Watched this video & found it fascinating. I’ve been struggling to break 90 for a while now. I’ve been consistently scoring 93 or 92 for the last 10 rounds or so. Yesterday I scored 86! The video & the process definitely helped. Thank you very much 👍🏻
I didn’t play for 5 years. Got back into playing this year. Beginning of the year I was shooting over 100, but yesterday I finally broke 90. A lot of it from the tips you and other UA-camrs give on their channels.
Hi James, my wife and I are absolute avid watchers of your show, it’s brilliant. I thought that this video was very good, but I would also like to see Foxy attempt this. He could play two balls, the first ball he can choose which club he wants to hit and the second ball you select the club. At the end of the 9 holes we can see what the difference in scores would be.
Im glad you pointed out you are both pros and are trying to help us high handicappers. I think you still played like pros and never got into trouble. We do. Your goal always seems to make par, well and good, do that every hole and you will break (or make)70. This is about breaking 90. I have been doing this lately -what you just showed- with great results. I still try to make regulation greens but then I differ, my aim is to make bogey. So on the green I now have a "budget" of 3 puts to make bogey. Which I am happy with because that is lower than I normal score. This works well and sometimes I make par. My point is, if I bogey every hole then my score is +18. And I have still broken 90. Isn't that the idea of this video
What a wonderful video! I've yet to break 90, but I am positive that these tips and a now mature mindset will help me do it. I could watch the two of you all day. You are quite the team. Thank you again.
Good to hear I am in the minority of amateurs who practice putting the full length of the greens along with the shorter putts. 90 is my best score after starting this sport this summer, and I am consistently in the 90s now. Working hard to break into the 80s. These were good tips in this lesson. Rafa
On the tee box, always also check if the surface is level or not. Where I play there tend to be at least some tee boxes on every course that if you're not paying attention (or are just thinking about the fairway and where you want the poaaible miss to go) you might end up having the ball above or below your feet. Not a big deal for some players, but at least for my inconsistency I've sometimes chosen to take the left side because of that while I'd originally wanted to take the right side. Shouldn't be an issue on the tee box, but hey... not every course is Augusta.
Sorry, this is going to be a bit long, but comments from a few viewers (Robert Court and some others) inspired me to share from my experiences as a new-ish golfer and things I've done to consistently shoot in the 80's As pointed out by more than a few other, consistency was my battle -- two way misses, tops, duffs, all of it. Especially with longer clubs. I've pretty much fixed that by doing a few things: Mentally-- acknowledge I'm not a pro, never will be, am aging (mid 40's), and won't ever practice to a level that rewards approaches/techniques practiced by the younger pros. I can hit an amazing shot from time to time, and it feels awesome, but I simply try to avoid even trying unless the risks are low. Give up on mashing for distance, really focus on some fundamentals, and give yourself a good short game. The full swing is something where the needle constantly moves so I try to assess and temper it regularly. Essentially, playing what feels like a 70% swing and doing well with the fundamentals: Grip, alignment, stance, posture. What the "full swing" feel is varies round-to-round, but 70% is usually safe as a starting point for a round. A smooth repeatable swing at 70%, not thinking about the swing technique, but swinging through to the finish has really helped give me a more predictable ball flight with tighter misses. Not trying to crush it, not trying to hit at the ball, but making a smooth swing to the finish without trying to artificially create lag or deloft or punish the ball or manipulate path. The result is better center contact and more consistent flights and distances. Maybe shorter, but on average probably a little longer because I rarely duff or top it and the smash factor on the majority of shots is much higher just from getting the center strike. Attack-- yes, but make that aggressive to a club and target, not swinging harder/faster. Know your strengths and weaknesses and reassess these regularly. Choose/select clubs and shots that are suited to both. Sloping lies were/are a weakness, so if I treat these as hazards. Ball above the feet, I select a lower-lofted iron and chip/pitch swing no more than 50% to a safe zone. Reduces the curve. Significantly below, a similar strategy, but with a higher-lofted iron. I never try to hit a full shot from ball above/below more than an inch or so. Longer clubs are a struggle and still somewhat erratic, so I rarely hit driver and almost always choose a 4i off the first tee (or few) as I can smooth swing it and get decent distance and less trouble from too much curve. I'll pull a 3w after a few holes if there's room to error and I'm feeling comfortable in my swing and comfortable with my playing partners, but again, 70% swing to the finish. If I get the flight I was trying for I'll pull it again when it makes sense, if not I'll go back to mid/long-irons. I've improved short game and putting by going all "feel" oriented and trying to be creative. Not high-risk shots, but really trying to visualize what I want the ball to do from start-to-finish, and then just making the swing and letting my body-subconscious do it. I don't stand over the ball long. I hope this helps a couple people out there.
One more thing I did was get clubs that are less forgiving. It forced me to make better swings -- not hit at the ball. I had a tendency to loose my tempo and start swinging at the ball and loosing strike as a result. I bought a relatively cheap set of used blade/MB irons for practice purposes. I actually took them out to play after 3 range sessions and shot a personal best. But they are terribly unforgiving and it didn't work the following round-- I still lost my tempo/strike and had my worst round in a couple years. I primarily use them for range practice and have since gotten some less forgiving "players" CB irons, fitted. They've got some forgiveness, but they still force me to make a smoother tempo swing, which results in better consistency.
