How to break 85 - 3 goal method

[matt611]

Last year Scienceboy posted an interesting thread on how to break 100 with 3 key aims on each hole:

1 - find the fairway
2 - get inside 150
3 - get on the green

Whilst his post was a little more elaborate than the 3 key aims just mentioned, that gives you the basic jist of it. I have followed those aims and spent time working on my putting so that I generally go round in 89-91.

So now I am wondering what would your aims be in order to break 85? Would the same aims apply just with a little more short game practice? Should I be a little more aggressive on par 5s?

Thanks

 

[woody69]

Last year Scienceboy posted an interesting thread on how to break 100 with 3 key aims on each hole:

1 - find the fairway
2 - get inside 150
3 - get on the green

Whilst his post was a little more elaborate than the 3 key aims just mentioned, that gives you the basic jist of it. I have followed those aims and spent time working on my putting so that I generally go round in 89-91.

So now I am wondering what would your aims be in order to break 85? Would the same aims apply just with a little more short game practice? Should I be a little more aggressive on par 5s?

Thanks

Where do you find you are dropping most of your shots? If I had to guess it would probably be you're failing to get down in 2 when playing short chips onto the green when you've missed the green with your approach 2nd/3rd, so instead of get par you're getting a bogey or worse. I'd focus on those to make sure I am consistently getting close enough for 1 putt.

 

[pokerjoke]

The key for me would be around the greens.
Once you have hit the fairway and found the green or close to the green
this is when the scoring starts.
My tip would be ingrain your yardages for chips from 50 yards in.
Try all your clubs from around the green and see how they roll out.
If you use your lob wedges look to how they react once they have hit the green.
Don't just try and chip near the flag,try to chip in,narrow your target.
And most important don't 3 putt.
Chipping it closer will stop you having 30-40 ft putts.
I may be stating the obvious but it has worked for me.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Tricky one. Short game and putting are always crucial areas so have a look at your up and down stats and number of putts per round or better still, the total length of putts holed. Mind you no amount of short game work will help if you're carving it off the tee regularly. I think you have to look at your game as a whole and then decide which area is weakest. If your consistently around the 90 mark it's not a big leap to save five shots. Keep going

 

[Hobbit]

Come off after 14 holes...

Its about consistency right through the game. I've seen many mid/high handicappers hit great shots but then follow it up with brain freeze. Concentrate on each shot, and take your medicine when you're in the jungle. Don't go for Hollywood shots

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Easy.

Eliminate penalty shots
Eliminate 2 Chips
Eliminate 2 Pitches
Eliminate 2 Sand Shots
Eliminate 3 Putts

 

[Jack_bfc]

Easy.

Eliminate penalty shots
Eliminate 2 Chips
Eliminate 2 Pitches
Eliminate 2 Sand Shots
Eliminate 3 Putts

That is exactly the difference between the low 90's and mid 80's for me.....

My bunker play and chipping has improved greatly since having decent practice facilities this year..

This really helps....

 

[louise_a]

I am in the position of trying to consistently score under 85. I know I will usually have a good number of pars and an occasional birdie n most rounds, the problems are the double bogeys and worse.
My aim for the season s to have a competitive round with nothing worse than a bogey, I have done it once but in a team event, so that doesn't count as t wasn't a qualifier.
I know I will still hit a duff shot now and again, so its important to try to get up and down from near the green and certainly not take more than 3 shots as opposed to taking more than 3 which I used to do a lot and still occasionally do.

 

[Stuey01]

Last year Scienceboy posted an interesting thread on how to break 100 with 3 key aims on each hole:

1 - find the fairway
2 - get inside 150
3 - get on the green

Whilst his post was a little more elaborate than the 3 key aims just mentioned, that gives you the basic jist of it. I have followed those aims and spent time working on my putting so that I generally go round in 89-91.

So now I am wondering what would your aims be in order to break 85? Would the same aims apply just with a little more short game practice? Should I be a little more aggressive on par 5s?

Thanks

For me, this approach doesn't cut it when you are trying to get your scores down lower. You have to be thinking about trying to hit greens in reg, which you never will like this. Ok you won't hit every green but you should hit a few and be chipping other times rather than hitting in from 100 yards or whatever.
If you are only aiming to be hitting at the green from somewhere within 150 with your 3rd shot not ony are you never hitting GIR on a par 4, you're most likely missing quite a few with your third shot so you're chipping on for 4.
You need to start making a few pars if you're going to score <85. Being on or around the green in reg is the way to do this. That means improving your long game.

 

[woody69]

For me, this approach doesn't cut it when you are trying to get your scores down lower. You have to be thinking about trying to hit greens in reg, which you never will like this. Ok you won't hit every green but you should hit a few and be chipping other times rather than hitting in from 100 yards or whatever.
If you are only aiming to be hitting at the green from somewhere within 150 with your 3rd shot not ony are you never hitting GIR on a par 4, you're most likely missing quite a few with your third shot so you're chipping on for 4.
You need to start making a few pars if you're going to score <85. Being on or around the green in reg is the way to do this. That means improving your long game.

