Trying to Break 100

So, played a scramble with my FIL on Saturday, and a couple of his friends. Had a great time, made some good shots, had some stinkers. My shot of the day was borrowing his Rogue 3-wood just to hit for giggles, and absolutely blistering it. Had the ever-so-rare rising flight from launch, and went a long way for me. Got a lot of compliments on that shot.
-Better then my Saturday. I passed out on the side of the cart barn with my head in a trash can.
 
This is the thing that jumped out to me. If I eliminate the triples, and double, I'm gold.

When you get in the low 90s consistently the path to the 80s believe it or not is still not in great ball striking. It’s short game and putting. Learn from the hole back to the tee box. Trust me. So many strokes are added and lost within 10 yards of the green. Now for the most part I am trying to get Par on Par3s and 5s only. Unless it’s a short or easy Par 4 I’m totally good with bogey. And if I Par it it’s because I got up and down from an easier chipping spot. Lots of green to work with ect.

Now when I get down to a 12 hcp? That’s when I gotta start getting more GIRs on Par 4s if I ever hope to break 80 consistently. Maybe next year some time. Or 2023 even. Golf is a marathon. Not a sprint. And even if I don’t get that low I can happily play golf in the low 80s for a lifetime.
 
I’ll say this. The name of this thread is about breaking 100. And ultimately about shooting a lower score. If that’s your golf goal then playing “smart” is the way to go. I play the percentages. Is it fun to “go for it”? Hell yes. Of course it is. But generally speaking it’s a low percentage play. And it’s definitely not a path to consistent lower scores. For me what’s fun is shooting a lower score. So as much as True Bogey Golf is a course strategy, it’s also a playing mentality. For me now it’s True Par Golf. I’m not trying make birdies. I’m trying to make Pars. And on tough holes I apply the TBG strategy. Again to eliminate a big number. I haven’t had a triple in months. And I get a birdie here and there. Usually because I’m a good putter. Not because I played a low percentage shot and pulled it off.

I think learning the discipline is a big part of learning to score lower and it's something I'm going to start concentrating on.

Everyone thinks they'll score lower when they build more consistency, can split the fairway and can fire their approach shots in tight to the pin. There's certainly truth to that. However, I'm starting to realize I leave shots on the table because I don't have scoring discipline.

Take this hole for example. It's a long, uphill straight par 4 that I play pretty often. It's usually a 6-iron or more for me into this green.

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The green slopes diagonally from back right to front left and it is very elevated. Let's say the pin is back right. If you miss the green short you've got a tough sand shot with the green way above you. Taking two shots to get out is not out of the question, or you could end up where a two-putt is not a given or even chipping. If you miss long or right, you've got a tough pitch to a highly-elevated green which is running away from you. Getting it on and making sure you two-putt will take three well-executed short-game shots.

My typical approach has been to rip one at the green, whatever I've left myself. It could be a 6-iron or a 5-wood if I've hit a poor tee shot. I mean, it's a par 4, I have to get it on the green, right? Well, what if I didn't? If I've hit a poor tee shot and I've got a 4-iron in, or if I'm in deep rough or I'm just not hitting the ball very well, what if I just hit something out to the front left, chip on and 2-putt with a chance of a 1-putt? Sure, I take away any realistic chance of a birdie, and I also lower the chance of a par, but without a great tee shot, it's definitely not a birdie hole and probably not a par hole. I think too often I end up going for it by default. Reality is hitting a long iron into this green, the chances are pretty massive I'm going to put myself in tough position and a double or worse will result unless I hit some very high skill-level short-game shots. Perhaps sometimes I should realize this is not a scoring hole and do everything I can to ensure that bogey is the worst possibility.

It's like when people say "I enjoy trying the hero shot. It's fun when they succeed." Yeah, great. But if your hero shot succeeds 1 time in 4 and the other 3 times you made double or worse, you gave up a lot of shots because the hero shot was "fun."

The same thing goes for par 3's. I try to be smart. Pin on the left, I'm typically going to aim at the center of the green and hope I can hit a little draw that works over to the pin. But what if I aim at the right-center of the green and play for a little draw that will take me to the center of the green? Yeah, I may be taking birdie off the table. But I may be increasing my odds of par and reducing the chance of a shot that leaves me in poor position and has me making a dreaded double or triple on a par 3 for Pete's sake. Occasionally I'm going to start the ball left of where I wanted or draw it more than I intended and end up with a birdie opportunity through good fortune.

