Breaking 100/90/80

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

I have a buddy that uses this method, and he is a solid golfer.  He hits the driver down the middle most of the time.  I give him a hard time a lot because if you put an iron in his hands, he hits it very well and is typically on the green.  But you put a gap, sand or lob wedge in his hands currently and about 35% of the time it's mishit and ends up losing strokes.  

It doesn't make sense to me in this scenario...  Yes, he's 60 yards out but takes 2 more shots to get to the green.  Put him at 120 out and he's putting for birdie more often than not.

Again, I understand the concept to a point, but I think in order for that to work properly, the one hitting the next shot has to be comfortable with that potential shot and play to their strengths.  

Some guys have no touch and there are awkward numbers for all of us. I watched an interview dj did a few years back with meandmygolf and he doesn’t like 50-60 yard shots and prefers to be 80-90 yards. 
 

it’s about what we ar comfortable with and can successfully execute but the numbers don’t lie. Closer to the hole equals closer to the pin.

 

[Josh Parker]

2 hours ago, Shrek74 said:

I'll likely repeat what some others have said, but I'll give my thoughts anyway as someone struggling to get back to the 80's and has never broken 80.

There are multiple goals that are valid at any level that we should all be working on/towards, regardless of handicap or ability.
1. Keep the ball in play.
2. Avoid any type of penalty.
3. Eliminate 3 putts.
4. Eliminate big numbers (see below).
5. Practice with a purpose.
6. Leave ego in the car.
7. Be a goldfish.

What many don't realize, lowering scores and in turn your handicap has nothing to do with birdies or eagles. It's about keeping the big numbers off the card. For high handicaps, that's keeping triples or worse off the card. For mid-handicaps, that's eliminating the double bogeys. Lower handicaps want to avoid the bogeys. The big numbers, whether due to penalties, 3-putts, duffed chips, whatever are our biggest enemy on the course (besides ourselves).

One of the biggest things we mid to high handicaps don't do enough of is practice, and in particular practice with a purpose. It's not about hitting our 7-iron until our hands bleed. It's about focusing that energy and time towards a particular goal or need or point we need to improve on. A super focused 30 minute session will be far more beneficial than an unfocused 60 minutes on the range. And practice putting, again with focused practice.

As much as I don't like the various tracking systems that have fees and membership requirements, we should all track our stats. These can really help with the focus we need to improve our game both on the course and in practice. I started doing it at the end of this season and only have 7 rounds in the books, but the details I'm seeing already are showing me where I need to put my attention to in this offseason going into next year that should help me get my 2024 goals accomplished. So that focused practice are going to come from these stats and will continue to as I add more and more rounds.

One final thought. We need to get out of our own heads more. This comes back to item 7 above. Once a shot is hit, we can't take it back or do it over unless it's OB or in a pond or whatever. And even then, it's a stroke on card and not a mulligan. We need to learn from anything bad we did, apply it going forward, and then let it go. If we keep holding to it as we continue that round, more bad shots will come and our score will continue suffer. As many tell us, golf is more mental than anything else. We need to understand that and apply it.

I'm old school and still track everything on the scorecard. Make notes, FW GIR, Putts, etc.  My wife always ask when she can throw that stack out that sits in the office. Even offered to make a spreadsheet. 

[BLD7]

43 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

I'm old school and still track everything on the scorecard. Make notes, FW GIR, Putts, etc.  My wife always ask when she can throw that stack out that sits in the office. Even offered to make a spreadsheet. 

@Josh Parker I can appreciate the old school approach for note taking. Some years ago I switched to an app on my phone that helps keep track of many details. If you play at a course that allows phones (some dont) consider using an app. And for the record, i was so stubborn, I had the app for maybe 2 full seasons while entering information  into the app AND still keeping track of notes on the paper card before I went full digital app. I'm sure I still have some scorecards in my office. The total percentages of each stat and the round by round tracking was so much easier with the app I finally put the pencil down, but it did take 2 years. Also, the app was/is able to sync with my GHIN account and that is probably what pushed me over the edge...

