Breaking 80

[Golffan67]

I am currently on the quest to breaking 80. Just shot and 84 and a 40(9 holes) and am wondering if anyone has any insight on things that helped them break 80.

[golfnut1964]

Try to be patient keep in mind its 18 holes. If you have put in quality practice time to get better have a quiet steady belief that you are capable. You know a couple rough patches are coming some where along the round-stay patient and trust your skills.

 

Put in a ton of short game practice it will be the difference maker.

 

Best of luck embrace the grind dont run from it

[jslane57]

When you're on hole 13 and things are going way right (like Jordan Spieth's 13th hole:), keep your wits together. Don't throw away even a single stroke due to not caring. Golf can be a marathon, not a sprint, and at the end of the day, every shot counts...

[Aquila]

Course management, try to sink every putt (no lazy lags), take your medicine if you get in trouble off the tee instead of trying to be a hero, aim for something specific, don't let the occasional double bogey disrupt your round, and focus on each and every shot until you walk off the 18th green.

[TimV]

Stay in the moment.

When you're feeling it you can actually create the feeling before beginning the swing.

[Kirasdad]

Don't pay any attention to the card! Especially on the back nine. Your internal scorecard will, of course, be working on you, but don't obsess over this and be "counting them up" all the time. Most importantly, be as confident and resolute as you can coming down the stretch. I have seen players in situations such as yours, get very careful on the last three or so holes. The "all I have to do is one par and two bogies and I shoot 79" kind of thing. That is a recipe for careful, hands on the steering wheel golf that will get you two doubles and a bogey instead. Just do what got you there. "Dance with the one who brung ya'" as we used to say at home. If you find find yourself 5 over after 15, go ahead and shoot 77. Stay positive and carry on with what you do well. If you're a good driver of the ball then go ahead and hit it (unless there is a really obvious reason not to) instead of switching to a three wood that you might have hit once all day, because somehow that's what you are SUPPOSED to do.

 

Good luck. Have fun. You'll get there.

[oldschoolrocker]

Know your strengths, know your weaknesses. If you're hovering around 80 you already know what's holding you back.

With guys I play with, myself included, a sub 80 day is usually foiled by too many penalty strokes, or bad putting.

[glm]

Course management, try to sink every putt (no lazy lags), take your medicine if you get in trouble off the tee instead of trying to be a hero, aim for something specific, don't let the occasional double bogey disrupt your round, and focus on each and every shot until you walk off the 18th green.

 

Great advice!

[Porker]

I always tried playing % golf, which started off with "scrambling for par" (15-12hcap) to "genuine birdie attempts" which was more frequent when I was a regular 9 h/capper. I devided my 18 holes between the two and kept record on improvements. When your playing the later, the chances of a sub 80 is usually only spoiled by a really bad hole or 2. My sub 80 scores never had more than 2-3 birdies in a round. For me making par was always good enough and birdie's was a bonus.

[Chris122]

I decided against posting wise words when I remembered I can no longer break 80......

[Tumbleweed_1968]

I decided against posting wise words when I remembered I can no longer break 80......

"I shot in the 70's. If it gets any hotter than that, I don't play..." - Bob Hope, in response to a reporter's question about his round.

[Nard_S]

As someone who's best rounds hover at 81-84, I would suggest that gunning for 79 is a mistake. Better goal is better percentages on all aspects of game.

 

FIR, GIR, putt count and up & downs. gross score is a by product of those.

 

Devote practice in a highly balanced way to improve each and every shot you will face. Devote mind space during a round to nothing but execution of upcoming shot and the flow needed to repeat again and again.