To be eligible for the SWINGTWEAKS GIVEAWAY:
Subscribe to the channel & follow Swingtweaks on Instagram at:
👉 / swingtweaksapp
Download Swingtweaks
iOS: apps.apple.com/ca/app/swingtw...
Android: play.google.com/store/apps/de...
Swingtweaks Website 👉 try.swingtweaks.com/notascrat...
YT: / notascratchgolfer
IG: / notascratch
What It Really Takes to Break 80
0:00 Intro
0:19 Front 9
7:05 Back 9
14:00 Recap
The two biggest takeaways I get from watching your videos are: 1. Be dialed in with your short game. Distance is nice and all but knocking your wedges/chips/pitches in close and rarely 3 putting, is king. 2. Remain positive. Avoid the mental death spiral after a bad shot or bad hole. These two things have helped my game tremendously.
Yaaaaaaas!
I think you underrate how good your putting and chipping is. You make breaking 80 look easy, you’re a two putt machine (usually a tap in) and you one putt every now and then as well. I’m just hoping to get to that level! I still leave way too many shots on the green
Fair. I definitely feel very comfortable inside 100 yards and that's huge in lowering scores.
I three putt almost every time from outside 10 feet Can't break 80 doing that
Great round! I just got home from playing and shot an 86.. my goal this year was to break 80 and I’ve shot 80 two times .. maybe next year
It took me almost three years from going from breaking 90 to breaking 80. I still only do it about 30 percent of the time. It’s so hard to get over the wall. You can do it though.
I’m in the same boat, I broke 90 3 times this year and looking forward to break 80 next year. We shall see.
It’s becoming more rare that I shoot over 85 which I’m happy about but yeah my next goal is to break 80 I’m going one more time before the year is over so we will see lol
Same. Got an 81 last month and a couple 82 it's winter now and might not get another try until next year
Same goal here. I’ve shot even 80 four times this year but recently my scores have skyrocketed and I honestly feel like packing it in until the spring and just sticking to the range
Love your content! You make golf look so simple. I love hearing you talk through each shot, it’s very helpful and motivates me to work on the mental side of my game.
Crazy how much impact the mental side of the game has. I play so much better with a buddy than I do alone. Something about having a laugh about the bad shots just changes the mindset! Great round! And great mental strength!
Clearly all you need to break 80 is putt well
And chip well!
I like how you are playing from 6100 yards. Most people play the wrong tee boxes. Thank for sharing.
Totally agreed
Great round Adam!!! As always, great mindset after a bad shot and great game around the greens. Congrats!!
Thanks!
Lie. You have to have some skill in all areas of your game. That’s most people’s weakness.
I love watching you play man. Ive been trying to break 80 for a while(ive got a few 84s) but havent quite got there yet. These videos feel authentic and well thought out. Kudos to you
Thanks so much! And keep grindin', you'll get there!
LOVE your course vlogs!
Thank you!
Your swing is coming along nicely. Swing tweaks is really helping your game.
Thanks!
Penalty stroke on 5 for grounding the sand-wedge. :) Great round!
I thought it was only me that saw the Patrick Reed moment.
kzhead.info/sun/eZhwdqqosF-uq68/bejne.htmlsi=vYy0Xj03CIE54vcT&t=218
lol I'm always amazed by how observant people are! I didn't even notice it, either while playing or editing.
Came to the comment section for this comment 😂
Great video! Just getting into the sport and my goal is to hit 90 within the near future.
Yeah I agree. I shot even on 9 for the first time ever last week, and I think the things that made the biggest differences were my drives all staying in play and also my short game saving me quite a few times
Great round. Your fairway approaches have improved dramatically. Your short game has always been really good as long as o have watched you.
Thanks man.
@@NotAScratchGolfer you, Golfsidekick, Mr Short Hitter, and Not a Perfect Golfer have taught me so much about enjoying the round, staying in the moment, and having a “goldfish memory” in order to carry on and often salvage a bad hole or two into a respectable round. Thanks for making your content. It helps.
