Tracking my golf stats has been key to helping me improve my golf handicap over the past 6 years. I’ve used golf stats to transform my game, cutting my handicap from 20 to 10.9 and lowering my scores by 6 shots. But here’s the key: it wasn’t about tracking everything. It was about focusing on the right stats. In this article, I break down exactly what made the biggest difference, and what you can ignore.
My Golf Improvement in Two Simple Measures
My progress is captured using two key measures: handicap (WHS) and average score over 18 holes (Figure 1). My handicap improved from 20 in 2019 to 10.9 in October 2025, while my average score dropped from 92.9 to 87.1, a 6-shot improvement (Figure 1). There’s good reason to measure both handicap and average score over 18 holes. What I’ll illustrate below is how this Handicap and total score Improvement transpires through typical golf stats and data. Be sure to read to the end, otherwise you’ll miss the most compelling reason for how my handicap improved.
Eliminating Big Numbers Matters Most
Eliminating big numbers seems simple, but can be overlooked. If playing stableford regularly you can fall into a habit of ignoring “blow up” holes. This is because you aren’t punished for excessive amount of shots on one hole.
A few years ago I made a point of recording quadruple bogeys so I understood how often I did them. Soon after seeing the data I started to make more effort to reduce mistakes. It didn’t matter how poor the hole was going, I wouldn’t give up. I would simply focus on the next shot. This mentality fed through my game and into the stats. In Figure 2a you can see a big reduction in the number of double, treble and quadruple bogeys with time. Specifically, quadruple bogeys dropped to 0.23 per round in 2025 (one in every four rounds of golf or 72 holes). Ideally I’d like to remove them completely.
Our tip here is simple. Persist. Don’t give up on a hole or pick up your ball. Continue until you finish. Ride out mistakes. My mentality shift was “make it your best bogey/double/treble”. The more you practice and overcome this scenario, the better you will get at scrabbling. I use to find rounds with a lot of scrambling hard work, now I enjoy the challenge. Just the other day I made bogey after playing my third shot off the tee. I then chipped in from the green edge.
How do you compare to others in your handicap?
In comparison to others (figure 2b), my averages compare quite well, sitting between the 6-10 and 11-15, reflecting my 10.9 handicap. If anything, my bogey average of 6.3 per 18 holes is a little less, scoring fewer than the 6-10 handicap range. At the same time, my Treble+ average per round is 1.29. Despite my efforts, there is clearly more I can do to reduce blow up holes and improve my scoring. This is something I will focus on more in 2026.
Par 5s Are Scoring Opportunities
Table 1 is a simple illustration of how my golf improvement for different hole types (par 3, 4 and 5). I started taking this measure in 2023 to see why insight I would get. My suspicion was that I was under performing on par 5’s. This suspicion was confirmed.
It is often said that par 5’s are scoring opportunities, hence this was something I wanted to understand more. I’m aware that these stats can heavily depend on the course you play regularly, e.g., one of the hardest holes at my club course is the par 5 12th (SI 2). This aside, you can clearly see from 2023 to 2025 that my par 5 average dropped by 0.31 shots on average, from 6.1 to 5.79. There are often 3/4 par 5’s on an 18 hole course. That equates to a 1 shot gain over two years, on par 5’s alone!
My par 4’s have also dropped, but not as much. Interestingly, if you assume at least 10 x par 4’s on an 18 hole course, that 0.12 average drop soon turns into another shot dropped: 0.12 X 10 = 1.2 shots dropped on average, for par 4’s over 2 years. There is also a decrease for par 3’s, but too small to be of significance.
How Par 5s Helped Me Improve Golf Handicap
The important point to make here is that my focus for par 5’s changed after reviewing data in 2023. Hence, I started to take a more measured approach to par 5’s. I’m now happy to take three shots as opposed to trying to reach in two. I only do the latter now when the hole is short, conditions helpful or risks low. The result? On average I’m scoring one shot better over just three par 5 holes. That’s a great return for a simple change in strategy and mentality.