Good tips. I think the biggest thing for me is avoiding the meltdown holes where I take an 8 or 9. Sadly, wayward drives and penalty strokes can quickly start you on that path when you're having a good round. Completely agree about taking enough club on par 3s. I started making more pars when I started taking one more club than I think I need and then just hitting it nice and steady, not leathering it.
Good demonstration of what we should be trying in principle. As golfers who are trying to break 90 we do not always hit the shots as cleanly as you guys and therefore they don't go to plan (obviously that is our responsibility to practice to increase the success of those shots). I do agree it would be interesting to see this applied to Foxy and see the recovery shots. The Ryder Cup live coverage was a great opportunity to see that even pros don't get it right every time and often play similar shots to us ordinary golfers, as opposed to most televised golf where you only see all the best shots (or the really bad ones).
Great tips, somethings golfers at any level can use. Always enjoy these videos with you and Chris. Look forward to the next video and the next and, well you know.
Hi James, I am an avid follower of your channel . I am an 18 handicap and obviously would love to break 90 on a regular basis. If I hit my best shot every time then yes it’s possible . Chris and yourself are both great strikers of the ball so this is just bread and butter stuff you both. Maybe you should hit a few Damien shots and show us mere mortals how to pick the right shot ( ie off the tee, approach and short pitches around the green to lower our scores) I know it may feel like giving a whole lesson in 1 video but maybe you could both create a mini series from tee to green with each scenario incorporated. Still love the videos either way 👍
Course management has been my killer over the years. But thanks to your video's , I've gone from 26 handicapper In may to 15 now 😀 So a big 👍 up to you and Chris, and keep the hints and tips coming. cheers boy's
I had the worst round of my life yesterday. I played a course I've played several times, and know fairly well. My drives were either going straight as an arrow, or fade 20 yards off line. My irons were the same. I couldn't miss within 100 yards though. I'd go from one side of the rough, to the other with the absolute worst lies possible. I couldn't catch a break.
As some others have already commented, this works if you hit as consistently as you guys do. This would have been a far more impressive video if you'd rather Foxy with you and got him to break 90
@@JamesRobinsonGolf Ok maybe my comment wasa bit more negative than I was meaning it to be. I would be really curious to see how Foxy does with you break 90 tips tho
I broke 90 for the first time last weekend I hit driver on 4 holes and hit 4 iron or my 2 hybrid on the others. It kept me alive on every hole. And even though I was one the green in 3 shoots on some par 4 I still made boogey on the hard par 4 and par on the easier ones and scored 88. I just kept the driver for the holes with a wide fairway and where my draw/hook I have with the driver wouldn't hurt me so much. Still mostly chip with my 60 degree but it's my favorite club in the bag and the club I practise most with of all clubs so hard to pick another club.
A great tip I have for your watchers is for distance control of the approach, the short game, and putting - do at least two or three practice swings before you hit: the first one hit it too short, next one hit it too long, and next, hit it just right for the last one. That way, you'll get a better feel of how not to hit it and how to actually hit it.
Wish I had seen this on Sunday morning!! Was focusing on breaking 100, then blew up on 16, 17 and 18. Shot a 98 so was dead happy, but low 90/sub 90 was definitely within reach!
The mindset of breaking 100, then 90, then 80, then 70, keeps the interest and motivation in Golf. I was serious about Golf but then as my finances changed (my job went overseas) I stopped playing. I teach a different sport and the same time I would be playing Golf I am out teaching. I see Pickleball becoming very popular and Pickleball lines are painted over tennis courts all over, but I do not see it lasting because you become an expert in no time, unlike Golf. For myself breaking 80 I got very solid with my short irons, at least down to 6. I could mess up the 5 and lower. I also practiced 4 foot putts all the time to not 3 putt. I practiced chipping. I took a lot of lessons in Golf and later I had a very hard time unteaching bad mechanics from self taught students of my sport. It was also before youtube and all the videos. I would recommend taking lessons.
Lots of great tips. #14 is such a big one as Chris mentioned. Never stand over a shot if your brain is still mad about the one you just duffed. Tip #1 for anyone trying to break 90 should have been “move up a tee box” 😁 stop making golf even harder by playing the middle or back tees with your single digit mates. I would have liked James and Chris to describe the holes as par 4, par 6 and par 5 - that’s what they are for 18 hcap. Plan each hole to make an easy bogey and ideally have a putt for par. One thing not mentioned is to make sure you line up properly on the tee - don’t assume the tee box is pointing down the fairway. Often it isn’t. My opinion as 10 hcap mostly scoring low 80s - pars aren’t the key to breaking 90. Eliminating doubles and triples is much more important - so no hero shots allowed. 180+ to the green means break it into 2 shots. James on the par 5 was a great example, but even in the fairway an 18 hcap shouldn’t be going for the green from 180+. Work on getting consistent with 7i to PW and a good short game and you can shoot under 90 every time.