Another good video Adam, enjoyed it as always. I’m trying hard to keep those tee shots in play. It’s the missing piece to lower scores for me. Just picked up a new 3 iron hoping it helps , courses I play are narrow with brush filled woods lining the sides so no room for error left or right. Spent a lot of time on the par 3 course and improved the chipping and putting a lot. Getting up and down multiple times a round now. Lots of credit to you and Golf Sidekick for getting me to focus on that.
Love this.
Well done. I am 70, had the good fortune of my 50 year old driver and 3-wood breaking this summer. Got some new clubs-forced me to adjust couple things and all of a sudden I am routinely playing in the 70s. the improvement is mostly off the tee and my irons-always had the short game. Totally agree with your mindset of play-hit the next shot well.
Good stuff!
Most of the time when I shoot in the 70’s it’s because of my putting not my ball striking. Good video.
Love the channel. Good round.
Thank you!
Super round. Very chilled out and relaxed. You do pick good playing partners
Thank you!
Love the content! My swing is more conventional but my game is far from as good as yours. Learning course management from you has helped my game so much. Just entering my second year of golf, broke 100 in the first year. Hoping to break 90 this next and possibly get into the low 80s if I can. Lowest score so far 92 on a par 72. You the Man Adam!
Thanks so much! Where are you losing strokes?
@@NotAScratchGolfer I feel like I lose most strokes off the tee. I'm not a 100% sure though to be honest. First year was all about learning the game and falling in love with it. I'm at the point where I want to improve, so I might invest in something like the garmin or arccos system. Just to get some data about my game. I've thought about some lessons, but it's been way to fun trying to figure it out myself lol
I'm a big advocate of Arccos. It's a little finicky and only valuable if you love pouring through data. But if that's you, it's a great tool!@@KingZee
Great video! What do you use to record the shots? GoPro on some sort of spike ??
Thanks for the upload
Glad you enjoyed it!
I got a taste of what it might be like to break 80 this year and now im more determined than ever! Missed a 12 footer for birdie on 18 that would have put me at a 79. So excited for winter to be over so i can get back out on the links!
Ack! You'll get there!
this course has the biggest greens ive ever seen
Love this course! Need to play it. We go to Palm Desert every year, and stay at Desert Willow so I end up playing there all the time. Great round too!!
It’s so much easier to be bad at golf in America. Manicured courses with short rough or mulch in the trees rather than waist-deep weeds and brambles. On 90% of courses in the UK, that tee shot on 2 is gone, you’re taking a penalty. Not taking anything away from the message of your video which is bang-on.
Love this hype man you're playing with
Haha that's Milt (who was featured in my last vid). I tend to play some of my best golf with Milt. I don't think it's a coincidence!
Your short game is on point!
Thank you!
Im hcap 6 play in UK agree with you re bump and run and also your driving was solid only advice I have is becareful with your pitching/short irons you take the club way too far behind you/off plane on the inside which could potentially lead to hozzle rockets on a bad day.
Nice round dude! Very impressive.💪
Thanks!
I just did it (on the sim) yesterday pumped
great round, bruh!
Thanks!
Have begun making notes and taking them to the course.
Good stuff. Anything specific that's helped?
@@NotAScratchGolfer Hey! It was the 10 commandments. Just something to concentrate a round with. It came in handy. Unfortunately it's Winter in the UK now so I've only done it once so far!
Thanks! When does your season start again?@@RealSweetTom
Love your videos! I am a 14 handicap and am setting a goal to become a 9 handicap this year. I track statistics here are mine: Avg Score: 85 | Fairways: 55% | GIR: 27% | # Pars: 7 | # Putts: 32 | # 1 Putts: 5 | #3 Putts: 1 | # Penalties: 2 I normally play golf twice a week but don't practice too much. To reach my goal: 1. How much would you recommend practicing per week? 2. How often should I play golf per week? 3. How should I structure my practicing (putting strategy, chipping strategy, etc.)?