And yes, I get that you can hit the ball front-left of a green and then duff your chip and still three putt. But it's a whole lot easier to learn how to hit a passable chip than it is to learn to fire a 4-iron from 190 and hit a 20-yard diameter safe spot. So get short game instruction and practice your short game so you can utilize this strategy.

I'm going to incorporate this in my game - learning when the risk is simply too high and taking the percentage play. Yeah, we all lay up when it's 260 to carry the water, but for myself, I think I can probably knock some shots off my score by saying "too much red light - let's make sure bogey is my worst outcome" even on seemingly easy and straightforward holes. Yeah, when you've got an 8-iron or less in and the pin is in the center, go for it. But think about how many times double or triple may have resulted when it didn't have to.

Couldn't agree more with both of you. Dumb choices and not thinking/analyzing the situation on each shot have cost me way more strokes than anything else this year.

What I've noticed for my game is that I have to pay a lot more attention to the lie & realize that sometimes I need to change clubs and strategy based on the ball being in a poor lie. For example, sometimes just getting the ball on the green is the best play (instead of trying to get it close and thinning it over the green:mad:
 
Couldn't agree more with both of you. Dumb choices and not thinking/analyzing the situation on each shot have cost me way more strokes than anything else this year.

What I've noticed for my game is that I have to pay a lot more attention to the lie & realize that sometimes I need to change clubs and strategy based on the ball being in a poor lie. For example, sometimes just getting the ball on the green is the best play (instead of trying to get it close and thinning it over the green:mad:

Yeah “hero” shots aren’t just approach shots ect. That’s one of the things I love about golf. So many factors on shot selection.

I don’t even carry a lob wedge. And I don’t play flop shots. I keep it low. If I’m short sided and have to carry a bunker/hill ect I play past the hole. Rather have a longer putt for Par than drop it in the bunker.
My wedges are:
58 Cleveland Smart Sole Sand Wedge for bunkwrs
49 Cleveland Niblick
42 Cleveland Niblick
I use the 42 most the time.

For pitch shots (20/30 yards ect) I’ll use my 7,8,9 iron and just knock it up on the green or land on the fringe to slow it down. All depends on how much green I have to the pin. I pick my landing spot based on the club, slope and speed of the greens. Through a lot of practice and time playing these shots I know about how far it will roll out.

This is probably info better suited for trying to break 90 players. But with some practice you can pretty much use a putting type stroke for these shots. Let the club do the work. Land the ball on the spot you pick and let it roll out. It’s an old school approach for sure. But I like it.
 
Yeah “hero” shots aren’t just approach shots ect. That’s one of the things I love about golf. So many factors on shot selection.

I don’t even carry a lob wedge. And I don’t play flop shots. I keep it low. If I’m short sided and have to carry a bunker/hill ect I play past the hole. Rather have a longer putt for Par than drop it in the bunker.
My wedges are:
58 Cleveland Smart Sole Sand Wedge for bunkwrs
49 Cleveland Niblick
42 Cleveland Niblick
I use the 42 most the time.

For pitch shots (20/30 yards ect) I’ll use my 7,8,9 iron and just knock it up on the green or land on the fringe to slow it down. All depends on how much green I have to the pin. I pick my landing spot based on the club, slope and speed of the greens. Through a lot of practice and time playing these shots I know about how far it will roll out.

This is probably info better suited for trying to break 90 players. But with some practice you can pretty much use a putting type stroke for these shots. Let the club do the work. Land the ball on the spot you pick and let it roll out. It’s an old school approach for sure. But I like it.
I try to do the same. It's amazing to me how many people try a flop shot for no reason. Just off the green with a clear shot to the green. Whenever I see that I am only thinking about bump and run.
 
I try to do the same. It's amazing to me how many people try a flop shot for no reason. Just off the green with a clear shot to the green. Whenever I see that I am only thinking about bump and run.



