How to Break 80 Consistently in Golf

Being able to break 80 during a round of golf consistently requires a time commitment on the part of the golfer. The weekend hacker who plays once a month cannot expect to break 80 on a regular basis, unless they happen to be blessed with natural ability and a smooth-as-glass swing. Setting aside a few hours per week for practice and focusing on one part of your game at a time can shave a couple of strokes off your score and have you breaking 80 consistently every time.

Instructions

    • 1

      Get your golf clubs checked to make sure that they are a proper fit for your body type and style of play. Have a professional at your golf course or at your local pro shop check to make sure that your short irons -- 8-iron, 9-iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge and lofted wedge -- have the proper amount of loft difference between them -- around 5 degrees per club. Replace any clubs as necessary. Have your grips refinished if necessary as well.

    • 2

      Learn about the golf course you are playing. Review the scorecard to see the lengths of the hole and where the hazards are. Walk the course first without playing, if possible, so you can see how the wind comes into play, where typical pin placements are and any nuances to the putting greens.

    • 3

      Determine the distance that you hit each club. Take at least 10 swings with each of the clubs in your bag using your normal motion and follow-through at the driving range. Record your distances for each club.

    • 4

      Work on your shot from the tee box at the driving range. Hit your driver, woods and long irons, and note whether or not you hit consistently with a fade (curving from left to right for a right-handed golfer) or a hook (curving from left to right for a left-handed golfer), and how far your drives go from the tee. This information will help you know how to adjust your approach in the tee box and which clubs to use for your drives. Adjust your stance accordingly -- moving the ball back or forward in your stance -- to hit more drives down the center of the fairway.

    • 5

      Move to the practice chipping green and work on your short game. Pick a specific landing spot on the green and hit each one of your short irons a few times to see how far the ball carries, and, more importantly, how far it rolls, not including any undulations in the green. Work on developing consistency with each club so you know which one to use in a given situation. Use a putting green with several pin flags set up, and work on hitting each shot within five feet of each pin from your chipping spot at the edge of the putting green. Do this several times with each club.

    • 6

      Move to the practice green and work on your putting. Start by gauging the speed of your putts -- again, on a normal flat surface, not taking into account any undulation the green may have. Pick a spot approximately 10 feet away and putt the ball to that spot. Take another ball and try to putt it past the first ball. Keep repeating this action until you have made 10 putts. Start over if you fall short on one of the putts. Work on making all of your putts from five feet away. Putt 10 times and try to make all 10. If you miss one, start over again. Add some distance to your putting by moving out a foot or two and repeating the process.

    • 7

      Move to the bunker and work on your sand play. Drop 10 balls in sand next to each other and about the same distance from the hole. Use your sand wedge or lofted wedge and try to hit each ball out of the sand onto the green near the hole on the first try. After each set of 10, move farther away -- or closer to the lip for a tougher shot -- and repeat the process. Continue until you can get all 10 out of the sand in one shot.