There’s no question about it; breaking 100 is the holy grail for most club golfers when it comes to golfing achievements. Whether you’re a beginner or have been playing for years, breaking 100 is a goal that nearly every golfer at some time or another has strived for, even professional golfers.
In all honesty, this comprehensive guide to breaking 100 could transform your game, and the best part is it’s easier than you think. If I were to go over every area of your game in order to break 100, we would probably need to create a Netflix series, so to keep things simple and, more importantly, easy-to-implement, I’ve decided to keep this guide focused on three non-negotiables:
- Your driving game
- Being competent with every club in your bag
- The space between your ears
Yes, several other key factors need to be addressed, but in my twenty years of coaching experience, these three facets of the game, in particular, will help those on the cusp of breaking 100. Breaking 100 will first depend on your ability to hit fairways which we’ll focus on in more detail in the next section. But here’s a hint; you don’t need to bomb your tee shot 300 yards to break 100.
Next on the list is knowing how far you hit every club in your bag; this is absolutely imperative, and I can not stress this enough. I’d be a millionaire if I had a dollar for every amateur golfer I’ve seen “over” or “under” club.
Knowing your exact yardages might be the most critical piece of advice I can give you; there’s nothing more frustrating than hitting the perfect 7 iron only to see it come up agonizingly short and plop straight into the water.
Lastly, breaking 100 will largely depend on your perspective and how you view the challenge. If you embrace the journey and do it with a smile on your face {not easy}, you’ll give yourself the best chance to write two digits on your scorecard rather than three.
So if you’ve been close or are on the threshold of breaking 100, then this comprehensive guide is for you. I’ll share my pro coaching experience and provide you with simple yet practical and actionable tips that will have you breaking 100 quicker than you ever thought possible.
These tips and strategies are easy to implement and designed to help both male and female golfers, seniors, and even juniors who are just starting out on their golfing journey.
The Tee Box is Where it All Begins
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Ok, so the tee box can be a daunting place to stand, and for most amateur golfers, it puts the fear of God in them; but it doesn’t have to be that way; more often than not, you can mitigate most of the nerves simply by taking a few deep breaths. Granted, there’s a little bit more to a good drive than that, but deep breathing is a good start.
Deep breathing and not “overthinking” are imperative to help calm the nerves; it’s pretty hard to hit a good drive off the tee if your hands are shaking and you’re feeling flustered. If you watch the pros, you’ll see that they all have pre-shot routines which are designed to keep them focused on their swing mechanics and allow them to swing freely.
For mid to high handicappers, your best bet is to head to the practice range before you go to the first tee; this way, you’re guaranteed to get 10 to 15 minutes of practice in; The worse thing you can do is get out of your car and head straight to the first tee without taking any practice swings at all.
You can hit a few tee shots at the range with each of the clubs in your bag. Most golfers play golf at their local club, so you should know what club you use on the first tee; if it’s a driver, make sure you hit plenty of practice shots with your driver before starting the round. The adage rings true, “the more you practice, the easier it becomes,” The same can be said for practicing before you tee off.
As a high-handicapper, you must focus on the fundamentals of the tee shot, so making sure your ball is teed up to the right height and your stance is correct are two aspects you need to focus on. Again, 10 minutes of pre-round practice can go a long way in helping you “stripe” one down the middle of the fairway.
The other added advantage of pre-round practice is that it allows you to see how you’re feeling the “club on the ball.” Anyone who has played golf knows that the way you strike the ball can change drastically from round to round. If you see you’re hitting a slight draw on the practice range, you can take this knowledge to the first tee and compensate for it; that little bit of knowledge could be enough to keep you out of the rough and in the fairway.
Next time you’re at the golf course, take a look around, and you’ll see that most golfers go straight from the car park to the first tee; don’t make the same mistake; be smart and get some practice strokes and putting in before you tee off.