Whilst long game is important, I'd say it was the last thing you would need to improve to be breaking 85. Going for greens from 175-200+ yards out is hard, which is the average distance I would say most people find themselves on an standard par 4. You can practice, but it's still a hard skill to master. That means you're almost certainly chipping on to the green with your 3rd from within 20 yards or so and you'll be doing that more than the times you make GIR. Those short chips / pitches etc are easier to practice and master than the long iron shot in from 175 yards plus. Pros only make GIR from that distance approx 60-70% of the time, so that still leaves somewhere in the region of 5-6 holes you need to chip on from and get close enough.

Personally I would say long game is the last thing to improve and work on and only necessary when you're aiming to go around in level par, not 12+ over.

 

[guest100718]

Whilst long game is important, I'd say it was the last thing you would need to improve to be breaking 85. Going for greens from 175-200+ yards out is hard, which is the average distance I would say most people find themselves on an standard par 4. You can practice, but it's still a hard skill to master. That means you're almost certainly chipping on to the green with your 3rd from within 20 yards or so and you'll be doing that more than the times you make GIR. Those short chips / pitches etc are easier to practice and master than the long iron shot in from 175 yards plus. Pros only make GIR from that distance approx 60-70% of the time, so that still leaves somewhere in the region of 5-6 holes you need to chip on from and get close enough.

Personally I would say long game is the last thing to improve and work on when you're aiming to go around in level par, not 12+ over.

Long game is everything. Get as close as you can to the green and you'll score better.

 

[woody69]

Long game is everything. Get as close as you can to the green and you'll score better.

It really isn't. I knew somone who couldn't hit it further than 160 yards and they played off 2.

 

[CMAC]

It really isn't. I knew somone who couldn't hit it further than 160 yards and they played off 2.

my old clubs club champion and scratch player for as long as he can remember is probably the shortest driver out of all the cat 1's at the club, he plays at least 1 more club from the same spot and plays regular shafts.
He hits fairways and when missing a green its up and down in 2

 

[HawkeyeMS]

If you usually keep the ball in play off the tee, and are usually somewhere on or near the green in no more than 3 shots (for Par 4s), then your short game is where the improvements will be made.

 

[Stuey01]

Whilst long game is important, I'd say it was the last thing you would need to improve to be breaking 85. Going for greens from 175-200+ yards out is hard, which is the average distance I would say most people find themselves on an standard par 4. You can practice, but it's still a hard skill to master. That means you're almost certainly chipping on to the green with your 3rd from within 20 yards or so and you'll be doing that more than the times you make GIR. Those short chips / pitches etc are easier to practice and master than the long iron shot in from 175 yards plus. Pros only make GIR from that distance approx 60-70% of the time, so that still leaves somewhere in the region of 5-6 holes you need to chip on from and get close enough.

Personally I would say long game is the last thing to improve and work on and only necessary when you're aiming to go around in level par, not 12+ over.

There is a big difference between chipping from within 20 yards and going for the green in 3 from up to 150yards away which is what the original post talks about.

Hitting it on or near the green in reg is crucial if you are going to make enough pars. To shoot <85 on a par 72 you must get 6 pars or better at least, probably more to offset the occasional double. IMO you need to be hitting some GIR and a few up and downs to do this.

 

[woody69]

There is a big difference between chipping from within 20 yards and going for the green in 3 from up to 150yards away which is what the original post talks about.

Hitting it on or near the green in reg is crucial if you are going to make enough pars. To shoot <85 on a par 72 you must get 6 pars or better at least, probably more to offset the occasional double. IMO you need to be hitting some GIR and a few up and downs to do this.

The original post was referencing how to break 100 using that method and how it can be adapted to break 85, not using that method to break 85.

 

[Stuey01]

The original post was referencing how to break 100 using that method and how it can be adapted to break 85, not using that method to break 85.

Indeed, and my suggestion for adapting the method is to be going for more greens in reg, rather than laying up to within 150yards.
That way you are chipping and putting rather hitting full wedges.
Improving ones chipping when your 3rd shot is from 150 yards isn't going to make for many pars is it?

 

[Deano23]

Make more putts and then make even more putts. Tee to green I can still play like I did when I shot mid 70's, but over the years my putting has become questionable.

 

[louise_a]

my 3 steps,

1 Consistency from the tee both length and direction
2 On or around the green in regulation
3 No more than more 3 shots when near the green

 

[woody69]

Indeed, and my suggestion for adapting the method is to be going for more greens in reg, rather than laying up to within 150yards.
That way you are chipping and putting rather hitting full wedges.
Improving ones chipping when your 3rd shot is from 150 yards isn't going to make for many pars is it?

OK, I misunderstood then. I still think short game practice is more important, but yes the person should be going for the green more often rather than just aiming to get it within 150 yards.