How to Break 80 in Golf: Beat the Odds Using My Favorite Tips
By Coach Erik Schjolberg – Feb 23, 2024
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Key Takeaways – The Road to Breaking 80 in Golf
- To break 80, you have to be a much more detail-oriented person; every shot starts to matter
- The short game is where you will save all of your strokes; if you want to learn to save par, the short game is where it will happen
- The mental game becomes increasingly important as you move into shooting in the 70s
- Be prepared to spend a little time on the range as it takes work to become a lower handicap player
Breaking 80 is a big deal in golf, and it is usually the unofficial sign of being a great golfer.
In golf, breaking 80 is a challenging feat that some players never achieve. However, for those who consistently perform well and make solid contact with the ball, it is an attainable goal.
To limit bad shots and start making significant progress in learning how to break 80 in golf, I will share some top tips.
How To Break 80 in Golf
Breaking 80 in golf is a big accomplishment.
When you start breaking 90 in golf, a good portion of the holes you play will still result in a bogey. However, once you are a high 70’s shooter, you will have more pars than anything else on your scorecard.
Let’s look at how to break 80 in golf. These tips have helped me consistently break 80 and become a better player.
Learning To Shape The Tee Shot
“Golf lovers often downplay the importance of the drive, but confidence on the tee box is crucial for my best rounds.”If my tee shots end up in the fairway, I’m on a path to making a birdie.
For golfers that are ready to start breaking 80, you need to go beyond just hitting a straight golf ball, and also learn how to shape a tee shot. You should know how to hit a fade or a draw with your driver to ensure that you have options regardless of the way the hole lines up.
Knowing Your Yardages
Whether you are playing your golf course or away, you have to have some kind of distance measuring device. You must know your yardage to be accurate enough to break 80 in golf.
I like a rangefinder for the golfer who is looking to break 80.”The rangefinder provides the exact distance to the pin, making it easy to choose the right club with confidence.”
However, it is also essential with yardage to understand how far you hit each shot. If you hit your 7 iron 150 yards, that’s great to know for an average golf game.
The 150-yard total is essential, but if you are trying to clear a water hazard or a bunker, knowing that you can one-shot the ball 145 yards is even more important.
Planning To Attack A Pin
“When aiming to break 80 in golf, focus on attacking the pin and scoring birdies, not just landing the ball on the green.”
When reading about how to break 80, golf professionals will tell you that making just one birdie on the front and the back can change your entire round.
If you know how to attack a pin or can get the ball within 10 feet, your birdie chances are considerably higher.
When setting up to hit your approach shot to the green, take a close look at the way it slopes and the trouble surrounding the hole. Plan on shots that give you the greatest chance of success.
Maximizing Spin Around The Greens
To break 80, you need a lot of control on the short-game shots. When you shoot in the 80s and 90s, getting the ball on the green is “good enough. This all goes out the window when it’s time to break 80.
Now you must try and hit one shot on the green and the next one in the hole. This includes a bunker shot!
Getting up and down takes a lot of time and practice, and you must learn how to control basic shots. I highly recommend learning how to hit down and through your chip shots, developing higher spin levels around the green, and using a premium golf ball with a higher spin rate.
When you maximize spin around the greens, you can stop the ball even when it’s on a downhill slope. You can also give yourself a three-foot putt directly up the hill to ensure the ball goes in the hole. The possibilities are endless when you know how to place a golf shot with a wedge.
Change Your Putting Mindset
“Just remember this: So many golfers keep lag putting to get close to the hole, but being close is not enough!”
Golfers that break 80 make putts.
Remember this text: So many average golfers, including most of your playing partners, will keep firing off lag putts just to get their ball close to the hole. Knowing your putt ends up just a few inches from falling in the hole is a great benefit, but it is not enough!
Two putting helps you keep the score in the 80s; one putting gets the scores down in the 70s range.
Every time that I end up within 15 feet of the hole, I plan on making that putt. Regardless of what the putt is for, I need to ensure that it goes in the hole. If I miss, it’s a missed opportunity. Don’t miss the article I wrote full of tips for putting.
Learn To Manage and Plan
Golf course management is a vital part of playing golf. Not every golfer understands how to plan for their next shot or the way golf strategy plays into breaking 80.
Before a round of golf, you should do some planning to determine which holes are the ones that will help you make birdies and which are the ones a bogey is acceptable. A few errant shots are bound to happen, but having a good idea of how your own game is going to develop on the course is helpful.
The key is to not turn this mistake into double bogeys and triple bogeys. Instead, you will want to have it cost you as few strokes as possible.
