We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Getting Below 80 Consistently

MCGolfTM

MCGolfTM

Active member
Joined
Dec 14, 2016
Messages
1,410
Reaction score
3
Handicap
6.0
I'm a 10.1 hdcp as of this week and I'm always coming in around 82-84. Really trying to make the push to consistently get under 80 and get to single digits.

I know the part of my game that would get me there is Wedges. Getting closer so I don't have to rely on long putts dropping to do well, or making par saves.

The question is what things did you do that were major breakthroughs for you with wedge play that go you to shoot under 80 consistently?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
M127c said:
I'm a 10.1 hdcp as of this week and I'm always coming in around 82-84. Really trying to make the push to consistently get under 80 and get to single digits.

I know the part of my game that would get me there is Wedges. Getting closer so I don't have to rely on long putts dropping to do well, or making par saves.

The question is what things did you do that were major breakthroughs for you with wedge play that go you to shoot under 80 consistently?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

For me, it was just an almost endless amount of wedge time around the practice green, from all lies and distances.
 
M127c said:
I'm a 10.1 hdcp as of this week and I'm always coming in around 82-84. Really trying to make the push to consistently get under 80 and get to single digits.

I know the part of my game that would get me there is Wedges. Getting closer so I don't have to rely on long putts dropping to do well, or making par saves.

The question is what things did you do that were major breakthroughs for you with wedge play that go you to shoot under 80 consistently?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Honestly, short game is important but I think the key is being able to make most putts inside 5 feet. Even if you're scrambling well, 3 and 4 footers are going to be regular, so you have to be able to convert those majority of the time. Many times I suck off the tee or my irons are off and I'm trying to save par...being able to take pressure off my short game and make 5 footers is key to keeping those "70" rounds going.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Honestly you don't have to be that great of a wedge player to shoot in the 70s. Putting yourself in position to have lots of short wedges into greens is more important. Now if you are trying to have a chance at par every round then yeah wedge play is much more important. As for me I just practice distance control on the course with my own balls any chance I get when playing alone. At home I swing partial wedges with no ball on a swing speed radar so I can actually see how fast I swing a partial wedge and use that knowledge on course.
 
i'm not consistently under 80. but my rounds in the 70s are defined by one thing: greens in regulation. however you need to make that happen, it's the key to scoring. sure closer short game shots helps, but that's much more stressful than two putt pars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Wedge play helps a lot but I've shot some of my lowest rounds with never getting anything inside 20 feet on approach shots. Just never 2 putted and made sure to take advantage of the par 5's.

Shooting in the 70's means you get 8 bogeys and only need to find 1 birdie in there somewhere. After that, you get a free bogey for each additional birdie you get. I average 2 birdies a round so as long as I'm doing 4 bogies a side I squeak away with a 78. Last couple months I've been going 5 a side and shooting 80/81's over and over. Too many missed 5 footers.
 
Well, I'd ask you what tees you playing? Why are you missing so many greens? What does your tee game look like? You want to break 80, dial in your iron game. Hit more greens in reg. Work on your short game and putting. Breaking 80 like it's your job takes an entire game.
 
I learned how to chip with a iron so I could focus on roll out instead of trying to gauge the fly. So easier to chip a 7 or 8i close then fly a wedge and play for check. Also you wouldn't believe how much using a truvis ball helped me understand my shots greenside. Helped me understand how contours on a green worked and understand which side to miss on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
c.a.eleric said:
i'm not consistently under 80. but my rounds in the 70s are defined by one thing: greens in regulation. however you need to make that happen, it's the key to scoring. sure closer short game shots helps, but that's much more stressful than two putt pars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I agree GIR needs to be high, scrambling for par saves constantly from off the green makes things difficult and stressful is a understatement. When I'm hitting 10-11 GIR I'm in the zone of breaking 80


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Course management is also key to shooting consistently good scores. Knowing when to shoot at pins and when to aim for the middle of the green for instance can potentially turn a lot of bogeys into pars. Also, when to take you medicine and play for bogey rather than taking huge risks and making double of higher. A bunch of pars never hurts any weekend golfer's scorecard.
 
With wedges, make sure if you miss a green, you are putting after your recovery shot. Doesn't matter if you have a hard pitch shot, or a bunker shot etc, make sure your next one is on the green and you 2 putt at worst. That should limit your bad holes to bogeys, rather than doubles, and that is a big key to breaking 80 in my opinion. Doubles ruin scores, bogeys are manageable. Just go out and par the next hole.
 
I don't think there is one clear answer to this question for every golfer, but if I had to say one thing I'd go with putting. Make everything inside of 5 ft. and start making a good percentage of 10 footers.

The real answer to this question for you will depend on what your current weaknesses are and where you are losing strokes regularly.
 
ArmyGolf said:
I don't think there is one clear answer to this question for every golfer, but if I had to say one thing I'd go with putting. Make everything inside of 5 ft. and start making a good percentage of 10 footers.

