Breaking 100: A Definitive Guide & 17 Tips to Consistently Break 100 in Golf

Breaking 100 is the first grand milestone of a golfer’s journey as you say goodbye to three figures and enter the realm of an average player.

In this guide, I reveal 17 tips that teach you how to break 100 consistently using common sense, training aids, and consistent practice.

After reading our practical guide to breaking 100 in golf, you’ll know the importance of forgiving clubs and a soft compression golf ball.

In addition, I’ll discuss technical aspects like ball position and wrist angles before revealing simple strategies like aiming for the middle of the green or playing more lofted clubs off the tee.

Steps to Break 100 in Golf (Too Long, Didn’t Read)

• Play Forgiving Clubs to produce consistent results on mishits.
• Hit a soft compression golf ball for consistent launch and distance.
• Use wrist flexion and extension to control your clubface and hit straighter.
• Practice Weekly to refine your swing, ball striking, and distance.
• Train with a PGA instructor to expedite swing mechanic corrections.
• Learn the optimal ball position for clean strikes with your long, mid, and short irons.
• Play more loft off the tee for an easier launch and consistent carry distance.
• Learn how to scramble to reduce dropped shots when missing the green in regulation.
• Lay up to avoid losing strokes in the hazard.
• Play the bump and run around the green for better distance control.
• Employ a pre-shot routine for greater focus on each swing.

What is the Significance of Breaking 100 in Golf?

Breaking 100 is the first major milestone of a golfer’s journey as they enter the realms of a mid-20 handicapper, earning fewer double strokes per hole.

Is Breaking 100 in Golf Good?

Yes, breaking 100 in golf good is for high handicappers. I have seen reports citing the National Golf Foundation, which I haven’t been able to verify. However, they suggest that 29% of recreational golfers in the United States regularly shoot between 90 and 99.

The same sources claim that 45% of amateurs exceed 100 strokes per round, making players who break 100. That makes players who break 100 better than 45% of their peers.

17 Tips to Consistently Break 100 in Golf

1. Play Forgiving Clubs

I will start with the easiest tip of the lot.

Playing with forgiving golf clubs that deliver consistent ball speed, controlled spin, and maximum distance. At this stage, I highly recommend draw bias drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids to fight slice side spin on long shots and reduce the severity of a mishit.

In addition, I suggest sticking to cavity back irons with increased perimeter weighting, a low center of gravity (CG), and an expansive sweet spot. As for putters, you want a high moment of inertia (MOI) design, like a double wide blade or a mallet putter, to forgive off-center strikes and produce optimal topspin and clean roll on the dancefloor.

As a high handicapper seeking to break 100 in golf consistently, you need clubs that generate optimal length, launch, and roll no matter the strike. If you play less forgiving clubs, your off-center strikes are severely punished. You will lose considerable distance and accuracy, making your job twice as challenging.

Here are some examples of forgiving golf clubs that could help you when it comes to breaking 100:

• Drivers: Ping G430 Max, TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Driver, Callaway Paradym Driver, Cleveland Men’s Launcher XL, Callaway Men’s Big Bertha 23
• Fairway Woods: Ping G425 Max, Cobra Men’s Air X, TaylorMade Sim 2 Max, Cleveland Launcher XL Halo, Callaway Big Bertha 23 Fairway
• Hybrids: Callaway Paradym X Hybrid, Ping G430, Callaway Mavrik 22 Hybrid, Cleveland Men’s Launch XL Halo
• Irons: Cleveland Men’s Launcher XL Halo, Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal, Callaway Rouge ST Max OS, Titleist T400, Tour Edge Men’s Hot Launch E523
• Wedges: Cleveland CBX Zipcore, Cleveland RTX Full Face, Cleveland Smart Sole 4.0
• Putter: Ping Prime Tyne 4, Odyssey Ai One Rossie, Odyssey 2 Ball Ten Triple Track

2. Hit a Soft Compression Golf Ball

Following on from forgiving clubs, I find high handicappers achieve better success when striking a soft compression golf ball. These balls typically carry a compression score of 30 to 60 and provide spectacular rebound off the clubface for slower swing speeds to produce consistent ball speed.