[Josh Parker]

26 minutes ago, BLD7 said:

@Josh Parker I can appreciate the old school approach for note taking. Some years ago I switched to an app on my phone that helps keep track of many details. If you play at a course that allows phones (some dont) consider using an app. And for the record, i was so stubborn, I had the app for maybe 2 full seasons while entering information  into the app AND still keeping track of notes on the paper card before I went full digital app. I'm sure I still have some scorecards in my office. The total percentages of each stat and the round by round tracking was so much easier with the app I finally put the pencil down, but it did take 2 years. Also, the app was/is able to sync with my GHIN account and that is probably what pushed me over the edge...

Haha man I can't do the digital.  I do enter in the stats on GHIN when I get home but when I'm on the course I want to forget electronics as much as possible and that's hard to do as a real estate agent. Lol. 

When I ran construction I was still old school and kept a notebook and dayplanner for everything.  We had tablets and phones with calendars but I hated it. 

 

[BLD7]

1 minute ago, Josh Parker said:

Haha man I can't do the digital.  I do enter in the stats on GHIN when I get home but when I'm on the course I want to forget electronics as much as possible and that's hard to do as a real estate agent. Lol. 

When I ran construction I was still old school and kept a notebook and dayplanner for everything.  We had tablets and phones with calendars but I hated it. 

 

I can appreciate that. I remember the day planner. When I did new construction it was a must have! Haha

[Shrek74]

14 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

I'm old school and still track everything on the scorecard. Make notes, FW GIR, Putts, etc.  My wife always ask when she can throw that stack out that sits in the office. Even offered to make a spreadsheet. 

Well, if you're not using the various tracking methods (Arccos, ShotScope, Garmin, etc) then I'm with the wife on this one. Put it in a spreadsheet. You can't glean any actual details/insights from just a stack of cards. You need to see the stats and details in a way that you can gather useful and helpful information from. The various tracking methods do all that for you, but a spreadsheet is the best way to do it without utilizing those other technologies.

This is obviously my opinion now that I actually see stats for the first time, plus I work in IT and deal with spreadsheets daily. So I know they are so much more useful than a stack of papers.

[Josh Parker]

5 minutes ago, Shrek74 said:

Well, if you're not using the various tracking methods (Arccos, ShotScope, Garmin, etc) then I'm with the wife on this one. Put it in a spreadsheet. You can't glean any actual details/insights from just a stack of cards. You need to see the stats and details in a way that you can gather useful and helpful information from. The various tracking methods do all that for you, but a spreadsheet is the best way to do it without utilizing those other technologies.

This is obviously my opinion now that I actually see stats for the first time, plus I work in IT and deal with spreadsheets daily. So I know they are so much more useful than a stack of papers.

I'm sure I will let her throw them on a spreadsheet at some point.  I do put the stats into GHIN once I get home so I do have it tracked to a certain degree but also keep more info/notes that would be good to put on a spreadsheet.  

[Middler]

There isn’t a universal answer. I know people for whom driver is issue #1, others who’ve decided they can’t hit irons, others who can’t putt, can’t chip/pitch, can’t get out of sand - or combinations thereof.

And there’s course management as well, knowing when the risk is worth it, or not. I know people who always go for hero shots, and others who are unnecessarily conservative (though much less common).

I also know players who swing way too hard and chronically under club. 

I average 83-84, break 80 about 10% of the time, and my driver still gives me more trouble than any other club/shot. I know others with similar HI’s to me who are very consistent with driver but they throw away strokes on and around the green. I know a couple very good players who are lost in bunkers - totally unnecessary BTW.

ABOVE ALL, I know quite a few guys whose basic mental game is the issue. They don’t have any confidence, notably putting - they expect to miss putts, so they do. Or they let one bad shot ruin a hole, or one or two bad holes ruins a whole round. A surprising number of golfers never learn these essential fundamental requirements to better scoring. Playing every single hole, every single shot as an independent new opportunity and believing in a good outcome every time you address the ball is crucial. Sure you’ll make mistakes, but you can’t let them be part of your mental game.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Middler

[Josh Parker]

8 minutes ago, Middler said:

There isn’t a universal answer. I know people for whom driver is issue #1, others who’ve decided they can’t hit irons, others who can’t putt, can’t chip/pitch, can’t get out of sand - or combinations thereof.

