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Is Breaking 100 A Good Score In Golf – Top Tips To Do It And How Long It Will Take

Is Breaking 100 A Good Score In Golf – 17 Top Tips To Do It And How Long It Will Take

We hear the term breaking 100 in the game of golf and it represents a rite of passage for golfers to pass from the beginner phase to an intermediate or a high handicapper to a mid handicapper.

With that being said, breaking 100 is not an easy feat and to break 100 is a huge accomplishment for any average golfer.

It can even be easier to get from 100 to 90 than it is from 120 to 100 so once you finally reach the milestone, you can give yourself a rightful pat on the back for congratulations but immediately turn your eyes towards breaking 95 or 90 next.

 

How Long Will It Take To Break 100?

There are quite a few factors that are relevant for how long will it take to break 100.

If you are a complete beginner it may take 3 – 6 months.

If you already have some experience but have never taken your scoring seriously, you can break 100 within 3 to 4 months.

The other factor which will determine how quickly you reach the milestone is how often you are able to practice.

Ideally, you should be getting 3 range sessions and playing 2 full, 18-hole rounds per week.

If you only have 3 days to practice, try 2 full rounds and 1 range session per week.

The bare minimum you need 1 full 18 round on the course and 1 range session to break 100, anything less is not going to be enough in most cases.

Breaking 100 is a challenge and it is a worthy milestone for burgeoning golfers, but it is certainly one that you can achieve and it won’t take forever either.

To help you reach the goal as quickly as possible, follow our break 100 tips below to improve your scoring.

 

Top Tips On How To Break 100

 

  • 1. Getting A Reliable Club Off The Tee
  • 2. Know Your Striking Yardages
  • 3. Wear A Golf Watch
  • 4. Get Your Grip Right – Use A Glove
  • 5. Aim For The Yardage To The Back Of The Green
  • 6. Stop Trying To Hit The Ball Too Hard
  • 7. Practice Your Chipping And Putting As Much As Possible
  • 8. Use The Bump And Run Instead Of Wedge Shots
  • 9. Get The Ball Back In Play – Don’t Play Hero Shots
  • 10. Try To Get As Many 2 Putts As Possible
  • 11. At Least 1 Range Visit Per Week And 2 Rounds – More Is Better
  • 12. Use Game Improvement Irons
  • 13. Try To Miss Your Putts Long
  • 14. Course Selection
  • 15. Course Management
  • 16. Get Youtube Lessons From Just One Trusted Coach
  • 17. Consistency Is Key

 

1. Getting A Reliable Club Off The Tee

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Before we even start counting our score, we have to eliminate lost balls, out of bonds and hazards from our tee shots.

If we are hitting a major slice with our driver, we need to work on that separately at the range.

If your driver is not firing, there are plenty of other options off the tee.

3 Wood: a little less wieldy than the driver and you should be able get a more consistent strike with the more manageable club.

If you are able to hit 150 yards+, consistently straight, you have found your club to break 100 with.

3 Hybrid: the longer shaft of the wood with the face of an iron that can deliver a relatively long and straight shot.

3 Iron or Driving Iron: If you find these clubs to be the most consistent in your bag off the tee, than these are the ones to go with.

Step one in break 100 is removing errand tee shots.

 

 

2. Know Your Striking Yardages

You need to know how far you hit each club and you need to write those yardages down in your phone or on a piece of paper that you carry around when you are playing.

Knowing how far you hit each club enables you to pick the right club every time, it removes the guesswork.

It’s easier than ever to find your yardages nowadays. You can visit a driving range that has trackman installed in the bays, which is becoming more and more popular or you can go and take a lesson to find out.

Knowing your yardages puts you a step ahead of the competition and is definitely something you should look at doing.

 

 

3. Wear A Golf Watch

golf watch

A critical part of my game is knowing the distances to the front middle and back of the green.

Combining this with how far you hit each club, enables you to systematically plot your way around the course en route to breaking 100 and then 95.

It eliminates the guesswork and allows us to see that our goal is possible with practice and consistency.