Chipping at 22:50 on this. Super old school. Yes greens are faster now at the PGA level. But not at most courses us amateurs play.

 
I try to do the same. It's amazing to me how many people try a flop shot for no reason. Just off the green with a clear shot to the green. Whenever I see that I am only thinking about bump and run.

I'm very inconsistent with the bump and run and have very little idea on what club to use (7/8/9/PW? Some people use a hybrid?) or how hard to hit it. What's the best club to use in your opinion? And how do you recommend going about practicing the bump and run? Go to the chipping practice greens and trial and error?

Right now around the greens I'm just using my 58* wedge. It's not the most ideal as there's not much roll out so I am generally trying for a mini - pitch toward the flag unless I'm on the short side of the hole then I'm chipping with it.
 
I'm very inconsistent with the bump and run and have very little idea on what club to use (7/8/9/PW? Some people use a hybrid?) or how hard to hit it. What's the best club to use in your opinion? And how do you recommend going about practicing the bump and run? Go to the chipping practice greens and trial and error?

Unfortunately, there isn't any quick and easy way to figure this out other than spending time at the practice green experimenting with the different clubs and lengths of stroke - it is very much something that you learn through experience
The best thing I could suggest is to take the clubs you mention and practice hitting each of them to the same target as this will give you an idea of how far each will carry and roll - hopefully you will then start to get an understanding of what each club does, and after that it is a bit of trial and error adjusting for slopes etc

For me, the longer the shot and the more green I have to work with, the lower the lofted club I will tend to use, unless I have a tier or severe slopes to negotiate, and then I will maybe fly it closer to the pin to take those out of the equation

I think the biggest mistake that I see a lot of higher handicap and beginner players make is they take a backswing that is way too much for the shot and then slow down and quit on the shot - I tell them to play the shot as if it was a putt and let the club do the work
 
I'm very inconsistent with the bump and run and have very little idea on what club to use (7/8/9/PW? Some people use a hybrid?) or how hard to hit it. What's the best club to use in your opinion? And how do you recommend going about practicing the bump and run? Go to the chipping practice greens and trial and error?

Right now around the greens I'm just using my 58* wedge. It's not the most ideal as there's not much roll out so I am generally trying for a mini - pitch toward the flag unless I'm on the short side of the hole then I'm chipping with it.
I have heard 2 different recommendations for bump and run. 1) Choose one club to use for most chip shots and learn to control your distances. 2) Choose the club based on how far off the green you are and how much green is between you and the pin.

For instance, I generally just use my 50* wedge for most chips. But if I have more green between me and the pin than fringe I might go 7-8-9. The longer the club the more rollout. I only use my 56* if I need to stop it short or if I have to chip over a bunker.
 
When you get in the low 90s consistently the path to the 80s believe it or not is still not in great ball striking. It’s short game and putting. Learn from the hole back to the tee box. Trust me. So many strokes are added and lost within 10 yards of the green. Now for the most part I am trying to get Par on Par3s and 5s only. Unless it’s a short or easy Par 4 I’m totally good with bogey. And if I Par it it’s because I got up and down from an easier chipping spot. Lots of green to work with ect.

Now when I get down to a 12 hcp? That’s when I gotta start getting more GIRs on Par 4s if I ever hope to break 80 consistently. Maybe next year some time. Or 2023 even. Golf is a marathon. Not a sprint. And even if I don’t get that low I can happily play golf in the low 80s for a lifetime.

I hit the ball as well as I ever have last round and still ended up about where I've been scoring this year. Mid 90's. It was definitely the putting this time. The funny thing is, I didn't miss any 4 foot putts. It was the lags. It seemed like I had a lot of first putts well over 30 feet. A few over 50 feet. I hit a few GIR's. Had plenty of par putts. But ended up with 39 putts. I'm not a great putter but I'm usually in the lower 30's. That day kind of felt wasted because an average putting day and I woulda broke 90. I'm hoping that was a spring board to better ball striking and I can correct the lag problems.
 
I have heard 2 different recommendations for bump and run. 1) Choose one club to use for most chip shots and learn to control your distances. 2) Choose the club based on how far off the green you are and how much green is between you and the pin.

