Learning how to break 80 in golf is the pinnacle for most of us amateur mules.
Like so many things in life, it’s easy to play golf, but impossible to master it.
Even Tiger Woods, in all his glory, missed cuts, lost tournaments, and shocked us when he didn’t pull off something incredible.
Some might argue that’s what makes golf so great.
A pursuit of perfecting the unperfectable.
Yet, while we all know it can’t be perfected, we all try.
For many of us amateurs, perfect means knowing how to break 80.
However, there seems to be some mystical summit to climb when it comes to breaking 80.
Many have flirted with it, but only the strongest have conquered it.
It’s often the demarcation between someone who plays golf and someone who gets called to be the ringer in your 4-man scramble.
But what if I told you it was easier than you thought?
What if knowing how to break 80 in golf was something you could actually do instead of just something you dreamed about?
Well, it’s time to stop dreaming.
Breaking 80 is as easy as three simple rules.
Do these three things and you will not only shoot lower scores, you will break 80 every time.
Before we get there, let’s set our expectations and look at some tips and tricks to get you ready to climb this summit.
>> Related: 5 Best Ways to Lower Your Handicap
What Percentage of Golfers Break 80
I’m not going to sugarcoat it.
Breaking 80 is one of the hardest things to do as an amateur golfer.
If you are here and still reading, I’m going to guess you’re already motivated enough to do this.
But let’s look at just how likely reaching the goal is.
The number will vary a little depending on where you get your data, but they pretty much all agree that less than 10% of golfers ever break 80.
It’s right around 9% for men and only about 2% for women.
In addition to that, only about 2% of golfers can break 80 consistently.
The rest are no better than Hanson and “MMMBop”.
Just a one-hit wonder trying to remember the good ol’ days.
Playing the Right Golf Ball to Break 80
I don’t care what anybody has told you.
You’re good enough to be picky about what ball you play.
Not only that, I promise it will help you lower your scores. More on this in a little bit.
If you’re close to the point where you can and want to break 80, I’m guessing you can notice slight differences in golf balls.
For me, this was about the time I started noticing these small nuances in balls and that I could use them to my advantage.
If you want to see the whole guide on picking a golf ball for yourself, you can read it here.
For now, I’ll just touch on a few of the key points.
Number one, you should always start by testing golf balls with your short game.
As you’ll see on this list, short game is the most vital part of how to break 80 and you should NOT take it for granted.
Do you like hitting chip shots that check after one bounce? Or do you like the bump-and-run?
The answer might be more out of your control than you think.
That is to say, the golf ball is going to play a huge part in this.
The amount of spin a golf ball can produce will have a huge impact on how fast it will check on these short, greenside shots.
Know your game and know what you want out of these short chip shots.
Number two, I don’t care who you are, you can compress a golf ball.
Compression should not be a major player in deciding what golf ball you pick.
The most important features of a golf ball are spin and trajectory.
If you have a launch monitor to help with this, even better.
But you can still do a pretty decent job of eyeballing this with the shorter clubs.
Pay attention to how much zip you get on a wedge shot and how high your ball is flying.
Launch monitor numbers will be more accurate, but we aren’t all privy to such technology.
Last but not least, you should never pick a golf ball based on your driver.
Find a golf ball that works for your short game and mid irons and then get fit for a driver that fits the ball.
Consistency is Key
The number one playing tip to break 80 in golf is consistency.
You have to get more consistent and limit, or eliminate, the big misses.
This doesn’t mean you won’t mishit shots, but your mishits need to be 10-15 yards offline instead of 40.
If you’ve followed along with how to break 90 or how to break 100 with me, you’ve seen this building to a crescendo.
The first step in breaking 100 was learning to make solid contact.
Then learning how to play the same shot shape to break 90.
Now you need to be able to hit the same shot over and over and over.
If that means swinging at 90% to give yourself more control over your swing, then do it.
The few yards you might lose in distance are more than worth it for the massive improvement in wayward shots.
How do you do this?
Quality practice time.
There’s no way around it.
Practice Strategies
Short irons.
Wedges.
Short irons.
Wedges.
Short irons.
Wedges.
Are you getting the idea?
Tee shots might get the attention, but the approach game is where you’re going to make the magic happen.
This means about 120 yards and closer for most of us.
You can look at the full guide to practice strategies here, but one of my favorite drills for practicing the approach game is doing a ladder drill.
Ladder Drill
There are different variations of this, but the one I like the most is to start with my shortest wedge and progressively hit longer and longer shots until I am taking full stock swings.
For me, this means starting with my 58-degree wedge and finding a target about 25 yards away.
I’m not as concerned with hitting it exactly 25 yards as I am with simply noticing how far the ball went with that swing feel.
On my next swing, I simply try to hit the ball as close to the first shot without being shorter.
Think The Price is Right, but reverse.
If my first shot traveled 26 yards (I’m never actually this exact), then my next ball would need to be as close to 26 yards as possible without being under.
The end goal is to hit as many shots as possible before reaching my full stock distance.
On good days for me, this can be five or six shots with each club.
On bad days, it’s been around 3.