Low-compression golf balls are built to spin less on long shots and accelerate off the clubface for a high-launching strike. The higher launch often transforms into an elevated flight, resulting in greater carry distance and a soft landing.

When slow swing speed high handicappers strike a moderate to high compression golf ball, they struggle to generate consistent velocity and spin. The outcome is a low launching, weak golf shot that falls out of the sky prematurely, costing the hitter carry and total distance.

3. Optimize Your Wrist Flexion and Extension

This is the most technical tip I provide in this post.

However, the sooner you learn to optimize your wrist flexion and extension during your swing, the better.

The way you flex or extend your wrists impacts the angle of your clubface at contact and the steepness of your shaft.

Your clubface angle determines 80% of your ball flight’s direction. This is why an open face typically pushes the ball right, and a closed club face sends it left. An ideal swing should see you set up with forward shaft lean, creating wrist extension at address.

Maintain extension to the top of the swing before lightly flexing your wrists to generate increased velocity and compression at contact. In addition, these wrist angles help you to shallow the shaft when parallel to the turf, positioning you optimally to square the clubface at impact and hit a straighter shot.

The HackMotion provides personalized drills and real-time data on your wrist flexion and extension from address through impact. It will train you to control your clubface for increased power and a square clubface at contact.

The combination of straighter shots and consistent length will take you far in your quest to break 100.

4. Practice Weekly

Practice is essential if you’re serious about breaking 100 in golf consistently and potentially going lower in the future. Hit the range for two hours weekly and spend an hour on your short game and the remainder on your irons, hybrids, and wood shots.

Train with a specific purpose at the range and work towards a goal that makes your session worth it. A great starting point for your long to mid-game is to practice hitting as many dead straight shots as possible. After your hour is up, tally up your total straight strikes and calculate your average.

Don’t forget the putting green. Practice your pitch and bump and run shots to keep the ball low around the green for superior control. Next, stroll onto the dancefloor and work on your putting stroke from 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, and feet to get a feel for the length of your backstroke for different distances.

I typically practice with a measuring tape with markings to identify how far back I take my putter for each distance. This helps me get the ball relatively close to the cup on my first attempt, limiting the risk of a 3-putt.

5. Hire a Coach

Many amateurs hit the course without enrolling in a class with a certified instructor. These players hit the links following the advice of their buddies, which often leads to the player picking up bad habits, highly detrimental to your game.

Hiring a golf coach helps you expedite the process of identifying common swing mistakes. After analyzing your grip and swing, they implement vital changes, like placing your grip in a neutral position and helping you eradicate casting.

You don’t need a coach every time you hit the range, but taking lessons gives you the necessary insight to correct your swing mechanic faults down the line.

6. Master Green Reading

Besides swing mechanic issues, inaccuracy, and a lack of distance control, high handicappers struggle with reading greens. Get this factor right, and you’ll save countless strokes every round, pivotal to breaking 100 in golf.

A simple tip to start is to stand astride your golf ball and determine whether your feet are even. If you feel lean to one side, it reveals that the green breaks in that direction, which means you have to adjust your aim to account for the curve.

For example, if you notice the green tilts more to your left and the hole, you must aim right of the cup to let gravity bring it down to the left. Follow the line from your ball to the cup and then back to your ball, imagining how your ball will roll. Next, pick out a point ? of the way to the hole and ensure your putter face is aligned with that mark.

7. Learn the Correct Ball Position

Incorrect ball position is a common mistake by high handicappers, which causes an inconsistent strike or topped or fluffed shot. Every club in your bag demands a different ball position, given the varying length of the shafts.

For starters, place the ball in line with your inside heel for shots with a driver, and move the ball slightly back for fairway wood shots. In addition, I recommend placing your golf ball front of center for long and mid-iron shots and moving it back from that position for short iron and wedge strikes.

When your ball is optimally positioned in your stance, it helps you get the clubface to the urethane at the optimal time. This prime positioning produces a smooth and consistent strike with better compression to send the ball high and long.

