INTRODUCTION

Few things in life and in golf feel better than setting

one’s sights on a goal and achieving it. However, as you

improve your golf game, the goals tend to get harder and

harder to reach, and the goal of breaking 80 is amongst the

most difficult for the average player. The good news is, with the right plan, the willingness to work on your game, and

by following a few basic steps, you can turn the dream of

breaking 80 consistently into reality. When you reach the

end of this book, you’ll have a firm understanding of what it takes to shoot in the 70s and be well on your way to making

it happen.

II. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses

Since every individual golfer has a unique set of skills and

talents, there’s no one clear path to breaking 80. The first step to creating a plan is to keep basic stats during your

rounds (fairways hit, greens in regulation, total penalty

strokes, and total putts) and look for areas where you might

be able to shave off the most strokes. Before we get into

individual categories, let’s take a look at the numbers of

what a typical round of 79 can look like.

1

Scorecard should have the following

scores and front/back nine totals:

There are a few things to take note of:

A birdie on each nine.

A double on the front (first few hole nerves, which we all have)

Three bogeys on the front, four bogeys on the back (including the 18th), pars on the

rest.

Half the greens hit, half the fairways hit,

with the double-bogey hole having an “X”

in the fairway section to signify a penalty

stroke.

One three-putt, one-putts on the birdie

holes and three one-putt pars on missed

greens. Two putts the rest of the holes:

Assuming the golf course you play

doesn’t have U.S. Open-style rough and

deep fairway bunkers, the number of

fairways you hit is nowhere near as

important as avoiding penalty strokes. In

this book, we will define a penalty stroke as both the usual penalties, such as haz-

ards and out-of-bounds, along with any

instances of having to chip the ball back

into play. The most important factor in playing off the tee is getting the ball in

play and keeping it in play.

Unless your short game is exquisite, a lot

of your shots saved are going to come

from hitting greens and two-putting

them often, with the occasional birdie

putt holed. Playing good golf is often

more about playing holes simply than

hitting great shots and holing a ton of

putts.

Making a double-bogey is not the end of

the world, and it happens to all of us. The last thing you ever want to do is suddenly

give up and not put in your best effort if

you happen to make one. Eighteen holes

is a lot of golf, and one bad hole should

never deter you from grinding it out. You

never know what can happen throughout

the rest of the round.

The next time you play, keep your score and stats similar to the example and

compare them after your round. Where

are you losing the most strokes?

Strokes

Breakdown

b

a

2

Total Stats: 7 fairways, 9 greens, 32 putts

Score: 41-38=79

III. Which Stats Really Matter?

Take a look at the following example:

Creating a Plan to

Break 80

04

Once you have an idea of the area or

areas where you can shave off enough

strokes to break 80, the next step is

creating an actionable plan that you

can stick to over time. Based on the

example scorecard, there are three

main areas you can improve and build

your plan around: Ball Striking, Around the Greens, and Putting.

According to a recent poll of some of the world’s top golf

instructors, “even the slightest error in the manner in which

the golf club is held can have enormous negative conse-

quences on the course.” Hence, most of these teachers

admit that the proper golf grip is one of their first instruc-

tional priorities when working with new golfers.

You can choose from three basic grip options: the overlap-

ping grip, the interlocking grip, and the ten-finger grip. Here we will briefly explain each of these options.

Ball Striking

An Overview of

the Fundamentals

05

If you are within 5-10 strokes of break-

ing 80, chances are you have a fairly

solid understanding of golf swing

fundamentals. Even if that’s the case,

it never hurts to take a practice

session or two and go over the basics: grip, stance, and some basic swing

drills to hone in your mechanics.

Each section in this chapter provides

tips and drills that you can take out to

the practice tee as well as the golf

course.

Fundamental #1: The Proper Golf Grip

a

3

THE

TYPES

OF

GOLF

The Overlapping Grip

The overlapping golf grip, also known as the Vardon Grip or Vardon Overlap,

is perhaps the most popular grip in

the world of professional golf. The grip was popularized by Harry Vardon,

a global golf superstar in the late

1800s and early 1900s, with six British

Open titles to his credit.

