Making the jump from the 80’s to the 70’s

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Putting your tee ball in play consistently. It's hard to screw up majorly when sitting in the middle of the fairway. Yes it happens, but outcomes are much much better.

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Changing big misses to small misses.

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I rarely break 80. I have broken 90 15 of my last 20 rounds.

When I break 80, it’s a surprise.

I’ve broken 40 many, many times on 9, but I rarely put 18 together. Let me know what the secret is.

What got me into the 70s from being a 80s shooter was the wedge game.

You HAVE to make birdies to shoot in the 70s consistently. If you are 125 and in you should expect not only to hit the green, but have a makeable birdie putt about 40% of the time.

All of this advice is good, but I think knowing where to miss is important. My typical miss is long and left.

A particular scenario that has made a world of difference is when I take the time to realize, for example, the green is wide open in the front and a disaster in the back so play for the green but lean toward knowing a short miss is better than long.

Another big component is the mental side. One shot at a time and do your best to not keep score as you go. Golf is hard enough - you don't need to complicate it with know that if you par the last 2 you will break your scoring record. that usually ends with a couple of doubles.

Play a bunch with people that are better than you. You also need to play for money. You’ll find yourself focusing more on your shots, strategy, and club selection if you have money on the line. It doesn’t have to be a bunch of money...just enough that you don’t want to lose it.

Also, focus on your fitness. Even though you might feel great there’s a good chance your body is getting tired near the end of your round.

Bring some healthy snacks on the course and eat a little something every few holes.

Enjoyed reading through this thread because I have been trying to make the jump into the 70's for years now. Been playing seriously for the last 10 years or so (hitting the range, playing every weekend, lessons, etc).

It's definitely a grind and a process to get there. I'm a 10 hc right now and that's my lowest to date. I'm typically in the 84-88 range at my home course, and I've come closer to breaking 80 in the last 6 months than I ever have. In the last 2 months I've put up an 80 and an 81. Still never have broke 80. It's unbelievably frustrating how hard it is to get 1 or 2 more strokes to get that 79.

Everyone has made great points so far... for me, the times I am closest to that 79 I am:

1) Hitting the driver well, at least 50% FW hit and misses are just a small bit off line. NO PENALTIES
2) No double bogeys or worse!
3) Make at least 2-3 birdies
4) I know I won't hit a ton of GIR, so wedge play around the green has to be on point. Chips/pitches have to be within 10 feet on the first try.

When that wedge game is on, I can grind out pars and keep myself in it. If I'm missing greens and not hitting chips and pitches close, forget about it.

I think this is the year I break 80, just need it to happen already

Good luck

Also, one more thing to add: start challenging yourself on occasion on the course and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. An 18 handicapper shouldn’t be doing this, but it’s healthy for a 10 or 11.

By that, I mean go out and play the tips or play worst-ball two ball scramble by yourself on a Wednesday afternoon when the course is a bit empty (not on a Saturday morning when it’s packed). Pick a more difficult tee on a par 3 or par 5 on occasion. And so on.

I didn’t get consistently into the mid-70’s and below until I played the tips on my home course every single round. Then when I’d step up on a 6,500 or whatever yard course for a game with friends or a tournament, it seemed a good bit easier and my confidence went up.

Finally, and I might get some pushback on this one, but I think many amateurs in that range play too conservatively off the tee and too aggressively into greens, but it’s tough to definitively state that would help without seeing your game.