Ninety-nine is a magic number for golfers.

For most, unfortunately, that goal based around outside pressure from the golfing community that you’re not a “real” golfer until you break 100. The whole thing is a bit ridiculous, because really the difference between 27-over par and 28-over is nominal. Also, what does that number really mean in the grand scope of things? How difficult was the course? What were the conditions that day? Was it a one-round fluke never to be achieved again? Although, admittedly, double digits vs. triple digits under the “total score” section of the scorecard always looks cleaner.

Regardless, you’ve decided that your goal is to break 100, whatever the reason is. I commend it, and I highly encourage golfers, and people in general, to have goals that breed positivity and self-improvement. I think we can all agree that as long as it’s not negatively effecting your health (financial, physical, relational or otherwise), that the goal for a golfer to break 100, and learning the discipline and work ethic to do so, is a positive.

So how does a golfer actually achieve that arbitrary, yet commendable, goal of breaking 100?

Unfortunately, shooting 99 or lower cannot be spoken into existence, read in a book, or even read online on GolfWRX. But since you’re here reading this anyway, I want help provide direction so that you can achieve your goal. The problem for most, and the barrier that prevents many from amassing less than 100 total strokes in a round of golf, is that it requires work and discipline; I’ll explain what I mean by both.

Work

Start by identifying the flaws in your game and where strokes go to waste. Audit your last few rounds, and what caused your score to balloon.

Was it poor chipping? Then go to the short game area and hit 1000 chip shots. Bring your sand wedge into your apartment/condo/house and work on your technique (apologies in advance to your neighbors or significant other). Experiment with different methods, and when you find one that works, do it a thousand times. Invest in a full-length mirror (I bought mine at TJ Maxx for less than $20) to observe what your body is doing versus what you want it to do.

Was it poor putting? Then hit 1000 putts on the putting green. Make 100 three footers in a row. Then make 50 four-footers in a row. Then take one ball and play “18 holes” on the putting green, trying to shoot 36 or lower every time (this is the best, most practical distance control drill I know of).

Was it the fact you top/duff too many shots? Then head to the range and learn how to hit down on the ball and take a divot. Do this as often as possible, every moment you can spare. If your hands haven’t developed calluses, you probably aren’t practicing enough.

Point here is, identify your weakness and work to fix it. You don’t need an instructor or a book or a YouTube video to teach you either; what you need to do is put in the hours teaching yourself how to improve and ingraining those feels.

Discipline

Play it safe during the round more often.

You’re not going to break 100 because you pulled off that one miraculous recovery shot from the trees to save one stroke. Actually, you’re probably going to shoot over 100 because you made a 10 while trying to shape a low cut between two branches and it ricocheted out of bounds.

Instead, you need to systematically piece apart the golf course, avoiding trees and hazards and wasted strokes as often as possible along the way,

Mistakes will happen. But mistakes in course management and decision making is unacceptable. You don’t need to go for every par 4 in two shots or every par 5 in 3 shots, or fire at pins that are tucked behind bunkers, or hit flop shots to short-sided pins. The goal is to advance the ball forward and in the air while avoiding any hazards or trees. If you miss a fairway off the tee, the No. 1 priority is to get the ball back in the fairway above all else. If you miss a green, the goal is to get the ball onto the green regardless of where the pin is located. Take 200-yard approach shots and cut them into two 100-yard shots. Play par fours as three-shot holes, and even some par threes as two-shot-holes.

You save strokes by avoiding big numbers, not by going for reckless shots that you probably cannot pull off.

Here’s my strategy to break 100 in action.

In conclusion

If you’re not willing to practice harder and more effectively off the golf course, or you’re not willing to be mentally disciplined throughout all 18 holes on the golf course, then breaking 100 will either be a fluke, or it will not happen.

If you clicked on this article looking for the secret to breaking 100, I’m sorry I let you down. If you want to break 100, the answer is in the dirt, and in the five inch space between your ears. Yes, that’s a double Ben Hogan reference.

So, get to work, because 100 isn’t going to break itself.

Related

• A painfully simple strategy to break 100