And there’s course management as well, knowing when the risk is worth it, or not. I know people who always go for hero shots, and others who are unnecessarily conservative (though much less common).

I also know players who swing way too hard and chronically under club. 

I average 83-84, break 80 about 10% of the time, and my driver still gives me more trouble than any other club/shot. I know others with similar HI’s to me who are very consistent with driver but they throw away strokes on and around the green. I know a couple very good players who are lost in bunkers - totally unnecessary BTW.

So, is there a particular thing you work on to fix the driver issues?  Play a different club off the tee currently to try and break that 80 mark more consistently?

[Middler]

7 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

So, is there a particular thing you work on to fix the driver issues?  Play a different club off the tee currently to try and break that 80 mark more consistently?

I’ve backed off how hard I swing, almost always my issue. I used to average 250-270, but only averaged about 6 fairways a round. Now I average 230-250 and I’m averaging 8-9 fairways. I’ve had to relearn that simple lesson hundreds of times…too soon old, too late smart.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Middler

[StrokerAce]

22 minutes ago, Middler said:

ABOVE ALL, I know quite a few guys whose simple mental game is the issue. They don’t have any confidence, notably putting - they expect to miss putts, so they do. Or they let one bad shot ruin a hole, or one or two bad holes ruins a whole round. 

When I miss a green that I probably should have hit the first thing I say to myself - no matter what - is that I can get that up and down. I used to think - ah crap, now I'm screwed.
positive thinking and optimism can do wonders. 

getting over the fact that we aren't perfect and we're not going to be takes some time but once your realize all the things that need to go RIGHT in order to hit a good golf shot it makes accepting the bad ones a little easier.
sometimes we expect too much of ourselves. remember: it's just a game meant for fun.

[RickyBobby_PR]

45 minutes ago, Middler said:

There isn’t a universal answer. I know people for whom driver is issue #1, others who’ve decided they can’t hit irons, others who can’t putt, can’t chip/pitch, can’t get out of sand - or combinations thereof.

There is, reduce the bad shots by choosing a club that keeps the ball out of trouble, or one could learn to choose a different line that accounts for the movement of their shot. This is part of course management that goes into lowering scores across all levels.

For those that can’t hit irons pick one that they can hit then use that. Same for bunkers, pick a club that takes the bunker out of play. All part of reducing errors and preventing scores from becoming worse than they should be

48 minutes ago, Middler said:

ABOVE ALL, I know quite a few guys whose basic mental game is the issue. They don’t have any confidence, notably putting - they expect to miss putts, so they do. Or they let one bad shot ruin a hole, or one or two bad holes ruins a whole round. A surprising number of golfers never learn these essential fundamental requirements to better scoring. Playing every single hole, every single shot as an independent new opportunity and believing in a good outcome every time you address the ball is crucial. Sure you’ll make mistakes, but you can’t let them be part of your mental game.

This is key for all levels of play. There are low handicaps that could go lower if they addressed this part of the game.

but at the end of the day it’s the same for everyone, keep big scores off the scorecard. 

[tdroma98]

@Josh Parker I played this morning & thought about this thread during my round, LOL particularly yours & @vandyland previous posts.  I think your thread Breaking 100/90/80 can also come down to two words:  Course Management. 

This morning I'm standing on 13 tee box, 330 yds & looked down the fairway actually thinking of this thread LOL- there is water all down the left side about 30 yds off the fairway; a fairway bunker on the right side of fairway into the rough, about 215-225yds out which is easily reachable with a driver or even 3 wood. If you decide to hit driver & want to carry the bunker & don't hit a draw you bring 3 palm trees into play & a HUGE Oak tree, which you have no choice but to hit a punch shot to an uphill green. 

So depending on the wind, it's either a 5wd,  Rescue or 5 iron. Wind was into the face this morning, so I hit the 5 wood at the bunker on right with a draw.  I'm in fairway with 127yds in, to an uphill green & back pin placement. With that play there was no trouble in front, just an uphill green & back pin.  I Ranger at this course on weekends and everyday, without fail, I hear golfers announce their scores walking off the green or at 14 tee box: 5, 6, 7. Most often it's 6 & 7's.  How do you eliminate that double or triple? Course management. Don't get consumed thinking you will drive the green.  Be realistic in knowing how far you actually hit your driver & woods and take what the hole gives you.  Look down the fairway & think about eliminating trouble - water/bunkers.
 