The first two questions are almost always going to be impossible to answer without knowing either how much time your lifestyle allows OR how efficient you are with your practice. Third question I can answer fairly easily if you know a couple of extra stats for yourself. It's the same basic math everyone uses. You're averaging +13 with a single 3-putt (which is good! congrats!) You're averaging 4 or 5 GIRs per round. Which actually means you're doing everything else pretty darn well. Even for a high-level golf a 50/50 up and down rate is good. So, AT BEST if you hit 4 greens in a round, your best score you can reasonably hope for is 79. 14 missed GIRs * 50% UPDN% = 7 bogeys. 72 + 7 = 79. That's making no mistakes anywhere else. You're hitting 55% of the fairways. (let's assume 4 Par 4s per 18 holes) that means of the 7 or 8 fairways you're hitting, plus the four Par-3 holes you've got 12 solid chances to hit the green. Of those 12 you're only converting 4 or 5 of those opportunities. I'd guess your UpDn% is around 22% since you average 7 pars. I'll assume you make par on all 4 of your GIRs, so that means 3 Pars must be coming from UpDn. 3 remaining Pars from 14 missed greens is 21.4%. You've got an average of +13, with +1 from a 3-putt, +7 from missed greens and no UpDn, + 2 penalty +1 floater shot that doesn't matter too much. The only real question is where are the two penalties coming from? My guess is approach shots into hazards is more often than wild drives due to your high % Fairways hit. But I could be wrong. Maybe 1 drive in a hazard for every 3 or 4 in a greenside hazard? That would be good data to gather. So, what's the conclusion? Your biggest opportunity is from hitting more greens, whether that's learning and trusting your club selection or through better ball striking I can't say. But the reason this is the case is because even if you got to 50% UpDn on your missed greens you'd still shoot 80 at best. Remember: 14 missed GIRs * 50% UPDN% = 7 bogeys. 72 + 7 = 79 + 1 3-putt = 80. Let's say you can improve your approach play by removing that penalty [-1] + hitting more Greens (let's get your average to 8) that's 3.5 more GIRs 3.5* .78 strokes per GIR (due to your 22% UpDn) = -2.73 scoring average. That's essentially going to get you from 85 to [85 -1 -2.73] = 81.27. That doesn't include all the partial shots that you'll gain from improved approach play. If you're hitting more greens your average distance to the hole for your first putt or chip will be less. So, you'll make more putts, have easier UpDn (maybe putting from fringe instead of a chip that needs to carry 5 yards onto the green) and maybe drop your 3-putt average to be less than 1 per round. If that improved approach play means you stop hitting that ball into the green side hazard, that's basically more than 1 stroke saved. Because remember, when you hit the ball in the lake in front of the green, you'll have to drop and RE-CROSS the lake AFTER the penalty.rd, that's basically more than 1 stroke saved. Because remember, when you hit the ball in the lake in front of the green, you'll have to drop and RE-CROSS the lake AFTER the penalty. Conclusion: Approach play strategy improvement should be the goal. Learn EXACTLY how far you hit your irons. An 8-iron isn't an "about 140 club" it is your " 142 flight, 4 yards of roll" club. You need to know that for every approach club in your bag (let's say 6 iron and below). Next, commit to NEVER being short of a green again without a severe miss hit. Always take the extra club. Remember, if you flush a shot and it lands pin-high, you pulled the wrong club because anything less than perfect would be short. Once you start missing more 60% of your greens by being too long, then you can start taking less club. Until then, if you're in between clubs ALWAYS take the longer one. Targets, you need to figure out where to aim into greens so that your normal "not great" shot still lands on the putting surface (or not in a hazard) and your good shot also lands on the green. Read/Listen to some Scott Fawcett interviews about DECADE for ideas on this.
