Trying to Break 100

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NFender, I like and agree with your last post where you mention limiting the numbr of clubs in the bag. I hear ya and understand completely and am going to try smething simlar next time I play. I will keep all posted.
 
August of 09?? Same with the BF and I :) Actually, it was July 4th weekend :D

Tis true!! My game is going horribly wrong lately, but that's because I've been working on my swing and trying to find tune it. So I've heard as well, your game will get worse before it gets better!


Nice to know I'm not alone in this...I, like Spank818, just picked up the game in August of '09, so this too will be my first full season this year.
 
You all are giving me the confidence to go out and practice more. As I said I probably won't be good enough to break a 100 but a girl can dream.
 
You will do it GG.. I know you will. Dont let the game beat you!!!! Go have fun with it. And if you dont hit the ball 300 yards with your driver but only hit it 100 yards then hit it 100 yards straight and take another club and hit the ball another 100 yards and you will be at or near most greens in 3 or 4 shots, then chip and putt and then go on to the next hole and do the same. If you did that for 18 holes you might be suprised what you scored.. and even if it was 135, who realy cares????? I am know at the end of the day golf is just a game and you have a great man who loves you at home and a cute puppy that will sit by you even if you shoot a 8 or higher on every hole. ( JB might not but Eliie will for sure) :D And never worry about what people think, never let it bother you!!! You are entitled to have fun with this game just like everyone else!!!
 
You will do it GG.. I know you will. Dont let the game beat you!!!! Go have fun with it. And if you dont hit the ball 300 yards with your driver but only hit it 100 yards then hit it 100 yards straight and take another club and hit the ball another 100 yards and you will be at or near most greens in 3 or 4 shots, then chip and putt and then go on to the next hole and do the same. If you did that for 18 holes you might be suprised what you scored.. and even if it was 135, who realy cares????? I am know at the end of the day golf is just a game and you have a great man who loves you at home and a cute puppy that will sit by you even if you shoot a 8 or higher on every hole. ( JB might not but Eliie will for sure) :D And never worry about what people think, never let it bother you!!! You are entitled to have fun with this game just like everyone else!!!

Well put...I think I need to start changing my thinking as well :)
 
Hi my name is White Rhino and I too have a problem breaking 100. (pause for greeting from other members)

My issues are similar to those previously posted and and I am sure similar to what will be posted after me. I have a problem with hitting too many dumb shots per round, usually these appear within a distance of 70 yards and closer to the hole, I slow down my swing causing a chunk or a 15 yard :wtf: shot. Then of course I get :angry: and I proceed to do it again (or even twice more) before I even get to the green. I am learning to lessen these opportunities each round by utilizing course management and not being driven by my ego and not trying to reach the green when i am still 260 yards out and instead try to position my shots each hole so I can hit the ball from outside the "100 yard zone". I also find myself being too "rigid" in club selection, assuming every shot from a certain distance I must hit with the same club every time instead of being more fluid and hitting the club I am comfortable with. So what if I take a 5 iron out from 60 yards out if I can half swing it and punch it to the green, there is no place on the scorecard for pretty shots, just a score so why should I really care how I get there... just get there (for now).

As for a solution, I feel I simply need to be patient and get more course time. I do not think going to the range is an answer at this time because probably like many of you I am a wonderful range player. :D Everytime I go to the range I am hitting 95% of the balls straight as an arrow, can hit them short or long, hit all the shots, my driver always seems to go straight as well. My goal is to get my Rhino butt out on a golf course every day (or as often as possible) at twilight time. There is a corse near my place that after 4:30 it is $10 to walk. So I can get some excercise in and improve my game at the same time. I might not even keep score, just practice and try to enjoy the game and let it come to me.

