Still Struggling to Break 100 in Golf? These 5 Easy Tips Are All You Need to Finally Get the Scores You Want.

The vast majority of amateur players still don’t break 100 in golf. So, if you’re still struggling to make it past that milestone, know that you’re not alone.

Just like any golfer of any skill level, weekend warriors are prone to hitting a plateau. They’ve seemingly done all they can, tried every piece of advice they’ve heard, but it appears they’ve reached their maximum potential.

I want to tell you that you are capable of breaking 100, even if it feels like you’ve hit a brick wall in your golf game. The key is to zero in on the areas of your game that have the greatest effect on your score. I’m going to share five essential tips to finally break 100, as well as one bonus tip to take you well beyond your goal.

This advice is based on more than two decades of teaching golf, and it’s specifically designed to help golfers who are trying get over that hump once and for all.

Let’s get into it.

Tip #1: Perfect Your Golf Grip

As any golfer knows, it’s easy to get caught up in the fantasy that the right golf club is all you need to finally break 100. While it’s true that a quality club can make a difference in your golf game, the ultimate reality is that any wood or iron you pick up is really just a tool. It’s an instrument, and you are the one who controls how well that instrument performs.

And it all begins with the proper golf grip.

Now, there are a variety of ways you can hold a golf club, and every player has their own preference. But no matter what variation you choose to use, you need to have the basics in place.

Golf Grip Basics:

• When setting up your grip, hold the club out in front of you at 45-degree angle.
• Assuming you’re right-hand, position your left hand so that the handle of the club crosses your hand at a diagonal. This means the handle travels from the pad on the right side of your palm, across the hand, and exits just above the bottom knuckle of your index finger.
• Close your fingers around the club.
• Position the thumb lengthwise along the top of the handle.
• Place your right hand further down the handle (or further up the handle, if you’re holding the club out in front of you.) Grip the club, then slide the right hand to meet the left hand.

This is, of course, a broad overview of what a proper golf grip looks like. If you want to dive deeper, we have some great information about the different types of golf grips and which style is likely to work best for you.

But for our purposes in this article, just know that getting the basics down is key to having more control over your swing.

Tip #2: Check Your Golf Stance

If you’ve ever played just about any other sport—whether it’s basketball, volleyball, or soccer—you already know how to take an effective golf stance.

Think of your typical athletic positioning. Slight bend in the knees, toes flared, your body bent at the hips so your arms are hanging down in front of you.

That’s exactly the way you want to stand when you’re preparing to make a golf shot. Here’s a quick checklist for the perfect golf stance:

• Feet should be shoulder-width apart.
• Flare your toes.
• Allow a slight bend in the knees.
• Bend a little at the hips.
• Allow the arms to fall out in front of you.

There is a lot of stillness in golf, but keep in mind that it’s still a sport. When you take your golf stance, think “athletic.” Let yourself feel alert, lively, and ready to go.

Tip #3: Fix Your Swing

There is a lot to say about perfecting your golf swing. And honestly, if you’re trying to break 100, you probably already have more swing advice than you need. So for now, I’ll skip tips on how to increases clubhead speed and how to adjust your swing between your driver and irons. Instead, let’s focus on the key swing tip that’s going to help you break 100 in golf:

Balance.

It sounds simple, but a balanced golf swing makes all the difference. How do you know if your swing is balanced?

When you finish your swing, make sure your knees are touching. It’s that simple. Your knees should touch, and you should be facing the target at the finish. If you can make that happen, I guarantee it will help you swing better than you’re swinging now.

And if you’re struggling to make the knee-touch happen, here are tips for achieving a more balanced swing.

Tip #4: Master the 4

You are allowed to have 14 clubs in a golf bag. But here’s the reality for the average player who’s trying to break 100 in golf:

You cannot master all 14 clubs. You don’t have the time. You can’t dedicate that much of your life to golf practice. So, instead of trying to play all 14 clubs, master the four most important clubs in your bag.