As the name suggests, the overlap-

ping grip is one in which (a

right-handed) golfer should overlap

the pinky finger of their right (bottom) hand, placing it between the index

and middle fingers of their left (top) hand. As this is done, the thumb of

the left hand should fit into the lifeline of your right hand (the lifeline is the

line on your hand that extends verti-

cally from the base of the palm to the

index or middle finger).

1

4

Ten Finger Grip

(aka the "Baseball Grip")

Popular among many weekend golfers, the

ten-finger grip is widely used on municipal golf courses around the country for its com-

fortable feel. However, it is used by very few

professional golfers—golfers who prefer the

control provided by the other two grip styles.

Hall of Fame LPGA golfer Beth Daniels is one

of the most notable users of the ten-finger grip, which was also the grip of choice for

PGA stars Bob Estes, Dave Barr and Masters

Champion Art Wall Jr.

To properly grab the club using a ten-finger or baseball grip, you will want to begin with a

perfect lead hand (top hand) grip (explained

in the next section). Once you have set your

top hand correctly on the grip, you will then

place the bottom or trail hand on the club,

making sure the pinky finger of that hand is pressed closely against the index finger of the top hand. Next, you will once again cover

the thumb of the top hand with the lifeline of

the bottom palm.

If you lack strength in their wrists and

forearms, such as arthritis sufferers, should

perhaps use the ten-finger grip, but you should consider switching to an overlapping

or interlocking grip, especially if your goal is

to break 80.

Although the majority of professional male

golfers employ the Vardon overlapping grip, it

is interesting to note that two of the greatest

players ever to walk a golf course—Jack Nick-

laus and Tiger Woods—used (and continue to use) the interlocking grip—the second-most

popular grip in professional golf.

The interlocking grip, which is widely used on the LPGA tour, is perfect for those with small-

er hands or less-than-muscular wrists and

forearms. It is commonly taught to beginners

because it helps take some of the guesswork

out of finger positioning.

To employ the interlocking grip, you will want to take the little finger of the bottom hand and interlock it with it the index finger of the top or lead hand. As with the overlapping grip,

you’ll need to make sure that the thumb of the

left or top hand fits along the lifeline of the bottom or trailing hand.

Once you decide on which grip style works

best for you, here is our simple 7-step process

for taking a perfect grip every time.

2 The Interlocking Grip3

5

Note: For this detailed guide on how to attain the proper golf grip, we are assuming you are a right-handed golfer.

If you golf left-handed instead, simply reverse these instructions.

01Step 1

Grasp the Club with

Your Right Hand

With your right hand, also referred to as the bottom or trail hand, grasp the golf club where the

metal of the shaft meets the grip. Naturally, this is not where your bottom hand will remain in the

final gripping of the club, but it is a necessary step that will help you properly align the top or lead hand. After you have grasped the club where indicated, hold it out in front of you at a 45 degree angle.

02Step 2

Set Your Lead

(Top) Hand

As you are holding the club in front of you, place your left or lead hand behind, but not on, the club,

with the palm facing you. Next you are going to properly set this lead hand. To accomplish this correctly, you will want to nestle the club along the line in which your first knuckles (closest to the palm) meet the very top of your palm.

Many weekend or amateur golfers have the tendency to set the club more to the middle of the

palm on their lead hand. This is a no-no—one that takes the fingers out of the swing altogether and tends to cause erratic shots.

6

03Step 3

Grip with Your

Lead Hand

With the club set along the very top of the left palm where it meets the fingers (and without moving the hand), curl your pinky finger, ring finger and middle finger around the grip or handle of the club. You do not need to grasp it tightly. In fact, most instructors advise golfers NOT to grip the club too tightly. If you have done this step correctly, it should feel as if the underside of each

of these three fingers is now in contact with the grip.

04Step 4

Set the Thumb and

Forefinger of Your

Lead Hand

With the three most outer fingers of your top hand now wrapped around the club—and with the club still nestled along the top of your left palm where it meets the fingers—it is now time to set the lead thumb and the forefinger.

Without changing the position of the club, simply roll your thumb over to the right side of the

handle or grip. As you do this, curly your left index finger around the club. If this step is done correctly, you should feel the meaty portion at the base of your thumb pressing directly down

onto the handle or grip of the club.

05Step 5

Set Your Trail

(Bottom) Hand

Once the top or lead hand has been properly set, the next step is to incorporate the bottom or trail

hand into your grip. As you will recall from Step 1, up until now the right or bottom hand has been

grasping the club at the point where the shaft meets the grip, as you were setting your top or lead

hand.

