i would like advice on breaking 80 and also i would like advise on getting better from all you who read this. also help me out on my full swing I have a little bit of ideas on the fullswing, I mean i have some good stradegys but I would like to learn more i've been playing for 3 years and I want to be able to make money in my local tournaments so please help me
It does take much much practice on short game and putting but the mental game is huge. In my very last round of the year i shot 79 with some clutch up and downs and amazing driving ability. What i was thinking about throughout the round was to shoot in the 30s both 9s by making one bogey every three holes or only allow one bogey for every three holes because 6 over that that course is a 76. One of the 3 holes on each 9 can either have two bogeys or a double bogey. for me i had one bogey per three holes for the first 6, then a par then two bogeys then two pars followed by two bogeys followed by a par then by a bogey then by two more pars and a double on teh last X(. Its a wierd system i know but it worked for me!
i would like advice on breaking 80 and also i would like advise on getting better from all you who read this. also help me out on my full swing I have a little bit of ideas on the fullswing, I mean i have some good stradegys but I would like to learn more i've been playing for 3 years and I want to be able to make money in my local tournaments so please help me
Apparently my post above was taken the wrong way...Putting is the best way to lower your score, and hitting it closer to the pin allows fewer putts. It was not a
"pointless" post, but that is my take on breaking 80! Sorry if I offended anyone!
You have to practice, practice, practice. Shooting below 80 is something a good majority of golfers everywhere have never done, and probably will never do. I'm sure you've heard/seen the stats that the average golfer usually shoots around 92.
To break 80, you have to be able to manufacture a score. Sure a lot of people can break 80 if they are striking every shot pure that day, but that's not a reality in golf. You have to practice your game relentlessly from 150 yards and in with I think more emphasis on putting that anything else. If you hit more greens in regulation, you'll shoot lower scores, period.
The hardest I find about breaking 80 is the "luck" part. There seems to always be a part of my game that's missing on any given day. Somtimes every 3-foot putt is an adventure, sometimes I can't miss a 10-footer if I try- but on that day I can't find a fairway. When I'm hitting it solid and straight off the tee, I'm thinning chips or struggling with wedge play around 100 yrds. It seems like it's a perpetual circle of play when every part of my golf game takes turns showing up.
As a 9.4 present handicapper, I've broken 80 about 10-15 times in my life, but that is still only a very small percentage, and I admit, I do play tougher courses with high ratings and slopes on weekends. I've hit low to mid-80's at times there, which would be high 70's at my home course. No matter how much I practice, 95% or so of every time I leave for the course, I will leave an important part of my game at home, and it really hinders my chances at a score in the 70s. As a small shining star inside though, the feeling that I've done it before shows ability I have somewhere lurking in the depths of me.
Above everything else, for a vast majority of us, the game is a game of "recovery." You're not going to hit every fairway, nor will you hit every green. Nor will you get up and down for par out of the sand each time, or even from the fringe every single time. It's not necessarily how bad the result is from a specific shot, but more about how you recover from that shot. Typically, THAT is the difference between shooting a great round, and walking to the car after the round filled with frustration and regret.
More than anything else, breaking into the 70's is more of a mental barrier than physical. Although your swing doesn't need to be textbook, it does need to adhere to a few basic mechanical principles. And it needs to be fairly consistent, lest you not know what to expect. So assuming that you do have a good, repeatable swing, the rest of these things would apply.
Shortgame -- the quickest way to turn a bogey into a par is learning how to chip and putt. The average golfer swings driver 14 times each round at most, but 70 percent or better of the strokes accounted for during a round of golf come from inside 100 yards of the green. I'm not saying to NOT become a good driver of the ball. But DO become a better wedge player, and a better putter. When you're getting up and down to save par better than 1/2 the time you miss a green in regulation, you're heading in the right direction. You're at least giving yourself a chance.
