1) Add 'em up
All break 80 golfers I've coached do this one thing
and do it religiously. Keep track of how many fairways
hit, greens hit in regulation and putts you take per
round. This exercise alone will tell you the weaker
part of your game. The average player who shoots in the
mid and high 70's consistently will average about
8-12 fairways, 9-11 greens in regulation and
between 27-30 putts per round.
2) Perfect your alignment
One of the main differences between someone who
shoots in the 70's versus someone who shoots in the
80's or 90's is the ability to make longer range putts.
The key to holing these longer putts, say 10-footers,
is alignment. The key to correct alignment is to
position your eyes directly above the ball in the
setup. Practice putting off a mirror. As you look
down at address, your eyes should be perfectly
lined up over the ball. Another way to check that
your eyes are above the ball is to take your stance
over the ball without a club. Hold a second ball in
front of your left eye and drop it (right). If
you're in the correct position, the ball you drop
should hit the ball on the ground.
3) Think results, not form
You need to make a conscious choice to go for results,
not the way in which you go about getting those results.
In other words, don't get so caught up in grip, posture,
set up, etc. during your round. Save that for the range.
When playing a round, focus on the shots you have the
most confidence with and are most familiar. Stick with your
"go-to" clubs and strengths and minimize the instances where
you have to utilize your weaknesses. Lastly, you want to
be thinking more about what your shots "feel" like rather
than mechanics. This will help your brain focus on the
intended results and match that up to what you brain knows
has worked for you in the past.
4) Check your gear
If you want to play your best golf, you've got to
give yourself the best chances possible. One of the
most overlooked aspects of a finely tuned game is your
equipment. I am not talking about buying the biggest
driver and most expensive putter, rather getting yourself
fitted for clubs. Go to your local PGA professional or to
your local golf retailer and they can do a free swing
analysis for you. Based upon your unique swing, you will
discover which lie angle your clubs should be adjusted to in
order to affect the proper ball flight. Also, you will be
sized for the right length and weight your clubs, including
the right shafts for you. Do this little bit for yourself and
you will be amazed how easy it is to hit the ball
in the sweet spot more often.
5) Divide the round up
Break the large goal of shooting in the 70's into thirds.
You should set goals for each group of six holes. For example,
"I will shoot 26 for these first six holes." I like doing
this because it helps me stay focused on smaller goals instead
of one big one. I know if I meet, or even come close to my
goals for each set of six holes, I will shoot in the 70's.
It helps you stay in the game and plan your round more
efficiently. Most people simply get to the 15th hole knowing
they are eight over par at that point and either give up or place
a ridiculous amount of pressure on themselves to play even par
to the clubhouse.
6) See the shot
Golf is a game of imagination. The body will do what the mind
tells it to and what the mind sees. Visualize the shot BEFORE you
hit it. Don't let it be a surprise. Many people discount the value
of this exercise but trust me, it works. Once you give your body a
mental image of what the desired outcome should be, the body will
do whatever is necessary to make that image a reality. Nearly every
pro does this and so should you. Close your eyes if you have to for a
second. Nothing too elaborate...just picture the ball flight and
how it will approach the target. Let your instincts and practice take
over from there.
And finally...
7) Practice, practice, practice
If you're a weekend golf warrior, go to the range or practice area
at least once during the week if possible but donit just go and beat
balls. Practice your SHORT GAME. Note I did not say go "hit balls."
Don't even bring your Irons or Driver out of the trunk. Take your
sand, pitching and/or lob wedges and your putter; that's it. When
I first started shooting in the 70's, my tee to green game was still
pretty untidy. My short game, however, was impeccable. The value of
a good short game is much better than a really straight drive or
approach shot. Practice your game from 30 yards and in and I
guarantee your scores will drop immediately.
__________________ To help my own customers (and you), I took the time to evaluate the top golf learning products on the market today.
1) Add 'em up
All break 80 golfers I've coached do this one thing
and do it religiously. Keep track of how many fairways
hit, greens hit in regulation and putts you take per
round. This exercise alone will tell you the weaker
part of your game. The average player who shoots in the
mid and high 70's consistently will average about
8-12 fairways, 9-11 greens in regulation and
between 27-30 putts per round.
That's a good set of tips Gat, but I do this one every round. I use the "My Game" section of golflink.com to keep track of everything and set my unofficial handicap. They also give you the ability to print out a score card with sections for each part of your game.
So the rest of you understand what Cajun and I are suggesting, keep track of your own stats.
Do this and play on a regular basis.
You will improve your game.
Great link Cajun!
I saved the link in my PC and I already printed out cards for the next six rounds.
This will be much easier than writing everything down on a notepad.
Thanks my friend...
__________________ To help my own customers (and you), I took the time to evaluate the top golf learning products on the market today.
Yes I have a spread sheet that I have made up and I am continously updating it to keep track of my strenghts and weaknesses all though I have been a bit slack lately!
__________________ I'm really not to fussed how far I drive the ball it's the number that I write down on my score card that matters!
My Bag:
Wilson or PGF V8 Driver
Wilson 3 wood
Srixon 3 Hybrid
Srixon i 701 3-P irons
Dawia sand wedge
Srixon WG-706 58 Lob wedge
Wilson putter
Good advice all a round. The only things I do differently is instead of breaking the 18 holes into groups of 6, I break it down into 6 groups of 3 holes. This evens the holes out when I stop at the turn. 3 groups of 3 for each 9. My goal is to play 3 holes at a time at par or better. It also makes getting a bad scoring hole out of the way. As for stats I am not a big stat person. I do keep tract of what my first putts were for, such bogey, par, or birdie. This tells me everything I need to know on each hole from tee to green. The other stat I keep is my short game handicap on the holes I miss the greens in regulation. This tells me what part of my short game I might need to work on. Important for me is that even though I am writing this stuff down, I never keep a running total while playing. I wait till after the round to look at my numbers. I can tell you that when I break 80, it's due to hitting a lot of greens in regulation, and/or 30 or less putts for that round.
__________________ Golfsmith Killer Bee 10.5*, 15*, (22*) and 27* Metals
Tour Edge "GeoMax 2" Irons
Never Compromise 34" "Z" series putter.
Bridgestone e7+ ball (most of the time)
MGD Beer as needed.
How to Break 80 - First 7 Tips
How to Break 80 - First 7 Tips 
I'm really not to fussed how far I drive the ball it's the number that I write down on my score card that matters!
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