Wow, thanks@@johnblaker2454 for such a detailed analysis. I think you are spot on with the stats, I know I need to get my GIR percentage up and reduce the penalties. I've been practicing a lot more lately (trying to now get about 4 to 5 hours of dedicated practice in). Interestingly, I get a lot of my GIRS on PAR 5s because I drive about 250 - 270 yards, leaving a 3 hybrid (210 yds) and a short chip on. My trouble spots are PAR 3s - many times I will mess them up and get a bogey or double bogey - many times missing the green. The PAR 4s normally leave a wedge in with a partial shot. Many times I miss that partial shot slightly short so your thought of using a longer club or just playing the shot like it is a longer shot could definitely help me improve the GIRs in those scenarios. I plan to make better notes after each round so I can hone in on shots that cost me points so I can try to practice to eliminate those mistakes. Thanks again for spending the time to help me out, I greatly appreciate it.
Great round! Im gunning for that elusive score that starts with a 7 😂 Im surprised im at this point though. 4 months ago my handicap was a 19.7 and now im down to a 12.5. I can feel it.
Wow, that's massive improvement, congrats. Once you're flirting with a 10 index, it's just a matter of time before you break 80!
My dream is that you'll end up with so much content to post you throw up a secondary channel that just shows you golfing with your friends without the lesson. Don't take this as a critique. You're doing a fabulous job at growing your channel. I'm just selfish and want it both ways.
I'd love to do this. I wish I were more proficient at shooting/editing. Just maintaining ~1 vid/wk in 2023 proved to be more difficult than I imagined. Hopefully someday, though!
8 greens in regulation is also pretty freaking good. Scratch golfers I think hit 9 per 18 on average. I think average breaking 80 score would have fewer misses, fewer GIR, and more putts. You clean up well around the green. But it shows the importance of not compounding errors and of reducing missed chips. I don’t practice chipping as I use putting greens and driving ranges and the lack of chipping reps shows with a lot of inconsistency.
New subscriber. Love the channel
Thanks, glad to have ya!
This guy advises are premium stuff. His swing is... Let's be honest. He swings like a total beginner (like if he was trying to hit a ball below a couch), but somehow he is so-so consistent. And he still makes great score. His mindset, course management and game management are tour level, if he can shoot 4 over par with aswing of a 30 hcp...
Thanks man!
His swing is really not that bad. His takeaway is a bit on the inside but he turns through the ball really nicely (better than most high single figure hcaps) and makes good contact. He also doesn't change his swing constantly throughout the round trying to fix what went wrong on the last shot. Wish I had the same discipline 😂
The most condescendingly nice comment ever, btw his swing isn't that of a "total beginner" lol
@@kdenishere I just meant that everyone should carefully listen to all what he says, as it obviously works, and works great. He is great in putting. Short game... Ups. Approach - not bad. Off the tee - I don't know how he manages to land on the fairway almost all the time... For me it is pain to watch as I expect massive hook or even breaking the club... But I keep watching as his advices are pure gold. "How to get great scores while playing not that great."
He succeeds with an unconventional swing because he's a putt machine...
Trying to break 90 for the first time. Learning course management and recovering from duffs and penalties
Great video. Your 2nd on 18, pulling that 3 wood out? IMO a little over aggressive line. I think you meant to pick a conservative target with an aggressive swing. Fun video to watch!
Your driver is so much better than the beginning of the season
Thanks!
Great round. My only complaint as a 16hcp is that you did hit more than your share of 8-15 footers, which doesn't feel SUPER replicable. Do you typically find yourself making those?
Impressive my friend
Thanks!
Went on a trip to the Philippines. Played with my dad on his 70 bday. His home course is something I trully despise. Its a wide open course yet strategic bunkers are in play and elevated greens and undulating to the last detail. Yet when I followed your way, I shot a 7 over par. Last time I played was End of September. 😅
Wow, congrats!
Playing in a stroke competition at my local course tomorrow if I break 80 I will dedicate it to Adam👍
Thanks, man! How'd ya do?
I have not been able to break 85! Last year, my last three rounds were 86,85, and 86… Score dropped from the 90’s when I got better with decisions, and now if I can just hone in on those chips and putts I think I’ll break 85 soon!