The important thing is being consistent with it.
One shot at a time. Over and over and over again.
While this drill can do wonders with long irons, I would argue it’s vital with anything less than an 8-iron ish.
(A stock 8-iron for me is about 150 yards for context of where this might fit into your golf game.)
I firmly believe it’s the one drill I do that allows me to compete with players that drive it 20-30 yards past me.
Mental Game of How to Break 80 in Golf
I truly can’t ever remember a round of golf where I didn’t hit a bad shot.
Maybe once the one time I shot a 74. (Blind squirrels find nuts too.)
But even that round had two double-bogeys in it, so there were definitely some shots I wanted back.
I’ve certainly had rounds with less bad than others, but at some point, one always creeps up.
The question for you is, how are you going to deal with them when they come?
Because I promise they’re coming.
When I was in high school, my TV Broadcast teacher once told me that no producer ever sits in the control room hoping nothing goes wrong.
They are constantly making mental plans for when they go wrong.
Apparently, it stuck with me as I still remember it 20 years later.
It’s the same with golf.
As soon as your ball leaves the clubface, you’ve done all you can.
You’re only job now is to find it and hit it again.
Landed in someone else’s divot?
So what. What an opportunity to hit a great recovery shot.
The wind kicked up while your ball was in the air and knocked it down?
Cool. Now you get to hit that chip shot you’ve been practicing.
Embracing the Bad
Now, before anyone starts throwing stones at me, I understand how hard this is.
It’s human nature to be frustrated when you see your ball in a spot that you don’t like.
I know I’ve done it.
I’ve cursed at shots.
Shouted how unfair it was.
And even thrown a club or two in my time.
But I also know it’s the ability to embrace those bad things that can set you apart.
How many people actually enjoy when bad things happen?
Not many.
But what you can enjoy is knowing that bad breaks will cripple some golfers.
They will be completely unable to perform.
And that is why you have to embrace the bad breaks.
If you can learn to embrace when bad things happen, you have already beaten the 75% of people who let it ruin the rest of their day.
And that is what can set you apart and help you break 80.
If you want more on strategies that help with the mental game, my favorites is Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriot from Vision 54.
They wrote a book called, “Be A Player” that has so much good information in it that it’s almost overwhelming.
I highly suggest it as it will change the way you approach the game of golf.
I also talk more about it in my practice tips.
Golf Fitness
Up to this point, I have not mentioned fitness in any of my articles when it comes to how to achieve lower scores.
And honestly, it’s because I think breaking 80 is the only one where it starts to play a key factor.
To be clear, you do not need to be in the gym 5 days a week with a personal trainer.
FAR from it.
However, I also know what it’s like to feel physically unstable toward the end of a 5 hour round.
You lose a little bit of swing feel, the mental strength starts to waiver a little bit and before you know it you’ve blasted one onto the street next to the adjacent fairway.
Not fun.
Also not helping you pursue breaking 80.
To reiterate, I’m not suggesting that fitness needs to take over your life.
However, if you really want to give it a real chance to break 80 in golf, I would recommend you do something for your physical fitness regularly.
It can be as simple as going on regular walks while sprinkling in some light weight training.
But something to keep you active.
Another great test for golf fitness is just going to the range and pounding balls.
If you can go to the range and hit 100 balls within 60 to 90 minutes without feeling like you just pushed a car up a mountain, then you’re on the right track.
Local Course Strategy
There’s a reason why PGA Tour players play practice rounds for 3 days before a tournament.
It helps lower your scores.
I’ve probably broken 80 a dozen times in my life and I don’t think I’ve ever done it when playing a course for the first time.
There’s something psychological about knowing where your ball can miss that frees you up to make a committed golf swing.
And no, someone telling you that a hole, “opens up on the right,” doesn’t have the same effect as actually knowing.
What if it opens up, but it’s on the side of a hill?
Or has a good lie, but there’s a tree in the way of your preferred shot shape?
All this can be avoided by simply knowing the course.
This is to say, don’t avoid playing courses you’ve never played before.
Just don’t expect to shoot your lowest score ever the first time you do.
There is a cheat code for this, however.
God bless technology as there are many apps that you can do some course scouting before you ever get to the first tee box.
My favorite right now is 18 Birdies.
I will even go as far as taking the app on the driving range with me and practicing holes as I finish hitting balls.
And it’s a great way to make practice more engaging.
3 Secret Rules on How to Break 80 in Golf
It’s time.
Everything to this point is just prepping you for the big round.
The round where you are going to reach amateur golf stardom.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably played enough rounds that these rules for how to break 80 in golf are nothing new.
Alone they can help you lower your scores.
But combine them and I can all but guarantee you will break 80.
Here we go…
1. No Penalty Strokes
For most, this is where the addiction starts.
If you’ve been following along, you know this was the tip I gave for breaking 100.
And if you want to break 80, then everything you need to do to break 100 still applies.
Hence, here it is again.
If you’re not familiar, not having penalty shots is one of the quickest ways to lower your scores.
Since golf is literally counting how many strokes you have, there is nothing more crushing than having to add a stroke when you didn’t even hit the ball.
