Tips for breaking 100

[saintsman023]

Hi everyone..

I picked up a set of clubs properly around 4 months ago & manage to get out at least once a week. Before this I would play only a handful of times during the summer months, so never really took it too seriously. However, I have been fully bitten by the game & am really enjoying getting out there as often as I can.

I took a lesson from my local Pro & am told that my set up is pretty good & haven't been given a great deal to work on in that aspect.

In the 4 months iv'e been playing, I feel my game is improving but my scores aren't reflecting this. I'm typically going round my course 72 in 115 (at the start I was going round in 120/125).

I appreciate that there's no magic solution or quick fixes, but any advice from people who have been there & done it would be most welcome.

 

[In_The_Rough]

Keep it in play from the tee and practice your putting would be where I would start

 

[Mr A]

My scores started to drop when I focused on hitting it straight, not worrying about distance. Also play the percentages, never try anything that is difficult, try to play within yourself.

Good luck.

 

[BrizoH71]

Play the course as two 9-holers, and set yourself a target for each. eg aiming to beat 50 on each nine.

 

[Wolfman]

When I started I was very bad and had scores 120+

I soon got to 100 on average and now shoot mid 80's to 90's for the following reasons

1. Found a driver I can hit straight most of the time
2. Got PING G25 easy to hit straight irons
3. Had short game lessons on chipping and pitching
4. Course management

My tip would be course management and the rest will come in time and effort

I think a lot more about where I want the ball to land and I also use the garmin watch GPS for distances

Always always make every shot count and think of how to achieve the best outcome and play to Bogey each hole as your aim

If you find you have a very weak area spend time working on that off the course but don't waste time at the range beating balls for the sake of it.

Play a course you enjoy and play for fun with people who you enjoy a game with

Depending on any natural ability ( I had very little ) you will see your scores drop slowly if you follow my advice

 

[spawn_ukuk]

Hi everyone..

I picked up a set of clubs properly around 4 months ago & manage to get out at least once a week. Before this I would play only a handful of times during the summer months, so never really took it too seriously. However, I have been fully bitten by the game & am really enjoying getting out there as often as I can.

I took a lesson from my local Pro & am told that my set up is pretty good & haven't been given a great deal to work on in that aspect.

In the 4 months iv'e been playing, I feel my game is improving but my scores aren't reflecting this. I'm typically going round my course 72 in 115 (at the start I was going round in 120/125).

I appreciate that there's no magic solution or quick fixes, but any advice from people who have been there & done it would be most welcome.

Firstly find a way to keep it in play off the tee, I'm sure often after the tee shots your finding yourself in trouble,
Then id suggest practicing your short game more then anything else, 9i Pw Sw Lob, Pitches and Chips
Really get to feel comfy with those ranges with those irons you'll really see the difference.

Well with your putting well that's just something you gotta work out for yourself

 

[Odvan]

My non-expert suggestion would be NOT to concentrate on breaking 100 or achieve any score, before your round. Simply take each shot as it comes and as all others have said try to get your tee shots down the middle (ish).

And even though its a given, all us high handicappers are guilty of it I think from time to time/round to round...keep watching that ball until your shoulders tell you otherwise. I'm still guilty of lifting my head too soon a few shots per round but it tends to lead to more than a few shots dropped.

 

[Brian_C]

It’s difficult to make suggestions without knowing if you have any fundamental flaws in your swing, do you slice or hook the driver, do you swing out to in? Do you top the ball when playing from the second cut, can you hit the ball sweetly off the deck of the fairway.

I’m in a similar situation to you and I have all of the above problems from time to time. Other times I hit it so sweetly I think I have it cracked. The one thing I’m working on is to take a divot, (or at least cut the grass) when playing off the fairway which my Golf Pro assures me is a total necessity. Get under the ball and get the ball in the air.

Address any swing flaws and I reckon the scores will fall.

 

[GeneralStore]

2 things IMO:
1) Keep it in play. Take a club that you are comfortable with off the tee, a solid 7 iron is much better than a topped driver that goes 50 yards or even worse 250 yards sliced into the woods.
2) Keep the game simple. Don't obsess about equipment, its not a bad idea to get some clubs fitted if you are particularly tall or short, but don't get caught up with an obsession on shafts/golf balls/lasers etc... For high handicappers it has a minimal impact. Hit the ball onto the short green grass, walk up to it and hit it again, repeat and if you are struggling with that process then take a few lessons from the right pro

The final thing I would say is that most magazines and experts go on about the short game, but for beginners and high handicappers scores would come down far quicker if you can get the ball in play and keep it in play. Its that simple really.

Enjoy the process

 

[Stub]

I was in the very same situation as yourself when I started playing regularly two years ago, further compounded by being in my 60's.

There is a lot of good advice above. U started scoring c20 off the yellows but this week managed 96, and I have broken 100 in medals by following the tips above...possibly with the addition of having regular lessons with a good pro, invaluable as I explain a problem area (e.g. slight fade with woods) and he puts it right (providing I practice what he gives me!)