Knowing the Yardages of Each Club in your Bag
As I mentioned in the intro, understanding how far you hit each club in your bag is critical if you want to break 100 for the first time. Knowing how far you hit each club is a simple process and a metric you should check at least every couple of months. Remember, the better you get, the further you’ll hit your clubs, so consistently checking them is a must.
Many beginners think that every golfer hits the same club the same distance, but nothing could be further from the truth; skill, body size, and shaft type are just a few factors that affect how far golfers hit each club. What might be a 7 iron for you could be a 9 iron for your playing partner, Don’t be influenced by your partner; play the club that’s right for you.
Knowing your yardages is quite possibly the most critical aspect in helping you break 100, especially if you’re playing a new course. You can select the right club and swing with confidence if you know your yardages. Most clubs have the yardage to the middle of the green etched onto the fairway sprinkler heads, so don’t forget to use those to get an accurate distance.
Weather conditions like the wind and the hole’s difficulty also play a significant factor in club selection. For example, if you usually hit a 7-iron 150-yards, but you’re playing a shot directly into the wind with a water hazard short of the green, you’re probably going to have to take at least 1 or 2 clubs extra; so what would typically be a 7-iron now becomes a 5 or 6 iron.
Although poor swing mechanics can be blamed for erratic shots, most amateur golfers don’t realize that, more often than not, poor club selection is to blame. I’ve seen it thousands of times; high-handicappers hit a beautiful approach to the green; it looks great in the air, it’s on target, but ultimately it’s either too long over the back of the green or short in the water hazard.
The Space Between Your Ears
I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I’m going to repeat it again; golf is a game that’s played between your ears. Bobby Jones, arguably one of the greatest golfers of all time, is quoted as saying,
“The most important piece of real estate on a golf course is the 5 inches between your ears.”
Most club golfers are easily influenced by the pros, and many of them think they can simply walk out onto the first tee and bomb a 300-yard drive; however, most find out pretty quickly the pros are playing at a different level. Now I presume you’re reading this guide because you’re not a pro; rather, you’re an avid mid to high-handicapper who dreams of breaking 100, not just once but consistently.
If you’re like me, you’ve got friends who don’t mind a little bit of banter and a small wager when you’re out on the course. Following these mental tips can have you not only breaking 100 but also taking their money.
Having realistic expectations is one of my non-negotiables when it comes to breaking 100; the reality is you’re not a pro; you need to play to your strengths and know your game. Having a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses is essential in helping to quiet those inner demons that visit every golfer at some point or another.
If the winds are howling and it’s raining cats and dogs, you’re probably not going to shoot the best round of your life, yet you’ll be amazed at just how many club golfers continue taking risks in these less than favorable conditions. Learning to take what the course and conditions give you is a critical skill to grasp; there’s no use trying to fight the elements because it’s a battle you’re never going to win.
Even the pros fall victim trying to hit miraculous shots in conditions that aren’t conducive, and more often than not, they end up paying for it in the way of a double or triple bogey. Instead of trying to hit the green by playing through the trees, remind yourself to play conservatively; chip out into the fairways, and go from there; remember, breaking 100 is all about eliminating the big mistakes.
The pros are obviously playing at a level far beyond most of us but what we can take from them is the importance they place on decision making and club selection. Combined, these two factors can be enough to have you breaking 100 before you know it.
Tips to Break 100 in Golf
Breaking 100 in golf requires a little bit more than the three strategies suggested above. Below I’ve compiled a list of 7 bonus tips that will help you break 100 consistently and lower your handicap.
Eliminating the Big Numbers
When it comes to breaking the magical 100 in golf, eliminating the big numbers should be one of your main priorities. Double, triple, and quadruple bogeys can kill any chance of finally shooting in the 90s. The key to limiting the big numbers is playing conservatively, being patient, and keeping risk-taking to a minimum.
Instead of trying to play a miraculous shot out of the rough like Phil Mickelson, punch your ball back into the fairway and play from there. You’re much better off sacrificing 1 shot now rather than 4 shots at the end of the hole.
Like Tiger Woods says,
“You’ve got to stay patient, stay in the moment, and keep grinding. You never know what can happen.”