This is a great video, how many times do I think I will just try and smash every shot as long as I can and end up duffing one (or two, or three!) Sensible course management is absolutely the key to removing those bad shots that make me end up with too many 6s 7s and worse and I end up with a mid 90s score which could and should have been 90 or under! Cheers James, I am going to put this into practice on Friday afternoon!
Some of your advice is very good, but I don't think that many boggie golfers are trying to hit a ar 5 green in 2. You could have called this video 'How to Break 80'.
I love the content, I find people struggle on putting and chipping and it destroys scores… they don’t even have a chance for par putt and end up 2 putting lol
Trying to get into the defensive mindset is going to be my biggest challenge this year. I'm looking to crack 90 next season if I can, but I know I'm susceptible to the very aggressive/hero mindset on the course. I have to learn to just take my medicine and be happy with plodding down the course, 2-putting, and walking away with a good round at the end of the day
Great tips. You make it look so easy. That’s a big problem of mine, not playing the percentage shot. I played today. Front nine, awful. +16 Back nine played the percentage shots and came back in +7. Go figure.
Really good advice here even for us higher handicappers working towards 100! Common sense really but when your on the course, how often does that go out the window!
I always hit driver on par 4s par 5s and miss a lot of fairways and I struggle with lag putting a lot so I have to use driver less more 3 wood or 4 iron instead of driver all the time
Would have broken 100 the other day but there's this strange thing on the golf course called water, that has a terrible hunger for brand new golf balls.
Tops are my biggest problem and getting off the tee, my game gets better closer to the green but bunker shots have gone to shite lately. But I ain't breaking 90 even with that advice if I am topping a ball off the tee. If only I got rid of the dreaded tops I would be extremely happy and it's what I am aiming to do over the next year, going to the range 3 times a week, but until I do I ain't breaking 90 no matter what. Playing of 26.2 cos I am a fecking egit with a golf club on the tee box.
I only started playing about three years ago. If you want to consistently shoot in the 80's, get lessons, practice as much as you can and play an easier course. Even an "easy" course will still give you trouble because golf is hard. That said, don't pay attention to your score during the round or you'll get inside your head. Just focus on having fun and forget the bad shots and missed putts. Once you avoid triple bogeys, you can make 89 with pars and bogey/double bogey.
Chris, James truly is a modern day Idi Amin! I'm a lefty and he could have left me up a creek without a paddle. 😂😂 Keep em coming guys. Break 100 and 80 next 💪
Playing percentages is such good advice. Don’t risk playing a shot that could put the ball in a bad spot. Keep that ball in play……. Did you use the word connotate in this video James? Get you …. 👍🏻😂⛳️👍🏻
Good solid tips, but for those of us who do struggle to break 90 is less about strategy and more about poor ball striking. Duffs, shanks, tops, and skulls have to be solved first. (And I want to clean this dude’s irons LOL!)
My problem is always the long par 4s. If you can't hit a consistent longish tee shot. Leaves me laying up far too often on them. Had a few 90 rounds but can never get that 89!
If you are reading this I wish you a wonderful day , you deserve love and you deserve to be understood . Life isn't always easy and anxiety and depression can get in the way but you are worth a lot , you are not a failure or stupid. I love you and wish you nothing but the best
Golf is not a mathematical equation, balls go OB ( adding strokes) and putts are left out there.... I'm a 10.4 hndcp, but still have bad days and the strokes add up quick sometimes.... however, good video, thank you and keep them coming..
You're hitting a 9 or a wedge into the par 3 into the centre of the green. I'd need to hit a 7 and chances are I'd spray it wide. If you want to break 90 surely you need to think about getting onto every green in 1 over regulation
Best advice. Get a lesson or two. One lesson and I started breaking 80 regularly. Well, one lesson and 6 months of practice to be fair. Still, that 40 dollar first lesson was the best money I've ever spent on my game. 2nd best advice. Stop trying to swing so hard. Limit your backswing to wherever it is your lead arm wants to bend. For me, that's just above shoulder height. Try to swing farther than that and my consistency goes out the window. I might hit a great shot, and I might "spray it".
Surely, a tree is trouble; you cannot depend on a fortuitous bounce! James, my distance is not remotely close enough to do what you do, however, my putting is aways a lot more positive than yours. I believe I’m going to make everything, I don’t but my strong positive thought is always held. I agree with one of the comments play around with a high handicapper and coach them around the same three holes.
I think like this; all holes are par 5. 18x5= 90 You make a par on par 3 = -2, a bogey -1 and db = even, bogey on a par 4 = even, and so on, you get the picture. It works mentally to get a lower score. It's not "Aaah f ck! Another bogey!" after a 3 putt.
Easy to break 90 with 125 yd wedges and 280 yd drives. I'm now over 70 y/o and a good drive is 180 and it takes 8 or 7 iron to go 125. GRIs on par 5s, par 4s over 340yds and par 3a over 150 yds are almost impossible.
