The ONLY Proper Golf Strategy To Break 90

No matter how good you are, the goal of golf remains the same—lower your score every time you play. One of the most difficult feats to accomplish is becoming a bogey or better golfer, regularly. To get to this level, you need a consistent golf strategy to break 90. To put you on the right path, I’ve put together a guide full of tips to break 90.

How Many Golfers Break 90?

Knowing how to break 90 consistently is not something every golfer has learned. Whether it’s because of skill or focus, only a small number of golfers actually get this done on a regular basis.

While it seems everyone we meet claims to shoot “in the mid-80s”, the National Golf Foundation tells us only 26% percent of golfers typically score below 90. Just as surprising, the same study shows that 45% of golfers average over 100. If you aren’t below 90 yet, don’t worry. By installing a proven golf strategy to break 90, you’ll be set for success.

Golf Strategy to Break 90 Shots

If you want to know how to break 90, you need to know what to do. It’s not always about 300-yard drives and making 30-foot putts.

Through a controlled approach, you’ll watch your average score drop without miraculous ability improvements.

Mentality

There’s a theory that you play to the level of your competition. If you’re playing in a group of skilled golfers, you play better. If you’re in a group of high-handicappers, you’ll shoot a higher number.

No matter who you’re playing with, it’s important to remember to focus on your game. If you’re playing with single digit handicaps that haven’t cared about how to break 90 in years, your approach is different. If you try to keep up with their distance and risk tolerance, you will end up scoring higher.

The same thing goes with over-relaxed or under-skilled players. Just because all your partners couldn’t care less about how to break 90, you still can. Take your time on the tee, read your putts on the green. Do all the things that work for you even if no one else is.

Unnecessary Strokes

If you’re standing 30 yards off the fairway deciding between chipping out or threading the needle between two trees, remember your previous shot. The smart play is to get back to fairway.

The shot you’ll want to take, between the trees, is one that will compound your first mistake. The goal is to save bogey for someone trying to learn how to break 90 consistently. If you go for the hero shot, you’ll end up with 8’s and 9’s on the card.

Where It’s Hard to Reduce Score

Your golf strategy to break 90 should not focus solely on putting. It should include it, but no, it should not be the only focus. There are plenty of strokes to be saved through putting, but they are difficult to come by.

My best piece of advice for putting improvement is to lag putts up to the hole, rather than try to aggressively make every putt. Practice long and short putts. Long putts so you can have 3-foot putts coming back instead of 10-footers. Short putts so you make your lag putts.

If you’re a player trying to come up with a golf strategy to break 90, 36 putts or less per round is a great goal.

Where You Can Save Shots Easily

The Unnecessary Strokes section above talked a little about not compounding mistakes, but this takes a different look at your golf strategy to break 90. This is about how to avoid situations and where most golfers go wrong.

Use a club you can hit well off the tee. It does not always have to be a driver. Even if it means sacrificing yardage, a reliable 3-wood or 5-iron will put you in a place where you can make a par. You’ll have to learn to hit driver eventually, but work your way up to it.

Everyone loves the flop shot, but not everyone should use it. Bump and run chips with an 8-iron or pitching wedge are similar to lag putts. Distance and direction are easy to control and the decision is validated with results. The shot doesn’t always have to be pretty to as you learn how to break 90 consistently.

Skill Improvement

Okay, we know it’s not all about skill, especially when going from 100 to 90. But it certainly helps. If you’re able to add 20 yards off the tee or hit more fairways, it is the difference between hitting a club you aren’t comfortable with to one you are. Doesn’t this idea of hitting a 7-iron sound better than hitting a 5-iron or wood? Or maybe hitting from the fairway instead of behind trees in the rough? We think so.

Take a couple lessons with your local pro,  watch professionals online. Use minor changes to build up to major improvements.

Bonus tip to Break 90 - #1

Fairway percentage, putts per hole, penalty strokes incurred when you “thought you could make it”. Reducing or raising each of these numbers is tangible proof you’re going in the right direction and your golf strategy to break 90 is working. Keep track of them all and revisit it from time to time. If one is dropping and the other is not, start giving that one more attention during practice time.

Bonus tip to Break 90 - #2

What’s that we mentioned? Practice time? Yes, it is. We’re talking about practice.

Golfers of every skill level practice and bring a casual player doesn’t exempt you. If your practice window is showing up or staying late after a round for a bucket of balls and a few putts on the putting green, that’s okay. If you can sneak up for a practice session only, that’s even better.

As long as you’re getting some sort of practice in, that’s what counts as you learn how to break 90 consistently.

Bonus tip to Break 90 - #3

Do not buy new clubs every time something goes wrong. Definitely don’t buy them because something new came out either. Even golfers that play 100 times per year can get a few seasons out of every new club.

Take the time to learn how to hit your clubs, and get fitted for them before if possible. Your needs will change over time, but not on a round-to-round basis.

Conclusion

Play smart golf. You can improve your scores by leaps and bounds simply by cutting out avoidable mistakes and targeted practice.

Stick to what we detailed here and you’ll be on the fast track to breaking 90 consistently. If you don't have a game strategy yet, check also this article about Strategy tips for high handicappers ;)