Now, slide your right hand up the club towards your left hand. As you did with the left or top hand,

you will want to set the club along the line formed by the base of your palm and the first knuckles of the fingers.

06Step 6

Overlapping,

Interlocking or

Ten-Finger Grip

At this point of the grip procedure, you will need to choose between the overlapping, interlocking

or ten-finger grip. If you select the overlapping grip, simply wrap your right pinky finger into the space where your left middle finger and index finger come together. For the interlocking grip, you will want to intertwine the right pinky finger and the left index finger. And if you select the ten-finger grip, press your right pinky finger against the forefinger or index finger of the left hand.

Whichever (final) grip you select, it’s important that you add some pressure to the club with these last two fingers—the right index finger and the left pinky finger. This is where a lot of your control and power can be gained or loss, so this connection is critical.

07Step 7

Setting the Thumb

and Forefinger of

the Trail Hand

In this final step, you will want to roll your right or trail thumb toward the left of the club, while also curling your right index finger around the club. Be sure to place the right hand directly over the left thumb, using the lifeline of your right palm as a guide. If you have performed this step

correctly, you should feel some pressure on your left thumb. This pressure is caused by placing the meaty portion of your right thumb over your left thumb.

Now that you have a clear grasp of a proper golf grip, the next fundamental is a proper setup.

7

After the grip, a proper setup is the most important fundamental every golfer needs to perfect in order to shoot lower scores. Sadly, it is also

one of the most overlooked skills, one that when performed incorrectly can have some very serious implications on your game. To help you avoid this fate, below we have compiled a step-by-step tutorial regarding the proper golf stance—an instructional manual aimed at giving you

the most advantageous and fundamentally-sound setup prior to your shot.

Fundamental#2: Proper Golf Stance

b

1Correct Alignment and

the Proper Golf Stance

No golf stance could reasonably be “deemed” proper without

the correct alignment. The position of your body, which for the purposes of this instructional guide means your feet, knees,

hips, forearms, shoulders and eyes, should all be completely

parallel to the target line—the imaginary line from the ball to

the hole.

To ensure you have achieved the proper alignment, have a friend stand a few yards behind you. If you are aligned correct-

ly, it will appear as if your body (assuming you are a

right-handed golfer) is aimed just a bit left of the target.

Once you have aligned your body correctly, it’s time to think

about the proper foot placement for your setup. As a point of

reference, your feet should be shoulder’s width apart. We hear

that term—shoulder’s width apart—a lot, but what does it

actually mean? Simply put, it means that the inside of your

heels should be spaced out so that they are roughly even in

distance to the outside of your shoulders. This is what we will call the “base” position. This base position is the proper foot placement you should employ when hitting any of the middle

irons (the 4-iron-7-iron). When hitting your driver or longer irons; or when setting up to hit the shorter irons (8-iron-wedg-

es), you should adjust your stance two inches wider and two

inches narrower, respectively.

2Front Foot “aka Target Foot”

and the Proper Golf Stance

The front foot, also known as the target foot, should be opened up by about 30 degrees. This will enable your body to rotate fully towards the target as you make your downswing. In most

cases, you should keep your back foot totally square—90

degrees to the target. In rare cases, you can open up the back

foot slightly to aid in a more complete hip turn. Generally

speaking, your foot placement should be dictated by your own

personal degree of flexibility and the speed at which you rotate your body.

8

3

The Golf Balland the Proper Golf Stance

Ball position has a lot to do with the proper golf stance.

Although most amateur and weekend golfers utilize the same

ball placement in their stance regardless of the upcoming

shot, most of the premier golf instructors will tell you that “the

ball placement in one’s stance will vary depending on the club

you intend to use.”

Short Irons. When using the short irons, such as your 8 and 9

iron and wedges, you will typically want to place the ball in the

center of your stance—equidistant between your front and

back foot. These clubs, which have a steep angle, must be swung with that angle in mind, which means you will usually

leave a small divot in front of the ball.

Middle Irons. When positioning yourself to hit the middle

irons, usually defined as the 7-iron through the 4-iron, the ball should be about one ball-length north of dead center. For

right-handed golfers, this means the ball should be one

ball-length to the left of dead center. These clubs have a flatter trajectory and will thus leave only a very small divot when hit.