My advice. Simple. Be conservative on par 5’s. Three shots into a par 5 is absolutely fine (up to 18 handicap). Or 4 shots if you have a handicap higher than 18. As a guide, if you can hit three 7 irons comfortably to a par 5, then this is sensible. If you need three 5 irons or more, maybe 4 shots is a better choice.
Fairways in Regulation (FIR): Do They Really Matter?
Based on data from my rounds, there is clearly little can be said for Fairways in Regulation (FIR; Figure 3a). In 2025 my handicap and average score is at its lowest ever. Yet my FIR in 2025 was the poorest ever. I’m not saying hitting fairways off the tee doesn’t matter. I’m simply highlighting that it serves as a relatively poor metric of performance and improvement, at least in my case. I would argue, what matters more is missing the fairways in the right place.
I will continue to strive to hit more fairways off the tee. But it’s not something I’m going to beat myself up about. I’d be far more concerned with penalty shots dropped from poor tee shots. Or left/right miss bias, highlighting repeated swing issues.
Greens in Regulation (GIR): Do You Need to Improve Them?
My Greens in Regulation (GIR) improvement is modest (Figure 3a). I hit around 1 in 4 GIR in 2025 compared to 1 in 5 holes in 2021. Compared to players of a similar handicap my GIR of 25% in 2025 is relatively poor (~33%, thegrint.com). The greens at the club course I play are relatively small, but I can’t evidence this easily.
Without doubt, I want to be better with approaches in GIR. But I’m not going to let GIR be the focus of my improvement. What does that even mean? It is a nice indicator to see trending in the right direction. But my advice. Don’t focus on trying to improve GIR. Find weakness in your approach play and work on that. If you improve, this will result in GIR improvement.
The one skill improvement that helped my scores drop most
There are clearly many things that have led to my improvement. Not all of them I have covered here and some I have not captured. Here I want to highlight what I believe is the easiest thing to improve IF you’re not already awesome. This one thing has had a significant impact on my average scores since 2020. The data proves, what I already felt. What is it? It’s Putting!
Since 2020 my average score per 18 hole round has decreased from 92.9 down to 86.9 (6 shots in total; something I’m extremely proud of). One of, if not the biggest single impact on my game is my putting improvement. It has improved by 2 shots per round. Again, this doesn’t sound like much, but it is a sustained improvement. The largest jump occurred between 2021 and 2022. And I’m pretty sure I know why.
2 Simple Putting Tips That Improved My Stats
- I made a simple putting routine. One big aspect of this is that I practice 3ft putts more than anything else. I practice them over and over again until is becomes habitual. The idea is that 3ft putts become routine, easy and unmissable (almost). For more on putting practice, see our blog “How to Prepare for a Golf Competition Maximising Free Time – How Is My Golf“.
- Here’s the big secret. There’s a book. It’s by one of the best and most well known Sports Psychologists of our time. Dr. Bob Rotella. Not heard of him? You will. A certain Rory McIlroy has worked with Dr. Rotella as well as many other great sporting achievers. The book is called “Putting Out of Your Mind”. It can be found with relative ease and is one of the best investments you’ll make in your golf game.
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Break 90 for the first time in golf
If you’re regularly breaking 100, but have not yet broke 90. Then this article is for you. Here are the HowIsMyGolf.com top 5 strategies for breaking 90. Plus a scoring strategy to help you along the way with a real world example of how to break 90 in golf.
Know Your Golf Club Distances
If you’re breaking 100 often, it suggests you have some consistency with club distance. But do you know your average carry distance for each club? If you don’t, we recommend you find out. The best options include:
- If you have access to a driving range that has technology such as Trackman, they should have a “Find my club distance” option you can use.
- Book a lesson with a pro that has access to the technologies above. You should specifically ask for session to find out your club carry distances. Note them down before you finish.
- Get a GPS golf watch. There are plenty of options to buy. I personally like Garmin watches.
