Incremental growth

Putting and chipping. Be able to get up and down from most misses around the green.
Strategy decisions. (Mainly to avoid big numbers or even a double bogey)

Play boring golf.

Play to the center of the green
2 putt at worst
Take it one shot at a time, bad shots are going to happen, forget about it, don’t try and make the Superman shot to get out of the shite, make the smart shot.

As stated. How many scrambling
Pars a round do u make. U need at least 6 of those a round to get in 80’s. Go practice short game

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Putting and chipping. Be able to get up and down from most misses around the green.

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I will say I think putting and chipping are what will eventually get my scores into the 70's. Right now, if I don't lose balls off the tee, I am likely to shoot in the 80's, even if I'm not hitting greens in reg or chipping to within 3 feet constantly. Irons are consistent enough to be serviceable. So for me at least, I have to just control the driver to be a consistent 80's golfer. If the drivers off, there's no use in even keeping score.

Now that next level has to clean up either scoring iron accuracy to a very good level or improve chip/pitch shots and putting. I shot an 83 Saturday with 4 double bogeys. If I remember correctly, every single one of those doubles was a bad chips/pitches leading to 3 putts and one really bad skull.

You can probably break 90 most of the time by just playing smart golf.

- Play for bogey when out of position off the tee
- Avoid hazards on approach shots at all costs
- First priority on the short game is hitting a putt with your next shot. Anything better than that is lagniappe
- Pace on putts. If you get the pace right on a putt, you can still be in position to 2 putt even if the direction was off

Adding to others, the 2 big keys for me to lower my scores

1. Just hit your shot type everytime you possibly can, so what if the tee shot or the green “calls for a high draw”, if you play a fade just play the fade or vice versa. I probably shaved 5 strokes off my game just by accepting my swing and playing to it as much as possible.

2. Don’t get flustered with bad shots, accept in your mind that every round your going to top a drive, chunk a wedge, skull a chip, miss a 3ft putt. It happens, if you accept at the beginning of your round it’s going to happen, you’ll be able to move on right away you won’t spiral as much

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What would you do??

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Switch to TopGolf and stop taking the sport so seriously.

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Suddenly in 7+ years in and only occasionally breaking 90 (rarely, in fact). But I can blow up and still shoot 90s and my swing feels good. But shoot!
How do I become an 80s, guy??
I’m starting to get an extra day a week to work on game, considering hitting a ton of 100-125 yard shots at range, but do the crappy range balls hinder that progress?

What would you do??

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The vast majority of 18 - 25 handicappers (which it sounds like you are right now) would do well to spend a lot of time improving two things:
1. Getting really good off the tee
2. Learning how to hit a really consistent ~150 yard shot

Learning how to get up and down from everywhere doesn't matter if you are chipping for par and bogey on every hole.