Trying to Break 100

[JonMA1]

Nonsense. If you can shoot 95 then 85 is a possibility. It may take patience and a lot of work, but it’s achievable at some point.

Now it gets harder as you go down so just because you shoot 85 doesn’t mean you’re really close to 75, but 85 is not a crazy goal.


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I will at some point break 90 on an easy course. But the idea of doing it often enough to drop my HC to 18 is unrealistic.

And that’s ok.

That doesn’t mean I won’t continue to work towards improvement but there’s just too much of a gap right now between my best and the goal.

 

[charley48]

Sometimes when I get to the course I don't have time to hit any warm up balls. The first swing is on the first tee. I have a weighted club I use to stretch out. But it doesn't help with the first swing on the tee. If I have not hit any warm ups I always drive the ball straight into the ground with the driver. I can't figure out how to stop it. After that shot its ok from there.

Every time I go to the range the first ball is always with the driver. And that first ball is always driven into the ground. Its so hard to correct because the next ball is fine. I have to wait till the next time I go to the range and only have one shot at it because I will adjust after that. I've tried swinging slower. Raising the tee. Changing the ball position. Nothing works.

Yesterday on the first hole, a par 5, I choked down and tried to hit a punch just to get the ball in the air. It traveled all of 30 yards. Hit the ground in front of the tee and popped up. Hit two good hybrids and an iron and had a par putt. Ended up two putting for bogey. That one turned out ok. But everyone is waiting their turn on the first tee and saw that terrible drive. No one laughed but it sure felt like they were laughing on the inside.

 

[showtime]

Have you tried keeping the driver in the bag and just using 3W on the first tee? Obviously that's more of a bandaid than actual fix, but if it straightens itself out after the first hole it might be worth a shot.

 

[Snickerdog]

A 95 isn't a terrible score for me but it makes me realize 1) I'm never going to get to bogey golf and 2) how hard it is to enjoy a good front 9 when I can't seal the deal on the back.

You will, positive attitude towards the goal. Just have to catch a few breaks here and there.

 

[JonMA1]

You will, positive attitude towards the goal. Just have to catch a few breaks here and there.

Thanks @Snickerdog.

It is what it is. Every year I feel like I become more aware of both the difficulty of the game and my potential.

The majority of my rounds involve working on weaknesses. Yesterday's round was 100% about trying to score low. I wasn't concerned about distances or GIRs or anything involving stats. I took more club and swung easier. For the most part, it was working out.

The thing about golf is that ability always shows itself. A better player will have a series of bad holes or even bad rounds. But they will work through it and eventually bounce back. The opposite is true with some of us who struggle. We are capable of playing decent golf for a few holes and on rare occasions, entire rounds. But we're incapable of sustaining that level of golf.

 

[Frank559]

Yesterday on the first hole, a par 5, I choked down and tried to hit a punch just to get the ball in the air. It traveled all of 30 yards. Hit the ground in front of the tee and popped up. Hit two good hybrids and an iron and had a par putt. Ended up two putting for bogey. That one turned out ok. But everyone is waiting their turn on the first tee and saw that terrible drive. No one laughed but it sure felt like they were laughing on the inside.

Noone will laugh (even inside) because everyone knows they've been there and done that. And if anyone thinks otherwise they're in denial or lying to themselves.

I once started a round +8 after 2 holes and then settling down to shoot a 95 for the entire round. After 8 holes one of my playing partner turned to me and says, "Were you just f*ing with us on the first two holes? You know we're not playing for cash right."

 

[ULEWZ]

Don't feel bad. I have been shooting in the high 80s the last 2 rounds, and a 91 the round before that, but, and that is a big butt, I could not stop shanking my shots yesterday. Very frustrating as I have been playing so well. Something changed, so I need to figure that out, but my driver was still hitting bombs, so I had that.

 

[brian7770]

Noone will laugh (even inside) because everyone knows they've been there and done that. And if anyone thinks otherwise they're in denial or lying to themselves.

I once started a round +8 after 2 holes and then settling down to shoot a 95 for the entire round. After 8 holes one of my playing partner turned to me and says, "Were you just f*ing with us on the first two holes? You know we're not playing for cash right."

I always seem to have some blow up holes, then the other holes are pretty solid. It's definitely inconsistency that hurts me most.

 

[tehuti]

I don’t know if it’s all in my head or if I damaged the shaft, but I cannot hit my driver all of a sudden. I’ve never been long off the tee with it, but generally I stay on or near the fairway. All of a sudden I can’t find the ball with the clubhead. If this persists I may have to try s new shaft. The head appears to be fine.