Long Irons. Finally, when striking the long irons (3-iron, 2-iron, 1-iron) and woods, including the driver, the ball should be

placed an additional ball length north of dead center, or a total

of 2 ball lengths to the left. This will allow you to strike the ball at the very bottom of your swing arc and leave little to no divot.

4

Balance and the Proper Golf Stance

When we talk about balance as it pertains to the proper golf

swing we are actually talking about “how” to stand and “how” to

distribute our weight between each foot. What you NEVER

want to do when approaching a shot is stand on your heels.

This is naturally UNBALANCED, not just for a golf swing, but for any athletic movement. Instead, you want your weight to

be on the balls of your feet. Not only will this keep you more

balanced throughout the swing, it will also help you to gener-

ate more power.

In terms of weight distribution, this again depends on the club

you plan to use for a particular shot. For middle irons, you

should take the MOST balanced position: with 50 percent of your weight resting on your left (target) foot, and the other 50

percent of your weight resting on your back (anchor) foot. You

want this even distribution for the middle irons for two

reasons: because of the length of those clubs and the relatively flat arc with which you will use to strike the ball.

This even, 50-50 weight distribution can technically be used for all your clubs if it makes you feel more comfortable, but for

more effective and consistent results you might want to tweak

this weight distribution slightly when hitting the lower irons,

and the higher irons and woods. For the lower irons, again the

8-iron, 9-iron and your wedges, try placing 60 percent of your

weight on your front or target foot and the remainder of your

weight on your back foot. This extra weight will help produce the desired arc for which these clubs are designed. When

setting up to hit a long iron, a 3-wood or a driver, just reverse this weight distribution by placing 60 percent of your weight

on your back foot, and 40 percent of your weight on the target foot. When swinging these longer and more powerful clubs,

this extra weight on your back foot will enable you to achieve

the correct angle on your back swing.

9

5

Posture and the Proper Golf Stance

Some might say that your golf “posture” and golf “stance” are

one in the same. This is pretty close to the truth. How you stand, or setup to the ball can literally be the difference

between a terrific shot and an embarrassing “worm burner” that settles just a few yards away from the tee box. To avoid this latter scenario, check out the following tips on the proper

golf posture.

As you settle in front of the ball, bend your knees just slightly

for balance, but not so much that is causes any discomfort.

Your knees should be directly over the balls of your feet, and

your upper spine—the part between your shoulder

blades—should be on the same basic imaginary line formed by

your knees and feet. You will also want to cock your back leg

(right leg for right-handed golfers) inward just a bit toward the

target. In doing so, you will not only be able to brace yourself

throughout the swing, you will also prevent the lower body

from swaying too much, which can potentially cause any

number of swing complications.

When you bend over the ball in preparation of taking the shot,

your body should always bend at the hips rather than at the

waist. If you do this correctly, your rear end will be protruding

slightly backwards. Remember that your spine is the axis for

your swing—the part of your body around which everything

else (arms, hands, club) will rotate. Because of this, it should be

bent over the ball—at the hips—at a right angle (90 degrees) to

the shaft of the club. Keep your back straight as you set up to

the ball, keeping in mind that every degree of bend in the

vertebrae decreases your shoulder turn by almost 2 degrees.

Your head should be tipped at the same angle as your spine,

and your chin should be up and away from the chest, which

again allows for a more complete shoulder turn. Your eyes

should, of course, be looking downward, with a focus on the

back end of the ball.

6

Positioning Your Arms and Hands in

the Perfect Golf Stances

When you approach—or address—the ball prior to your shot,

your arms should hang freely, just off the inside of your front

thigh and just north of your pants zipper. There is some debate among golf instructors as to how far away from the body you

should place your hands, also known as the hands-to-body

distance. Most agree the correct answer to that query depends

on the club you are planning to use. So, for the purposes of this

tutorial, we will explain the hands-to-distance conundrum in

the following manner:

Short and Middle Irons. When using any of your short or

middle irons—from the 4-iron all the way down to the wedg-

es—your hands, as they grip these clubs, should be 3-4 inches away from your body, roughly the distance of the width of your

hand.