Course Management -- know when to play aggressively. Know when to play for bogey. Bogey isn't a score killer. Double bogies are. I use a general rule of thumb that I think could likewise apply to you as well: Always make the next shot easier. And above everything else, stay away from penalties.
Mental Game -- you need to have confidence, but you also need to keep your emotions in check. Don't get down on yourself after a bad shot or a bad hole. It happens to all of us. Look at it as an opportunity to RECOVER. Keep your head in the game, stay focused, but relaxed. Don't add numbers up and get ahead of yourself. I don't like old cliches, but "one shot at a time" carries more weight than any other truism in golf.
Finally... love practice and playing. If you're getting out and doing these things on a regular basis, you'll be well on your way to breaking 80.
The solution to this is very simple. It's on the GREEN! Think about it. If you are a low to mid handicapper, you know that most of us get on the green at about the same time, (Strokewise). It's on the green that the cream rises to the top! I'm athletic. When I took up golf, it took me 1 month to learn to drive the ball in the fairway and stick my approach shots on or near the green. 30 years later, I'm still trying to learn how to putt consistently! When I 3 putt, I put my head down and sulk all the way to the next teebox. You gotta put the ball in the hole !
Mental Game -- you need to have confidence, but you also need to keep your emotions in check. Don't get down on yourself after a bad shot or a bad hole. It happens to all of us. Look at it as an opportunity to RECOVER. Keep your head in the game, stay focused, but relaxed. Don't add numbers up and get ahead of yourself. I don't like old cliches, but "one shot at a time" carries more weight than any other truism in golf.
Finally... love practice and playing. If you're getting out and doing these things on a regular basis, you'll be well on your way to breaking 80.
I honestly believe these last 2 are the most important of your magnificent post. Why, because the first several are the offspring of these 2.
Your thoughts on the mental game - Case in point : How many times have we put a big number on the card, became frustrated and upset? Then after the hole, immediately thought how simple it would have been to put a bogie, or even a double on the card if you just would have done 1 simple thing different- like punching right back to the fairway or just getting the ball on the green ANYWHERE and 2-putting instead of a miraculous flop shot that barely clears a sand trap and trickles next to the cup.
Your last topic - probably the least discussed issue on GR and one of the most important. GENUINELY enjoying the learning and practicing process is vital to being a success at the game. SO MANY threads about this guy on the course and that guy, problems with partners and other customers, stories about why can't I do this or that? Your entire disposition of the learning process is vital right from the beginning. It's like tackling any important project in life. How successful will you be if you don't have a plan and your not enjoying it? Setting goals (reachable ones!), understanding the difficulty level beforehand, and looking forward to your next practice session or lesson- so you can tackle the next golfing issue!
Golf is a wonderful game, why, for many reasons, but to me, because it's difficult- mentally. It's huge challenge. If it wasn't, how fun would it be?
Pa Playa, your post IMO, from word one to the last, should be framed on the wall in front of all our computers. Well done.
Last edited by LordEmery : December 6th, 2006 at 01:01 AM.
One point I find the pros making a lot is not compounding one error with another.
Say you hit into the trees or a fairway bunker. Your chance of hitting the green is greatly reduced. Rather than making a mistake of a recovery shot of say 10% chance (possibly ending up in the trees/rough/bunker again), swallow your pride and get the ball back on the fairway. If you can get it a little closer to the green, great, but if you have to go sideways or backwards take that option. More offen than not, rather than a chance of a big number on your card, you will get a bogey, maybe even get a par if you hole a putt?
I honestly believe these last 2 are the most important of your magnificent post. Why, because the first several are the offspring of these 2.
Your thoughts on the mental game - Case in point : How many times have we put a big number on the card, became frustrated and upset? Then after the hole, immediately thought how simple it would have been to put a bogie, or even a double on the card if you just would have done 1 simple thing different- like punching right back to the fairway or just getting the ball on the green ANYWHERE and 2-putting instead of a miraculous flop shot that barely clears a sand trap and trickles next to the cup.
