Breaking 80

[BreakingTees]

First post here. Been lurking for a while.

Im 28, I didn’t start playing golf until I was about 22. Didn’t start practicing until I was 24 or so. Anyways, started with a 50 handicap and brought that down to about 30 in my first year or so. Year two I broke 100, then about 6 months later broke 90. Took about a year or so off due to a career change and then just got back into golf last August, with a vengeance.

 

I have been studying the golf swing and intensely analyzing my swing. I made the biggest strides in golf in the shortest amount of time these last few months, and I’m happy about it.

 

anyways, I want to talk about this mental block I’m having. I’m not sure why but I cannot break 80. I have shot exactly 80, 3 out of the last 10 rounds and between 82-85 for the rest. My last two rounds I have Double bogeyed or worse the last three holes, and now it’s become a huge mental block.

 

Sometimes I go out and play 9 after work and usually sit +4 or less with some really good even or -1 rounds through 9. My trouble is the back 9. I’m reminded of the famous story of the 4 minute mile. It was assumed nobody would ever run a sub 4 min mile, until one man did it and then it became common practice. Im hoping once I break the barrier my scores will drop indefinitely. What breaks my card is a OB tee shot or a simple pulled approach <150 yards in leaving me with an impossible up and down.

 

Advice?

[OxfordGolfer]

Play the back first.

[gmr04]

Don't keep score. You'll remember each shot at the end of the round.

Or play a few rounds from the front tees. Focus on short game and go low.

You got it.

[MtlJeff]

Just know that eventually you'll do it and try to relax. It took me a long time to break par as well, had a ton of 72's with bogeys on the last.

You will do it eventually.

FWIW my story is similar to yours, also started at 22 and mostly self taught.

Just keep at it man

[BreakingTees]

I play with my dad who’s a senior and have played from the front tees with him and have shot much worse than 90 lol. Approach shots inside 100 yards are my worst enemy. My best rounds are played from tournament length where I can use my driver on 12+ holes and am hitting approach shots from 170-130 yards in.

 

I only use my wedges around the green for chips and flop shots. Any other short approach I use my pitching wedge.

 

I know this sounds backwards but I can’t figure out how to hit a full wedge shot.

[BreakingTees]

That’s awesome! Maybe I need a stiff drink at the turn? Lol

[straightshot7]

Maybe tell yourself over and over that it doesn't matter. Because it really doesn't.

After you break 80 you'll then be trying to break 75 and you won't care about breaking 80 anymore.

So just put yourself in that mindset already. Why not? You'll be in that mindset a few months from now anyways.

So once you believe your score doesn't really matter (that much), you can just focus on one shot at a time.

Engross yourself in each shot and make hitting it pure or executing your mental picture of the shot your goal. Not your score.

Your goal should be to commit to each shot, relax, and strike it on the center of the face. There will be rounds which produce better scores than others. But the constant is enjoying the process and enjoying the satisfaction of a perfectly executed shot.

Also, commit to practicing more and practicing better. Put the time in in the short game area and putting. And spend time practicing those shots from 100 yards and in. Make yourself a better player through practice and the scores will inevitably fall.

Whenever your mind drifts to thinking about your score on the back 9, just re-direct it back to the upcoming shot and focus on executing as best you can. Visualize each shot. It's hard to do (even the pros struggle with their mind wandering to where they don't want it to), but it's what you have to do. Just keep repeatedly saying "Don't care about score, my goal is to hit the best shot I can right here. That pure feeling of a perfect shot is where I get my high".

Your lowest rounds will come when you are perfectly in the moment, with little care for outcomes. It's almost like you're in a dream where everything is happening effortlessly. That's what characterizes "The Zone". When the pros shoot a 62 or a 59 it's not because they are obsessing about their score: it's because they are just lost in the process. They are just letting it unfold. They are in the moment just letting their ability flow effortlessly into each shot.

