on the putting green and made 96% of 3 footers, where I only made 66% of 6 footers. The difference of just 3 feet is astounding

To break 80 I think you need to work on your short game,I know that's my weak spot.

2 out of 3 6 footers is excellent in itself. I'd take that stat in a heartbeat.

Mmm, I don't know, I'm fairly confident I could get the percentage up to 75% if I practiced hard enough.

Maybe someone has some stats on this, but I'd be willing to bet that there aren't even any touring pros who make 75% of their 6 footers. How about it you stats freaks ? Do I have to pay up ?

From an article in the San Diego Union Tribune -

"As a group, PGA Tour members are fairly remarkable putters. Last year, according to the tour's Shotlink system, the players made 99.1 percent of putts from 3 feet and in; 69 percent of their 6-footers and 54 percent of their 8-footers. From 10 to 15 feet, they dunk it 31 percent of the time"

I wonder if this means 6 footers or between 3 and 6 feet.


It would still be interesting to know who ranked first in this category. I'll keep looking.

In any event emc, 75% of 6 footers would put you amongst some extremely skilled company.

Another reference:
http://www.golftoday.co.uk/news/year.../shotlink.html

Shade

Obviously, the lengths will vary. I just said within 15 feet. You're going to have some shorter, and occasionally you'll drop a birdie, but if you have every par putt within that range somewhere, you'll have a reasonable chance to break 80. Call it a bare minimum for breaking through, if you will.

True that, I need work on the 8 footers and 10-15 footers so. I'd doubt it's 6 feet and in, as the stats would be phenomenally high then for all the 3ft 1" putts etc.

Pelz puts the number right at 50% from 6 feet.

I play with a guy who consistently breaks 80. As a matter of fact, I have never seen him shoot over 80. He is like a machine. He hits almost every fairway. To the point that if he misses one, it is a shock to everyone in his group.

Consequently, he hits lots of greens and he putts like a madman. I watched him birdie 4 holes in a row last week from outside 15ft. It is very discouraging to play with him because he just doesn't make mistakes. He plays with about half a set of clubs. Lately, I can't strike the ball. I always have this trouble in wet, cold weather. It just makes me feel worse when he is playing so well in the same conditions.

If that is how you consistently break 80, I am going to have to spend a lot more time practicing my ballstriking.

That sounds about right to me. I suspect that % of putts made estimates are somewhat like driving distance estimates. It's also a lot different making them during a round than rapid-firing them on the practice green.