One other thing using wrong tee box. Player with some guys as a pickup so they had 4 players these guys were all around my age over 70 and wanted to play from he whites only one could get off the tee box with his driver over 200 yards was not any fun to play with them. I went forward to the senior tee and played there from the 3 hole on.
I'm afraid I was hoping for something a little more original. Really enjoy the content you do with Chris but I thought this was just a rehash of the same old cliches. People who want to break 90 aren't playing the same game that you guys do. We don't hit it anywhere near the distances you do, nor do we have the same directional control. We need to avoid 3 putts, avoid penalty shots and duffed chips. If you want to play bogey golf your first shot is always a freebie. If it's a 400 yard hole hit whatever the longest club is that you know you can keep in play. If it's a 150 club then the par 4 becomes 250 yards and if you can't par a 250 yard par 4 then you're not ready to break 90 and you need to brush up on those basic chipping and putting skills. Sorry james, bit of a negativity from me today, I was just expecting to hear something a little bit out of the box from you and chris!
I came into the comments to say the same. I have broken 90 numerous times but not consistently. I can hit a PW 125yds and I can also hit a knock-down controlled 9 or 8 iron the same distance, but I can't eradicate the topped tee shots with either of those options. I can't eradicate the 3 putts when the ball takes an unexpected hop further to the back of the green when the pins at the front, or the very next time I play and the pin is at the back the ball decides to stop dead at the front. I can drive like a demon one day but my short game will be horrendous, then the next weekend I'm hitting drives to the left at 45° but my wedges are on fire and I'm dialled in within 100 yards. Players who can't break 90 are those who just simply aren't consistent.
I agree. I am one of those vast majority who are struggling to break 100. I can hit a nice 155yd 7 iron right where I was aiming one shot. The next I duff and it goes 50yds which still leaves me a shot into the green. Consistency is my problem.
Disagree with this, I was was brought up up to play every hole as a par 5 , 18 x 5 =90 , take the par 3 as a 4 , all of a sudden your on 86 if 4 par 3’s , nobody (but you) can help you with 3 putts and duff shots, problem we have as golfers is we all think we should par every hole but we are not good enough for that
Agreed (as a 10 hcap who played off 20 for many years). One example was when Chris was behind the tree - would have liked him to provide a safe alternative strategy for someone that didn’t think they could clear the tree so they could make an easy bogey (which is a par for 18 hcap). The only thing I disagree with your example is that golfers trying to break 90 shouldn’t be playing 400 yard par 4s. Move up a tee box until you can reliably keep a 200+ yard tee shot in play. I think 18 hcap should be playing whatever tees make the course
This is how I like to play a par 5, drive into the trees, chip out, top my 5wood about 10 yards, belt the 5 wood down the middle (cursing that I should have done that the first time). Duff a wedge, thin a wedge across the green, putt from off the green about 5 yards past the hole, putt 6 ft short. Lip out and then 1ft putt for an easy 10. Write 6 on my card. 🤣
The best way for me to break 90 is to only play the front 9
Perch it my man
Jaja keep trying
😂😂😂 You’ll get there. Keep pushing!!!
😂😂😂😂😂😂
I sure understand! Tough game….
Watched this video & found it fascinating. I’ve been struggling to break 90 for a while now. I’ve been consistently scoring 93 or 92 for the last 10 rounds or so. Yesterday I scored 86! The video & the process definitely helped. Thank you very much 👍🏻
I didn’t play for 5 years. Got back into playing this year. Beginning of the year I was shooting over 100, but yesterday I finally broke 90. A lot of it from the tips you and other UA-camrs give on their channels.
Hi James, my wife and I are absolute avid watchers of your show, it’s brilliant. I thought that this video was very good, but I would also like to see Foxy attempt this. He could play two balls, the first ball he can choose which club he wants to hit and the second ball you select the club. At the end of the 9 holes we can see what the difference in scores would be.
Great idea
You could, but when you play two balls you slow down the course
That was tremendous! More course management videos, please. 🙌🏻
Love the way Chris goes through the routine of how to play a hole..Something I need to do more of!
Love every time James says “delightful”
Your videos with Chris are some of the best golf content 👌 on the tube.
Im glad you pointed out you are both pros and are trying to help us high handicappers. I think you still played like pros and never got into trouble. We do. Your goal always seems to make par, well and good, do that every hole and you will break (or make)70. This is about breaking 90. I have been doing this lately -what you just showed- with great results. I still try to make regulation greens but then I differ, my aim is to make bogey. So on the green I now have a "budget" of 3 puts to make bogey. Which I am happy with because that is lower than I normal score. This works well and sometimes I make par. My point is, if I bogey every hole then my score is +18. And I have still broken 90. Isn't that the idea of this video
What a wonderful video! I've yet to break 90, but I am positive that these tips and a now mature mindset will help me do it. I could watch the two of you all day. You are quite the team. Thank you again.