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[brian7770]

I started lessons with a new teacher last Friday, and he had a different perspective that seems to be doing some good for me. I played 9 holes on Sunday and shot a 47.

My contact was consistently a lot better which felt great. I just need to work on correcting the direction with my longer clubs. I would say the weakest part of my game was my chipping as I never really hit it as intended and didn't hit it close enough. I also ended with a triple bogey including a penalty stroke.

 

[charley48]

I don’t know if it’s all in my head or if I damaged the shaft, but I cannot hit my driver all of a sudden. I’ve never been long off the tee with it, but generally I stay on or near the fairway. All of a sudden I can’t find the ball with the clubhead. If this persists I may have to try s new shaft. The head appears to be fine.


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After a couple years of my driver being one the more consistent clubs in the bag, I had a couple bad driving rounds. Missing a lot more fairways. My son in law noticed something late in the round. I was wondering why my upper body kept coming up too soon causing a push fade too far right. He said look at my front foot right after the swing. I was literally lifting it and replanting it backwards it much like a baseball hitter when bailing out while swinging. I went to the range and worked on keeping it planted in the ground through the swing. Driver was much better. My round yesterday I hit a lot of fairways. Sometimes its a simple fix if someone can spot it for you.

 

[tehuti]

After a couple years of my driver being one the more consistent clubs in the bag, I had a couple bad driving rounds. Missing a lot more fairways. My son in law noticed something late in the round. I was wondering why my upper body kept coming up too soon causing a push fade too far right. He said look at my front foot right after the swing. I was literally lifting it and replanting it backwards it much like a baseball hitter when bailing out while swinging. I went to the range and worked on keeping it planted in the ground through the swing. Driver was much better. My round yesterday I hit a lot of fairways. Sometimes its a simple fix if someone can spot it for you.

I also figure it is something simple. I just have to figure out what. The problem appears to only happen on the range. When I played last week I was hitting the ball off the tee, though not as long because I was taking tentative swings.

Hopefully I can get out to the range today or tomorrow to try to work it out some more.

 

[Annhl8rX]

I played a real stinker of a round today. It was my first time out in almost two months with only one trip to the range mixed in there.

I warmed up on the range and was striking the ball well. Unfortunately that just didn’t translate. It was gonna be a tough day anyway, as it was WINDY. I really can’t blame too much of it on that, though, because & just couldn’t seem to hit the ball. Just poor strikes with every club.

Driver was particularly troubling today. When I did get it in the air I was sending it way right, despite implementing my most extreme anti-slice measures.

I ended up shooting a 112, bolstered by a nice 11 on 18. It’s a tough hole that I’ve never had better than a double on. A dribbles tee shot and two balls in the water ballooned my score on it today.

It was just one of those days. Nothing was working, I had eight (yes, eight) three putts. I shouldn’t be surprised with my lack of golf activity lately, but it certainly wasn’t the welcome back to the course I had hoped for.

 

[JonMA1]

Gave up on my round by the 7th hole today. Played the remaining 11 holes as practice. The difference between the good and bad golf I play are so far apart.

I started off the round with perfect golf. A tee shot 25 yards longer than my average down the center of the fairway, short approach pin high on the green and 2 putt for par. On the second hole, I try to make the same exact driver swing and snap hook it 120 yards. The next chance with a driver, another beautiful straight, long drive followed by another a snap hook on the following tee.

Contemplated leaving when I made the turn but decided to stay and play several balls instead. I'm not sure why other than I like to hit golf balls and need the exercise.

I'm in the same spot I've been in every year for the last several years. It's hard to enjoy the decent golf I play when I know it's not going to last 18 holes. And the bad golf is bad enough to prevent me getting below a 23. Sadly, it'll be that way 10 years from now.

I really need to walk away from the game but I cannot.

Suppose I could just hit balls without keeping score, but that isn't really golf. At this point, I'd accept never getting better if I could just enjoy an entire day on the course.

 

[ryang13]

Gave up on my round by the 7th hole today. Played the remaining 11 holes as practice. The difference between the good and bad golf I play are so far apart.

I started off the round with perfect golf. A tee shot 25 yards longer than my average down the center of the fairway, short approach pin high on the green and 2 putt for par. On the second hole, I try to make the same exact driver swing and snap hook it 120 yards. The next chance with a driver, another beautiful straight, long drive followed by another a snap hook on the following tee.

Contemplated leaving when I made the turn but decided to stay and play several balls instead. I'm not sure why other than I like to hit golf balls and need the exercise.