The point is you guys are correct, including @RickyBobby_PR, these young guys get to a hole like #13 & they hit the driver because Rory would do it. Whack it, then pull it into the water or hit a huge slice & get into trouble down the right side or even hit it out of bounds further right.  There is nothing gained by hitting driver & they wonder why they double or triple bogey the hole. (BTW, I parred the hole today)

 

[Josh Parker]

30 minutes ago, tdroma98 said:

@Josh Parker I played this morning & thought about this thread during my round, LOL particularly yours & @vandyland previous posts.  I think your thread Breaking 100/90/80 can also come down to two words:  Course Management. 

This morning I'm standing on 13 tee box, 330 yds & looked down the fairway actually thinking of this thread LOL- there is water all down the left side about 30 yds off the fairway; a fairway bunker on the right side of fairway into the rough, about 215-225yds out which is easily reachable with a driver or even 3 wood. If you decide to hit driver & want to carry the bunker & don't hit a draw you bring 3 palm trees into play & a HUGE Oak tree, which you have no choice but to hit a punch shot to an uphill green. 

So depending on the wind, it's either a 5wd,  Rescue or 5 iron. Wind was into the face this morning, so I hit the 5 wood at the bunker on right with a draw.  I'm in fairway with 127yds in, to an uphill green & back pin placement. With that play there was no trouble in front, just an uphill green & back pin.  I Ranger at this course on weekends and everyday, without fail, I hear golfers announce their scores walking off the green or at 14 tee box: 5, 6, 7. Most often it's 6 & 7's.  How do you eliminate that double or triple? Course management. Don't get consumed thinking you will drive the green.  Be realistic in knowing how far you actually hit your driver & woods and take what the hole gives you.  Look down the fairway & think about eliminating trouble - water/bunkers.
 
The point is you guys are correct, including @RickyBobby_PR, these young guys get to a hole like #13 & they hit the driver because Rory would do it. Whack it, then pull it into the water or hit a huge slice & get into trouble down the right side or even hit it out of bounds further right.  There is nothing gained by hitting driver & they wonder why they double or triple bogey the hole. (BTW, I parred the hole today)

 

Congrats on the Par!  I agree, it's so easy to get the pride in the way and instead of playing the shot you played today, they play the drive the green shot.  

It is absolutely about course management at the end of the day.  I also think it's about playing to your ability and strengths.  Don't play to what a tour pro attempts.  If you hit driver bad but can hit 3 wood or any other club, play that one.  (practice the bad club at the range)  

My driver issues have made me more confident with all the irons in my bag.  I had an easier time learning the long irons than driver and I don't worry about hitting any of them.  Am I going to hit the green with a longer iron more than a 9-Lob.... no, but my short game is a strength and I know that I am going to put it close to the cup if I'm just off the green.

[RickyBobby_PR]

49 minutes ago, tdroma98 said:

LOL- there is water all down the left side about 30 yds off the fairway; a fairway bunker on the right side of fairway into the rough, about 215-225yds out which is easily reachable with a driver or even 3 wood. If you decide to hit driver & want to carry the bunker & don't hit a draw you bring 3 palm trees into play & a HUGE Oak tree, which you have no choice but to hit a punch shot to an uphill green. 

30 yards off the fairway is a lot of room to play either a draw or a fade and not worry about the bunkers on the right or the water on the left. 
 

I would easily play my typical fade aiming somewhere down the left side and let the ball move back into the fairway or if I started inside the fairway cut finish on the right side of the fairway worse case. And if I played my old draw shot shaped depending on how far out the bunkers are into the fairway that’s still a lot of room to even play a pull if it comes out on that hole

[tdroma98]

1 hour ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

30 yards off the fairway is a lot of room to play either a draw or a fade and not worry about the bunkers on the right or the water on the left. 
 