You and Chris have to do so many videos you 2 just jell so well. Love you videos keep them coming mate
I've played 4 times and my best was 110! I need this video. Okay going to watch it now
Good to hear I am in the minority of amateurs who practice putting the full length of the greens along with the shorter putts. 90 is my best score after starting this sport this summer, and I am consistently in the 90s now. Working hard to break into the 80s. These were good tips in this lesson.
Rafa
Love the strategy and course management
On the tee box, always also check if the surface is level or not. Where I play there tend to be at least some tee boxes on every course that if you're not paying attention (or are just thinking about the fairway and where you want the poaaible miss to go) you might end up having the ball above or below your feet. Not a big deal for some players, but at least for my inconsistency I've sometimes chosen to take the left side because of that while I'd originally wanted to take the right side. Shouldn't be an issue on the tee box, but hey... not every course is Augusta.
All these tips and ideas are fantastic, but only work if one can actually hit the ball with any consistency.
Sorry, this is going to be a bit long, but comments from a few viewers (Robert Court and some others) inspired me to share from my experiences as a new-ish golfer and things I've done to consistently shoot in the 80's
As pointed out by more than a few other, consistency was my battle -- two way misses, tops, duffs, all of it. Especially with longer clubs. I've pretty much fixed that by doing a few things:
Mentally-- acknowledge I'm not a pro, never will be, am aging (mid 40's), and won't ever practice to a level that rewards approaches/techniques practiced by the younger pros. I can hit an amazing shot from time to time, and it feels awesome, but I simply try to avoid even trying unless the risks are low.
Give up on mashing for distance, really focus on some fundamentals, and give yourself a good short game.
The full swing is something where the needle constantly moves so I try to assess and temper it regularly. Essentially, playing what feels like a 70% swing and doing well with the fundamentals: Grip, alignment, stance, posture. What the "full swing" feel is varies round-to-round, but 70% is usually safe as a starting point for a round. A smooth repeatable swing at 70%, not thinking about the swing technique, but swinging through to the finish has really helped give me a more predictable ball flight with tighter misses. Not trying to crush it, not trying to hit at the ball, but making a smooth swing to the finish without trying to artificially create lag or deloft or punish the ball or manipulate path. The result is better center contact and more consistent flights and distances. Maybe shorter, but on average probably a little longer because I rarely duff or top it and the smash factor on the majority of shots is much higher just from getting the center strike.
Attack-- yes, but make that aggressive to a club and target, not swinging harder/faster.
Know your strengths and weaknesses and reassess these regularly. Choose/select clubs and shots that are suited to both.
Sloping lies were/are a weakness, so if I treat these as hazards. Ball above the feet, I select a lower-lofted iron and chip/pitch swing no more than 50% to a safe zone. Reduces the curve. Significantly below, a similar strategy, but with a higher-lofted iron. I never try to hit a full shot from ball above/below more than an inch or so. Longer clubs are a struggle and still somewhat erratic, so I rarely hit driver and almost always choose a 4i off the first tee (or few) as I can smooth swing it and get decent distance and less trouble from too much curve. I'll pull a 3w after a few holes if there's room to error and I'm feeling comfortable in my swing and comfortable with my playing partners, but again, 70% swing to the finish. If I get the flight I was trying for I'll pull it again when it makes sense, if not I'll go back to mid/long-irons.
I've improved short game and putting by going all "feel" oriented and trying to be creative. Not high-risk shots, but really trying to visualize what I want the ball to do from start-to-finish, and then just making the swing and letting my body-subconscious do it. I don't stand over the ball long.
I hope this helps a couple people out there.
One more thing I did was get clubs that are less forgiving. It forced me to make better swings -- not hit at the ball. I had a tendency to loose my tempo and start swinging at the ball and loosing strike as a result. I bought a relatively cheap set of used blade/MB irons for practice purposes. I actually took them out to play after 3 range sessions and shot a personal best. But they are terribly unforgiving and it didn't work the following round-- I still lost my tempo/strike and had my worst round in a couple years. I primarily use them for range practice and have since gotten some less forgiving "players" CB irons, fitted. They've got some forgiveness, but they still force me to make a smoother tempo swing, which results in better consistency.
Bro, try not explaining an entire video worth of stuff in a post
Love how easy you make it sound. Thanks!
Like my favorite t-shirt proclaims . . . OLD GUYS RULE !
Great video on course management.
Guys, you always work well, and entertain, when playing together. Great tips.
that 9 iron chip from Chris... i use a similar shot but using 7 iron... purely as I feel more comfortable with that club
Good little video James/Chris.
Very helpful Chris and James
Good tips. I think the biggest thing for me is avoiding the meltdown holes where I take an 8 or 9. Sadly, wayward drives and penalty strokes can quickly start you on that path when you're having a good round. Completely agree about taking enough club on par 3s. I started making more pars when I started taking one more club than I think I need and then just hitting it nice and steady, not leathering it.