Mastering your Short Game
Have you ever noticed that amateur golfers spend most of their time on the practice range blasting drives and long irons rather than putting on the practice green? This is one of the most common and destructive mistakes club golfers make.
If your goal is to break 100, you need to get your short game into tip-top shape, and the only way to do that is by practicing. A good rule of thumb is to spend as much time on your chipping and putting as you do on your long irons and driver. For example, if you’re spending 4 hours a week on the driving range, you also need to dedicate 4 hours to chipping and putting.
Most of the shots that high-handicappers lose are on and around the greens, so get your short game in order and watch your scores improve.
Deliberate Practice
If you want to start writing 90 on your scorecard rather than 100, then you need to stop wasting time on the practice range and start practicing with a purpose.
Deliberate practice is what separates the great players from the good, and the best thing is it’s not rocket science. Start by identifying areas of your game that need strengthening and get to work. If your short game needs work, focus your attention on and around the practice green; there’s no use in spending countless hours hitting long irons if it’s your strong point.
Legendary coach Harvey Penick said,
“In golf, your strengths and weaknesses will always be there. If you could improve your weaknesses, you would improve your game. The irony is that people prefer to practice their strengths”.
Utilizing all your Clubs
Utilizing every club in your bag is only possible after you’ve put in the hours on the practice range. Much like players like to practice their strengths, amateur golfers also love to limit their practice to clubs they have confidence in; this is a critical mistake.
To break 100, you need to be confident in every single club in your bag; now, that doesn’t mean you have to master every club but rather have the confidence you can play a safe shot. For example, most high-handicappers “steer clear” of using their lob wedge, but in reality, the lob wedge can get you out of trouble and shave a few strokes off your score.
Next time you’re at the practice, make it a point to hit the same amount shots with every club in your bag; it’s not something you need to do every time, but at least once a week.
The Practice Green is your Best Friend
Spending time putting is one of the best ways to shave a significant amount of shots from your score. You can practice putts from varying differences and play games with yourself to challenge your putting.
For example, you can say you need to make 10 putts in a row from 3 feet before moving to back 5 feet. I used to play a game where I had to make 100 three-footers in a row at the end of each putting session; the challenge was I couldn’t leave until I had made them all; to this day, I still remember missing on 99 and having to start again.
Get to work putting because, as Ben Hogan said,
“there is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground.”
Chipping
Practicing your chipping is another area of your game that, if improved, can get you one step closer to breaking 100. Most golf clubs have practice chipping greens which allow you to practice all types of chipping, including bump and runs, skippers, bunker shots, and flop shots.
I would suggest placing some markers on the green to help with distance control for high handicappers. From chips just around the green, aim to stop the ball within 3 to 5 feet of the pin. You can be a little more lenient for bunkers shots, and anything between 10 to 15 feet is more than acceptable.
Calm in the Eye of the Storm
Last but certainly not least is having the ability to stay calm in the eye of the storm. There’s no use worrying and getting flustered about factors that are out of your control, so while your playing partners are getting angry and emotional, all you need to do is stay calm.
Focus on the task at hand; doing this allows you to play to the best of your ability. If you’re standing on the 18th hole and only need three putts to break 100 for the first time, rest assured you’ll be pretty nervous, but if you can stay calm and follow your pre-shot routine, you’ll be signing 90 instead of 100.
Here’s what Jack Nicklaus, the greatest player of all time, said about the mental game,
“you can win tournaments when you’re mechanical, but golf is a game of emotion and adjustment. If you’re not aware of what’s happening to your mind and your body when you’re playing, you’ll never be able to be the very best you can be.”
The 18th Hole
Well, there you have it, a comprehensive guide to breaking 100 in golf for the very first time. We’ve covered everything from driving to putting and the mental game to club selection. Staying focused and being patient are also critical components in the journey to breaking 100.
I’m confident that if you follow the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can and will break 100, not just once but consistently, and before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to breaking 90.
Happy golfing, and see you in the 90s.