Long Irons and Woods. When swinging the “big boys,” the long

irons, fairway woods and driver, your hands will need to be a

little further away from your body as you grip the club in order

to achieve the proper backswing and follow-through. For

these clubs, we recommend you hold the club about 5-7 inches

away from your body, or roughly the distance of the length of

your hand—from your wrist to the tip of your fingers.

As you grip the club—any club—your arms and shoulders

should form a triangle and the elbows should point to the hips.

10

Putting It All Together

As you start to take your stance now, it’s finally time to put it all together. Here is what you need to remember:

01The alignment of your feet

and body in relation to the

target line

02To stand with your weight

on the balls of your feet

03The proper position of

the ball in your stance

05The proper posture

how you stand and bend

06And the proper positioning

of your arms and hands

04To remain balanced

throughout the swing

You should also remember that

tension in your back, hands or arms

can be an enemy to the proper stance

and a solid golf swing. You should

grip the club lightly; just firm enough to prevent it from twisting during the

swing. Your arms should hang loose-

ly, and your back should be relaxed.

The only place where you should feel the slightest of tension is towards the

inside of the back leg, as this is what

you will use to pivot.

11

While maintaining this cross-arm position, turn your body as if you are starting your backswing. As you do

this, allow your left knee (if you are a right-handed golfer) to turn slightly inward. Ideally, the knee should now

be pointing at the ball. Continue to turn your body until the shaft of the club is straight up and down—a 90

degree turn. The club should now be perpendicular to the ground—or perpendicular to a line formed by the tips of your toes.

The primary mission of this third step is to keep your right leg stationary, although slightly flexed at the knees as it was at address. Maintain this flex in your right leg and you will find that the only way to achieve the 90 degree turn that is necessary for

getting the shaft of the club in that position is to

rotate your body.

Think of your right leg as a pivot point—a point around which the rest of your body rotates. If done

correctly and completely, your back should be

pointing at the target once you reach the very top

of your backswing. Also, remember that the angle

of your spine at address should be maintained

throughout the backswing until you reach the top.

12

The

Back Swing Drill

01

There’s a reason the grip and posture can be detailed as much as they are: they are stationary fundamentals. Once the club is in motion, trying to describe what you ought to do, or ought to feel, becomes incredibly tedious and often incorrect. Instead, we want to help you develop proper

feels during the swing, and the easiest way to achieve those sensations is with some basic drills. Here are a few of our favorites.

Fundamental #3: Basic Swing Drills

c

F or the backswing or takeaway portion of your

swing, try following the outlined steps of this helpful

drill for adding the proper body movements to the

motions of the hands and arms.

While standing at address, cross your arms over your

chest. As you do this, make sure to place your right

hand on your left shoulder, and your left hand on your

right shoulder.

Next, slide a golf club horizontally across your chest

just below your shoulders and grasp the club with

both hands.

As we move up the body, you will now slide

the front hip toward the target until it is

directly over the front knee and foot. Once

again, under or over-shifting of this hip can

negatively impact the golf swing.

While practicing the uncoiling of the club

using this cross-arm drill, pay close attention

to the shaft of the club across your chest. The shaft of the club should be parallel with the

slope of your shoulders. One way to practice

this is to perform the drill in front of a mirror.

13

N ow that you have reached the top of

the backswing, the trick is to allow your body

to unwind or uncoil back to the ball by essen-

tially reversing the above-outlined sequence.

Like with the backswing, you will maintain

the cross-arm position for this drill. The unwinding process, which starts low and goes

high in terms of the body parts involved, is as

follows:

First, slide your front knee forward—moving it

from its position over the top of the ball until it

is now pointing at the target. Ideally, your

kneecap should stop directly over your left or

front foot. One of the biggest mistakes of the

newbie or weekend golfer is an under-shifting

or over-shifting of this front knee, especially

the latter, which causes your legs to slide past

the ball, thus interfering with the proper

uncoiling process.

02The

Unwind

Drill

14

As the club comes through, keep your left

(front) leg straight and allow your right knee to

rotate slightly until it just touches your left

knee. When you finish, your spine angle should again be the same as it was at address, and

your belly should be pointing at the target.

Once your ball-striking is polished up, the next thing you’ll want to tackle is your chipping and pitching

game, which can help you save a ton of shots during the course of your round.

The

Finishing Drill

03

T he hand, arm and body movements you

practiced in the two drills above are the same

movements you will use when making a full

golf swing. However, there is one final drill remaining: finishing or following through.