I am not, and never will be, a big hitter, but I can manage 190 to 200 yards straight off the tee and the key from there is keeping out of trouble until I can use my short game, which thanks to good instruction and constant practice is good for a high handicapper. Tee to green the question to be asking yourself is 'where do I want to be hitting my next shot from?' Providing your answer is within your capability stick to that approach and scores will follow.

Above all, enjoy it and don't be put off by the bad shot or poor hole...everyone's done itne:

 

[JackBrocklehurst]

Hi everyone..

I picked up a set of clubs properly around 4 months ago & manage to get out at least once a week. Before this I would play only a handful of times during the summer months, so never really took it too seriously. However, I have been fully bitten by the game & am really enjoying getting out there as often as I can.

I took a lesson from my local Pro & am told that my set up is pretty good & haven't been given a great deal to work on in that aspect.

In the 4 months iv'e been playing, I feel my game is improving but my scores aren't reflecting this. I'm typically going round my course 72 in 115 (at the start I was going round in 120/125).

I appreciate that there's no magic solution or quick fixes, but any advice from people who have been there & done it would be most welcome.

Practice, practice, practice. Good things come with Golf over time, and having patience is the key. If you duff a shot, don't get annoyed because once you lose your mental game you may as well walk off.
An old fella said to me once when I was at your stage ''3 to the green and 2 putt, worst you can have is a 95.'' Which for beginner advice was one of the best things I ever got told. Just think of it like that and make sure you take advantage of the par 3s!

Hank Haney, (Tiger Woods old coach for those who don't know) preaches on Social Networks to have 100 practice swings a day. I personally don't do it anymore, but I used to at that stage without even knowing this tip. It's muscle memory for your brain, once your body gets used to your swing and you start making good contact with the ball you'll be flying.

Good luck buddy!

 

[Foxholer]

Here's something Scienceboy wrote.

So recently I have been playing with a guy who wants to break 100. He is really struggling and goes round in between 100 and 120.

His putting and short game a good enough but the frustration of the rest of his game makes him three putt a lot and get in a mess.

While playing with him last time I made an observation that he was always taking on the most high tariff shots, nearly every time he got himself into trouble, behind a tree, in a bunker etc

I took one of my personal philosophies and explained it to him in a way I had not ever done before:

The Three Goals

We stood on a tee, any tee and I said from here there are three goals to achieve before most players play the shots that make or break their score. Find the fairway, get inside 150, get on the green.


Goal 1- Find the fairway

Pretty simple, play a tee shot which finds the fairway, if you fail to do that play the next shot to achieve this goal and nothing else.

Notes Remember to give yourself nice wide margins for error from the tee or if you miss it and are playing your second, the fairway is a nice big target so don't make it smaller!


Goal 2- Get inside the 150

Once you have done goal 1 move on to this, play your next shot to get inside the 150. It doesn't matter if you get inside by 1 inch or 50 yards, once done the goal is made.

Notes

1. You can achieve goals 1 and 2 in one shot if you are good enough or on a short par 4 but you don't have too.
2. On some par 5s you cannot do goal 2 with your second, instead look to get into a place to ensure you can get inside it with your next shot.
3. If you come up just short or are inside but cannot reach the green then look to lay up in a place to make goal 3 REALLY easy. (we saw this as a nice luxury when it happened rather than a bad thing)
4. KEY POINT If you hit a bad tee shot but achieve goal 2 with your second shot then the bad tee shot DOES NOT MATTER!
5. KEY POINT If there is trouble around the green you cannot fly look to lay up in a place that makes goal 3 really easy.
6. On par 3s you can achieve goals 2 and two in 1 shot, try and leave yourself in a good place to achieve goal 3.

Goal 3- Get on the green

Once inside 150 look how to get safely on the green.

Notes If you have missed the fairway doing goal 2, cant make the green or there are lots of hazards then play to get into a place to make goal 3 easier and nothing more.


Summary

We started this after holes one and two where he scored two 9s. From then his worst score was one 7 and the rest were 6 or better. He lost most of his shots to putting or duffed chips and we barely looked in a bush or tree for his ball again bar one hole.

Previously he was trying to bash 3 woods and hybrids off the fairway, now he was hitting 6 and 5 irons to achieve each goal one by one. It did mean taking irons or hybrids off some difficult tees to achieve goal 1 rather than goal 1 and 2 together. He also only used the driver twice when normally it would have come out on every hole bar two par 3s.


I play to this same game plan and I shot 87 with two lost balls and no driver in the bag. Like him from hole 2 my lost shots were do to bad swings and not bad game plans. I also managed to make two pars after duffed tee shots!

I do know this game plan probably only works down to about a 12 handicap as you need to be a little more aggressive to score better unless you can confidently get up and down from 60 yards and in on a regular basis.