That’s my problem to I can go 6 holes feelin good and playin good then I hit that one whole end up with triple bogey then I’m fucked from then on
Another informative video very good tips course management is very important part of the game
Good demonstration of what we should be trying in principle. As golfers who are trying to break 90 we do not always hit the shots as cleanly as you guys and therefore they don't go to plan (obviously that is our responsibility to practice to increase the success of those shots). I do agree it would be interesting to see this applied to Foxy and see the recovery shots. The Ryder Cup live coverage was a great opportunity to see that even pros don't get it right every time and often play similar shots to us ordinary golfers, as opposed to most televised golf where you only see all the best shots (or the really bad ones).
Really like this video. Its made me mentally prepare for my round tomorrow.
Great tips, somethings golfers at any level can use. Always enjoy these videos with you and Chris. Look forward to the next video and the next and, well you know.
Hi James, I am an avid follower of your channel . I am an 18 handicap and obviously would love to break 90 on a regular basis. If I hit my best shot every time then yes it’s possible . Chris and yourself are both great strikers of the ball so this is just bread and butter stuff you both. Maybe you should hit a few Damien shots and show us mere mortals how to pick the right shot ( ie off the tee, approach and short pitches around the green to lower our scores) I know it may feel like giving a whole lesson in 1 video but maybe you could both create a mini series from tee to green with each scenario incorporated. Still love the videos either way 👍
Course management has been my killer over the years. But thanks to your video's , I've gone from 26 handicapper In may to 15 now 😀
So a big 👍 up to you and Chris, and keep the hints and tips coming. cheers boy's
I had the worst round of my life yesterday. I played a course I've played several times, and know fairly well. My drives were either going straight as an arrow, or fade 20 yards off line. My irons were the same. I couldn't miss within 100 yards though. I'd go from one side of the rough, to the other with the absolute worst lies possible. I couldn't catch a break.
Excellent
Great advice on course management guy’s
Good video going to give it ago. My best is 92 been playing from January this year.
Great video guys, I make a lot of the mistakes you guy described!
Great content James, really appreciate the fantastic advice 👍
As some others have already commented, this works if you hit as consistently as you guys do. This would have been a far more impressive video if you'd rather Foxy with you and got him to break 90
I guess no video is perfect hey Rupert
@@JamesRobinsonGolf
Ok maybe my comment wasa bit more negative than I was meaning it to be. I would be really curious to see how Foxy does with you break 90 tips tho
Great tips! Thanks guys.
Fantastic video fellas!! Thanks for using shot tracking, your ball flight is absolutely delightful. Your helping my game already James, thanks.
taking a lesson from our boy golfsidekick with this style.
I broke 90 for the first time last weekend
I hit driver on 4 holes and hit 4 iron or my 2 hybrid on the others. It kept me alive on every hole. And even though I was one the green in 3 shoots on some par 4 I still made boogey on the hard par 4 and par on the easier ones and scored 88. I just kept the driver for the holes with a wide fairway and where my draw/hook I have with the driver wouldn't hurt me so much. Still mostly chip with my 60 degree but it's my favorite club in the bag and the club I practise most with of all clubs so hard to pick another club.
A great tip I have for your watchers is for distance control of the approach, the short game, and putting - do at least two or three practice swings before you hit: the first one hit it too short, next one hit it too long, and next, hit it just right for the last one. That way, you'll get a better feel of how not to hit it and how to actually hit it.
Last tip: just have fun and play golf. Enjoyed it!
Wish I had seen this on Sunday morning!! Was focusing on breaking 100, then blew up on 16, 17 and 18.
Shot a 98 so was dead happy, but low 90/sub 90 was definitely within reach!
The mindset of breaking 100, then 90, then 80, then 70, keeps the interest and motivation in Golf. I was serious about Golf but then as my finances changed (my job went overseas) I stopped playing. I teach a different sport and the same time I would be playing Golf I am out teaching. I see Pickleball becoming very popular and Pickleball lines are painted over tennis courts all over, but I do not see it lasting because you become an expert in no time, unlike Golf. For myself breaking 80 I got very solid with my short irons, at least down to 6. I could mess up the 5 and lower. I also practiced 4 foot putts all the time to not 3 putt. I practiced chipping. I took a lot of lessons in Golf and later I had a very hard time unteaching bad mechanics from self taught students of my sport. It was also before youtube and all the videos. I would recommend taking lessons.
Great video guys. Hope I can remember the tips.
Great video! My big problem is carrying bad shots instead of moving on.
Lots of great tips. #14 is such a big one as Chris mentioned. Never stand over a shot if your brain is still mad about the one you just duffed.
Tip #1 for anyone trying to break 90 should have been “move up a tee box” 😁 stop making golf even harder by playing the middle or back tees with your single digit mates.
I would have liked James and Chris to describe the holes as par 4, par 6 and par 5 - that’s what they are for 18 hcap. Plan each hole to make an easy bogey and ideally have a putt for par.
One thing not mentioned is to make sure you line up properly on the tee - don’t assume the tee box is pointing down the fairway. Often it isn’t.
My opinion as 10 hcap mostly scoring low 80s - pars aren’t the key to breaking 90. Eliminating doubles and triples is much more important - so no hero shots allowed. 180+ to the green means break it into 2 shots. James on the par 5 was a great example, but even in the fairway an 18 hcap shouldn’t be going for the green from 180+. Work on getting consistent with 7i to PW and a good short game and you can shoot under 90 every time.