I will come back here and let you all know how I am doing and I want to hear how you all are as well. jdjanda, maybe in the future, you can bring some chips or sodas for the group, might be a nice thing. :D

(in a sad tone) hi white rhino
 
You will do it GG.. I know you will. Dont let the game beat you!!!! Go have fun with it. And if you dont hit the ball 300 yards with your driver but only hit it 100 yards then hit it 100 yards straight and take another club and hit the ball another 100 yards and you will be at or near most greens in 3 or 4 shots, then chip and putt and then go on to the next hole and do the same. If you did that for 18 holes you might be suprised what you scored.. and even if it was 135, who realy cares????? I am know at the end of the day golf is just a game and you have a great man who loves you at home and a cute puppy that will sit by you even if you shoot a 8 or higher on every hole. ( JB might not but Eliie will for sure) :D And never worry about what people think, never let it bother you!!! You are entitled to have fun with this game just like everyone else!!!

Great points!! I don't let the game let me down. But I know I can't get better if I don't practice.
 
You definately do GC. I have seen you play and you have skills. I have told you before when we played stop worring about everything else and enjoy the game for what it is. And if bby some chance you never break 100, who realy cares?!?!? Not the end of the world.
 
Well, a small step backward today.

Started the front nine with a 50. I was feeling good and making good contact. Had one blow-up hole that cost me a couple strokes.

Got to the 10th tee and hit the ball in an area that was marked "ground under repair". They are installing more drainage I guess. I dropped and was in the rough about 130 out with the wind at my back. I also had a 20 foot tree in between me and the green. I picked and 8i and let 'er rip. I end up hitting the flag stick and the ball stops 6 inches from the hole. Go to the green and tap in for MY FIRST BIRDIE YAY! I did check with the pro afterwards to make sure that I played the drop right and he said I did.

The next 8 holes I made 55 strokes. It was bad. Very, very bad. I finished with a 108. Oh well. There's always next time!
 
Well, a small step backward today.

Started the front nine with a 50. I was feeling good and making good contact. Had one blow-up hole that cost me a couple strokes.

Got to the 10th tee and hit the ball in an area that was marked "ground under repair". They are installing more drainage I guess. I dropped and was in the rough about 130 out with the wind at my back. I also had a 20 foot tree in between me and the green. I picked and 8i and let 'er rip. I end up hitting the flag stick and the ball stops 6 inches from the hole. Go to the green and tap in for MY FIRST BIRDIE YAY! I did check with the pro afterwards to make sure that I played the drop right and he said I did.

The next 8 holes I made 55 strokes. It was bad. Very, very bad. I finished with a 108. Oh well. There's always next time!

But you have that memory of the birdie and that made today's not so hot score, not so bad.
 
But you have that memory of the birdie and that made today's not so hot score, not so bad.

exactly. I can't remember any rounds that I had a good score but I can recall the birdies and great shots. Thats what keeps us coming back for more...to quote Jack Nicklaus "Sometimes the biggest problem is in your head. You've got to believe you can play a shot instead of wondering where your next bad shot is coming from."
 
The funny thing is the birdy was very anticlimactic. I just walked up and tapped in like it was no big deal. Will remember that shot forever though. Saved the ball (after I kissed it haha).
 
exactly. I can't remember any rounds that I had a good score but I can recall the birdies and great shots. Thats what keeps us coming back for more...to quote Jack Nicklaus "Sometimes the biggest problem is in your head. You've got to believe you can play a shot instead of wondering where your next bad shot is coming from."

Well said Jack!!
 
The funny thing is the birdy was very anticlimactic. I just walked up and tapped in like it was no big deal. Will remember that shot forever though. Saved the ball (after I kissed it haha).

I remember my first birdie as well. A little more antagonizing since my putt wasn't a gimme but it just made it feel oh so better. Since then I have this mindset that I own that hole. Since then I've only bogeyed that hole once. Watch and see Hawk, if that's a course you normally play you'll see that you'll have an easier go at that hole from now on. It's amazing what confidence can do to your game.
 
Congrats on your first bird, more will come.

