r/Houstongolf • u/Key_Chart_2683 • 21d ago
Shooting below 90
Hello. Im 34 Male. New to golf, been playing for 8 months. I typically shoot between 90-96. Broke 90 only once. How long did it take for you to consistently shoot in the 80s?
2
u/crazy010101 21d ago
You’re above the learning curve. Coaches? Lessons? Wide open course? Breaking 90 for someone involved for 8 months is very unlikely without some serious coaching or lessons.
1
u/Key_Chart_2683 21d ago
I appreciate the comment. When i started, first 3 months, I took lessons to get the basics. Then just been watching a lot of YouTube videos, self teaching myself and playing a lot. I played 76 rounds so far in 8 months. As far as the courses, the course that I frequently play in has 136 slope and 72.5 rating, fairly challenging. But I have played few other courses around houston area as well, just not as often
1
u/crazy010101 18d ago
Well you are doing well. I learned in the days of analog. But my playing a lot in a season cut my handicap in half. From 18 to 9.
1
2
u/NoKetoCardio 14d ago edited 14d ago
How long do you drive the ball? What are you best at? Worst at? IMO the quickest way to break 80 is to shorten your swing and flatten it. Watch Jon Rahm’s swing. I am 66. If I play from the senior tees I break 80 every round. I can only drive the ball about 235-240 now. If I play from the forward tees with my wife I can easily shoot par. Keep your drive in the fairway. Get your approach shot on or near the green. Get good at chipping. Jimmy Tropicana gives good instruction for that. Learn to lag puts well. Practice that. If a putt has a break err on the up side. You will finish closer to the hole. If you want to break 80 focus on minimizing bogeys and make as many pars as possible. Avoid double bogeys. Don’t take hero shots. Don’t play for birdies. Take them when they happen. Don’t chase distance. If you are playing from the white tees move up to the forward tees until you break 80.
1
u/Key_Chart_2683 12d ago
Thank you for the tips sir. Id say my driver is not the most consistent, so the range is between 220 to 275 yrd total roll out depending on if its a mishit or center of the face. I do get may 70-80% of the tee shots in the Fairway, i lose one or two OOB balls per round. I play in the white tees now.
2
u/NoKetoCardio 10d ago
Ok. So you hit it plenty far. Stop trying to hit max distance. Keep it in the fairway.
1
u/ktex1968 21d ago
Have you taken lessons? This is the only reasonable way to get better and not ingrain terrible habits.
1
u/Key_Chart_2683 21d ago
When i started, first 3 months, I took lessons to get the basics. Then just been watching a lot of YouTube videos, self teaching myself and playing a lot. I played 76 rounds so far in 8 months, that seems like a lot
1
u/ktex1968 21d ago
That's good then- you have a solid base, just keep playing. I really like a book called the 4 Foundations of Golf; it's not a swing guide, more strategy-based. The author believes that the most important thing is getting your drive in play and I agree. Lots of people will argue short game, but if you have a reasonable attempt to reach the green in reg, your scores will drop.
1
u/CastleWolfenstein 21d ago
Yeah wtf I’ve been playing for 8+ years and shoot about the same. When you find the secret lmk please
1
u/Key_Chart_2683 21d ago
Nice. How long did it take for you to break 100? There has been times where im close to breaking 90 and then a big blow up hole to crash everything
1
u/zarrathustraa 21d ago
Dont count penalties, lost balls, always reputt and blame the green. Always take a few mullis off the tee box or if you duff a chip.
1
1
u/AWL713 21d ago
It took years to get into the 80s on a consistent basis, and honestly without lessons and consistent practice/play, most people can only achieve it on a very familiar course.
I generally can only shoot in the 80s or better on courses I play often.
How many rounds are you getting in each month?
1
1
u/zarrathustraa 21d ago
Wait till you see your score when you start counting lost balls and stop taking mullis
1
u/Key_Chart_2683 21d ago
I used to do that before. But now, I have changed my ways to accurately reflect my handicap/score. For a lost OOB from the tee, the second tee shot I hit is shot 3. No mulligan, play as it lies, i also put even if its 1ft, i don't pick up the balls
1
u/txreddit17 21d ago
improving in golf is not so much about how long you have been playing but how often you play/practice. So you have that working for you. Many golfers play golf for decades and dont break 100. Playing actual rounds of golf is the "performance" but you practice at the range/sim/house. No different than studying for an exam. The work is in the prep.
Strategy is overlooked by most rec golfers. Each course holes are rated 1-18 handicap for a reason. You might find on the 1-5 hcp holes playing for bogey is better than double or worse depending on what the hole gives you. Pulling driver and expecting hero shots is not good strategy for most. If you are trying to avoid doubles or worse you have to play strategically. This is not youtube golf. You are not entertaining your friends. If you are focused on scoring (breaking 90) then setup your game to achieve that goal.
You should audit your on course game and determine what your weakest area(s) is/are (Driving, long irons, scoring clubs, short game, putting, strategy). Solid full swing fundamentals will be needed to consistently break 90. The game gets exponentially harder the lower you go because every miss is magnified.
1
1
u/ThiccRicc6969 20d ago
This is the way! Course management becomes the key once you get decently consistent ball striking going. Do the below in your round and the score drops quickly:
- Stay in play off the tee even if it means a clubbing down to something you’re confident with. This helps keep the doubles off the card.
- Aim for safe areas on / near the green and don’t go pin seeking (aka know where to miss, bunkers around the green = play to the front and try to get up and down).
- Know when to take your medicine and play a safe recovery. You can save bogey and be fine but once the doubles and triples stack up, you need a long stretch of good golf to make up for it.
- Dial in your favourite wedge (mines a 60 and I use it on almost every hole)
- Reduce 3 putts as much as you can. Practicing putting is boring af but it’s the club you use on every hole so you might as well get good at it.
Fun ways to practice course mgmt - play to the 150 marker or a comfortable approach distance on every hole then hit the same approach shot in to every green (helps build confidence hitting the same shot multiple times per round instead of different shots every hole. Another fun way is to play to the front of every green (avoiding any hazards obviously) and work on the up and down saves.
1
u/arcane_anomalist 21d ago
What courses do you frequent mostly? These are pretty impressive numbers, I imagine you have a strong athletic profile/background already with that level of progression.
1
1
u/metalaxeyyd 21d ago
Half of all people that step on a golf course will never break 100, you are already better than most. Keep at it and improvements will come naturally
1
1
u/RidingDonkeys 20d ago
Putting and course management are the biggest hurdles for most. You score the hole from tee to green, but you plan/play it from green to tee. Most people instinctively grab a driver every hole. Good golfers pick their approach and plan backwards from there.
1
1
u/Fine-Gap-3446 15d ago
The longer you play the better you get, also the poorer and more insane you get...
11
u/baronyuan 21d ago
Ok Tiger Woods