Notice we specifically mention carry distance as opposed to total distance. Carry distance is the distance between where you hit the ball and where it first lands. It is a more consistent and arguably more useful measure than total distance. For example, here in West Yorkshire, UK, the conditions vary a lot from summer to winter. In winter the ball doesn’t have much roll out, sometimes none, reducing total distance. But in summer roll-out can be significant. Knowing your average carry distance gives you many advantages. Most significantly, you can plan your way around the golf course in advance. This is essential for improving scores and is discussed next.
Plan how you’re going play before you go to the Golf course
Firstly, know the course. Assuming it’s your home course, you should already know it well. One small suggestion would be to walk the course backwards at some point. It gives you a whole different perspective of your home course. You’ll find places where there is more or less room, places to avoid and bail-out areas.
Secondly. Now you know your average carry distance for each club, plan how to tackle the golf course before you get there. Breaking 90 means you have, generally speaking, 17-19 spare shots (par 72-70 courses). Use these in your planning. Expect to drop shots on the hardest holes. Don’t over exert yourself on par 5’s. Getting on to the green in three shots on par 5’s is excellent. This gives you a great opportunity for par, but bogeys are fine to. Tips:
- Write down each club and its carry distance, also noting your preferred clubs. Note, this isn’t necessarily the club you hit longest, but the club you hit most consistent. Lets say PW, 8i, 6i and 3H are your favourite clubs, with carry distances of 120 yards, 140 yards, 160 yards and 180 yards respectively.
- Using a scorecard and your average carry distance, plan each hole. Work back from the green noting down your favourite club to approach each hole. Here’s an example:
| Par | Par 4 | Par 5 |
|---|---|---|
| SI | 1 | 8 |
| Yards | 420 | 480 |
| Stroke 3 | PW 120 yards | 8i 140 yards |
| Stroke 2 | PW 120 yards | 6i 160 yards |
| Stroke 1 | 3H 180 yards | 3H 180 yards |
| Result | Bogey/Double | Bogey/Double |
The example above shows a few important things:
- You don’t need to hit over 200 yards off the tee to break 90.
- You can plan to use your favourite clubs.
- It’s okay to hit three shots into a long par 4. You’re playing bogey golf after all. Pretend it’s a par 5 – this will reduce anxiety.
- The odd double bogey is okay, because you’re good enough to pick up some pars. If you know this, it will take some pressure off. Especially if you have a poor start to a round. Forget and keep going. You can mistakes and break 90.
Further down this page is a full example plan to help you understand how to break 90.
Driving Range Practice Drills
To break 90 you need to focus your practice and be strategic with your time. Take advantage of your strengths, know and understand your weaknesses. This comes from time at the range, practicing. We’re going focus on one thing first. Pitching. Have you ever worked on your pitching for 50% of your range time/balls? If not, then now is the time to try. Longer yardages and clubs are harder to improve and master. Sharpening your pitching should take less time and effort, and could be the magic ingredient you need to break 90. Focus on 100 yards and below. Practice various lengths with different clubs: 30, 25 and 75 yards, using a variety of wedges for each distance. For more range drill tips, we highly recommend taking a look at the article Driving Range Practice Drills. The drills mentioned in this article will make you a more complete Golfer.
Chipping and Putting
If you’re looking to break 90, you’re going to need to fine tune your chipping and putting. We’ve already suggested spending 50% of your time on pitching, now spend the equivalent time around the green. This means you’ll spend 30% of your time on irons/woods/hybrids, 30% on pitching, and another 30% on and around the green (including bunkers if possible). You have 10% to focus on something else specific, such as bunker play.
- Experiment by chipping with different clubs and lies around the green. Understand how far the ball travels and rolls in each case with different irons from the same spot. Try chipping to various distances with different clubs and use tees to mark where the ball bounces. Find what works for you. Personally, I use a 9i more often then anything else, but do use anything up to a 7i. Through this exercise I found that using anything above a 7i didn’t improve my chipping accuracy, so I don’t.