8. Keep Your Driver in the Bag

99 on a par 72 course is +27, meaning you do not need birdies or loads of pars to break 100. Therefore, you can afford to hit shorter and focus on accuracy. This is why I recommend keeping the driver in the bag.

Sure, the big stick has the biggest clubface and surface area to strike. However, mishit shots can travel far and in trouble turning an easy bogey into a triple bogey. Instead, use clubs with higher lofts like a fairway wood or a hybrid.

Off-center strikes with higher lofted clubs travel shorter and should still leave you in play and able to make a double bogey at worst.

9. Aim for the Middle of the Green

If you’re pushing to break 100, there is no need to attack the flagstick and run yourself into trouble. Aim for the middle of the green, leaving yourself more room for error should you push or pull your shot.

By playing to the center of the green, your wayward shots still stand a chance of remaining in play, leaving you a chip and a putt to get down.

However, if you hit the correct club dead straight and it ends on the center of the green, you are left with a couple of putts to make a par. Even if you 3-putt, you still only walk away with a bogey, which you can afford.

10. Learn How to Scramble

A strong scrambling game helped me break 100, 90, and eventually 80 consistently. I often missed greens in regulation and relied heavily on my chipping to save the day. Thanks to a solid short game, I often chipped it close and left myself a short makeable putt for par.

As a high handicapper, your short dispersion map looks relatively colorful, and fairway and greens in regulation record are less than flattering. Improving your chipping game and leaving yourself short putts will save you countless strokes.

You can start with mastering the basics of your short game, like pitch shots, chips, and bump and runs, to get yourself close from any distance around the green.

I suggest reading my detailed article for a detailed rundown of chipping tips. However, I recommend dialing your skills from 5 to 30 yards from the greens.

11. Lay Up

Play smart and reap the rewards by laying up and removing hazards from your line of play. You don’t need to hit a par 5 green in 2 or risk clearing a bunker on a tight line.

When faced with this conundrum, pull out a shorter club, pick a safe area away that gives you a clear line to the flag on your next shot, and commence your backswing.

Although it is tempting to try to play with the big boys and make birdies and eagles, they don’t pay off, and often, the ball ends in trouble. Every ball that lands in the drink results in a stroke penalty, turning what could be a bogey into a double or worse.

There is no need to get bullish. Keep it simple, stay out of trouble, and use your short game to get your ball into the cup.

12. Play Your Round on the Driving Range

Another factor that helped me improve my game was envisioning my entire round while I was at the driving range. The first club I hit at the practice range is the same golf club I use at my home course, and I try to play the desired shot.

I create a fairway zone in my head and would aim for the relevant side to put in my position to aim for the green on my second shot. Next, I pull out the club I use for my second shot and hit that, and the trend continues until I have finished the 18 holes.

Employing this tactic is golden for preparing mentally to break 100 because by the time you hit the course, you know exactly where to aim and what club to utilize.

13. Play the Bump and Run

The bump and run is a heavily underused shot by amateurs that could save countless strokes around the green. It’s designed for you to induce a putting stroke and roll the ball up to the cup eliminating the risk attached to a loss of distance control with higher launching shots.

Rory McIlroy suggests a 6 step approach to executing the ideal bump and run shot, starting with selecting a wedge or iron with less loft than your chipping club. For example, Rory chips with a 60-degree wedge and plays the bump and run with a 52-degree gap wedge. I prefer a pitching wedge or 7-iron.

After selecting his club, he places the ball in the back of his stance and stands closer to the ball, creating an upright shaft position. Next, he shifts more pressure to his front side to encourage driving through the ball at impact and getting it rolling up to the cup.

Once he is in position, the 23-time PGA Tour winner rocks his shoulders back and forth in a fluid motion and lets momentum guide the clubface to the ball.

14. Lag Your Putts

Lag putting helps you get the ball close to the cup on your first attempt to enjoy a tap-in or short second putt. It works to reduce your 3-putt count per round, shaving off multiple strokes from your net score.

Naturally, the further away from the cup, the lower your chances of making the putt. Therefore, avoid being aggressive and trying to drain the putt. Instead, you want to roll your ball safely to the hole to tap in for a two-putt or, at worst, leave yourself a 2 to 3-footer.

