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Good Luck! Play Well

stevebcfc: You should keep track of your stats it will help

I am trying.I have got to 84.I need to stop the triple bogey holes.I am shooting 85-87 most times.

Is anyone else attempting to break 80 or improve their golf Game?

I am sure you can do it if you put the work in, especially on your short game.

My advice for reaching your goal would be to focus on two things: ball control and short game. I play with alot of high handicap golfers and the younger ones these days all seem capable of hitting the ball past me by 20 to 50 yards and once in a while actually do it -- but most of the time they are far right or left and put themselves out of position to make a good score. Pick a target line, keep your head down and eye on the ball, and swing easy -- this will improve your ball control and improve your second shot position. Secondly, practice your short game all the time - 100 yards and in, learn your wedge yardages for full, three quarters and half swings and practice them. Develop a go to chip from 20 yards in and then practice it. Practice sand shots and putting like you are playing a round. The key is practice because it builds confidence. Confidence alone can be worth 5 strokes alone on a bad day. When you play with someone that consistently puts the ball within a 3 foot circle time after time from anywhere around the green, it is not luck, it is a developed skill that anyone can have with practice. good luck!

Another thing (this is for you too Otterman!). If you want to break 80, don't ever play for 79. If you're going for 79 you only have one stroke of leeway before you're back in the 80s again. Set your goal much lower than that. Try for 72, or 70, or hell why not 65!

You might be rolling your eyes at this, but it's the truth! One of the biggest problems that higher handicap golfers face is THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY DESERVE TO SCORE WELL. They think their swing isn't good enough, they don't putt good enough, or whatever. How many times have you seen guys in your weekend group hit a great shot close to the flag, and then fold on the birdie putt? A lot, I bet!

So get it out of your head that you need to be at some certain level in your swing or your game in order to put good numbers up. You've all made pars and birdies before. So there's NO reason you couldn't do that for 18 holes, besides the fact that you don't LET yourself do it! Now, I understand we all get bad breaks from time to time, and we all have blow up holes every so often. But this is still the goal you have to have for yourself. Walk up to the tee and say to yourself "I'm going to shoot par golf today." Seriously, try to say that without laughing at yourself. If you're laughing, it means there's still a part of you that thinks you don't deserve to shoot par. Shove that part of you aside and go play golf.

Please don't misconstrue this to mean "try really hard to shoot par." If you try too hard, well, we all know what happens then. But think back in the past to holes that you have played well. You hit the fairway, hit the green, took a couple putts or maybe chipped on and took one putt, and went to the next hole. That wasn't so hard, was it? You didn't have to go crazy trying to hit perfect shots. You just hit shots that WORKED and you played golf. Like I said, you've made pars and birdies before. You know how to do that. Go out there, have fun, and make pars and birdies like you

Another thing (this is for you too Otterman!). If you want to break 80, don't ever play for 79. If you're going for 79 you only have one stroke of leeway before you're back in the 80s again. Set your goal much lower than that. Try for 72, or 70, or hell why not 65!

You might be rolling your eyes at this, but it's the truth! One of the biggest problems that higher handicap golfers face is THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY DESERVE TO SCORE WELL. They think their swing isn't good enough, they don't putt good enough, or whatever. How many times have you seen guys in your weekend group hit a great shot close to the flag, and then fold on the birdie putt? A lot, I bet!

So get it out of your head that you need to be at some certain level in your swing or your game in order to put good numbers up. You've all made pars and birdies before. So there's NO reason you couldn't do that for 18 holes, besides the fact that you don't LET yourself do it! Now, I understand we all get bad breaks from know how to do.

Best of luck to you

If you can hit somewhere in the realm of 6 to 8 greens a round, keep the putts at or below 30 per round, and play smart (no blowup holes), you will give yourself a chance every time you play. The chipping/putting part is the most important. Put 90% of your work in on that part of your game for now. Willie Park said "A man who can putt is a match for anyone."

Also, broaden your target on your approach shots. Your goal shouldn't be to stick it close. It should be to PUT THE BALL SOMEWHERE ON OR AROUND THE GREEN. From there, if you can get the ball in the hole in 2 shots (either a chip/pitch and a putt, or 2 putts), then you're well on your way to breaking 80.

As you get better, you might start trying to get really precise with your swing and try to hit at more pins. But for now, don't worry so much about the full swing. Just play so that you're on or near the green in regulation. You don't have to be a great ballstriker to do that. Then, let your short game do the work. I PROMISE that short game is the key! My buddy Brad is one of the greatest scramblers I've ever seen. He doesn't hit many greens but still shoots at or near par every time. I've watched him hit ONE green all day and still shoot 74. I have to hit 10 to 12 greens just to keep up because my short game is not as good as his!

Well, I broke 90 for the first time on a par 71 last weekend, shot an 88. 80 might be a stretch for this year. I did however look at the scorecard and there were at least 6 strokes that I simply flushed down the loo as it were. So maybe not so much of a stretch. Good luck in your quest, hope you get there!

it would be nice to break 80 but i would probably rather consistently shoot in the 80's. i'm anywhere from 86 to 100 but for now, shooting 84-90 is realistic. it will happen, though. good luck to you, Lorenzo