- Create some putting drills. Specifically from various distances. We suggest hitting at least 10 balls from 3ft, 6ft, 9ft, 12ft (40 balls total). Then putt at varied distances to improve distance control.
Keeping disasters off your Golf Scorecard
This is more about mind-set than anything else. The aim is simple. Never give up on any hole. We’re taking about avoiding unnecessary lost shots. Okay you’ve just hit it in the water off the first tee. It’s okay. Challenge yourself to make the best double, triple or even quadruple bogey you’ve ever made. It feels easy to give up. Especially around the green chipping or putting for what you think is a lost cause. But this is the exact time when shots are easily dropped. Make every shot your new challenge and enjoy the challenge of hitting your best ever triple bogey! The indirect effect of having this mentality, is practice. Not just the shots, but the mentality to make every shot important. These habits will make you a better player.
Plan to Break 90
Your target score is 89 or better. Assuming a par 70 to 72 course, gives a buffer of +17 to +19 shots over par, across 18 holes. Below is an example of what to aim for in the scenario of a par 72. In this scenario we have given some leniency with 1 x triple bogey. This is to take off any stress should you have a bad hole early in the round. It happens. Also note the lack of birdies. Birdies are a bonus in breaking 90. Using the plan here you can divide your round into two 9 hole rounds. On the harder 9 you can have a triple and it won’t affect your ability to break 90. You can also have 3 x pars and 4 x bogeys on each 9. Note, this is a plan for illustrative purposes only. Adapt it as you see fit for your course and ability. But remember, bogey golf is good here. 17 x bogeys and 1 x par is great 😁.
Below is a real world example from a playing partner of mine. Although they have broke 90 many times in the past, they had not done so for some time. Least to say, they were very happy breaking 90 again. You’ll notice they almost replicated the plan above. In this case, they had one extra double bogey instead of a par, achieving 89 on this par 70 course. It’s also worth noting that we started on the more difficult 9 holes, teeing off hole 10 first. They started the first three holes +7 over par (10-12), but only dropped +12 over the remaining 15 holes! This emphasises the point of never giving up.
Bonus
We don’t have a bonus section here yet. If you have a suggested tip, motivational phrase, or something else helpful to other golfers, then we’d love to hear from you. Simply tell us using the comments section below. We’ll review suggestions and make sure you’re mentioned in the article.
Summary
If you have your own experience of breaking 80, 90 or 100, we’d love to hear your experience, advice or any tips you would offer someone else. Simply share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Other Articles in the Breaking Series
Breaking 80
Breaking 100
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Break 80 for the first time in golf
There’s are a lot of “break 80” advice out there. I am evidence that they can work. Here are my top 5 strategies for breaking 80, with a must not miss, special bonus at the end.
No Hero Shots
This is a simple start and my number one tip. Absolutely no hero shots. What do we mean. If you feel that any shot has an element of avoidable risk, then make the safe, easy shot instead. The conservative choice. For example, you’ve just pushed what is a relatively good tee shot out to the right. The ball rolls off the fairway into the semi rough. You have a potential route to the green, but some hanging branches obscure your view. You’re thinking “the tee shot was good. I’ve been hard done by here. It would be an opportunity missed if I didn’t try going for the green with a hard low fade”. If this isn’t a strength of yours, then think again. Suck it up. Take your medicine. Play the safe shot. Make some yardage down the hole and leave yourself with a preferred distance into the green. You have the ability to play a good approach with the next shot from the safety of the fairway.
This mentality will help keep disasters off the scorecard. Furthermore, over time, you’ll see a notable drop in double bogeys and above, and your average score will also drop.
Practice Short Game
Spend between half (1/2) and two thirds (2/3) of your practice time on short game. What’s our definition of short game? Everything from less than 100 yards and in, including:
- Pitch shots <100 yards. Practice to various lengths with various clubs. At least, 75 yards, 50 yards, 25 yards.