Is it possible to break 80 if you hit a ball into the water?
Sure. Pros do it all the time.
But, does it make it a lot more difficult?
Absolutely! And we’re not a pro.
Picture this…
You’re standing on the 10th hole.
A moderately challenging hole with out-of-bounds up one side.
You’ve just shot a 4-over 40 on the front nine. Very respectable, nicely done.
You’re well on your way to having a chance at breaking 80.
Then BAM!
You blast one out-of-bounds.
A few curse words later, you begrudgingly tee up another ball to hit your third shot from the same place you just hit your first.
Luckily, it goes in the fairway and you haven’t completely thrown the round away.
But, now you’re lying three.
Your approach shot then comes up short of the green.
Oh no.
Your chip trundles up to eight feet and you two put for triple-bogey.
Now you have to par the next eight holes to break 80.
That’s a lot of pars in a row.
Not impossible, but definitely not comforting.
What’s the moral here?
Keep the ball in play and avoid hazards at all costs.
I guarantee it will lower your scores.
2. Two Putts or Less
The traditional playing of golf accounts for two putts on every hole to shoot par.
That, of course, assumes you hit every green in regulation. And, considering you’re reading this as a muni golf mule, you probably don’t hit every green in regulation (GIR).
In fact, I know you don’t because even the best players in the world don’t come close to hitting all their greens.
This means you have to sink your putts.
The math of how to break 80 is simple.
11 pars and 7 bogeys. Assuming a par-72 golf course.
With that logic, you would need to hit the same amount of greens in regulation as an average scratch golfer if you wanted to two-putt every hole and still break 80.
Hence the rule is “Two Putts or Less.”
If this is starting to seem impossible, I promise it’s not.
But it will take practice.
You can take solace in knowing that putting is actually way harder than most amateurs think.
It’s so hard that we all miss more than 10 footers than we make.
In fact, for most amateurs, it’s not until we get between 4 and 5 feet that we start making more than we miss.
I don’t say that to scare you but merely stress the importance of good lag putting and not being too aggressive on putts that are probably not going in anyway.
In other words, don’t hit a 12-foot putt with 15 feet of pace because you want to ‘give it a chance’ to go in.
Because if you hit it a little too hard, now you could be looking at a 6-foot comebacker which is going to result in a three-putt more often than a two-putt.
If you can hit 11 greens and two-putt everything, you will break 80.
But I also know it’s incredibly hard to hit 11 greens.
Most of the time I have broken 80, or seen playing partners do it, we hit somewhere between 8 and 9 greens on average.
That leads us to the last rule where we can make up some of these lost strokes with a solid short game.
3. No Double Chips
This rule is about as close to a penalty stroke as you can get without losing a ball.
As soon as you can nail this rule, you will see your scores plummet.
Let me explain.
If you are going to break 80 in golf, the more greens you hit, the easier it’s going to be.
However, no one is going to hit every green.
A tour pro makes a hole-in-one more often than they hit all 18 greens in regulation.
And you need to give yourself the best chance to recover when you don’t.
There are a few facets of the game that affect this rule.
The first of which is course management.
Don’t leave yourself in uncomfortable places to chip from.
That could mean side hills, over bunkers, in bunkers, or anywhere that could make it hard to get the ball back on the green.
We’ve all had the hole where it takes us three shots to get out of the bunker and now our whole round is destroyed.
The next thing is good old-fashioned chipping skills.
Practice, practice, and more practice.
Remember when I said you could break 80 while only hitting 8 or 9 greens instead of 11? (Click here to see how many greens you should hit based on your handicap.)
Chipping practice is how.
Eventually, you are going to get good enough that some of your chips result in one putts.
Thus eliminating the need to play such perfect golf everywhere else.
The third and final piece of chipping is a surprise to most amateurs.
It’s the golf ball.
Know what golf ball you play and how it’s going to react on greenside recovery shots.
Different balls are going to have different tendencies and you need to know what ball fits your game the best.
If you have never tested this before I would highly suggest you check out our full guide on how to run yourself through a golf ball fitting.
The key takeaway is this…
When you miss a green, make sure your first chip gets back on the green so you can two-putt for your bogey.
Bogeys are okay when trying to break 80.
Doubles are not.
How to Break 80 in Golf: Final Thoughts
It shouldn’t be a shock that two of the three rules deal with the short game.
Combined with approach shots, it’s the most important part of the game.
Also, the better you can be with your game around the green, the more confidence you’ll have with longer clubs in your hand because you can get out of trouble if something goes awry.
If amateur golf is a mountain, breaking 80 is the pinnacle for almost all of us.
Are there higher achievements?
Sure.
But after seeing a 7 at the front of your score, peace seems to enter the soul.
It might be a tall mountain to climb, but it’s not unattainable.
After all, someone climbs Mt. Everest every day.
And you don’t need an oxygen tank to achieve your goal.
You just need 79 swings with unwavering confidence.
So what are you waiting for?
Go launch ‘em.
Leave a comment and let us know how your journey is going!
Leave a Reply