Distance control is vital, and the tape-measuring drill I mentioned earlier will assist you in this department. Remember the length of your backstroke for the corresponding distance and putt away.

If there is a slope that takes the ball down to the cup, produce sufficient roll to get the ball to the edge and let gravity take over. Overpowering your putt could send you farther past the cup than when you began, putting you at risk of a 3 or 4-putt.

15. Pre-Shot Routine

Every golfer should employ a pre-shot routine into their game to go into each shot in a better mind frame. They help eradicate the thoughts of the previous strike and enhance focus on the task ahead. Plus, it gives you time to envision the ball flight and the intended route to the landing zone.

There is no gold standard for pre-shot routines, so it boils down to personal preference. I start my drill by straightening my shirt over the right shoulder, then approach the ball and align the clubface with my target.

I look down at my clubface again and glance at the target while picturing my intended shot. Next, I take two practice swings before addressing the ball and zoning in on the target one last time before commencing my backswing.

Although this process takes only 30 seconds, it eliminates distractions and keeps my mind centered solely on the next shot.

16. Warm Up

Warming up and stretching before a round of golf is underrated and often forgotten. You might not play on the PGA Tour, but you still need to activate your muscles for optimal performance on the course. Stiff muscles impact your hip and shoulder turn, resulting in reduced power and the inability to consistently get the clubface square at impact.

When possible, arrive at the course 45 minutes to an hour before your tee slot, giving you time to hit some balls on the practice range and stroke a few putts. Avoid worrying about the performance of your shots in the warm-up. Just work on warming up your muscles and preparing for the round ahead.

Next, grab the head of your driver and rock the club back and forth as you develop consistent rhythm and tempo. Focus on awakening your core golf muscles during this process by kicking your hip rotation and shoulder turn into gear.

I typically execute 10 repetitions at a time, take a one-minute break and repeat the process five times before teeing off. In addition, I tend to do it a couple of times during the round, especially when I am waiting for the group ahead of me. It relaxes me, besides keeping my muscles warm.

17. Ignore Your Score until the Clubhouse

My final tip on how to break 100 in golf is to ignore your score until the clubhouse. Instead of calculating your total score after every hole and speculating what you could shoot, avoid it until the 19th hole.

We have all done it. Tallying up your scores and constantly checking if you can break 100 eventually gets the better of you, and your round implodes.

That is because you become so fixated on the end prize you forget to pass the necessary checkpoints along the way.

Take it one shot at a time, and forget about your overall score. When on the tee box, your mission is to get the ball in the fairway. When you are on the fairway, your objective is to hit the green in regulation.

That’s all you should focus on to reach the ultimate goal of breaking 100 consistently.

FAQ

What is the handicap for breaking 100 in golf?

Golfers with a 27 handicap or lower on a par 72 course are breaking 100 in golf consistently. Naturally, players with a 27 handicap may still exceed 100 strokes in a round on a bad day. Conversely, a 30-handicapper can break 100 on a good day.

How long should it take to break 100 in golf?

It should take 3 to 6 months to break 100 in golf if you are a high 20 or low 30 handicapper. Following the above guide will help you shave off the few strokes needed to dip under 100. However, players currently shooting 110 to 120 consistently should set themselves a 12-month goal.

How do I lower my score from 100 to 90 in golf?

Improving your chipping, putting, and distance control is the key to lowering your score from 100 to 90 in golf. In addition, continue working with an instructor, practice weekly, use forgiving clubs, aim for the middle of the green, and play it safe.

Summary

Our guide on how to break 100 in golf shows multiple ways to achieve the momentous milestone.

However, if you don’t already, I recommend adding 8 of my tips to your practice and on-course routine. For starters, play more forgiving clubs and a highly compressible golf ball.

Next, optimize your wrist angles to control the clubface using the HackMotion wrist sensor. Follow that up with weekly practice and working with a coach.

Moving on, I highly suggest learning to read greens and remember to move the ball slightly back in your stance as the clubs get shorter.

Finally, create a pre-shot routine to focus on your next shot and eradicate memories of the previous ones.