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Can't break 80

Maverick

*mmuah*
Mar 23, 2005
276
0
Like everyone else here I've broken 80 once, lol, and my short game was on fuego. I went to look back at what I did. It wasn't even an increase in GIR's because I had like 4 for the whole round. What is was, for me, was that I had like 14 up and downs for par..yes, 14. I have to admit that my approach wasn't too far off the green which made the up and down more manageable but my putt for par was a matter of a few feet. It's ALL about the short game..something that has left my arsenal since..
 

gwlee7

Ho's from Rocky Mount, NC
Supporting Member
Jun 15, 2005
1,402
1
Still while not trying too hard to beat the dead horse about the short game and breaking 80, here's what I did today:

I struck the ball horribly hitting 5 of 13 fairways and 4 of 18 greens on a par 71 course that has 5 par threes.

I shot 78. I got the ball up and down 7 times for par by chipping it close and having only 27 putts. These were not long putts either. Like Harvey Penick said in his Little Red Book, "Show me someone who can chip it two feet from the hole and I'll show you a good putter". I only made two putts over 6 feet all day. Chip it close and watch your scores fall into the 70's.
 

jc@bg

Style guru
Sep 10, 2004
94
0
I had an annual family outing yesterday with 3 other golfers (father, brother in law, his son in law). We played my home course, which helped me hold it together better than in any of these events held in the past. I shot a 76 with 25 putts, and missed 2 or 3 more inside 10 feet. Hit 8 GIR and missed 4 more by less than 5 feet. But 51 non-putt strokes is pretty bad. 36 being ideal, I'd like to have no more than 45 non-putt strokes per round.

I score in the 70s close to half the time, and these "break 80" rounds are almost evenly divided between rounds with 24-25 putts and rounds with 31-32 putts and no more than 45 or so non-putt strokes. Taking 5 strokes to reach a par 5 green is not acceptable, nor is 38 putts. Pretty much have to eliminate "stubbed" chips, sand shots left in the bunker, and penalty strokes (I average less than .5 penalty stroke per round). Everyone has given the same formula: practice the short game until reasonable outcomes are almost automatic, manage your game well, have no glaring weaknesses in your game. If you seldom hit a decent tee ball, you won't break 80. If you have any clubs in your bag that don't work very well for you (especially if these are multiple), you may not break 80. If you don't average below 36 putts per round, you'd better be a whiz elsewhere. Get your weaknesses under control (I didn't say perfect) and take full advantage of your strengths. Golfers who hit a mid-hybrid great but routinely reach for a wood if the green is more than hybrid distance away get no sympathy from me if they don't score well. You can easily break 80 if you're just in front of the green on numerous holes; almost impossible to break 80 if you're in the woods (or hazard) on numerous holes.
 
OP
Jakobean

Jakobean

Keystone Conesure
Jul 17, 2005
52
0
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #20
Yeah, my game seems to be going into the shitter. I went out and just shot an amazing 9 hole round in my leauge yesterday. But hopefully by the end of the season I'll have pulled my head out of my arse and play some good golf.
 

cabinessence

Never Say Die
Jul 28, 2005
534
0
The big key for low 80 shooters breaking through is not to do anything stupid. If you're in between clubs with water short, take the longer iron and punch it. If you are faced with a tricky or long putt, focus on leaving yourself a tap-in (or dying the ball in the hole). If there's a tight par 5 you can't reach in 2 anyway, especially late in the round, take a 3-wood and make sure you hit the fairway to eliminate a 7 or 8. The importance of good lag putting late in the round when you realize you're close to breaking any barrier, 80, 90, 100, whatever, can't be overstated. The last thing anyone wants is a slippery 4-footer on 18 that you need to make.

Besides basic course management, as other people have said, practicing chipping is probably the most time-efficient way of shaving strokes.
 

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