- Green side bunker shots. If this is a particular weakness. Get a lesson. Unless the lie is particularly bad, you should be getting out of bunkers first time with relative ease and skill.
- Chipping around the green. Get good with at least one club for chipping round the green. My personal preference is a 9i. Like many others, we recommend you avoid regular use of your 60o wedge.
- Putting. Specifically, do regular drills from 3ft, 6ft and 9ft. We highly recommend the simple drill of putting from 3ft at minimum. Put 8 balls 3ft around a hole and aim to putt all 8 balls successively into the cup. Keep doing it until you succeed in putting all 8 one after the other. If you miss one, start again. This will help relieve anxiety for short putts while on the course. We don’t want to be missing short putts when trying to achieve a sub 80 score.
Ignore Your Score
This piece of advice can inadvertently contradict other advice for breaking 80. For example. Some advise to focus on scoring over three holes at a time. Although course planning like this is good practice, we suggest a different approach to help mentality. From our experience, this approach is especially effective in Match play competition. What we advise is that you do not follow your score while playing. All you should do is finish each hole, note your score down and move on to the next hole. Don’t keep tabs of your scoring. If you can, use a traditional card/paper scorecard, completing the old fashion way with a pencil. Avoid using apps that calculate your score as you go. Avoid updates from playing partners. I personally tell other players that I’m not interested in my score. We want to avoid keeping track of your score. Take a look when you’ve finished the round.
Together with “no hero shots”, ignoring your score gives you a powerful mindset and makes you focus on each hole. I guarantee this will stop you dwelling, keep you focused on the present, and enjoy golf more.
Know Your Weaknesses
This can be many things. We offer a few suggestions here. Our first suggestion is to understand your club weaknesses, especially if these happen to be Drivers or a 60o wedge. If you’re weak with either, then don’t use them. If you consistently hit a 3W over 200 yards, you can use this instead of a driver. If your 60o is weak, consider switching to a lower lofted wedge such as a 54o. Another weaknesses to avoid while playing would be forcing a draw or fade when they are not your strengths. This would fall under the “hero shot” avoidance.
Know and Play To Your Strengths
On the flip side. Know and play to your strengths. Understand what clubs you are most consistent with – direction and length. If an 8i is a strength, then take this into account and give yourself more opportunities play your 8i. If you have a natural draw, play to your draw. On holes that have a dog leg favouring a fade, play a little conservative on these holes “no here shots”.
Plan to Break 80
Your target score is 79 or better. Assuming a par 70 to 72 course, gives a buffer of +7 to +9 shots over par across 18 holes. Below is an example of what to aim for in the scenario of a par 72. In this scenario we have given some leniency with double Bogeys, balanced by the same amount of Birdies. Keep the Double Bogeys off the scorecard and you can easily see how your chances of breaking 80 improve.
For illustrative purposes, a real world example is shown below of my own first instance of Breaking 80 (on a relatively difficult course at least). In this example I achieved this with 3 Double Bogies. and just 1 Birdie. However, I had 10 pars and just 3 bogeys, giving a net score of 78, +8 over par. Note, this was achieved on a par 70 course, and at the time I had a handicap of 15.2, which dropped significantly as a consequence.
Bonus
There is one further piece of advice we would give. At HowIsMyGolf we like to share the best YouTube videos for related topics. In this case, we highly recommend watching the break 80 Ultimate Guide by Golf Sidekick in “the hour of power”. We appreciate it is long. But it is worth the watch and worth saving to your YouTube playlist.
Summary
If you have your own experience of breaking 80, 90 or 100, we’d love to hear your experience, advice or any tips you would offer someone else. Simply share your thoughts in the comments section below.
You can keep up-to-date with new articles by subscribing to the blog. Simply enter your email below. For more great articles, visit the Blog Library.
Other Articles in the Breaking Series
Breaking 90
Breaking 100
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The Start of a New Golf Season: Same Mistakes Again
It’s April 1st, 2026. In the UK, the clocks have just gone forward — which means longer evenings and the return of after-work golf. For me, that marks the real start of the Golf season.