Math was a bit off on the front 9 man lol. You shot a 40 front 9, not 38. But I’d take a 40 any day 😂 loved this!
Typo on the scorecard, it was a 38 I believe
Have you considered a backup career as the voice of Kermit the frog? Love your videos , always great content ❤
lol that's the first time I've heard that one. And thanks for the kind words!
Nice one
Thanks!
Nice playing partners this round
Great guys!
Really enjoyed this. Were you not +4 after the first 9 though 🤔
Typos on the scorecard
Adam! was that a 287 yd carry over the water??? what a drive!!
Not carry, total. Probably only carried ~230-240. I'll take it, though!
Eagle falls is a great course. It looks like two different people playing sometimes with the distance you’re getting off the tee lately, wow. Otherwise you and I have similar distances for each club
Yeah! I think Eagle Falls is the hidden gem in the desert. Fabulous layout and topography, great conditioning, and tee times seem to always be available!
Man, you are a short game/putting wizard.
Thanks!
its a beautiful looking course... can i ask about your drives. Sometimes you powering them 280 other times 240. Is this just down to the quality of your shot, or are you sometime putting a bit more in or taking a little off?
I rarely try to take anything off of a driver, although every now and then I'll try to squeeze a bit more out of it. Conditions play a big factor, too. A little uphill, a little downhill, a little into wind, a little downwind all add up. I think my "normal" drive (i.e. neutral conditions) is typically ~240-250.
Great round! Are you still using your PXG clubs?
Thanks! I switched to Sub70s a few months ago. Nothing wrong with the PXGs, I just went down a vanity rabbit hole and wanted to look at a more compact club head.
293 yard drive after swing tweaks? That speaks for itself; you were NOT nearly that long a hitter off the tee a few months ago. There's a course where I live (outside of Las Vegas) that winds through the foothills at the edge of our valley, the fairways tend to go up hills on either side, funneling errant shots back towards the middle of the fairway- it's less stressful off the tee, for sure! I'm still struggling to break 80 on full-length courses (I've done it twice on a shorter par 70) because my mind gets in the way of my tee game... need to learn to not try to kill the ball just because it's on a tee.
I hear ya! And thanks. I'm definitely hitting drives considerably better after some instruction. I'm sure it would be better still if I really committed to major changes, but I just don't want to, lol.
it just shows that having a great short game can lead to good scores
Love this channel, but don’t get discouraged if breaking 80 is not THIS easy. Adam putts like a plus handicap and chips pretty well too. It takes some regular practice at the putting and chipping area to get this good (unless you’re a natural in which case you’re probably already breaking 80)
Fair!
The ball moved on me too yesterday after sitting in its spot for 5 minutes. Halfway through my downswing. Miraculously I made the green, but it was very frustrating.
If you still made contact, you're living well!
Been a subscribe for a while, now I'm following swing tweeks too! I can tell it's helped with your game, hopefully it does for mine as well
Thanks! Yeah, even though I'm not a huge practice guy, I'm a big believer in PGA Instruction rather than just queuing up Rick Shiels videos (with all respect to him). And Swingtweaks has definitely helped me level up my driver!
This philosophy only works if you are as good at short game/putting as you are.
your short game is insane tho. 😂
Did you count the penalty stroke for touching the sand in the bunker on hole 5?
Those are the flattest greens I’ve ever seen
I don't know if its a mistake or not but on the scorecard it says you made a 6 on 4. good round
Adam I’ve been sniffing the 70s for the last 6 months and Tuesday I finally had a chance to get a new personal best 78…..triple bogey last hole for an 81😐
Ack!! You'll get there!
Your videos are what people need to watch. Not the random swing advice from a PGA Pro!
Thanks, man!
at 4:00 your club touched the sand. penalty! haha.
Impressed by how many people noticed this, considering I didn't (both while playing and editing)!
Thanks once again Adam. (I think?) my swing is prettier than yours and I've never cracked 80. I'm filled with optimism for next golf season.