As you begin to shift your weight (as you did

in step one and step two of the “unwind” drill),

bring the club downwards through the point

of impact and all the way to the finish posi-tion.

15

1. Dry conditions have made the fairways, especially around the greens, tight and firm, making pitch shots tougher to execute.

2. There aren’t any severe obstacles in between you and the hole, allowing you to keep the ball on the ground longer

3. There are several yards of green to work with, and a pitch shot would require too much finesse and the margin for error increases.

When you miss the green in any of these three scenarios, it’s tempting to go with a higher lofted shot

simply because it looks cooler. However, when trying to break 80, it’s important to limit mistakes

and dropped shots. The general rule should be, unless you absolutely have to pitch it, chip it.

Around the Green -Short Game Basics

V1

L earning an effective way to chip the golf ball helps you not only save strokes from around the

greens. It also helps you hone in the fundamentals of the golf swing. Although the bump-and-run is

a simple motion, it requires refinement and a lot of practice and attention-to-detail to master; howev-

er, once you can master the fundamentals and routinely chip the golf ball consistently, you’ll notice

your scores drop immediately.

The bump-and-run is most useful in the following scenarios:

The Bump-and-Run and Pitch Shot

a

16

Bump-and-Run Golden Rule:

Use One Club

b

In the pursuit of breaking 80, it’s vital to keep things

as simple as possible. There is plenty of literature and media out there that will advocate using multi-

ple clubs and keeping the same stroke depending

on the distance. The biggest issue with this logic is that no two clubs feel the same. They each have different lie angles and lengths, which takes a bit of

practice to get a feel for. We recommend a one-club

method with a club that you feel super confident with. Something between a pitching wedge and an

8-iron should provide enough loft to carry the ball

over the fringe or fairway and still allow the ball to

roll out.

Once you have a club selected, it’s time to address

the three basic fundamentals of the bump-and-run: grip, stance, and swing.

Bump-and-Run Stance, Ball Position,

and Weight Distribution

d

The ideal stance for the bump-and-run is to stand slightly open to your target line, with your feet

close together and your arms relaxed. This allows you to keep your hips cleared, giving your arms

plenty of room to swing back and through. You’ll

want to place the ball towards your back foot with

your hands ahead. This position mimics what you do at impact, and it’s perfect for producing ball first, turf after contact. Your weight should favor your

front side, roughly 70/30.

Bump-and-Run Grip

c

There are two ways you can grip the golf club for a bump-and-run shot: the normal grip which we discussed before, or the grip you use on your putter.

The reason behind using your putter grip is to limit your hand and wrist action which, as you’ll see, is

key to making consistently clean contact with

your chipping stroke.

Bump-and-Run Technique

e

The easiest way to think about the bump-and-run stroke is a putting stroke with a twist. Your hands,

arms and shoulders work as a single unit, with

your setup helping you hit down on the ball slight-

ly. The twist comes in a small hip turn, back and through, as you swing the club. With practice, this

will become like second nature to you.

17

Adjustments for Pitchingp-and-Run Grip

f

If you need to hit a pitch shot, one that flies a little higher and stops a little quicker, here are the adjustments you’ll make from the bump-and-run setup to make this possible:

With plenty of practice, both in technique and in

developing feel, your short game will improve

dramatically and you will be well on your way to

breaking 80!

Your stance should be slightly wider and

your weight should be closer to 60/40, still favoring your front side

Ball position moves closer to the center

of your stance, with a little bit of shaft

lean forward

Once your hands swing past your rear

hip, your wrists should hinge slightly.

Swing through to a balanced finish

Improving your ability to

make more putts can help

you shoot lower scores than

almost any other way in

golf. One of the things that

can make golf so frustrating

is a missed three-footer

counts the same as a

300-yard drive, which makes putting incredibly important.

Here are our best tips to help

improve your putting.

VII.

Putting

18

Play More Break

a

It is now a scientific fact that the majority of ama-

teur golfers tends to under-read the break and

distance on their putts—regardless of grip, setup or

technique. In a study conducted by Golf Magazine

involving 72 golfers, it was found that “65 percent

of participants under-read the break on their putts

and misjudged the overall distance on the short

side.” Needless to say, this resulted in plenty of

missed opportunities and a higher score.