I’ve only managed a handful of 9-hole rounds so far… but it hasn’t taken long to spot a familiar pattern.
The Reality Right Now
I’m making the same mistakes I make every year:
- Scoring is down — playing more like a 16 handicap than 10.9
- Putting is poor — 3 x three-putts in my last 9-hole round… ouch!
- Chipping is inconsistent — not terrible, but I did duff into a short sided bunker, god damn 🤦
- Slow starts — my last four opening holes: Par, Treble, Double, Double
- Course management is off
- Decision-making feels rushed and sloppy
It’s not disastrous… but it feels frustrating.
What I’ve Learned (So Far)
Despite the scores, there are some positives — and a few clear lessons:
- Winter swing changes are working (sort of)
My longer clubs feel easier, and the hook has gone. The miss now is a push — which feels like part of the adjustment. - Distance control is off
Winter golf messes with your yardages. I’m still playing “winter numbers.”
Example: I hit a 9i instead of an easy PW… flew the green, tricky chip, then a three-putt. Classic. - Strategy is the biggest issue
Poor decisions are stacking up. One bad choice leads to another — and suddenly it’s double bogey. It’s something I’ve learned the hard way, avoiding risky decisions is key (see Breaking 80). - Pitching needs attention
This was a strength last year. Right now, it’s not. Getting this back could steady everything else. - Scoring isn’t actually that bad — at least in comparison to years gone by. My new bad, isn’t as bad. Yay for me!
Where I Go From Here
I’ve no doubt my handicap might creep up early season — and that’s fine. I’m very use to that patters and It reflects where my game is right now 🤷. Interestingly, my data over the last 6 years shows this happens almost every season, which is captured here.
For now, if I can:
- sharpen my decision-making
- dial in distances
- rebuild confidence in my pitching
- Get some time on the practice green: 3ft putt drill + distance putts for feel, chipping.
…then hopefully I can steady things before the season really gets going.
That’s my early-season reality check as the golf season gets underway.
If you’re in the same boat, you’re not alone.
Enjoy the start of your season, wherever you are… and enjoy The Masters.
Your Editor-In-Chief & Average Golfer 💚🏌️♂️
Bradley Jemmett-Smith
Review of Garforth Golf Club, West Yorkshire, UK
Garforth Golf Club is located East of Leeds near Garforth, in West Yorkshire, UK. This is another course visited regularly by HowIsMyGolf.com. Pricing and details are accurate at the time of writing, but may change. Please contact the course directly for the latest information. We hope you find our review of Garforth Golf Club helpful. All opinions are those of HowIsMyGolf.com and based on independent experience. No payments, discounts or services were received unless stated. The free downloadable PDF is designed with accessibility in mind. Screen-reader compatible, clean layout, and include clickable links for easy navigation:
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Review of Normanton Golf Course, West Yorkshire, UK
Normanton Golf Course is located between Wakefield and Leeds, in West Yorkshire, UK. Note, it is not located in nearby Normanton, despite its name. The course review is based on a visit in 2024; however, HowIsMyGolf regularly visit this course. Pricing and details are accurate at the time of writing, but may change. Please contact the course directly for the latest information. We hope you find our review of Normanton Golf Course helpful. All opinions are those of HowIsMyGolf.com and based on independent experience. No payments, discounts or services were received unless stated.
The free downloadable PDF’s are designed with accessibility in mind. Screen-reader compatible, clean layout, and include clickable links for easy navigation. There are two versions. The first is a mobile friendly version, the second for desktop and tablets. If you spot any issues, let us know in the comments below. To stay up-to-date on future reviews subscribe below.
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Review of Temple Newsam Golf Course, West Yorkshire, UK
Temple Newsam is a Municipal Golf course (council run and open to the public). It is located on the outskirts of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, UK. HowIsMyGolf last visited the course in 2024 and will visit again, since it is fairly priced (cheap) with friendly staff.