A lot of good advice there. Especially re: doubles and triples being card killers 🏌️♂️👍
Great video thanks will try my best 👌
This is a great video, how many times do I think I will just try and smash every shot as long as I can and end up duffing one (or two, or three!) Sensible course management is absolutely the key to removing those bad shots that make me end up with too many 6s 7s and worse and I end up with a mid 90s score which could and should have been 90 or under! Cheers James, I am going to put this into practice on Friday afternoon!
Nicely done. Give every shot a purpose and not simply to move it down the golf course
Some of your advice is very good, but I don't think that many boggie golfers are trying to hit a ar 5 green in 2. You could have called this video 'How to Break 80'.
I love the content, I find people struggle on putting and chipping and it destroys scores… they don’t even have a chance for par putt and end up 2 putting lol
Trying to get into the defensive mindset is going to be my biggest challenge this year. I'm looking to crack 90 next season if I can, but I know I'm susceptible to the very aggressive/hero mindset on the course. I have to learn to just take my medicine and be happy with plodding down the course, 2-putting, and walking away with a good round at the end of the day
Great tips. You make it look so easy. That’s a big problem of mine, not playing the percentage shot. I played today. Front nine, awful. +16 Back nine played the percentage shots and came back in +7. Go figure.
Superb!!!
chris is tap in once again damn that man is good
Really good advice here even for us higher handicappers working towards 100! Common sense really but when your on the course, how often does that go out the window!
Great advice
I always hit driver on par 4s par 5s and miss a lot of fairways and I struggle with lag putting a lot so I have to use driver less more 3 wood or 4 iron instead of driver all the time
Would have broken 100 the other day but there's this strange thing on the golf course called water, that has a terrible hunger for brand new golf balls.
Tops are my biggest problem and getting off the tee, my game gets better closer to the green but bunker shots have gone to shite lately. But I ain't breaking 90 even with that advice if I am topping a ball off the tee. If only I got rid of the dreaded tops I would be extremely happy and it's what I am aiming to do over the next year, going to the range 3 times a week, but until I do I ain't breaking 90 no matter what. Playing of 26.2 cos I am a fecking egit with a golf club on the tee box.
had freshly cored greens today and aint been mowed damn frustrating lol
90 is 5 strokes a hole. a very reasonable goal.
I only started playing about three years ago. If you want to consistently shoot in the 80's, get lessons, practice as much as you can and play an easier course. Even an "easy" course will still give you trouble because golf is hard. That said, don't pay attention to your score during the round or you'll get inside your head. Just focus on having fun and forget the bad shots and missed putts. Once you avoid triple bogeys, you can make 89 with pars and bogey/double bogey.
Chris, James truly is a modern day Idi Amin! I'm a lefty and he could have left me up a creek without a paddle. 😂😂
Keep em coming guys. Break 100 and 80 next 💪
Putting has always been my problem when I avoid 3 putts is when I shot high 70s low 80s
Playing percentages is such good advice. Don’t risk playing a shot that could put the ball in a bad spot. Keep that ball in play…….
Did you use the word connotate in this video James? Get you …. 👍🏻😂⛳️👍🏻
Good solid tips, but for those of us who do struggle to break 90 is less about strategy and more about poor ball striking. Duffs, shanks, tops, and skulls have to be solved first. (And I want to clean this dude’s irons LOL!)
Play as often as possible. Gone from 100 plus to mid 80s since April.
Is that part 5 tee shot over the green of the prior hole?
being one of those lefties, Christ mentioned, I would love to see you play a round left handed. Might make for an entertaining round.
interesting to see how different clubs position flag colours
My problem is always the long par 4s. If you can't hit a consistent longish tee shot. Leaves me laying up far too often on them. Had a few 90 rounds but can never get that 89!
Thank you, Chris & James; those are invaluable tips.
Love the positivity from the boys but what if you Shank your short Irons and then 3 putt
Go to the pub lol
If you are reading this I wish you a wonderful day , you deserve love and you deserve to be understood . Life isn't always easy and anxiety and depression can get in the way but you are worth a lot , you are not a failure or stupid. I love you and wish you nothing but the best
it's a game of inches...the six inches between our ears. Great video guys
With respect we don't hit the ball as far as you guys and where you use a 5 iron we need to hit driver.
Did you drive straight over the first green from the second tee box ? Was that green in play ?
Yes buddy
BTW... check out all of those divots on that first tee box!!!
People not fixing their tee shots sucks!
Great guys … did I miss the link to Chris’s channel
Practice long putts all the time made big difference to game and also going up hill
Golf is not a mathematical equation, balls go OB ( adding strokes) and putts are left out there.... I'm a 10.4 hndcp, but still have bad days and the strokes add up quick sometimes.... however, good video, thank you and keep them coming..