I'm in the same spot I've been in every year for the last several years. It's hard to enjoy the decent golf I play when I know it's not going to last 18 holes. And the bad golf is bad enough to prevent me getting below a 23. Sadly, it'll be that way 10 years from now.

I really need to walk away from the game but I cannot.

Suppose I could just hit balls without keeping score, but that isn't really golf. At this point, I'd accept never getting better if I could just enjoy an entire day on the course.

Can empathize. Played a miserable sim round last week (scored off stableford) and I didn’t have a single point until hole 5. Nothing seemed to be coming together for me. Keep your head up and stick with it , there’s a silver lining here somewhere.


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[russtopher]

Suppose I could just hit balls without keeping score, but that isn't really golf. At this point, I'd accept never getting better if I could just enjoy an entire day on the course.

There's nothing wrong with some practice rounds, I know that my mindset on the range can be different from the course. Sometimes you need to get out there and practice around the course, knowing there's trees when you tee off, having different lies in the fairway, trying different techniques around the greens from various lies, etc. I found that my mental game as well as physical game took a big leap forward when I stopped going to the range 2-3x per week (sometimes 2-3x per DAY if I was unhappy with something) and would walk twilight rounds hitting a few balls from each tee, different parts of the holes, etc.

 

[brian7770]

Gave up on my round by the 7th hole today. Played the remaining 11 holes as practice. The difference between the good and bad golf I play are so far apart.

I started off the round with perfect golf. A tee shot 25 yards longer than my average down the center of the fairway, short approach pin high on the green and 2 putt for par. On the second hole, I try to make the same exact driver swing and snap hook it 120 yards. The next chance with a driver, another beautiful straight, long drive followed by another a snap hook on the following tee.

Contemplated leaving when I made the turn but decided to stay and play several balls instead. I'm not sure why other than I like to hit golf balls and need the exercise.

I'm in the same spot I've been in every year for the last several years. It's hard to enjoy the decent golf I play when I know it's not going to last 18 holes. And the bad golf is bad enough to prevent me getting below a 23. Sadly, it'll be that way 10 years from now.

I really need to walk away from the game but I cannot.

Suppose I could just hit balls without keeping score, but that isn't really golf. At this point, I'd accept never getting better if I could just enjoy an entire day on the course.

Consistency is my main issue now. I'm taking lessons to try to make sure I have good technique, but it's easy to revert back in to bad habits. So now I'm trying to stay aware of exactly what I'm doing when I'm playing better. We'll see if that helps as I move forward.

 

[BuckeyeMark]

Been a long time since I've checked in here... and my clubs have gathered a lot of dust not being played very much. But I've got out a time or two in the last month and shot 110+ so that seemed good.

Played 9 on Thursday and shot 56. Made 3 bogeys but had some blow up holes. And that brings us to today's question: hybrids.

I play Cobra single length irons and hybrids. And I like it a lot and think it's a great option for me. However, I can't hit the hybrids. How is that possible? They are the same length as everything else. Just swing and hit them? I hit my 5 iron very well. I'd like to hit that 3 hybrid for a second shot and get some distance there ... nope. Squibs. Shanks. Whiffs. Every bad thing that can happen will happen when the hybrids come out. I have a 3, 4, 5 (Cobra single length hybrids) and they're new and they're very nice and they say very sweetly "Give me another try, I can get the ball to the green for you" and I listen to their siren song and it all goes badly.

So what's the deal on this?! The whole point of single length is put the ball in the same place with the same swing every. single. time. Well, it ain't working!

 

[TLuke]

Getting close to the magic number. Changed my expectations at 66 y.o. Only using sticks I’m comfortable with (8 clubs). Play a “double bogey” mindset. Play the shot I “should hit” vs. what I “think I can hit”. Course management/avoid the trouble. Lots and lots of practice 100 yards in (pitches, chips, bump and runs, sand work, etc.). And plenty of time on the practice greens. Some day, some day.

 

[charley48]

We're gonna have a lot of rain in Cali for a few days. We do need it. So I'll be resting these old bones till it clears up. Did get a round in Saturday. I really focused on 3 things. Keeping that left foot planted on the downswing. Smoother swing. Finishing the follow through.

I can do all that at the range. Its easier to get in a rhythm when you're hitting one ball after another. On the course its a different story. I have a hard time with the smooth part. Sometimes my brain is confusing smooth with a slower swing. The slower swing causes bad results. But the times I have that perfect blend it sure is good. Its a work in progress but I seem to be achieving that a little more each time.

I've been able to break 100 pretty much every time out lately. Another mid 90's round at 94. But breaking 90 just seems to be out of reach. Its the same ole thing. I can't pinpoint to one problem. Its just the inconsistency of everything from one hole to the next. I can lag several 40-50 putts within 3 feet or less. Then have a poor 20 footer that left me too much to make a second putt.