Love it!
Whats that iron swing?!
Some reasonable advice... but a penalty incurred at 4:00. You can't remove sand with your backswing!
Been playing for about 3 years now, after Year 1 my best score was something like a 96-97. Year two best score was an 88, and with this year coming to an end, my best is an 82. Breaking 80 WILL happen next year!
Awesome stuff. Keep grindin'!
how can anybody miss a green that big, let alone TEN!!!
I never thought I would break 100 in less than 5 months and the best I shot was an 85. It really is shocking how "easy" it is once you eliminate bad shots and get a decent short game.
Your title just insulted the internet
lollll
That front-side scorecard (6:59) was driving me crazy; he shot a 38, but the individual hole scores add to 40 (Nos 4 and 7 were both 5s) ...
haha yeah a bunch of typos on the scorecard today. I'm not a scratch video editor, either :p
What course is this?
If you're ever in the east bay (northern california), I'd love to play a round with you, my treat. I'm about a 13 and very similar distancewise to you from tee to near green (except I'm left handed), not nearly as tidy around the greens. I live 10 minutes from Poppy Ridge (Livermore), my home course.
Thanks so much! I've been meaning to get to Poppy Ridge and get to the Bay Area a few times each year. I'll make an announcement in my Community tab the next time I'm out there. Feel free to email me (info@notascratchgolfer.com), as well!
Thin it to win it + dial in the short game.
Hitting the ball straight off the tee and having a good short game is the key to shooting good scores. I guess playing courses at 5900 yards doesn't hurt either.😂😂😂😂
Bingo
I feel like you actually hit it further than your tracker says
Do you have a different mindset/approach for a 10ft birdie putt vs. a 10ft par putt? From the videos it seems like you're more aggressive on par putts but I dunno.
Consciously, no. But I've read a lot about how we subconsciously tend to grind a little harder to save par than to make birdie. It's fascinating how much of the game takes place between the ears.
Grounded the club in the bunker on #5, so that's a 2-stroke penalty.
Question for everyone out there… I am struggling to hit my long irons. I had a thought to choke down on my long irons to about 6/7i length to make it easier for better contact and accuracy, better that than topping or messing it up. This way I can keep my stance the same and the swing the same for all my irons… Anyone have some thoughts? Seeking some feedback👀
Single length clubs could be a fun thing for you to try
Subscribed on YT & followed on IG - thank Adam!
Good stuff! Giveaway happening towards the end of the month!
11:46 im surprised you dont "yank it a bit" more often with how flat your backswing is. im not an expert but it just feels weird watching how lateral your swing is. the biggest strength you have is the chipping/putting...thats a lot of saved strokes you can pull off. its fun to watch
This video could condense down to “Be good with wedges and putter” lol you put on a clinic
Working on breaking 85 myself, i need to learn to putt this last week i turned three birdie into bogeys, all in a row with 3 putts😅😂😂
The biggest issue for amatures is a tight fairway lie and that sucks I feel for ya on tht one the confidence aspect alone just prob sets u up to fail
Haha thanks.
"Scrambling for the occasional par" "Just another easy par" 😂The scarcasm is underrated
;)
so you need to hit pretty much every fairway and then be close to the green on your second shot and routinely get up and down for par lol thats alot for people who arent good at golf.
What it takes to break 80. This guy: ☺️🤗 95% of golfers: 🤔😟
❤🙏🏻Thanks for talking sense, appreciate you
Bingo
I can play to break 80 but i dont because when im hot,i get ahead of myself and cant keep blocking fear of choking thoughts..then i choke..whats going through your mind??
I think I've just played so much golf that I'm no longer particularly attached to the outcome of each round. I try to just treat each shot as a new endeavor, whether I'm 1-under or 15-over.
Watching but not writing down scores... Scorecard showed double and 2 unboxed bogeys on front.
Yeah I botched the scorecard sequences here.
I shot a 79 with 1 green in reg 😅
Geez, those chem trails are insane