For instance, I generally just use my 50* wedge for most chips. But if I have more green between me and the pin than fringe I might go 7-8-9. The longer the club the more rollout. I only use my 56* if I need to stop it short or if I have to chip over a bunker.

Thanks Tehuti and the UKDoctor. To keep it simple I’ll begin experimenting with the 50* and varying the length of the take back, and then go from there.
 
I have heard 2 different recommendations for bump and run. 1) Choose one club to use for most chip shots and learn to control your distances. 2) Choose the club based on how far off the green you are and how much green is between you and the pin.

For instance, I generally just use my 50* wedge for most chips. But if I have more green between me and the pin than fringe I might go 7-8-9. The longer the club the more rollout. I only use my 56* if I need to stop it short or if I have to chip over a bunker.

I'm not a bump and run player. I pretty much use a 58 degree Vokey Wedge for almost all shots under 40 yards. I did notice the longer chips I stand further from the ball and I don't feel like I'm swinging harder. It seems to naturally go further. The short ones I stand closer. I've been working on less backswing and more speed through the ball on the short ones. It really slows the ball down nicely. I will use a 64 if I have to hit something close to a flop. I can't hit a flop so the 64 loft makes a regular swing look like one. It did take a while to get the swing speed down though. I have to hit it much harder than I think.
 
Thanks Tehuti and the UKDoctor. To keep it simple I’ll begin experimenting with the 50* and varying the length of the take back, and then go from there.
This is my approach as well. I constantly experiment with things, and so far, this has been a consistent approach for me. Note, I said consistent, not necessarily effective. I have dabbled with the bump-n-run in the past, but nothing too deep. I'm contemplating moving up to the 45 degree PW for my chips to see if it has a positive or negative effect.
 
I'm very inconsistent with the bump and run and have very little idea on what club to use (7/8/9/PW? Some people use a hybrid?) or how hard to hit it. What's the best club to use in your opinion? And how do you recommend going about practicing the bump and run? Go to the chipping practice greens and trial and error?

Right now around the greens I'm just using my 58* wedge. It's not the most ideal as there's not much roll out so I am generally trying for a mini - pitch toward the flag unless I'm on the short side of the hole then I'm chipping with it.

Club selection is based on how far you have to carry the ball and how much green there is. Short bit of grass to get over with 70 feet of green? Probably a 7-iron. 10 feet of grass to carry with 20 feet of green? Maybe a gap wedge. The slope of the green plays into it too. 10 feet to carry with 10 feet of green but an uphill slope? You might want less loft - maybe a 9-iron.

It does take practice, but as you learn it, you should be able to start getting the ball closer to the hole than by always using a high-loft wedge.
 
Club selection is based on how far you have to carry the ball and how much green there is. Short bit of grass to get over with 70 feet of green? Probably a 7-iron. 10 feet of grass to carry with 20 feet of green? Maybe a gap wedge. The slope of the green plays into it too. 10 feet to carry with 10 feet of green but an uphill slope? You might want less loft - maybe a 9-iron.

It does take practice, but as you learn it, you should be able to start getting the ball closer to the hole than by always using a high-loft wedge.

This is the general technique I use, but I definitely need to put in some practice. It seems like the distances on my first putt are ALWAYS ridiculously long. You’d think I’d hit it somewhat close bow and again just by accident, but that doesn’t seem to happen much at all.
 
When I first took up golf my everything inside of 50 yards was the 8 iron. I used it so much I had a pretty good feel for it. But it became my crutch. Certain shots where the 8 wasn't gonna cut it I was terrible at. Whenever I tried to use a sand wedge to clear a bunker and stop on the green I would chunk it in the bunker. It got so bad I just started to chip to the side of the bunker so I could have a clear chip to the flag. Now I use 3 different wedges. Mostly the 58. But I'm comfortable enough to use the others when needed.
 
Club selection is based on how far you have to carry the ball and how much green there is. Short bit of grass to get over with 70 feet of green? Probably a 7-iron. 10 feet of grass to carry with 20 feet of green? Maybe a gap wedge. The slope of the green plays into it too. 10 feet to carry with 10 feet of green but an uphill slope? You might want less loft - maybe a 9-iron.

It does take practice, but as you learn it, you should be able to start getting the ball closer to the hole than by always using a high-loft wedge.