After some good chips I skulled one into the back edge of the trap. Couldn't get behind the ball to get it on the green. A triple bogey there. After hitting 5 fairways in a row I pull hooked one into a yard. Another triple. Its always something different. But at least for the most part the driver swing is back. Focusing on keeping the front foot planted through the downswing has stopped me from hitting those high push fades too far right.

 

[BigMac]

I've been able to break 100 pretty much every time out lately. Another mid 90's round at 94. But breaking 90 just seems to be out of reach. Its the same ole thing. I can't pinpoint to one problem. Its just the inconsistency of everything from one hole to the next. I can lag several 40-50 putts within 3 feet or less. Then have a poor 20 footer that left me too much to make a second putt.

FWIW, once you start breaking 90, you'll be mad every time you shoot in the 90s. Once you break 80, you'll be mad every time you shoot in the 80s. It never ends, you always want that next step and you'll never be satisfied.

I was a 100+ shooter, and was ecstatic when I got into the 90s. I just wanted to shoot bogey golf, anywhere around a 90 was fine with me. Once I started breaking into the 80s, a 90 didn't feel good anymore and mid-90s was a bad round to me. I've broken 80 a few times this year, and now mid-80s is just a "meh" round to me, even though that's the score range I shoot most often. I'll still get the occasional round where I have nothing going on that day, or it's a tough course, and I shoot in the 90s. It's demoralizing until I put it in perspective by remembering that at one time, I considered a low/mid 90s round as an excellent score.

 

[BuckeyeMark]

FWIW, once you start breaking 90, you'll be mad every time you shoot in the 90s. Once you break 80, you'll be mad every time you shoot in the 80s. It never ends, you always want that next step and you'll never be satisfied.

I was a 100+ shooter, and was ecstatic when I got into the 90s. I just wanted to shoot bogey golf, anywhere around a 90 was fine with me. Once I started breaking into the 80s, a 90 didn't feel good anymore and mid-90s was a bad round to me. I've broken 80 a few times this year, and now mid-80s is just a "meh" round to me, even though that's the score range I shoot most often. I'll still get the occasional round where I have nothing going on that day, or it's a tough course, and I shoot in the 90s. It's demoralizing until I put it in perspective by remembering that at one time, I considered a low/mid 90s round as an excellent score.

Since I have never broken 100 I'm on my way to a lot of happy golf! LOL Seriously, I see this in my golfing buddies who are good golfers. They shoot better than I do but sometimes I have a LOT more fun and enjoy it more.

 

[tehuti]

Sometimes when I get to the course I don't have time to hit any warm up balls. The first swing is on the first tee. I have a weighted club I use to stretch out. But it doesn't help with the first swing on the tee. If I have not hit any warm ups I always drive the ball straight into the ground with the driver. I can't figure out how to stop it. After that shot its ok from there.

Every time I go to the range the first ball is always with the driver. And that first ball is always driven into the ground. Its so hard to correct because the next ball is fine. I have to wait till the next time I go to the range and only have one shot at it because I will adjust after that. I've tried swinging slower. Raising the tee. Changing the ball position. Nothing works.

Yesterday on the first hole, a par 5, I choked down and tried to hit a punch just to get the ball in the air. It traveled all of 30 yards. Hit the ground in front of the tee and popped up. Hit two good hybrids and an iron and had a par putt. Ended up two putting for bogey. That one turned out ok. But everyone is waiting their turn on the first tee and saw that terrible drive. No one laughed but it sure felt like they were laughing on the inside.

You don't have to hit driver off the tee on the first hole. Why not try a fairway wood or even an iron?

 

[Frank559]

Shot another 94 the other day, with 5 pars, 6 double bogeys, 1 triple bogey, and 8 bogeys.

To make pars or bogeys I basically have to get to the green or close to the green in regulation. And if I make any mistake, be it a drive OB or into trees, a fat shot that goes short, a shank, not getting out of a bunker or whatever it’s an automatic double or triple. Especially since my putting is basically 2-putt minimum per hole.

For me personally, the improvement that has made the biggest difference over the last year has been putting. I used to 3 or 4-putt all the time. Now it’s mostly 2-putting. That alone has shaved 5-10 strokes per round given the putter is the club we hit the most frequently in a round.

 

[brian7770]

My putting average stays close to 2 per hole, but when it creeps a bit higher it's generally because of lackluster chipping and then less than ideal lag putts. Chipping for appropriate distances is definitely something I need to keep working on.