My dad and I talk about this pretty often, what are the keys to breaking 90. There are a lot of ways to do it by the numbers that I will discuss later. The primary keys are hitting your fundamentals when practicing and building a consistent swing and developing a go to shot. Then you need to make 5 footers.
Building Consistency
Consistency is one of the biggest keys to breaking 90. If you know where your ball is going to land, scoring is a lot easier. If your ball does the same thing every time, who cares what it is doing as long as it plays. If you hit a 20 yard cut off the tee every time, don’t change it. You know where it is going every time you take a swing, which is a great thing; you just have to play it.
The best way to build consistency is using the CTRL Swing Master. Using the Swing Master, you can perfect a tempo that works for you and take the same swing every single time. The Swing Master is tailor made to build your consistency. Create a model when you are hitting the ball great and build on that. Create a much more consistent swing using this amazing all-in-one training aid.
By the Numbers
By the numbers, breaking 90 is a pretty simple task. I know what you are thinking; it is a LOT easier said than done, and you are right, but we need to discuss the numbers anyway because they are so important to understanding the task.
So what does it take to break 90?
Well, if you were to hit a tee shot, hit a safe shot just short of the green, and then chip/pitch on to the green, and finish with a nice easy two-putt. Do that on every single hole and you will shoot 90.
Obviously, on a par 3 you should get up close to the green on the first shot, and chip on and two putt for a 4 instead of a 5. On a par 5, it may take 3 strokes to get close to the green, chip on, and two-putt. In reality, hit two greens, maybe get up and down here or there and you’ll break 90.
Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy to do as I just said, but it is a good way to think about it.
The 5-Footer
One of the biggest differences between someone that can break 100 consistently and 90 consistently is the 5-foot putt. A great putter can step up and make putts from a knee-shaking distance like 5 or 6 feet often enough that it helps boost them to under 90. We’ve all made those short putts to win a match or shoot a lower score, make that happen more often and you’ll break 90 easily and often. Go practice your short putts!
PGA Tour make percentage is 80.72% from 5 feet on greens that are way more undulating and harder to play on. If they can do that, you can make 80 percent of 5-footers too!
Next time you play, count up how many strokes you lose by missing putts inside 5 feet and I bet you could shave 4 to 5 strokes a round by making those if you are trying to break 90.
Go-To Shot
Talk to any skilled player and they should be able to tell you about their go-to shot. Whether from the tee or the fairway, every great player has a go-to when they need to hit a fairway.
For me, it’s a bunt driver that fades off the tee. I choke up on my driver, take a 3-quarter backswing and hit a 15 yard cut. It travels about 280 and I can count on it to always hit a fairway. This is a great shot on a short par 4 where you need to hit a fairway so you can score with your favorite wedge in hand. From the fairway, I have a knock-down fade I can always go to if I need to hit a green. It isn’t always the most precise, but it will almost always find the green somewhere. I can use that to two-putt for my par if I am just trying to get out-of-dodge with a par. Having a go-to shot really changes the game.
Go to the range and find your go-to tee shot, and find your go-to shot from the fairway. It may just be a 4 iron punch that you can count on if it's a tough shot into the green.
Distance
When you are trying to get to a point that you break 90 every time you play, it is time to talk about distance. To break 90, you really don’t need to be all that long off the tee, and if you aren’t able to get longer, move up a tee box!
In order to break 90 consistently from 6,200 yards to 7000 yards, you really just need to hit the ball 250 yards off the tee and keep it in play. You have to either be somewhere near the fairway or have a clear shot in to the green, if you are only hitting it that far. I
If 250 yards is outside of your range capabilities, you need to move up a tee box so that you are in a situation you can thrive in!
Conclusion
In order to break 90, you simply need to put in some practice and play to your strengths off the tee. This How to Break 90 formula allows you to make mistakes; because we ALL do during a round! You just have to make a putt or hit 2 or 3 greens a round. And, most people do that already accomplish that!
Follow this guide, go work on your putting and find a go-to shot. Build your consistency with every club in your bag, and follow a simple rule. If you aren’t 100 percent confident in the shot you are about to hit, DO NOT HIT IT.
Do all that and breaking 90 will become something you do every time you go out and tee it up.