Judging the putt from the side—rather than from

behind the ball or behind the hole—will give you a

better appreciation of the overall putt length. Once

you look at the putt from this angle while judging

the distance, you can return to the ball and make a

more confident swing.

Making practice swings—with the same club speed

you intend to use when actually hitting the

ball—can help you transfer the information in your

brain to your arms and hands. When making these

practice swings, stand to the side of the ball with

the club face facing the hole.

Once you have judged the distance, taken your grip

and properly addressed the ball prior to the putt,

you are ready to take your shot. To do this, swing the putter back then forward through the ball by

slightly turning your shoulders. Remember,

rhythm and tempo should be your primary aim

here. This will also help with matching the back and through stroke.

Maintain a consistent tempo for all of your putts,

regardless of the distance. Whether you have a

long putt or a short putt, the same rhythm and

tempo should be applied, although the stroke itself

will be shortened or lengthened depending on the

distance. This will cause the putter to cover more or less distance in the same amount of time, thus

enabling you to control the pace of the putter as it

makes contact with the ball.

Judge the distance and break from the

side of the putt; and

Make several practice swings before

actually hitting the ball.

Experts suggest there are two things golfers can do

to help properly read their putts:

Rhythm and Tempo

b

19

Practicing Short Putts

c

As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

And if you want to be a great putter you will

need to spend a lot of time practicing the art. In

fact, for every hour you spend on the driving

range, you should probably practice at least two

hours on the putting green—given the fact that

40 percent of your shots on the course will come on that surface

When practicing shorter putts—those within

about 6 feet of the hole—many of today’s top

golf instructors suggest that you spend a little

time employing the “don’t look and listen drill.”

Here is how it is done:

Place 3-5 golf balls on the ground, approximate-

ly 4-6 feet from the hole. Next, go through all of your normal preparations, including reading

the putt, addressing the ball, and making your

practice swings. Once you are setup and ready

to putt, look down at the ball, and keep your

head and eyes still and in place while making

the putt. Do not look up or look at the hole until

after you are certain the ball has stopped

rolling. Of course, if you make the putt, you will

be able to hear the ball hit the bottom of the cup,

otherwise known as the “best sound in golf.” So

why should you spend some time on the “don’t

look and listen drill?” Actually, this will help

your putting game in three ways, including:

Steadiness. This drill will teach you to stay steady over short putts, while also improving

your rhythm and tempo.

Visualization. Looking down at the ball

throughout the putt, rather than jerking your

head up to see the roll, will help you to better

visualize the distance and the break.

Trust. By looking down at the ball throughout

the putt you can learn to trust your swing,

rhythm and tempo, ultimately making you a

more confident putter.

20

Read Putts like a Clock

e

Reading putts like a clock will help you “simpli-

fy your reads and visualize where the ball will

enter the cup.”

When you approach the green with putter in

hand, try to picture a clock on top of the hole,

with six o’clock pointing directly towards your

ball. Then, as you assess the line of the putt, try to imagine exactly where on the clock your

putt will roll over and fall into the cup.

Now simply react to the position on the dial.

For example, if you see the ball falling into the

cup at five o’clock, try to address and setup in such a way that you are focusing on that

particular edge of the cup. Once you have done

this, you can smoothly and confidently enable that line to guide your stroke. If your mind’s

eye sees the putt entering at seven or eight

o’clock, do the very same preparations while

focusing on that part of the clock’s dial.

Once you have determined, in your mind’s eye,

the entry point of the putt, you can allow your

instincts to take over and confidently putt using the read you have determined.

By following these basic steps, you’ll see your

putting improve, which goes hand in hand

with producing lowest scores.

With your swing and short game polished up,

there is still one area to tackle, and that’s how

you prepare mentally and plot your way

through your round. Here are our best Course

Management tips.

Practicing long putts, especially very long

putts, is a great way to shave strokes from your

score—and a great way to eliminate the dread-

ed “three-putt” that plagues so many amateur

and weekend golfers. For this drill you are

actually going to reverse what you did on the

short putt drill. Here are the specifics:

Practicing Long Putts

d

On the practice green (or on an actual green),

pick a spot about 25 feet from the hole, and

drop 3-5 balls down onto the green. Again, you will want to go through all your normal prepa-

rations—read the putt, take your grip and prac-

tice swings, and setup to the ball in a comfort-

able position, with your knees slightly flexed.