You're hitting a 9 or a wedge into the par 3 into the centre of the green. I'd need to hit a 7 and chances are I'd spray it wide. If you want to break 90 surely you need to think about getting onto every green in 1 over regulation
Best advice. Get a lesson or two. One lesson and I started breaking 80 regularly. Well, one lesson and 6 months of practice to be fair. Still, that 40 dollar first lesson was the best money I've ever spent on my game.
2nd best advice. Stop trying to swing so hard. Limit your backswing to wherever it is your lead arm wants to bend. For me, that's just above shoulder height. Try to swing farther than that and my consistency goes out the window. I might hit a great shot, and I might "spray it".
I struggle with my driver and hitting greens in regulation. Last I've I hit over 50% of fairways and greens in a round I shot a 91 lol
Sorry silly question but why are you stepping each side of the hole prior to putting?
Surely, a tree is trouble; you cannot depend on a fortuitous bounce! James, my distance is not remotely close enough to do what you do, however, my putting is aways a lot more positive than yours. I believe I’m going to make everything, I don’t but my strong positive thought is always held. I agree with one of the comments play around with a high handicapper and coach them around the same three holes.
Can we have an aim point vid with Chris?
Practice your 4 foot putts for hours on end, make that lag circle you are comfortable with bigger.
My problem is to get those 4 or 5 bad holds out of the way every time I play
I think like this; all holes are par 5. 18x5= 90 You make a par on par 3 = -2, a bogey -1 and db = even, bogey on a par 4 = even, and so on, you get the picture. It works mentally to get a lower score. It's not "Aaah f ck! Another bogey!" after a 3 putt.
Easy to break 90 with 125 yd wedges and 280 yd drives. I'm now over 70 y/o and a good drive is 180 and it takes 8 or 7 iron to go 125. GRIs on par 5s, par 4s over 340yds and par 3a over 150 yds are almost impossible.
yellow middle how is your flags done? my local is blue red yellow alphabetical order which makes it easier blue front red middle yellow back
Started out by saying he is hitting left in T box, but never said why?
Playing a course that doesn’t have a million sand traps surrounding the greens and no water holes helps.
One other thing using wrong tee box. Player with some guys as a pickup so they had 4 players these guys were all around my age over 70 and wanted to play from he whites only one could get off the tee box with his driver over 200 yards was not any fun to play with them. I went forward to the senior tee and played there from the 3 hole on.
I'm afraid I was hoping for something a little more original. Really enjoy the content you do with Chris but I thought this was just a rehash of the same old cliches.
People who want to break 90 aren't playing the same game that you guys do. We don't hit it anywhere near the distances you do, nor do we have the same directional control.
We need to avoid 3 putts, avoid penalty shots and duffed chips. If you want to play bogey golf your first shot is always a freebie. If it's a 400 yard hole hit whatever the longest club is that you know you can keep in play. If it's a 150 club then the par 4 becomes 250 yards and if you can't par a 250 yard par 4 then you're not ready to break 90 and you need to brush up on those basic chipping and putting skills.
Sorry james, bit of a negativity from me today, I was just expecting to hear something a little bit out of the box from you and chris!
I came into the comments to say the same. I have broken 90 numerous times but not consistently. I can hit a PW 125yds and I can also hit a knock-down controlled 9 or 8 iron the same distance, but I can't eradicate the topped tee shots with either of those options. I can't eradicate the 3 putts when the ball takes an unexpected hop further to the back of the green when the pins at the front, or the very next time I play and the pin is at the back the ball decides to stop dead at the front.
I can drive like a demon one day but my short game will be horrendous, then the next weekend I'm hitting drives to the left at 45° but my wedges are on fire and I'm dialled in within 100 yards. Players who can't break 90 are those who just simply aren't consistent.
I agree. I am one of those vast majority who are struggling to break 100. I can hit a nice 155yd 7 iron right where I was aiming one shot. The next I duff and it goes 50yds which still leaves me a shot into the green. Consistency is my problem.
100% accurate this!!
Disagree with this, I was was brought up up to play every hole as a par 5 , 18 x 5 =90 , take the par 3 as a 4 , all of a sudden your on 86 if 4 par 3’s , nobody (but you) can help you with 3 putts and duff shots, problem we have as golfers is we all think we should par every hole but we are not good enough for that
Agreed (as a 10 hcap who played off 20 for many years). One example was when Chris was behind the tree - would have liked him to provide a safe alternative strategy for someone that didn’t think they could clear the tree so they could make an easy bogey (which is a par for 18 hcap).
The only thing I disagree with your example is that golfers trying to break 90 shouldn’t be playing 400 yard par 4s. Move up a tee box until you can reliably keep a 200+ yard tee shot in play. I think 18 hcap should be playing whatever tees make the course
This is how I like to play a par 5, drive into the trees, chip out, top my 5wood about 10 yards, belt the 5 wood down the middle (cursing that I should have done that the first time). Duff a wedge, thin a wedge across the green, putt from off the green about 5 yards past the hole, putt 6 ft short. Lip out and then 1ft putt for an easy 10. Write 6 on my card. 🤣
I need to play with you. We both have the same game!!!!!