I would easily play my typical fade aiming somewhere down the left side and let the ball move back into the fairway or if I started inside the fairway cut finish on the right side of the fairway worse case. And if I played my old draw shot shaped depending on how far out the bunkers are into the fairway that’s still a lot of room to even play a pull if it comes out on that hole

30 yards is a lot of room however, to draw a better picture of this particular hole, the further down the fairway you are on the left side can bring in even more Oak Trees and a cause of concern. While one may avoid the water further left & keep in the rough, you are totally blocked out from hitting a clear shot to the green from 100 yds & in. Not to mention you're ball is sitting in rough.  

I was one of those guys who thought I was invincible on the 13th hole, playing the up Tees with buddies.  Oh heck, I'll take driver out & crush it.  Oops, then pull the drive a bit, water is of no concern, but too far down off the fairway on the left side, and now the trees are blocking green and you have an uphill stance & ball is in rough.  Hello bogey or double.

That's why standing on the tee, you have to manage the course at times. I hit my driver pretty straight & with a slight draw. But a pull on that hole gains me nothing.  A 4 rescue is my club of choice from 300-320yds, which gives me 130 to 100 yds in & I'm playing from the fairway.  From the back tees (400yds), it's driver off the bunker on the right with a draw & I know I'm not getting into trouble.  (LOL tomorrow watch me hit the drive in the water, LOL - I'll let you know)
This particular hole is an example of how I try to approach a hole & my shot thought process and contributes to being 0 to 1 handicap. 

What a game! 

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, tdroma98 said:

That's why standing on the tee, you have to manage the course at times. I hit my driver pretty straight & with a slight draw. But a pull on that hole gains me nothing

This is where knowing how to setup on the tee box and pick the right line comes into play.  Not saying driver is the right play but understanding how much one’s ball moves on good and bad shots one can still play driver and not bring trouble into play. I play some courses with tight layouts that have basically no rough on the right between the fairway and trees which in most spots don’t have a shout out and have red stakes or thick tree line down the left and let driver fly every time.

[tdroma98]

On 11/13/2023 at 9:27 AM, Josh Parker said:

Breaking 80 - In addition to the above, for me, it was becoming more mentally aware of where I needed to hit the ball on the course and understanding the danger areas.  If/when I miss a green, what will make that up and down possible. 

@Josh Parker the more I look back at my progress in Breaking 80, the Mental part of the game became more apparent.  You nailed it with "becoming more mentally aware".  As you consistently break that 80 floor, you become more mentally aware. Of course, then your weaknesses do become apparent.  ie., missing par 3 greens. turning what should be a bogey into a double & erratic driver and/or 3 wd. 

My weakness was 3 wood consistency & a bit erratic with driver. One thing my coach and I worked on when I got down to about a 7 handicap was being firm with type of drive I wanted to accomplish - Draw or Fade and ball flight.  My comfort level was & is hitting a draw. 

Getting fitted for the correct driver shaft was also key to my consistency.  
You're provoking thought Josh! 

[Josh Parker]

8 hours ago, tdroma98 said:

@Josh Parker the more I look back at my progress in Breaking 80, the Mental part of the game became more apparent.  You nailed it with "becoming more mentally aware".  As you consistently break that 80 floor, you become more mentally aware. Of course, then your weaknesses do become apparent.  ie., missing par 3 greens. turning what should be a bogey into a double & erratic driver and/or 3 wd. 

My weakness was 3 wood consistency & a bit erratic with driver. One thing my coach and I worked on when I got down to about a 7 handicap was being firm with type of drive I wanted to accomplish - Draw or Fade and ball flight.  My comfort level was & is hitting a draw. 

Getting fitted for the correct driver shaft was also key to my consistency.  
You're provoking thought Josh! 

I love this topic for all of these reasons.  Everyone is working on trying to break through that next level and if we really look at where we are at in our own game can learn something from all of this.  

One of my goals for this next year is to break 70.  I have shot 70 once.  Part of getting there is working out my driver.  Driver has/is the weak point in my game currently.  I am in the process of switching coaches.  I need someone who can give me a little more direction.  I understand what I am doing wrong, it's the drills and examples I am lacking.  I have a tendency to hold on thru the driver swing instead of the release and after years of no lessons and self taught, my brain is struggling to re-learn.  

