Breaking 100,90 and 80!

As the golf year is now officially underway, it is important for you to have a clear and concise idea for how you want to improve this year. Otherwise you may just end up making the same mistakes over and over and never make any progress to better golf. The big three goals most golfers face are breaking 100, 90, and then 80.

To help facilitate your improvement, below are few tips on each stage and what you should focus on to break through those barriers.

Breaking 100

Try teeing off with an iron

Many beginner golfers will have a lot of difficulty using their drivers off of the tee. The driver is the the hardest club to control as it is the longest and generates the most club head speed. The end result is losing the ball left or right. But the aim of the game is consistency. Next time, don't be afraid to pull out the 3 wood or the long iron to produce straight controlled tee shots. 

Setting realistic goals per hole

Golf is a game that is about 80% mental and 20% physical. That said, it's important to have a very realistic goal for each hole. Instead of shooting for par, shoot for bogie golf. When you do this you will start to take conservative shots, be more relaxed, and start shooting better golf. You'll find by setting a goal more suited to your play you'll start making more pars.

Breaking 90

Playing your game

By now every golfer trying to break 90 will have developed a fairly predictable ball flight. For many this means a strong fade or slice. The problem is golfers will try to deny this flight pattern instead of embracing it. Golf is about consistency, to get better you'll have to play your ball flight.

Play every hole as if it is a par 5

Breaking 90 is a great target for the year. But again if you don't have the right mind set you'll make poor golf decisions and it will cost you in strokes. If you want to break 90, play every hole as a par 5. 18 (holes) X 5 = 90. With a goal of 5 for each hole, it simplifies the game and you'll be hitting below 90 consistently before you know it.

Breaking 80

Keep track of your stats

To be successful in breaking 80 you will need to have a understanding of the weaknesses in your game. It is essential to keep track of how many fairways hit, greens hit in regulation and putts you take per round. This is a great exercise that will show you what is needed to be improved and it will give you specific goals to achieve. A good goal is emulate the golfer who's scores 75-80. These golfers consistently will average about 8-12 fairways, 9-11 greens in regulation and between 27-30 putts per round.

Practice, practice, practice

Practice should be of top priority. Try to devote at least one practice session a week. But don't just go and start smacking balls as far as you can. Be smart and practice your SHORT GAME. Leave your driver and long irons in the bag and only take your wedges and putter. Improve your short game from 30 yards in and you'll find your shot tally will drop.