We hope you find our review of Temple Newsam Golf Course helpful. All opinions are those of HowIsMyGolf.com and based on independent experience. No payments, discounts or services were received unless stated. Pricing and details are accurate at the time of writing, but may change. Please contact the course directly for the latest information.
This free downloadable PDF is designed with accessibility in mind. Screen-reader compatible, clean layout, and includes clickable links for easy navigation. If you spot any issues, let us know in the comments below. To stay updated on future reviews, subscribe using the form below.
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Review of Oulton Hall Golf Course, West Yorkshire, UK
Oulton Hall in West Yorkshire, UK, is where our chief editor plays. It is located south of Leeds, easily accessible from the M62 motorway. The course is seeing steady improvement in recent years with green keeping staff making the best of some additional funds. We don’t mention holes 1-9 in the review. If you’re a higher handicap player, consider playing this 9 instead. My personal highlight on this 9 is the last hole (9th). It’s a nice short par 4 to finish. Don’t be greedy. You’ll soon pick up shots if you misplace your tee shot having to avoid green-side bunkers with your approach.
Below you will find our free downloadable PDF’s review. Our reviews are designed with accessibility in mind. Screen-reader compatible, clean layout, and includes clickable links for easy navigation. There are two versions. The first is a mobile friendly version, the second for desktop and tablets. We hope you find this review of Oulton Hall helpful. All opinions are those of HowIsMyGolf.com and based on independent experience. No payments, discounts or services were received unless stated. Pricing and details are accurate at the time of writing, but may change. Please contact the course directly for the latest information. f you spot any issues, let us know in the comments below. To stay up-to-date on future reviews subscribe.
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Break 100 for the first time in golf
Breaking 100 is a great challenge. We’re here to help you with 5 simple tips to help you achieve this. As well as the 5 tips, we give a realistic plan of how to break 100 for the first time.
No Hero Shots
Now this is so important that we mention this again as a reminder in our Break 80 article. This is a simple start and our number 1 tip. Absolutely no hero shots. What do we mean. If you feel that any shot has an element of avoidable risk, then make the safe, easy shot choice instead. For example, you’ve found yourself 20 yards short of the green, between you and the pin is a large bunker. Bunkers are a common weakness for higher handicaps. Knowing this causes a lack of confidence and you’ll be conscious of the bunker affecting you mentally. So don’t play over it. Play the safe shot. Go around the bunker instead. If you still have a line to the green, even better. You never know, you may make the long putt. Avoiding unnecessary risks will help keep disaster holes off your scorecard.
The Punch Shot
You’re going to find yourself in trouble. This is inevitable. A punch shot is your most effective way out of many scenarios. More often than not, this will be of most use when surrounded by trees. So what’s a punch shot? The short video below by Golf Sidekick explains perfectly and offers much advice. Learn this skill and it will forever help you in a tight spot.
Aim for the Centre of the Green
Do not go pin hunting. You need to give yourself the maximum likelihood of avoiding trouble and getting on the green. The best method for your approach shot is to aim for the middle of the green. This tactic carries through to breaking 90 and 80. Even pros do this when it suits. Your priority should be the green, then putt to the hole. It’s an easy yet overlooked simple strategy. Don’t expect to hit the green, but let’s maximise the probability of you landing on the green. Simple.
Identify your Best Clubs
What we really mean here is “find the clubs you hit well” more often than the others. Try and identify three clubs:
- Your longest hitting club – this could be a Driver, 3w, 5w, 7w, hybrid, or mid to long iron. For years my preferred long club was a 3W, including when I first broke 80.
- Your go to mid-length club – a short or mid-iron, that will be used often for your approach shots. Or simply to make some yardage up along the fairway. My choice here is an 8i.
- A club for chipping – Your favourite club to use around the green, gap wedge (e.g. 54o), pitching wedge, 9i, or even your putter if you prefer. Find it and practice with that one club until you break 100. My preference chipping around the green is a 9i.