The funny thing is the birdy was very anticlimactic. I just walked up and tapped in like it was no big deal. Will remember that shot forever though. Saved the ball (after I kissed it haha).
 
Results from Sunday
3 Pars, 6 Bogeys, and 5 doubles. The other 4 holes were +16 :( Limiting those 4 holes to doubles would have resulted in a 96.

Putts 39, 3 GIR and 2 Up/Down

When I started last summer I could not hit a green to save my life.
 
Results from Sunday
3 Pars, 6 Bogeys, and 5 doubles. The other 4 holes were +16 :( Limiting those 4 holes to doubles would have resulted in a 96.

Putts 39, 3 GIR and 2 Up/Down

When I started last summer I could not hit a green to save my life.

Are those holes the result of penalties and/or shots duffed/skulled/thinned?
 
Hi everyone. Brand new to the site; actually joined because of this thread and a club review from the site. Thanks for this thread, makes me feel a lot better about my game knowing there are other hackers out there working towards the same goal.
I normally shoot about 100. Recently had a series of lessons, worked really hard on my swing. Haven't taken the new swing out on the course yet, but I'm hoping the work will pay off with a sub-century round. Can't wait till Monday!
 
Welcome Hosel... this is a great site to help everyone. Go to the check in desk thread and say hello
 
Are those holes the result of penalties and/or shots duffed/skulled/thinned?

All of the above; first hole sliced OB +3. Hole 4, drove right into the trees, tried to play safe and chip out to FW, hit it short under a tree that knocked down my next shot +4. Hole 16, 5I very well struck 185 yards over the green down the hill into the water, chipped it through the green and into the bunker +5. Then 18 I duffed my PW on the second shot into the left bunker, it was deep and the sand was wet, took a few to get out and down +4.
 
All of the above; first hole sliced OB +3. Hole 4, drove right into the trees, tried to play safe and chip out to FW, hit it short under a tree that knocked down my next shot +4. Hole 16, 5I very well struck 185 yards over the green down the hill into the water, chipped it through the green and into the bunker +5. Then 18 I duffed my PW on the second shot into the left bunker, it was deep and the sand was wet, took a few to get out and down +4.

Ah those were the days. I think the best advice I ever got from someone (and I wish I could remember who it was although he was not here on THP) was for every hour you spend on the range practicing drives and ball striking spend 50% of it instead practicing on short game, specifically chipping and pitching. What happened was I eliminated the extra unnecessary strokes around the greens (although it still tends to rear its ugly head once in a while) and it helped me with my ball striking as well (it helped me keep my head down and to accelerate through the ball which were my two big faults). You'll see that once the short game is better you'll be able to shave down strokes especially if your drives go haywire since your ability to save is better (think Phil Mickelson).
 
my few thoughts - i hope to break 100 this year too -

Couple things i notice too - Right now -at the tee box i add one stroke to the par - and aim for that. Like hawk said - trying to hit a 3W even if its a good lie in the fairway is not easy for someone who doesnt make good contact. I try and hit two good 6 irons, or a 6 iron and a PW.

My saving grace was my 56 degree wedge i bought last year- i practiced it over and over so when i get to 70 yards i know i can hit the green. i still sometimes hit it off the toe and skulls a yard off the ground right heh- that is demoralizing.

i had a real small iron set (the clubhead was TINY) - so im upgrading to a larger more forgiving iron that hopefully will give me confidence at address - which will help with the mental side of it i think.. I too think at the tee box, oh man what if i skull this... and sure enough skulled - or sliced.

I was hitting the supertri pretty straight - if i swing a good tempo i can hit it 250 striaght - which is all i want right now - striaght and high.

As for putting - that has always been a strong suit - if im at 20 feet i try n two putt - sometimes even at 10 - im pretty comfortable inside 3 feet so i aim for that every time.