I use the entry-level watch from Garmin, The s12 and it has helped to transform my game by telling where the hazards and layups are but also the distance to the front middle and back of the green.

It also functions as a scorecard and you can measure your progress on the app through phone which connects via Bluetooth. It’s super handy from measuring your scores and assisting you around the course.

Check out the Garmin S12 here.

You could also use a rangefinder but I find the watch to be more convenient on my rounds and the app is excellent.

The Garmin s12 also has amazing battery life but you could choose to go with the s62 premium watch instead which has a ton of extra features including the touchscreen and yardages to any point on the course.

 

4. Get Your Grip Right – Use A Glove

According to Padraig Harrington, The Golf Grip is the most crucial element of the swing.

Watching this video from Padraig below, allowed me to shave almost 10 shots off my round almost instantly.

 

 

The key with your golf grip is to hold the club with the fingers of your left hand which will allow to add more wrist to the swing as opposed to flaring from the elbow.

It will also give a much better control over the head of the club and having the correct grip will lead to better connections with the ball, more consistently.

Using a glove will also make you look and feel like more of a golfer but your hands may blister without one from gripping the club with your fingers on the left hand.

Golf gloves are cheap and are quite durable, lasting quite a long time.

 

5. Aim For The Yardage To The Back Of The Green

For high handicappers, the evidence and the science shows that aiming for the yardage at the back of the green will lead to lower scores and more greens in regulation.

Think about how often you leave the ball short and by aiming for the back of the green, coming up short will leave you on the putting surface, hopefully, close to the pin.

Take wind and slope into consideration too for a full view of what club you need to select.

Also keep in mind where the danger is and play the holes strategically.

 

6. Stop Trying To Hit The Ball Too Hard

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What we often see with beginners and high handicappers is trying to hit the ball too hard and topping the ball 30 yards down the hole.

We need to realize we are aiming for bogeys and double bogeys to try and break 100.

Take a natural swing and use the appropriate club to hit the distance comfortably.

This will improve your ball striking and consistency, even if you need to lay up more often.

 

7. Practice Your Chipping And Putting As Much As Possible

It’s easy to go to the driving range with a full basket and hit driver every single time but that isn’t going to help us to break 100.

What I like to do at the range is hit 5 shots with each club through the backup and down so we are practicing evenly throughout the range session.

We need to find a place to practice putting and chipping too for at least 30 minutes for every range session we have done.

Practice your chipping 5, 10, and 15 yards from the green and practice 5, 10, and 15 yard putts too.

If you can 2 putt on 9 of the holes out of 100, you will have a really good chance at breaking 100.

 

8. Use The Bump And Run Instead Of Wedge Shots

golf5

We’ve all had those moments when we thin a wedge off the back of the green, even further away than when we started.

Gently bumping and running with a 7 iron is a great way to eliminate the risk, get some loft on the ball and allow the ball to roll freely toward the green and the pin.

In and around the greens is where we have a level playing field and we can improve quickly.

Get used to playing bump and runs to try and get it close for an up and down or a maximum of 2 putts.

We need half bogeys and half double bogeys to break 100, its not PGA standard but we have to go as close as possible from around the greens.

 

9. Get The Ball Back In Play – Don’t Play Hero Shots

When we do find ourselves in the rough or behind trees or in the bushels, its tempting to play the hero shot that goes beyond our capabilities and end up in an even worse position.

To counteract this we want to take a club with some loft and put the ball back onto the fairway as close to the pin as possible within a realistically comfortable range.

We can then try to get it close to the pin from a good lie and even recover the hole with one good shot.

Remember to get the ball back into play as quickly and comfortably as possible.

When trying to break 100, hero shots are discouraged anyway. Remember we are aiming for bogeys and doubles, not pars and birdies.

 

10. Try To Get As Many 2 Putts As Possible

Half of your strokes are going to be on the green so it makes a ton of sense to get as much practice at putting in as possible.