A perfect example of this is a drive that is hit into the heavy rough. “When the ball ends up in the rough, use an 8 iron to get it out and save par.”
Think about the risk-reward scenario, learn how to read a green, and be smart.
Find The Correct Equipment
Any golfer looking to break 80 should invest a bit of money into their golf equipment.
I know it’s tough to shell out hundreds if not thousands of dollars to update clubheads, shafts, and grips in your golf clubs, but it is well worth the money when you see the impact it has on your game. So many golfers struggle to make the wrong equipment work, and it can be the difference between the 81 and 79.
I just recently realized there was a large loft gap in between my fairway wood and hybrid.
Don’t feel the need to update your equipment every year; just be aware of your clubs that are aging and make sure the older technology is not hurting your scores. If you had to pick one club to upgrade, I’d probably start with a good golf driver (or here for women).
Develop A Golf Practice Routine to Break 80
Breaking 80 in golf requires more than just setting the goal – it demands a well-structured practice plan. A focused golf practice plan is the key to shooting lower scores.
I recommend playing at least one round of golf a week, preferably two. Purchase a putting green or putting mat to practice at home. In addition, try to stop at the range for two 45-minute sessions at least twice per week. Invest a little more time and expect better results.
How to Break 80 Consistently In Golf
Now that we covered what it takes to break 80, you can start to determine what you might have to do to break 80 consistently.
- Hit balls at least three times a week; you will find that it creates more consistency in your swing and allows you to go lower on the course.
- When practicing, hit approach shots; pretend you are hitting to a green or a pin and make your practice sessions more effective.
- Choose the correct tees; you should not have 250 yards into every par 4; that’s just not fair!
- If you want to become a better golfer, start copying the better golfers you play with, see what they do, and why they are better than you.
- Do anything you can to avoid the big scores; if you hit a poor shot, simply get it back in play and make a putt to save it.
FAQ – How to Break 80 Golf
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about how to break 80 golf. The fact that you are reading this guide shows you are headed in the right direction!
The majority of golfers, over 95%, struggle to break 80. Good players may have a few holes where they struggle, leading to high scores.
Your odds of breaking 80 in golf depend on how long you have been playing the game and how well you can keep the ball in play. Of course, a little luck plays into a round of golf, but all in all, there is less than 5 percent of golfers that break 80.
To break 80 in golf, you must shoot a 79 or lower. Lower scores less than 80 are also considered breaking 80.
If you are tired of being a mid-handicapper and ready to make a move toward the single digits, golf lessons can be beneficial.
Some players have an extremely difficult time learning to get their scores under 80, and it could be because of a swing flaw that a golf professional can see and fix.
It is hard to break 80 in golf sometimes, as there is not much room for error. When you take a look at the score card you will see there is only room for 7 bogeys otherwise, you will not break 80.
Breaking 80 in golf is considered a significant milestone for aspiring great golfers. Achieving this feat demonstrates the ability to score well and control the ball’s proximity to the hole, requiring both skillful shots and strong mental management.
It typically takes golfers three or more years to shoot under 80. Achieving this level of skill requires a significant time investment to perfect the golf game, particularly in consistently striking the center of the clubface.
Final Thoughts on How To Break 80 in Golf
Breaking 80 requires confidence and preparation in various aspects of your game. While you may excel in some areas, others will need more work.
Start on the weakest part of your mental game and expand from there to learn to play some great golf. I will warn you that once you start breaking 80, it will never feel great to shoot 82 again! At that point, you’ll need to focus on joining the elite percentage of golfers who break 70.
Here is a video guide How To Break 80 in Golf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nIvYm2T1ss&pp=ygUXSG93IFRvIEJyZWFrIDgwIGluIEdvbGY%3D
About the Author
By Coach Erik Schjolberg – Last Updated Feb 23, 2024
Expertise:
Coach Erik actively coaches several PGA Tour Professionals. He’s the head golf instructor and writer here at Swing Yard, was voted the “#1 Golf Coach in Scottsdale, Arizona”, and has been coaching for over 20+ years. Erik also owns and operates his own online golf school, EJS Golf Academy. His other credentials include: Active PGA Coaches Membership, Titleist TPI Level 1 and 2, Trackman Certified Level 1, Dr. Kwon’s Biomechanics Level I and II, Scott Cowx Certified Level I Advanced, BodiTrack and V1 Sports Pressure Mat Certified, Titleist Club Fitting and Ball Fitting Certified, PGA Hope, and Sportsbox AI. Check out Erik’s full bio and certifications for more info.