breaking 100, so frustrating

[jamstorr86]

Although I am still relatively new to the game, having only playing for 4 months, I still am finding it difficult to break 100.

It is normally due to 3/4 nightmare holes, where I am simply relieved to avoid double figures at the end.
During these holes, everything can go wrong. For no reason at all, I will start slicing my irons or simply not making a half decent contact on the ball resulting in a shank or duff shot.

Golf is probably the most frustrating sport I have ever played. Thankfully, it is also very addictive. Playing again tmorrow, just before a week break in Rhodes. Hope I start my holiday with a sub-100 result!!!

 

[Evesdad]

Know the feeling, really struggling to break that duck at the moment. Come really close one week miles of the next! One week driver goes the next it doesn't and the same with every other aspect, but man does it keep you coming back! Have a good holiday we've just come back from Rhodes, it's hot!

 

[craig26]

Yep am with you all the way, managed to hit a 100 dead a couple of weeks ago and am now going gradually backwards!!!
So frustrating yet so addictive!!!

 

[Alex1975]

I still remember my 1st 99... it was a big day for me. Thing is though, you will never be happy, when you break 100 you will want 90 and so on.

How many putts do you think you are having in 18 holes?

 

[jamstorr86]

I still remember my 1st 99... it was a big day for me. Thing is though, you will never be happy, when you break 100 you will want 90 and so on.

How many putts do you think you are having in 18 holes?

too many. Some holes, after a good approach, I will two putt.
however, it is the nightmare holes which I just can't recover from. Even when I get on the green, I will end up 3/4 putting.

I guess with a bit more experience I will learn to recover better.

 

[Curls]

Howdy chaps,

This is the great thing about the forum, there's guys on here trying to break 100 and they'll get as much encouragement as guys trying to break 90, 80, or 70.

Everyone has a level they play too, and its the psychological barrier of a round number thats the most difficult thing to overcome. Everyone and their dog will tell you to work on ur putting more. theyre right. theyll also tell you get lessons. Again. correct. However without the need to spend much time or any money heres my suggestions.

1. Dont add up your scores as you go around. Dont even think about them if you can manage it. Living in the past or the future is a sure-fire way of sabotaging yourself. If you are still thinking about that bad bounce two holes ago, or the easy hole you're sure to par coming up next, youre not doing what youre meant to be doing, which is focusing on the best way to play the shot in front of you. Ever put 3 good holes together, maybe par-bogey-par and start thing "hey today could be the day I break 100, itll be great to tell the guys down the pub, the wife, the guys on the forum", you have your post written before hole 9, and then it implodes. 108. D'oh! Think about the shot. finish the hole. write down the number and forget about it, good or bad you cant change it. add up at the end, if youre committed to improving someday you'll do it and itll be double figures, nothing surer.

2. Think about course strategy a bit more, how are you playing those nightmare holes? always driving? whatever your strategy is, change it, its not working. theres a right way to play every hole, it might not be to the par of the course, but its the right way for you to score as best you can on it, and if youre racking up double figures on it - you aint doing it! Get Google Earth, type in your course, get an aerial view of that hole and get the measurement tool out and see how else you might navigate it. imagine a long uphill par 4, a killer for the high h/c. everyone will drive it, and often as youre trying to take the cover off the ball itll go into the trees. if a 5 iron will put you in the middle of the fairway and leave you 250, so what. another 6 iron will leave you 100. that wedge in might not hit the green but if you can get down in two its a 5, 3 and its a 6. not great but its not an 11! you'll be surprised how easily you break 100 if you keep those numbers off your card.

Happy golfing, its so frustratingly brilliant.

 

[DaveM]

Nice post Curls. Good advice, if only we could do it!

 

[Curls]

Nice post Curls. Good advice, if only we could do it!

Thanks chap.

While it is easier said than done there's a technique you can employ to help you do it, above an unused column of your scorecard write the word "NOW". Every time you find yourself thinking about a previous shot/incident, put a tick in the box. Dont do anything more, just tick it and focus on the next shot. NOW. When you start thinking about a hole to come, or the 19th, again put a tick and focus on your next shot.

Dont judge yourself if you have 30 ticks at the end of the first round. By the second round you'll only have 20. and so on. By recognising what youre doing you can stop yourself the moment you enter the daydream. Pretty soon you dont bother ticking any more, you just catch yourself and think "aha! Nope, not happening. whats my best option now"

 

[gripitripit]

Broke the ton only once in my 12 month golf journey so far.
Course I played the most I scored 100 dead last 3 times. I took the best score on each hole from the 3 rounds and got 84 so I know a better performance in there to be had.
Just try to keep the 7 and 8's out of the round and try grab some pars and it should get you under 100..!

 

[jamstorr86]

Broke the ton only once in my 12 month golf journey so far.
Course I played the most I scored 100 dead last 3 times. I took the best score on each hole from the 3 rounds and got 84 so I know a better performance in there to be had.
Just try to keep the 7 and 8's out of the round and try grab some pars and it should get you under 100..!

I played on Sunday, and for the first 6 holes I was recording 6's throughout, across some hard par 4s and par 5s. The on the 7th I scored 9 and couldn't get my game together from there after.

 

[gripitripit]

Broke the ton only once in my 12 month golf journey so far.
Course I played the most I scored 100 dead last 3 times. I took the best score on each hole from the 3 rounds and got 84 so I know a better performance in there to be had.
Just try to keep the 7 and 8's out of the round and try grab some pars and it should get you under 100..!