This is my opinion only and what worked/still works for me:

The bump and run style of chipping and low flight pitching has a much higher success rate in my opinion. Just less room for error. Mostly because you take a shorter back swing bumping it on the green with a 8 iron ect. Way easier to learn than manipulating control of flight/spin/slope/type of lie/carry distance/roll out/spin with a higher lofted wedge. Low handicap players and especially the pros make it look easy. It isn’t. They only get that good after spending hours a day for months/years working on it.

I went that rabbit hole for a while when I started wanting to break 90. 52, 56, 60 degree wedges. Then 50, 54, 58. Did I pull it off sometimes? Sure. But I also bladed it, chunked it, popped it up and left myself another chip as well. Leading to doubles and triples. Score killers!

High lofted wedges are like knives. Precise tools that, when used properly, are great. Bump and run clubs/approach are more like machetes. Easy to use. Require less effort and accomplish the same job with much less precision being required.

If you want to break 100 consistently and even 90 get it on the green safely and have some kind of par putt. Even a long one. Until you get your handicap below 20 at least. You will save money and frustration. Trust me. Down the road learn higher lofted wedges. Then you will have that AND still have the bump and run in your short game arsenal.

Again, just my opinion. 🙂
 
This is my opinion only and what worked/still works for me:

The bump and run style of chipping and low flight pitching has a much higher success rate in my opinion. Just less room for error. Mostly because you take a shorter back swing bumping it on the green with a 8 iron ect. Way easier to learn than manipulating control of flight/spin/slope/type of lie/carry distance/roll out/spin with a higher lofted wedge. Low handicap players and especially the pros make it look easy. It isn’t. They only get that good after spending hours a day for months/years working on it.

I went that rabbit hole for a while when I started wanting to break 90. 52, 56, 60 degree wedges. Then 50, 54, 58. Did I pull it off sometimes? Sure. But I also bladed it, chunked it, popped it up and left myself another chip as well. Leading to doubles and triples. Score killers!

High lofted wedges are like knives. Precise tools that, when used properly, are great. Bump and run clubs/approach are more like machetes. Easy to use. Require less effort and accomplish the same job with much less precision being required.

If you want to break 100 consistently and even 90 get it on the green safely and have some kind of par putt. Even a long one. Until you get your handicap below 20 at least. You will save money and frustration. Trust me. Down the road learn higher lofted wedges. Then you will have that AND still have the bump and run in your short game arsenal.

Again, just my opinion. 🙂

I look at it like this:

Why is putting often a better option than chipping? Because a terrible stroke with a putter from off the green is likely to have a much better result than a terrible stroke with a wedge.

The same thing applies for chipping. A terrible small putting-style stroke with a pitching wedge is likely to get you a much better result than a much bigger terrible stroke with a 60. In short, you miss better.
 
Worst round of the year today. I don’t know what is happening with my game, but it is not good.

One thing though, was the ball. I decided to play my Kirkland balls for a change and had to switch them out at the turn. My best score on the front was double bogey. Switched back to my usual gamer - Srixon Soft Feel matte green on 10 and parred the hole. Back 9 I had two bogeys and everything else was “other”.

I will have nightmares about this round.


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Tonight was on another level! The front 9 I ended up with a 50; I can handle it, I should still be able to break 100 if I play well on the back. Back 9 comes and I destroy it! Ended with a +3 back for an 89 total!!!!! I hadn’t broken 100 before this year, and now have a PB in the 80’s!!
 
I look at it like this:

Why is putting often a better option than chipping? Because a terrible stroke with a putter from off the green is likely to have a much better result than a terrible stroke with a wedge.

The same thing applies for chipping. A terrible small putting-style stroke with a pitching wedge is likely to get you a much better result than a much bigger terrible stroke with a 60. In short, you miss better.

Agreed 100%. Putt it WHENEVER you can! From anywhere! That is the ultimate bump and run.