[SteveGH7]

One thing that really helped me cross the breaking 100 barrier was focusing on my short game.  Like most higher handicappers, tee shots can be struggle whether it's lack of distance or accuracy.  So while working on driver was also key, I found that getting wedges that fit my game and really working at my short game turned a lot of potential triples or doubles into bogeys or pars.

Something else I've found very helpful is forgetting about the big numbers when they do happen.  Move on, clear your head, and focus on the next shot or hole.

[ryan.mzzz]

On 11/13/2023 at 12:32 PM, RickyBobby_PR said:

I’ve broken 80 on multiple occasions with only hitting a handful or less fairways and have shot mid 80s hitting 8 or 9 fairways. I don’t play many easy courses
 

A former coach had me tracking whether I have a shot towards the hole after my drive using a scoring system of 1-5 with 5 being no shot. Not being in trouble off the tee is important, but having some shot at advancing the ball towards the green is going to help. GIR is a more critical stat than fairways hit.

id rather be closer to the hole and in the rough than further back in the fairway

 

On 11/13/2023 at 1:27 PM, StrokerAce said:

one of the best follows on Twitter/X....




This exact same thing happened with someone I played with my last round. Par 4 with fairway bunkers so he grabs an iron and ... yep, hits it right in the bunker!
I grab a 3w and go over and have a birdie putt and he ended up with a long bogey putt which turned into a double.

He should have hit his driver.

this is just decade. if you believe this, you should learn the rest. 

 

[ryan.mzzz]

6 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

I love this topic for all of these reasons.  Everyone is working on trying to break through that next level and if we really look at where we are at in our own game can learn something from all of this.  

One of my goals for this next year is to break 70.  I have shot 70 once.  Part of getting there is working out my driver.  Driver has/is the weak point in my game currently.  I am in the process of switching coaches.  I need someone who can give me a little more direction.  I understand what I am doing wrong, it's the drills and examples I am lacking.  I have a tendency to hold on thru the driver swing instead of the release and after years of no lessons and self taught, my brain is struggling to re-learn.  

nail your setup and keep a consistent pace on the way back and through, and it will be the easiest club in your bag to hit. if you don’t have a ping, get a ping. the 10k that just hit the conforming list would probably be perfect for you. 

[tdroma98]

6 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

I love this topic for all of these reasons.  Everyone is working on trying to break through that next level and if we really look at where we are at in our own game can learn something from all of this.  

One of my goals for this next year is to break 70.  I have shot 70 once.  Part of getting there is working out my driver.  Driver has/is the weak point in my game currently.  I am in the process of switching coaches.  I need someone who can give me a little more direction.  I understand what I am doing wrong, it's the drills and examples I am lacking.  I have a tendency to hold on thru the driver swing instead of the release and after years of no lessons and self taught, my brain is struggling to re-learn.  

Good goal to have Josh, in breaking 70. You can do it! Getting in the right frame of mind & not pressing with your driver. Once you break that 70 barrier, it will get easier with each round. 
Also important is finding the right coach & chemistry is important.  With the right coach, you may be surprised what you're going through with the driver, may not be a big issue to fix.  It could be a little tweaking.   Good Luck!! 

[Josh Parker]

4 minutes ago, tdroma98 said:

Good goal to have Josh, in breaking 70. You can do it! Getting in the right frame of mind & not pressing with your driver. Once you break that 70 barrier, it will get easier with each round. 
Also important is finding the right coach & chemistry is important.  With the right coach, you may be surprised what you're going through with the driver, may not be a big issue to fix.  It could be a little tweaking.   Good Luck!! 

For sure!  I'm currently sitting at even after 9 waiting behind the woman's golf league and backed up at 10,11 and 12 so catching up with MGS.  Haha. 

Bogied the first hole with a duffed 2nd shot but 2 birdies on the card so far. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

1 hour ago, ryan.mzzz said:

 

this is just decade. if you believe this, you should learn the rest. 

 

Really could care less about decade. I have a very good understanding of my game from tee to green. Only reason I tracked my tee shots and a few other stats was for my instructor to review and use for his planning purposes for my lessons.

