Breaking... 100, 90, 80, Par - What are the keys?

[wadesworld]

I would agree the key to breaking 100 is eliminating penalties and duffs. However, I will say that most over-100 players I play with are terrible putters, particularly at speed control. Even if they get on the green in regulation, they're sometimes taking 3 or 4 putts. While you're certainly going to three putt some at that level, putting should be a focus for improvement.

Key to breaking 90 is just solid play. Solid tee-to-green and solid putting. You don't have to be fantastic at any aspect. Get it on in GIR+1 and 2 putt. You'll hit a few GIR and make a few putts that will get you the pars you need.

While I've only broken 80 once, it seems to me in addition to the solid play tee to green, it's primarily the short game that gets you over the hump. You're still going to miss greens, but a sub-80 player is going to get it up-and-down more often than not.

 

[goalie]

Penalties off the tee are huge for breaking 100.

I have always had a short game that was light years ahead of my driving/tee game. I listened to the advice always given and that's where I spent the lion's share of my time.

Then, last year, I looked at how many OB penalty strokes I had. Something became obvious, and there was a big thread I started about drive for show, putt (short game) for dough only being true AFTER you could get off the tee in play on a regular basis

Good players forget that a bad putt is a stroke, a bad drive is two. And you still, eventually, have to putt....

 

[El Rayo X]

Keep the ball in play off the tee and be an OK putter= Break 100
Do above and be a decent chipper/ pitcher of the ball = break 90
When I first broke 80, it was mostly avoiding mental errors and not making more than 1 double bogey. Accomplished by decent iron play and accepting outcomes instead of getting upset about bad shots.
I think it was Hogan who said the most people can learn to shoot in the 80's with just a little practice.

 

[Evolvingwildes]

Just what exactly is a "go-to" shot off the tee? And how does one work on one?
I dont really get what that even means. I mean if someone has a shot they can consistently rely on then why not use it through the entire course? If there is a go-to shot off the tee than what exactly are all the other shots one takes?

I probably didn't describe that super well. When I say a "go-to" shot I mean something that you know you are as unlikely as possible to mess up. I've seen plenty of high 70s rounds blown up down the stretch because they pull driver on every par 4/5 no matter what, even if it brings water/hazards/etc. into play.

For example, I used to play a low-draw 3-wood off the tee if I absolutely had to hit the fairway, as it was a shot that I was really consistent with. Most golfers I play with in the low 80s territory have a specific club/shot off the tee that they are most consistent with. Maybe it's pulling driver, maybe not.

This also crosses over with course management as well, because you still have to consiously make the decision to hit the go-to shot over something else that may have higher reward (but also higher risk).