I played on Sunday, and for the first 6 holes I was recording 6's throughout, across some hard par 4s and par 5s. The on the 7th I scored 9 and couldn't get my game together from there after.

I know the feeling..!
Few weeks ago I started off par,par,bogey,bogey,6,8,7...I took a few minutes to regroup before next tee shot and finished front 9 bogey and par.
The first 6 hurt as it was a par 3 and last time out I hot a par. it threw me that I hit 6...!

 

[G1BB0]

Curls is spot on

I scored 100 yesterday for a net 72 3 over par after scoring low - mid 90's for the past 5 or 6 rounds.

played crap off the tee, one hole I took a 7 hit an ok 3 wood off the tee, 210 left and thought easy 9 iron to leave a wedge then remembered I made it in 2 a few weeks back, pulled out hybrid and duffed it ob!!

I hit 5 pars in total and the rest were doubles and triples and mostly down to trying to hit the green in 2 or not concentrating on a putt and leaving too short or long. To me they are the shots that can mostly be cut out.

its amazing what a card wrecker just 2 or 3 bad holes can be

good luck

 

[Tiger]

LOL. The High handicappers helpline thread. Love it! Wish I could offer some sage words of advice but I'm still struggling to do it consistently. Three weeks ago I was threatening to break 90 for the first time. Last medal brought me back to earth with a bump.

Out of curiosity do you blow up on the same holes or is it just random? Friend of mine is playing to 12 his handicap was 24 in October. He has a pink golf philosophy. Irrespective of situation he plays a shot he thinks he will hit 9 times out of 10. He rarely has a disaster and then when he plays his best shots he cashes in. I don't have his self control but his h/cap is plummeting!!! Think he's on 17 now.

Good luck fellas

 

[Mark_G]

I am in the same boat, and generally have two or three poor holes, which tend to be the same ones each round. This week I have thought about a different strategy to these holes, accepting a 6 through shorter shots, than blowing out at 8 or 9 through mistakes. I totally agree regarding not adding up scores, on my last round I got so down after thinking I must of scored under 50 for the first 9,then when my friend told me it was 50 my heart sunk. I am in the process of putting my cards in for my handicap and would love to put one card in under 100

 

[Gazboy]

Out of curiosity do you blow up on the same holes or is it just random?

It's random for me, but when I go to pieces, it's total system failure and every shot is a waste not only of a stroke but quite often a loss of a ball (I lost 7 in 9 holes today).

My scores haven't gone down for about two months now, where's from November last year until this June my score was almost always lower after each time I played.

Anyway, a lesson on Friday with a new coach so hopefuly some good will come out of it

 

[Captain_Black]

I haven't broken the ton yet either.
I played last week & in patches I played ok, I managed to hit 3x greens from 150 / 160 yards from the fairway & 1x from the tee, but I had 2x terrible holes one was a 10, the other was an 11.
I went round in 114.

In fairness to me, although I know I am a rubbish player at the moment, my clubs are rubbish as well. (too light)
So I have been out today & treated myself!!

Now I have no excuse.

 

[Slicedwight]

Wow - a lot of us in the same boat i see
I always seem to have at least one complete meltdown, no rhymm or reason for when its like ive been possessed!! last week i went par, par, 9 (on a par 4), birdie !!! Now how on earth do you go from 2 pars (playing some nice shots) to taking a 9 and that was without going out of bounds or anything i just literally couldnt hit the ball, in the end i made my way down the fairway with a 9 iron, and then sunk a nice putt, if id done my normal 3 putts id have really been in trouble! I think curls is dead right about living for the now baggage is no good as it stops you thinking about the thing that matters i.e the next shot, for me golf is more a test of my temprament than anything else, ive always played sports where i can lose my temper and it improves my game (mainly tennis but also footie and rugby) and golf is just the complete opposite if you lose you're cool its disaster. I broke the 100 relatively quickly but i think that is because my playing partner has been playing for 25 years and helped no end with course management issues and tips on how to play certain shots. One thing that did work for me a little bit is trying to viualise the shot you are going to play, hitting it in a general direction is no good, and as your swing works on muscle memory if you tell yourself you must not slice, hook etc you are actually sending a message to your muscles that you want a slice, hook etc. If you just concentrate on the shot you intend to play (keep it realistic!) you will play that shot far more often than if you are thinking about the oob trees on the right or that fairway bunker etc.

 

[mrwoo]

I think the best plan to break 100 is to take as much danger out of the course and never chase a hole.
I rarely use anything larger than a 6 iron in general play and only go for the green from 160 yards in. From 200 yards I am fairly certain of taking no more than 4 as a 6 iron leaves me a short chip on.
If there are bunkers or other hazzords 200 yards from the tee I will use a 5 wood to leave the ball short, then an iron for safety.
I putt if I can from about 10 yards off the greens rather than risking blading a chip through.
Played a 360 yard par 4 on Sunday and would normally hope for a par or bogey. Miss hit tee shot about 10 yards, so instead of taking another big club, hit a 7 iron to about 170 out, a 6 iron just short of the green and 2 putted. Would have taken a 6 and getting a 5 was like a par, but better a 6 than an 8.

Don't be afraid to take an iron off the tee as 3 irons shots will make most par4 greens.
I can hit a driver 250 yards and usually straight, but only use when I have a nice open fairway with no real danger.