Get a Lesson
The most frequent phrase I read on social media by those asking for help is “I’m looking for consistency….”. This is by golfers of all handicaps. Consistency is the answer to golf. If you’re struggling to choose any favourite club then you’re lacking consistency. In this scenario we strongly recommend a series of coaching lessons. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn in just one lesson. Here’s a great article about an experience of having lessons for the first time, pros and cons. Make sure you make the effort to practice and have patience to work in suggested changes. It’s rarely easy. Trust the coach.
Plan to Break 100
Your target score is 99 or better. Basic math, assuming a par 72 course, gives a buffer of +27 shots over par across 18 holes. Below is an example of what to aim for. This scenario is balanced. Aim to hit the same number of Pars as Triple Bogeys, and the same amount of bogeys as Double Bogeys. Sounds simple right? Well, it works. If you hit 9x Triple Bogey and 9x pars, you will hit your target of 27. Hit 8x Par, 8x Triple Bogey, 1x Bogey and 1x Double Bogey, and guess what, you still hit 27. These scenarios are a little unrealistic, hence the scenario below is more representative of what you should aim for.
Bonus
The below motivational phrase is by one of the most famous coaches of our generation. Martin Hall of Golf Pass and School of Golf. We wish Martin Hall all the best after finishing his 15 year stint on the show in April 2025.
“If you keep on doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve been getting. So, make the change, and make it now.”
Martin Hall, PGA Coach
Summary
If you have your own experience of breaking 80, 90 or 100, we’d love to hear your experience, advice or any tips you would offer someone else. Simply share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Other Articles in the Breaking Series
Breaking 80
Breaking 90
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LIV Golf, A Short Introduction
Love it or hate it, LIV golf is here to stay. So what’s all the fuss about? Here we give a short introduction to LIV golf, plus other useful links including fixtures and where to watch LIV golf for free.
LIV Golf Playing Format
LIV Golf has an emphasis on both individual and team competition, making it very different to normal golf tournaments. Both occur in parallel. The season typically starts in early February ending in August,
LIV Golf Team Competition
The team competition is in the format of a league that continues throughout the season. Each of the 13 teams has a captain and four players in total. The team competition concludes with Match Play and Playoff competitions.
LIV Golf Individual Competition
Players compete for individual titles at each event, as well as a season-long league competition that determines the overall LIV Golf champion.
LIV Golf Events
Events are held across the globe over the season. Each LIV event is held over three days, with 54 holes and no cut, i.e., every player that starts an event finishes. LIV events are lively, with music and fast paced live action.
The LIV playing format has resulted in some controversy. Players in LIV events do not qualify for world ranking points (as of January 2025).
LIV Golf Shotgun Start
All players start at the same time on different holes across the course. This is known as a shotgun start. For viewers, the benefits of this include: increased live action, start and finish times are the same, duration is relatively short, ~4 hours in total.
LIV Golf Teams
As mentioned previously, core to LIV Golf is its team competition. Below are the teams and their respective Captains as of November 2024. Which team is your pick?
LIV Golf Venues
Up to the end of the 2024 season, LIV Golf has hosted events at 20 different venues across 8 countries. All are listed below. For a full list of fixtures and venues for the current season, see our LIV fixtures and venues page here.
Where to Watch LIV Golf
One of the benefits of LIV Golf, is that it is free to view in most countries on two platforms. LIV Golf +, and You Tube. Both are linked below.
LIV golf plus is a free downloadable app, via Google Play, Apple App store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV
Summary
LIV Golf is a unique addition to tournament golf. Its team format is particularly exciting and will capture the interest of most. It includes some of of the world’s best players; John Rahm, Bryson De’Chambeau, Tyrell Hatton, Cameron Smith. It is free to view without subscription – for the majority – which means you can get a taster without having to pay. Our recommendation: Pick a team, give it a watch, what do you have to lose? For the latest Fixtures see our LIV Golf Schedule, Fixtures and Venues Page.
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