I thought this was really key, the biggest difference was not in his scores but in his attitude, he celebrated reaching each goal, if he hit a bad shot but could still make goal 2 with his second then the first shot DID NOT MATTER. He used to beat himself up about the bad shots but now he doesn't if he still makes the goals in the lowest possible number of shots.

He will now be using this every round and hopefully he can make his goal soon!

 

[woody69]

Where are you dropping the shots? Are you taking 4 or 5 to get to in and around the green and then getting down for 1 or 2, or are you up to the green in 2 or 3 (at least within 30 yards) and then taking 3 or more? Identify where you drop most shots and then focus on drills to improve that part of your game.

 

[Beezerk]

The final thing I would say is that most magazines and experts go on about the short game, but for beginners and high handicappers scores would come down far quicker if you can get the ball in play and keep it in play. Its that simple really.

This x 1,000,000,000
I'm in a similar place, been playing a few months and hovering just below 110 lately, I know I can do better if I can drop the crazy shots . Biggest loss of shots are the wild ones from the tee into the rough, ruins the hole straight away, my short game usually saves me to be honest but that needs work as well, I always tend to leave pitches from 60 yards in short of the green.
I have a lesson booked for next week which I'm hoping to address my choppy backswing etc but defo keeping the ball in play is the key IMO.
Keep enjoying it mate, I'm loving it and I'd play every day if I could.

 

[Yosser]

"keep it in play" good advice and easy to write down or say - but who does this all the time? The chances are that someone scoring over 100 is NOT keeping it in play for whatever reason. However it can be manged, when you do put it out of play take your medicine, if you are in the rough take maximum care to get back to the fairway in 1 shot - even it means going backwards, just limit the damage and think about getting bogey or a double. Play the percentages and use a more lofted club from the rough to reduce the risk. When you go into a water hazard it isn't the end of the world, you could get away with just dropping a shot with a shrewd drop and good sensible recovery shot. When deciding on how to play a shot, it is worth considering the best place to "miss" for when you do mis hit it. I'd also practice bunker shots rather than just hoping I don't go into one. Most of these things come under the subject of course management, it might sound a bit negative but it is more realistic than just saying "keep it in play". In fact there is nothing more irritating when you are struggling with your game, I've never seen anyone including the pro's that keep it in play or hit the ball perfectly all the time - its then all about managing the situation and reducing the damage and keeping your cool.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Course management - taking your medicine when you get in trouble and getting it back in play
Learn to putt - if you can keep the 3 and 4 putts down this is a quick way to save shots
Sacrifice distance but keep it in play - drop the driver and go with a 3 or 5 wood. Plenty of long hitters around and many of those playing 3 off the tee of chipping out of trees.
Lessons - get the basics right but also including learning how to chip and escape bunkers
Don't count your score - take the pressure off by just putting the score down and not counting up. Don't go with any expectations and above all, relax and have fun. It WILL come

 

[AMcC]

Another obvious one is not to try the impossible, especially when in trouble, just get the ball back in to play as quickly as possible and don't let bad shots ruin your next few shots as well.

 

[Yosser]

Course management - taking your medicine when you get in trouble and getting it back in play
Learn to putt - if you can keep the 3 and 4 putts down this is a quick way to save shots
Sacrifice distance but keep it in play - drop the driver and go with a 3 or 5 wood. Plenty of long hitters around and many of those playing 3 off the tee of chipping out of trees.
Lessons - get the basics right but also including learning how to chip and escape bunkers
Don't count your score - take the pressure off by just putting the score down and not counting up. Don't go with any expectations and above all, relax and have fun. It WILL come

This makes the assumption that people always hit their 3 or 5 wood better or more consistently than the driver, I don't think that's the case with many people. Surely a massive driver well tee-ed up is easier to "hit" than a smaller club, why not just slow down with the driver or half swing and get it on the fairway?

 

[JackBrocklehurst]

This makes the assumption that people always hit their 3 or 5 wood better or more consistently than the driver, I don't think that's the case with many people. Surely a massive driver well tee-ed up is easier to "hit" than a smaller club, why not just slow down with the driver or half swing and get it on the fairway?

Based on my experiences, the 3 and 5 wood are much more accurate. By that I mean there's less chance of it going horribly wrong. You can't hook or slice a wood half as much as you can with the Driver. I still don't have a driver in my bag, haven't tried one in a while but I hit my 3 wood good enough to not need one at the moment.

 

[saintsman023]

Guys

Thanks for all the stellar advice. A lot of it makes sense, it's just putting it into practice.
My main problem I think i'm facing is being inconsistent. I'll hit some (for me) really good/ straight Tee shots, other times i'll hit the ball no further than the ladies Tee or i'll end up in the woods & make some poor judgement calls which I can usually rationalise at the time. This goes for much of my all round game at the moment.

I also seem to end up in a bit of a mess when I over think the shot... think I need to concentrate on fewer things at address!

I'm going out by myself tomorrow. I'll use the day as a control round so I can be brutally honest where I need to work on.

Thanks again, I feel like there really are some great points raised here for me to concentrate on whilst playing.