I know my miss, I know what I can and can’t do with my irons and the type of shots I can execute routinely with my wedges. I keep no stats and yet still know my strengths and weaknesses which have all be learned via on course experience playing anything from a mini to US Open qualifying courses 

[ryan.mzzz]

1 hour ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Really could care less about decade. I have a very good understanding of my game from tee to green. Only reason I tracked my tee shots and a few other stats was for my instructor to review and use for his planning purposes for my lessons.

I know my miss, I know what I can and can’t do with my irons and the type of shots I can execute routinely with my wedges. I keep no stats and yet still know my strengths and weaknesses which have all be learned via on course experience playing anything from a mini to US Open qualifying courses 

you may care less about decade, but your advice is straight out of decade.

[RickyBobby_PR]

35 minutes ago, ryan.mzzz said:

you may care less about decade, but your advice is straight out of decade.

Considering i have never read decade my advice is based on my experience and what I was taught by better golfers than me and on course playing lessons. A lot of is basic common sense decisions and knowing when to “go for it” and when not too.

Its also about being honest with oneself and not being delusional about one’s skills. 
 

And like many things in golf as technology has improved so have the the busting of old school thoughts like play to a number and so on. Anyone could have experimented on the course to see if playing “smart” rather than being closer to the hole was the right call. It only takes a couple rounds of playing the same course a few times using each approach to see closer is better. This is what comes from playing rounds on less busy days and playing a few balls can do for a person rather than always playing and recording a score for handicap

 

[Golf2Much]

There's a lot of great suggestions in the above posts.  Let me add a couple of thoughts:

• Starting on the journey to break those natural barriers, I'd look at some advice from Harvey Penick's Little Red Book:  start from the hole and work backwards.   Being a great putter can cover up a lot of golf sins when approaching the first several barriers.   Then work on chipping, approach shots and work your way back to the tee box and driver.
• I totally agree with all the course management comments.  You have to put yourself in situations that take advantage of your strengths.  I'd also add emotional management as well.   We all know fellow golfers that get upset after hitting a bad shot and they are wasted for the next several holes.  I play with a single digit handicap player that is so overcome with anger and frustration after hitting a bad drive that it snowballs to him going on a multi-hole double bogey tailspin.  What makes it worse is that he has the game and shots to easily overcome that one bad shot.  So, setting the appropriate expectations, not getting too high or too low after a shot and finding ways to mentally take a break every so often so you can maintain an appropriate level of concentration over 3-4 (or five or more) hours helps in maintaining your mental and emotional golf management.
• The last one is sort of an element of the mental and emotional management:  believe you can do it!  When I was young, I regularly flirted with breaking 80.  I can't remember how many 80's, 81's and 82's I had.  I always found ways to come up just a little short.  Living in Western New York, it's very unusual to be playing golf in late November or early December.  One mild late fall day a friend and I hit an open course.  I played pretty well and needed to go bogey-bogey on the last two holes to break 80.  Unfortunately, my "friend" made me keenly aware of that as we approached the 17th tee box.  Being born, raised and had my career in Rochester, New York, I now equated those type of announcements to the Buffalo Bill's Scott Norwood's field goal going "wide right" in the Super Bowl after the announcers declaring he never misses from this distance.  I proceeded to go bogey par shooting 78 (I still have that ball mounted in my office).  I had finally done it...broke 80!  The following weekend it was warm again, my friend and I hit the links for the last time that year and sure enough, once I knew I could do it, I did it again! 

Just some additional food for thought!

[Josh Parker]

10 hours ago, Golf2Much said:

 

•   I'd also add emotional management as well.   We all know fellow golfers that get upset after hitting a bad shot and they are wasted for the next several holes.  I play with a single digit handicap player that is so overcome with anger and frustration after hitting a bad drive that it snowballs to him going on a multi-hole double bogey tailspin.  What makes it worse is that he has the game and shots to easily overcome that one bad shot.  So, setting the appropriate expectations, not getting too high or too low after a shot and finding ways to mentally take a break every so often so you can maintain an appropriate level of concentration over 3-4 (or five or more) hours helps in maintaining your mental and emotional golf management.

This is great and I think a huge part of breaking past that next step.  

It always reminds me of Hogan's saying: “The most important shot in golf is your next one.”

You can’t get back your last shot – it’s history. So concentrate on the next one and stay positive.