Those clubs are:

1. A tee ball club. In other words, whichever club you use to hit off the tee. The club that’s going to get the ball out there and in play on a par 4 or 5. For most golfers, this is a driver, but it could be a 3-wood, 5-wood, or hybrid.
2. Your 7-iron. This doesn’t actually have to be a 7-iron, but for most players it is. This is the club you use to make that second shot. It’s the iron you rely on to get a nice flight and decent distance.
3. A sand wedge or pitching wedge. This is the club you use for pitching and chipping around the green. (Side tip: Here’s a secret move to improve your chipping.)
4. Your putter. This one goes without saying. Every golfer already knows how often a putter gets used, and I probably don’t need to tell you how mastery of your putter can shave strokes off your game.

That’s it. Instead of trying to use every club in your bag, focus on mastering just these four, and you’ll be able to pull of a better, more consistent performance for every type of shot you make in a regular round of golf.

That brings me to my next tip:

Tip #5: Course Management

I’m willing to bet you’ve been in this scenario before:

You make a good hit off the tee, but the ball lands in the rough. You’re 200 yards from the green, so your buddy suggests a 5-iron. You hit the 5-iron, top it, and the ball rolls a tragic 20 yards. You’re still 180 yards from the pin and you know your best distance on the 7-iron is 140 yards, so you hit the 5-iron again. You skull it into the trees.

The solution to this situation is better course management.

Course management isn’t about knowing how “a golfer” should navigate around hazards and set strategic targets. It’s about deciding how you should do those things. Good course management requires self-awareness. Know what you’re capable of, and don’t try to hit shots you can’t hit.

If you know you can’t get a good shot out of the rough with your 5-iron, don’t do it. If you’ve never mastered the 3-wood on a bad lie, don’t try it. But if you can get a good shot on your 7-iron every single time, do that. Even if you need 200 yards and your best 7-iron shot only travels 130, stick with it. You’re still likelier to progress toward the hole than if you use a club you haven’t mastered yet.

If you take my advice to master your four clubs, this tip is a breeze. It doesn’t matter if Koepka would make a different choice; you’re playing the clubs you know you’re good at to get the best possible results.

Bonus Tip: Correct Ball Placement

These 5 tips should give you the boost you need to finally break 100. But to be sure I’m setting you up for guaranteed success, I’m going to share some bonus advice on ball placement.

Ball placement can make or break your golf shots, especially because the placement that helps you nail those iron shots is not the same placement you need for a solid drive. If you want to learn more about why proper ball position varies between woods and irons, you can find that information here. But to keep things simple, just remember this:

For irons . . .

. . . you want the ball in the center of your stance. To  achieve this, stand with your feet together and the clubhead directly between them. Then, separate your feet, each foot landing at an equal distance from the ball.

For your driver . . .

. . . the ball should be slightly forward in your stance. Just as you did with your iron, start with your feet together and the clubhead positioned between them. Then, take a tiny step forward with your lead foot and a bigger step back with your trail foot. This should put the ball farther forward in your golf stance.

How to Break 100 in Golf: A Checklist

We’ve covered a lot of ground, so here’s a quick checklist to help you remember what we covered.

The next time you head to the golf course:

• Check that you are using the correct golf grip.
• Take an athletic stance at setup.
• Make sure you have a balanced swing by checking that your knees are touching at the finish.
• Focus on mastering the 4 clubs that matter.
• Improve your course management by sticking to what you’re good at.
• Position the ball in the center of your stance for iron shots and more forward in your stance when using your driver.
• Report back and let us know how this advice worked for you.

Keep it simple, and I promise you’ll finally see results.

Do You Have Advice for Breaking 100 in Golf?

If you’ve already broken 100 and you’ve got tips of your own to share, we want to hear them! Join us in the comments section and let us know what worked for you. After all, we’re all here to learn from each other.

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