Your last topic - probably the least discussed issue on GR and one of the most important. GENUINELY enjoying the learning and practicing process is vital to being a success at the game. SO MANY threads about this guy on the course and that guy, problems with partners and other customers, stories about why can't I do this or that? Your entire disposition of the learning process is vital right from the beginning. It's like tackling any important project in life. How successful will you be if you don't have a plan and your not enjoying it? Setting goals (reachable ones!), understanding the difficulty level beforehand, and looking forward to your next practice session or lesson- so you can tackle the next golfing issue!
Golf is a wonderful game, why, for many reasons, but to me, because it's difficult- mentally. It's huge challenge. If it wasn't, how fun would it be?
Pa Playa, your post IMO, from word one to the last, should be framed on the wall in front of all our computers. Well done.
First you need to develop a fundamental repeatable swing! When I go to the range I will see golfers who slice the ball and begin to compensate by aiming farther and farther left or pulling the club more inside to compensate. Don't fall into the trap of trying to see how far you can hit your clubs. Work on hitting your irons a consistant distance. I would take a 150 yard 7 iron hitting the green 75% of the time over a 175 yard 7 iron hitting the green 50% any day. Learn how to move the ball both ways with your driver. And above all else practice 5 times as much on the putting and chipping greens.
its all about 100 yards and in. My big problem was always putting, but I fixed that and neglected my long game in the later part of the season. I hit alot of GIR , but that might leave me a 25-30 foot putt for birdie. Now if you can improve that to say 15 foot for your birdie putt then hello $$$. Tiger averaged I think 11 feet for his approach shots from 100 yards and in.
Back to putting though, its the main thing in my score. I can go out there on a casual round and throw up a 81-82 and not line up a putt, or even care about putts. But in competion or when you really need something you have to flip the switch and focus and prepare more. Attention to detail on the greens will drop your scores faster then hitting the ball 20 yards further.
Above everything else, for a vast majority of us, the game is a game of "recovery." You're not going to hit every fairway, nor will you hit every green. Nor will you get up and down for par out of the sand each time, or even from the fringe every single time. It's not necessarily how bad the result is from a specific shot, but more about how you recover from that shot. Typically, THAT is the difference between shooting a great round, and walking to the car after the round filled with frustration and regret.
More than anything else, breaking into the 70's is more of a mental barrier than physical. Although your swing doesn't need to be textbook, it does need to adhere to a few basic mechanical principles. And it needs to be fairly consistent, lest you not know what to expect. So assuming that you do have a good, repeatable swing, the rest of these things would apply.
Shortgame -- the quickest way to turn a bogey into a par is learning how to chip and putt. The average golfer swings driver 14 times each round at most, but 70 percent or better of the strokes accounted for during a round of golf come from inside 100 yards of the green. I'm not saying to NOT become a good driver of the ball. But DO become a better wedge player, and a better putter. When you're getting up and down to save par better than 1/2 the time you miss a green in regulation, you're heading in the right direction. You're at least giving yourself a chance.
Course Management -- know when to play aggressively. Know when to play for bogey. Bogey isn't a score killer. Double bogies are. I use a general rule of thumb that I think could likewise apply to you as well: Always make the next shot easier. And above everything else, stay away from penalties.
Mental Game -- you need to have confidence, but you also need to keep your emotions in check. Don't get down on yourself after a bad shot or a bad hole. It happens to all of us. Look at it as an opportunity to RECOVER. Keep your head in the game, stay focused, but relaxed. Don't add numbers up and get ahead of yourself. I don't like old cliches, but "one shot at a time" carries more weight than any other truism in golf.
Finally... love practice and playing. If you're getting out and doing these things on a regular basis, you'll be well on your way to breaking 80.
IMO... you should listen to this guy... good post.
December 5th, 2006, 06:53 PM
As a small shining star inside though, the feeling that I've done it before shows ability I have somewhere lurking in the depths of me.
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