Once you have addressed the ball, look up at

the target while you make a confident stroke, looking only at the target and not the ball. Do

this with all the balls you have dropped to the

green. This “look at the target” drill will enable you to focus on two very important things,

including:

Trusting Your Mechanics. When you look at the target instead of the ball, you are forced to

trust your mechanics and the rhythm and

tempo of the shot.

Correctly Judge Distance. Looking at the

target, instead of the ball, will give you a better

idea regarding the distance of the shot. This is especially true after hitting a few balls in

succession. The more you practice this drill, the better you will become at reading both the

distance and break of your long putts.

Course

Management

VIII

21

Arrive An Hour Before

Your Tee Time

a

Having to hurry through your warm-up before you tee off can be a huge detriment to your overall perfor-

mance. By allowing yourself at least an hour to stretch, hit balls, chip, and get a feel for the greens, you

optimize your chances of a successful round.

Come Up With A Game Plan

the Night Before

b

Take It One Shot at a Time

c

If the course you want to break 80 on is one you play frequently, it still doesn’t hurt to strategize. A great way

to figure out your strategy is by using a Traffic Light system, which divides holes into three categories:

Red Light Holes: Holes where bogey is

going to be an acceptable score, but

double bogeys and worse can happen in

a hurry. You want to play these as con-

servatively as possible.

Yellow Light Holes: Par is a good score,

birdies are possible, but bogeys are equal-

ly as likely. If you hit a good drive and

have an easy approach shot, take advan-

tage. Otherwise, proceed with caution.

Green Light Holes: Pars are almost auto-

matic, but you really want to make birdie

to give yourself a cushion when you play

the Red Light holes.

You hear professionals talk about this all

the time, but it really does hold merit.

Staying in the present moment, shot for

shot, is what separates good players from

bad players. The better you can focus on the task at hand and not worry about the

next shot or lament or praise the last, the

easier you’ll handle the pressure coming

down to the last few holes, especially if

your goal score is within reach. Here are

a couple tips that will help you avoid

staying out of the moment:

Don’t keep track of your score: The result will happen whether you know it will or

not. Fight the urge to add up the scores at

the turn and ask your playing partners to

not tell you your score if they are inclined

to add up their own.

A good golf course will have a solid mix

of all three, with about an equal amount

of red and green holes with the rest of

them being yellow. Taking the time beforehand to map out these holes can

help keep you relaxed and avoid being

too aggressive in the wrong spots.

22

Remember to Breathe

d

With only a few holes left, you can start to feel some nerves if you have a legitimate chance

to break 80. Above all else, it’s important to breathe, and breathe deeply. It will help calm

your nerves, and allow you to focus better when it matters most.

Don’t Ever Give Up

e

The right attitude is incredibly important in golf; however, no matter how much

you prepare, there are going to be times

on the golf course where you have a bad

start. Maybe your playing partners acci-

dentally inform you that you shot 47 on the front, and now a sub-80 score seems

completely out of reach. Take those last nine holes and continue to try your best

on every shot. Bad rounds are a time for

learning, for better understanding how

you respond in certain situations and

how to adjust for the next round. If you

stay patient, and continue to plug along,

that score of 79 or better will never be too

far away.

Golf is a game of a lifetime, and one of the

reasons it’s so popular is it can never be

mastered. There are always areas in the game we can improve, and having goals

is a great way to find those improve-

ments and use them to lower our scores.

Par is never too far from breaking 80, and

if you can cross the latter hurdle, you are

well on your way to playing some of the

best golf of your life.

Final Words

IX

Discover a practical plan that will help you break 80 on the golf course!

Have you been shooting in the 80s and not been able to break into the elusive 70’s? Then

this is the book for you. Here at Golfers Authority we have created a sensible, non-technical

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Unlike other traditional golf books, our Secrets to Breaking 80 book focuses more on the

practical and less on the theoretical. Written in a clear, straight forward language, this book

offers you a practical plan that will allow you to:

� Instantly lower 5 to 10 strokes from your golf score

� Dial in your club distances to make better club selection choices

� Drive the ball further down the fairway

� Drop shots from less than 100 yards out on the green with ease

� Sink more putts to save par

� And much more