(phil mickelson has a nice 3 foot putting drill where you warm up by placing 10 balls in a circle 3 feet away from the hole - just go around and hit all 10 balls in, if you miss - start over.. it builds up pressure and works really well.)

also - the OP said something about warming up around hole 5....

Another piece of advice i have is to get to the course atleast an hour early - get a small bucket of balls - and hit 5 with your wedge, 5 with the PW, 5 with the 9, on up to your driver... that will hopefully warm you up and get rid of some of those first hole tee box jitters.

After range balls - practice some chips and pitches from 20-30 yards - and maybe even some more approach shots.

After that spend atleast 30 minutes putting - do your 3 foot drill - then practice your lag putts - if you are like me - you probably spend most of your shots putting - so you need to get a feel for those greens on that course, on that day - greens can play dramatically different from one day to the next.

hell 2 putts a hole is 36 strokes! if you make it 63 strokes left to break 100 - thats 3.5 shots per hole you need to reach each green. pretty manageable in theory- of course nothing ever really goes to plan. hehe

just some thoughts i have gathered over the years.

as for lessons - well i knew i wasnt going to figure it out alone - it is expensive but i think after a few more - should start to pay off. alot easier for someone to point out whats wrong - than to try and figure it out myself
 
Just wanted to give my thoughts on breaking 100. You could also probably use this in breaking 90, because I think these were the things I focused on in doing so.


First off, you have to be honest with your game. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Yes, everyone will tell you to practice your short game, but I'm sure some of you rather just go to the range and work on your ball striking. If that's the case, you're going to have to try to hit your yardage distances. You don't want to put yourself in a position to hit a 3/4 or 1/2 finesse shot. If you hit your PW 100 yards, aim for the marker and put yourself in that position. Do that on Par 5s or if you screwed up your tee shot. Give yourself full shots as much as possible.

When you find yourself in trouble in the woods or facing a horrible lie, don't be a hero and just get the ball back in the fairway.

As for chipping, I would recommend chipping with a lower lofted club. Probably an 8 or 9 iron. You probably leave a lot of your chips short when with your SW, so use less loft and get the ball rolling.

If you lack feel in putting, make it more of a technical approach. Before the round, go to a flat surface on the practice green. Make one putt with a stroke that takes the club to the inside of your back foot. Do that with three balls and each putt should be roughly the same distance. Walk off that distance and remember it for the round. Do the same for the outside of your back foot and also one for a long putting stroke. Now you will have three distances for reference when you are on the green. Remember the distances for the round. When on the green, walk off the distance every time before you putt and account for slope changes. This should help you eliminate 3-putts.

Your ultimate goal is try not to waste shots. Don't hit the 3-wood off the deck if you are prone to topping it. If your chipping is horrible, use the texas wedge as much as possible. When pitching or in the sand, getting the ball onto the green is the most important thing. Don't try to finesse a shot that will leave you in the same position.

I hope I gave some useful advice. I got a friend that that just started the game and this Friday is going to be our first time playing 18 together. He's agreed to be a guinea pig and let me choose the club of choice for all his shots. Let's see if I can get him to break 100 his first time out. :banghead:
 
All of the above; first hole sliced OB +3. Hole 4, drove right into the trees, tried to play safe and chip out to FW, hit it short under a tree that knocked down my next shot +4. Hole 16, 5I very well struck 185 yards over the green down the hill into the water, chipped it through the green and into the bunker +5. Then 18 I duffed my PW on the second shot into the left bunker, it was deep and the sand was wet, took a few to get out and down +4.

When I first read that I was lke :wtf: I can understand hitting 10 yards past the green but 185yds? :laughing: been a long day!!!
 
When I first read that I was lke :wtf: I can understand hitting 10 yards past the green but 185yds? :laughing: been a long day!!!

i figured he hit his 5 iron 185 yrds which was over the green - wouldnt 185 yards over the green be a diff hole lol

also: the texas wedge - lol who hasnt used that when they were on stroke 9 on a par4 hehe
 
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