Whether that is at the putting in the driving range, at your home course or just a quiet course where you can use the greens for practice.

Work with 5 balls from 20 yards, 15 yards, 10 yards, and 5 yards over and over again.

Try to 2 putt maximum on all of your balls.

If you can get down to 2 putting half of the holes in your 18, you will be almost certain to break 100 if you can hit the fairway off the tee and can have a comfortable second shot.

 

11. At Least 1 Range Visit Per Week And 2 Rounds – More Is Better

golf4

At the range is where you are going to be able to implement changes to your swing and get into a rhythm with each club.

It’s recommended to visit the range at least once per week but more if possible.

Make sure to put down a club for alignment to ensure you can bring your practice with you, off the range and onto the course.

Pro Tip: Use a driving range with Trackman installed in the bays to see how far your shots are going and what your flight path is looking like.

 

12. Use Game Improvement Irons

Using the right equipment is going to have a big impact on your overall game, especially as a beginner.

Nowhere are the differences easier to see than with the irons which are classified into game improvement irons, players distance irons, and players irons.

You will more than likely use Game improvement irons.

They have big faces, thick undercuts, and are cavity back which basically makes it easy to get the ball in the air and hit it straight consistently, even if you aren’t swinging the club head consistently at the ball.

Some game improvement irons like the Big Bertha B21’s are even offset which will fix a slice.

Trying to play a set of irons that are too small and player friendly will make breaking 100 a tall task.

The same holds true for hybrids and fairway woods. If you hit them better and more consistently, you should have more of them in your bag.

 

13. Try To Miss Your Putts Long

Being too tentative with putts and chips has been one of the biggest sticking points in getting my game towards the breaking 90 range.

Leaving everything short and turning everything into a 3 putt is a nightmare.

Learn to place the ball a little forward in your stance and hit a nice, smooth stroke through the ball and try to get it passed the hole if possible.

Overall with your putting you are aiming for the 3 to 5 foot around the cup where you are going to be able to knock in the next putt for a 2.

If your putter is simply not responding, try looking at a secondhand putter with a more suitable style.

 

14. Course Selection

golf3

Course selection is going to make a huge difference in your ability to break 100.

  • Some courses require less shots – 68 – 72
  • Some courses have less distance – 5,500 yards to 7,500 yards
  • Some courses have worse penalties from errand shots off the tee.
  • Some courses have better protected greens
  • Some courses will be busier than others etc etc

Your goal is to find a nice, easy, forgiving par 68 course to try and break 100.

Conditions will also play a big part. I broke 100 in the summer heat with a series of bump and runs over the hard ground.

Such a tactic would not be available in the wet grounds of winter.

 

15. Course Management

“Know yourself and know the course, you will never lose a battle.”

Do not aim at the hazards.

If there is bunker left of the green, aim to the right side.

If there is water on the right of the fairway, aim to the left.

Play shots you are comfortable with and use the clubs in your bag that perform the best for your game.

 

  • If you slice with your irons, aim more to the left.
  • If you hook your driver, aim more to the right.

Play your game to the maximum, eliminate any worries and enjoy your rounds on your journey to breaking 100 and remember the journey is the best part.

 

16. Get Youtube Lessons From Just One Trusted Coach

Pick one golfer to get instructions from for your game.

Don’t be watching bits and pieces of every different golfer and trying to put it together.

I found Padraig Harringtons videos to be excellent and they really helped to improve my game.

Check them out here:

https://www.youtube.com/@PadraigHarringtonOfficial

If you have to go for a lesson, make sure to choose the highest-rated coach within your area and budget.

 

 

17. Consistency Is Key

golf2

You get out of life what you put in and no where is that more true than in golf.

If you put the work in with 3 – 5 sessions per week, you are going to see progress over time and that score is going to start naturally dropping.

Begin consistent and persistent with your game is going to be the biggest factor.

If you cant hit the fairway with any club from the tee, you may need to get a lesson but besides that, go out and enjoy the game, improve gradually and break 100 naturally within your first few months of serious golfing.

 

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