I’m a very good putter. I could putt from day one. Even as a kid at mini-golf. The Golf Gods just blessed me for some reason. Its easy to me. So I use the “Texas Wedge” whenever possible. Couple tips though:
1.Check the grain you are putting on. This is very important. What do I mean? Which way is the grass laying you are about to putt on.
*If you are putting with the grain (ie it’s laying towards the hole) then be aware that ball is gonna skate right on top of it and hit the green with very little loss of speed.
*If you are putting into the grain (ie it’s pointing towards you) then be aware you gotta put some power behind your stroke. Because that grain will KILL the speed. A lot. Can also snag the bottom of your putter on its way to the ball. So visually check it. Or do a practice putting stroke on it.

Uphill, against the grain and the Hole is 20ft plus from the edge of the green? Generally speaking I won’t putt it. Time to chip.

2. The fringe. Take into account how the drop from the taller grass to the green is going to impact the line of the putt. It may also add some speed depending on how tall it is.

What I normally do is walk to the spot (or a foot past it) where it goes from fringe to green and visualize a putt from there. Then try and get the ball on the green from there at the speed/line I would have used putting from there.

Putting from off the green can be a very effective and very safe way to get it on the green and on its way to the hole. But don’t take it lightly if you want to do it effectively.

3/4 Hybrids or even a 3 wood can be used as well to putt off the green. Same rules apply pretty much.

I just watched several PGA players putt from well off the green today at The Open. It works. Don’t let your ego stop you. 👍
 
Played my personal best on Thursday! Shot an 85, though it was one of the easier courses — 5,700 yards from the white tees and not a ton of hazards. But, an 85 is an 85!

Then the very next day shot a 105 at another course where nothing was working. LOL what a strange game.

Wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this: when I’m approaching my shot, my practice swing is great and my playing partners say “oh that’s a nice swing”. But then when I go to hit my shot and see the ball sitting there, my swing goes to crap and isn’t the same as the practice one at all. Happened (or seemed to happen) to me a handful of times yesterday. It’s like mental “yips” or something.
 
Wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this: when I’m approaching my shot, my practice swing is great and my playing partners say “oh that’s a nice swing”. But then when I go to hit my shot and see the ball sitting there, my swing goes to crap and isn’t the same as the practice one at all. Happened (or seemed to happen) to me a handful of times yesterday. It’s like mental “yips” or something.

Absolutely. I’ve had a number of people tell me that my practice swings look like those of a legit golfer.
They’re smooth, controlled, and I can thump the ground just in front of the imaginary ball. Then I step over to where my ball actually is and top it, lay the sod over it, or slice it off the planet.
 
Had a great day with my son on Sunday at the local municipal course. It's hot here in the summer, so getting the as early as possible is the best play. It was looking to be close to 100° by noon. We had a 7:10 tee time. Both of us are walkers too.

I changed things up a bit this time. I pretty much left my 52 and 56° clubs in the bag, and used my 44° pitching wedge that is a part of my 30+ year old irons set. It has a light weight graphite shaft, and my two newer wedges have steel. It seems I have a bit more control. So I'm kinda wondering if I should try switching the shafts out, to move the inertia point down closer to the head some....I'll have to ponder on that some.

It's been several weeks since I played, and on this day, although my drives were straight for the most part, they were significantly shorter. I think the longest was 175 yards. On the flip side, it seems my irons were longer by five to ten yards. I over shot a few greens. That never happens!

Anyway, chipping and putting were working well on the front, and I shot a 44 compared to my son's 47. His head still gets in the way, especially when he plays with me!
We flipped positions on the back as I started to make simple mistakes. It was getting pretty warm, so a little heat and fatigue might have been a factor. I had three par putts that I shoulda made, and didn't. Made a few bad choices that cost a stroke here and there, and I finished with a 49 on the back to my son's 45. So he got me 92 to 93.

It was a great day overall. The group in front of us were really fun. They were having a good time, and we were able to laugh and joke with them. Made the day even better.
 
I redeemed myself a bit on my Sunday 9 hole round. Started out double-double, but then I settled down after that. Friday's round really shook my confidence, so I wasn't sure how my ball striking would be. But I was fine. Practiced WOTP on the 2 par 4 holes and had par, bogey - which I would take any time for those 2 holes. Instead of driver (short) then hybrid or long iron, resulting in a bad second shot, I went driver, 7i and had a wedge into the green. That is how I need to play these holes most of the time.
 
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