[Sean2]

I don't keep a score in my head. I just write the number down and move on. The first time I broke 80, I had a 15 foot putt on the 18th hole. I made the putt and my son said, "Dad, you just shot a 79."

I knew I was doing okay, but I just focused on the shot at hand and didn't think about how the overall score.

[gmr04]

I think you know where to focus your practice then. Do it and you'll drop those last few pounds.

[BreakingTees]

This is exactly how I feel when I start the round. Sometimes I play by myself and I tell myself I’m just out here to get better and enjoy the fresh air. I mindlessly go about my round visualizing the shots. But you’re right, I get caught up looking back at the scorecard wondering how many more pars I need to shoot low. And how many <10 handicap holes I need to survive rather than executing.

 

I will use these words to paint my mental picture.

[BreakingTees]

Any help as to why I can flush a PW 150 but can’t hit a 52 degree into an ocean? I have no problem controlling the spin on shots around the green, hitting high flop shots or even bunker shots. But if you put a pin 50 yards away I’m going to chunk it or blade it off the back.

On 550 plus par 5s, I’ll usually hit driver, 9-iron PW because 5 wood gets me too close

[gmr04]

Stop using your legs.

[HitEmTrue]

Move up to ladies tees. Break 80 from there, more than once....get used to having lower scores. Then move one set of tees back. Repeat.

( sorry, didn’t notice you addresses this )

Sounds like moving up would help you work on a game weakness, too. Don’t lay up; drive it as close to the greens as you safely can.

Do you spend a LOT of time hitting partial wedges at the range? 9 to 3 length swings with wedges will translate thru the bag. At least it did for me.

[rdangelo1077]

Truth...the victory is short lived and you just end up expecting more of yourself.

[SNIPERBBB]

Make sure you've decent nutrition and hydration going for starters.

 

One thing you can't do when you're coming down the stretch is to start thinking about protecting your score. It's a negative thought and your body and the golf gods love implementing those negative thoughts.

 

Have a game plan worked out for those last few holes, stick with it and continue making aggressive swings to conservative targets.

[CasualLie]

As mentioned above, likely too much lower body action with the wedges. Go to the range and don't leave until you can hit the 60* with smooth tempo 9 to 3 swing 10 times in a row with center contact no more than 60 yards.

[MelloYello]

I'm going to be really mean and nasty for a minute so please understand I say this only because I think it's true and because I think it's good to hear:

 

Golf is a game of honesty. It'll find your weakness, expose it and punish you for it and so in a way, only the really honest people ever actually take that without getting offended or upset and go about improving themselves. To me, that's the addicting thing. You can--if you're devoted--find beauty in that. Only if you're truly obsessed can you solve your problems and will yourself over the finish line that is your goal.

 

If you really want it bad enough, you'll make it happen. It's that simple. You're not breaking 80 because you're not good enough. Golf is asking you to get better. So find the things that are hurting you. Work on them until they're easy--or at least easy enough that your mistakes are acceptable. Right now, your mistakes do not sound like they're acceptable.

 

Stop making it mental. It's not mental at your stage. There are players who shoot 20 strokes better than you. Focus on getting better in ways that are more real and less cerebral. You are not yet at the stage where you need to be killing yourself over mental stuff.

 

[llewol007]

Sounds like you need to work on your short game more. Then and only then can you not be afraid of the next shot.

[deadsolid...shank]

Get to the range, or better yet with a good coach or instructor . Just somehow figure out how to play those shots at 100 and in. And you don’t have to knock them stiff, but getting up and down in no more than three the majority of the time is a must. You’re obviously talented enough, you’ve come a long way in a short time all the while dealing with this deficiency. And it’s a big deficiency.

Everyone is right, it’s just a matter of time. But that time will come sooner if you can address that issue.

[BigEx44]

Get good, but you don't have to get crazy good: just good enough to get:

6 pars with 6 GIR (with 2 putts).

6 pars by getting up and down.

5 bogeys

allowed 1 double bogey

= 79!!