The real answer to this question for you will depend on what your current weaknesses are and where you are losing strokes regularly.
Click to expand...

Lately I think it's recovery wedge shots not getting me writhing 5ft. Putting has been much better, but when I miss the green I'm not getting as close as I'd like. Lag putts are on and off other days as well to get it close for easy par putts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
M127c said:
Lately I think it's recovery wedge shots not getting me writhing 5ft. Putting has been much better, but when I miss the green I'm not getting as close as I'd like. Lag putts are on and off other days as well to get it close for easy par putts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Sounds like for you the answer if short game. Chipping, pitching, bunker practice from all sorts of different lies and situations. I recommend making a mini game up for your practice to simulate a little pressure, and so that you never hit the same shot twice in a row. I've personally found that is the most effective way to have some meaningful short game practice.
 
ArmyGolf said:
Sounds like for you the answer if short game. Chipping, pitching, bunker practice from all sorts of different lies and situations. I recommend making a mini game up for your practice to simulate a little pressure, and so that you never hit the same shot twice in a row. I've personally found that is the most effective way to have some meaningful short game practice.
Click to expand...

I'm curious how you come to this conclusion.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I'm curious how you come to this conclusion.
Click to expand...

The OP asked "what things did you do that were major breakthroughs for you with wedge play that go you to shoot under 80 consistently?" and I suggested a way of practicing short game that might help. I'm not saying anything conclusively, just offering my .02.
 
ArmyGolf said:
The OP asked "what things did you do that were major breakthroughs for you with wedge play that go you to shoot under 80 consistently?" and I suggested a way of practicing short game that might help. I'm not saying anything conclusively, just offering my .02.
Click to expand...

Just asking, don't get get twisted.
 
c.a.eleric said:
i'm not consistently under 80. but my rounds in the 70s are defined by one thing: greens in regulation. however you need to make that happen, it's the key to scoring. sure closer short game shots helps, but that's much more stressful than two putt pars.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I'm not a low single digit cap, but the difference for me this year to past years has been more GIRs, putter in my hand from anywhere on a green is definitely better than any other club from any other spot.

M127c said:
I'm a 10.1 hdcp as of this week and I'm always coming in around 82-84. Really trying to make the push to consistently get under 80 and get to single digits.

I know the part of my game that would get me there is Wedges. Getting closer so I don't have to rely on long putts dropping to do well, or making par saves.

The question is what things did you do that were major breakthroughs for you with wedge play that go you to shoot under 80 consistently?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

You say getting closer so you don't have to rely on long putts dropping - I'm assuming you've missed the green and want to chip/pitch it closer to the hole? What is your miss with the wedge from X yardage? is the miss in the short stuff/rough/bunker? Are you coming out long or short?

Jaymo had a pretty constructive all around answer though
 
Missing with a wedge from x yardage better leave you a 40 foot putt on your bad shots when x number is below 75 or so.
 
As a pretty accurate driver for me it was short game
 
No one can dispute the importance of wedge play and putting, but for me it is the tee shot.

Do I put myself in position to snag the GIR?

Rounds where I do, I can break 80...rounds that I don't its a long slog to the 18th.


The current leader on the PGA tour in strokes gained putting is ??????


Michael Thompson!

Only notable in the top 10 is Rickie Fowler...
 
I'll lean to the side of putting yourself into a good position off the tee. That's not intended to imply you need to hit it further with your driver, rather ensure you are in the fairway -- or at worst just off of it -- and still with a shot for the GIR...or if you miss that, close enough you can chip close for a chance at getting up and down.

This is not a fool-proof plan for shooting in the 70's, as you'll still need to do what everyone else is posting....work on your wedge game and putting...but if you are wild off the tee you are going to add additional stress to the other elements of your game that will catch up to you.
 
Every time I've broken 80, I've had exactly one thing happen.

It is not 1 putts (usually 28-32 putts)
It is not up and downs (although there is a higher correlation here)

It is good course management in the sense that every time I've hit in the 70s, I've hit 60%+ fairways ( with misses being just off fairway). If I can approach from the short grass with a good look, I can score. If I drop more than 1 ball, or have to take a bunch of shots from the trees. It's 80s for me.
 
GIR's .... but not just anywhere though ... proximity to the hole means a lot. If your constantly hitting greens but 30 - 40 footers and throw in a couple 3 putts , you can forget about below 80. Own your iron game & practice enough to have the confidence in firing at flags instead of just hitting the green.

"The more chances I get, the luckier I become."
 
Divot consistency is huge. Wedges are harder to achieve this than irons because you typically swing your 7 iron one way (your 'go to' shot). For wedges, sometimes you need to flight one down to skip it to a back pin and others you need to float in the air. Couple that with varying distances and it can make getting the consistency of the low point difficult. Generally, in my opinion, shallow divots are easier to repeat and they transfer to different turfs well. Once you get your divots shallow and consistent, distance control becomes infinitely easier because you are delivering the club the same way every time. Then you need to develop your feel which can be achieved in many ways. Choose one you like and practice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top