So, you wanna know how I finally broke 100 in golf? Man, let me tell you, it felt like it took forever. I was stuck in that 105 to 115 rut for what seemed like an eternity. Every weekend, same story: a couple of decent shots, a whole bunch of “what the heck was that?” moments, and a scorecard that made me want to “accidentally” drop my bag in a water hazard.
My Early Days of Flailing
In the beginning, I did what a lot of folks do. I’d go to the driving range, grab the biggest bucket of balls, and just whale away with my driver. My thinking was, if I can just smash it 300 yards, the rest will be easy. Ha! What a joke. Most of those drives ended up in the imaginary woods on either side of the range. I’d also buy every new gadget, every “game improvement” club that promised miracles. Spent a fortune, I tell ya. And my scores? Still firmly in triple-digit territory. I’d watch videos, read tips, and try a new swing thought every single round. One week it was “keep your head down,” the next it was “finish high.” Total confusion.
The Shift: Getting My Head in the Game (Sort Of)
The first big change came when I realized I was playing like a complete idiot out on the course. I was trying for the hero shot every single time. Driver off the deck from 250 yards out? Sure, why not! Trying to cut the dogleg over a massive treeline? Absolutely! It almost never worked, obviously. So, I started with something super basic: just keep the ball in play. Sounds simple, right? But for me, it was a revolution.
Instead of driver on every par 4 and 5, I’d sometimes hit a 3-wood or even an iron off the tee if the fairway was tight. My goal wasn’t to be longest; it was to have a second shot from the short grass. This meant fewer lost balls, fewer penalty strokes. Already, scores started to creep down, but not enough.
The Real Grind: Short Game and Course Smarts
Then I got serious about the stuff that actually matters. Forget bombing drives for a bit. I started spending way, way more time on and around the greens. This was the key, honestly.
- Chipping: I used to be terrible. I’d either chunk it a few feet or skull it screaming across the green. I picked one wedge, my trusty pitching wedge, and just practiced hitting little chip shots to different targets around the practice green. I wasn’t trying to hole them, just get them close. I focused on a consistent little motion.
- Putting: Oh, the dreaded three-putt. I was the king of three-putts. Sometimes four! I changed my focus here too. For long putts, my only goal was to get the ball within a three-foot circle around the hole. Just lag it up there. Then, for the short ones, I’d practice those little three-footers relentlessly. I wouldn’t leave the practice green until I’d sunk ten in a row. Tedious? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.
- Knowing My REAL Distances: I stopped kidding myself. I don’t hit my 7-iron 170 yards. Pros do, I don’t. I actually went to the range and figured out how far I really hit each club with a comfortable swing. So, if I was 140 out, I knew that was a solid 8-iron for me, not a forced 9-iron. Aiming for the middle of the green became my mantra, not flag hunting.
- Damage Control: This was huge. One bad shot used to completely derail my hole, and often my round. I’d get angry, try to hit an impossible recovery shot, and turn a bogey into a triple bogey or worse. I learned to just take my medicine. Hit it in the trees? Okay, punch it out safely back to the fairway. Don’t try to thread a needle through a tiny gap. A bogey is fine. A double bogey is not great, but it beats a 7 or an 8.
My “New” Practice Routine (Less Bashing, More Thinking)
My practice sessions changed completely. No more mindless ball beating.
- I’d warm up with some easy swings.
- Then, I’d spend a good 20-30 minutes chipping to different spots, trying different lies if the practice area allowed.
- Another 20-30 minutes on the putting green: lag putting drills, then those short, makeable putts.
- Then maybe some iron shots, focusing on solid contact and my actual distances, not trying to kill it.
- Driver? Only hit about 10-15. And I was aiming for imaginary fairways, not just distance.
It wasn’t about hours and hours; it was about focused practice on the things that were costing me strokes.
The Day It Happened
I remember the round pretty clearly. It wasn’t my best ball-striking day, not by a long shot. But I managed my game. I hit a few fairways, got my approach shots mostly on or near the green. When I missed a green, my chipping was decent – I got it on the green, two putts, bogey. I had a couple of ugly drives, but instead of trying to be a hero, I just punched out and played for a bogey or double. I avoided the blow-up holes. No 7s, no 8s on the card. Walking off the 18th, I added it up… 98! Man, I was ecstatic. It wasn’t pretty golf, but it was under 100.
So, What’s the Secret?
For me, it wasn’t about finding some magic swing secret or buying a new driver. It was about playing smarter, not harder. It was about realizing my limitations and playing within them. It was about making my bad shots less bad. And honestly, dedicating real time to chipping and putting was probably the biggest factor. It’s not the glamorous part of the game, but it’s where you save so many strokes. Still got a long way to go to get to 90, but breaking 100 felt like a massive win. It just took a bit of honest assessment and a change in how I approached the game and my practice. No quick fixes, just steady, focused effort on the boring stuff!
