Thre’s an attitude in britain that if a man can’t break 100, he doesn’t deserve to be call a golfer. The British handicapping systems tends to support that theory.No man is allowed a mark over24. Many clubs go even further by restricting their major tournaments to players of 18 – handicap or better.

That may sound like a pretty tough attitude, but as a lifelong teacher of golf – often to beginners – I’m in favour of it. For any man who is passably sound in wind, limb and mind, breaking 100 on an average course from the regular tees should be dead easy.

Think of it this way.On a par -72 course,you can drop one shot on half, and still shoot 99 . Heavens, you could almost kick it around and do that! If you can’t do it with the full use of both arms and legs and 14 clubs, all I can say is that you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Understand this about golf. Breaking 70 on a decent course is extrmely diffcult. Breaking 80 takes considerable skill and effort. Breaking 90  regularly demands some application to the game or consideravle experince with it. Breaking 100 requires very little more than commonsense, controllled temper, acceptance of your obvious limitation , and not too many really nasty mis-hits, especially on the easier short shots.

Until you do start breaking 100 regularly, keep n mind that your goal is not to develop a perfect swing, but simply, in the physical ense, to make reasonably flush contact with the back of the ball. Mentally, your objective is no more than to “manage” as well as you can ahatever limited skills youdo possess.

Thus, the advice that follows definitely won’t turn youito jack nicklaus overnight. But, if conscintiously applied, I guarantee it will drop you into the 90s very shortly – and occasionally the 80s- even little or no pratice.Once you’re in the 90s your’re on your way to becoming a real golfer.

Thus, the advice that follows definitely won’t turn youito jack nicklaus overnight. But, if conscintiously applied, I guarantee it will drop you into the 90s very shortly – and occasionally the 80s- even little or no pratice.Once you’re in the 90s your’re on your way to becoming a real golfer.

1 ACCEPT YOUR LIMITATIONS

This is the best advice I can give almost any golfer but especially someone struggling to break 100. If you make a bad shoy along the line, or if you run into a bad break., accept the fact that it’s going to cost you and play on from there. Don’t try to recover the stroke with sme sort of miracle shot. Remember that our plan for scroring under 100 allows you to make up to nine double – bogeys. That’s your “budget” Try to use the same common – Sense, no –risk approach to meet it that you use in handling your company or husehold finances. Necer try a shot that you are not certai you could pull off at least three times out of four.

2) PICTURE SHORTSHOTS BEFORE YOU SWING

It’s a good idea to make a mental picture before all shots, but this is especially vital on short shots if you are to break 100. Look at the ball to see how it lies in the grass. Then look at the target and imagine – consciously picture – how you want the ball to fly and roll. Finally, select the club that you think will give you that type of shot. When you visualise your shot, bear in mind that it’s best to land the ball on the green whenever this can be done without it running far past the hole.

3) AVOID THREE- PUTTING

Try to play all 18 holes without ever taking more than two putts per green. This requires that you concentrate fully on every putt, no matter how badly you’ve played preceding shots. It also requires that you learn to hit putts specific distances. If you lack this talent, it may help to relate the length of the putt to the length of your backstroke. A 4-inch backstroke may equal q 6-foot putt, a 12- inch backstroke equals an 18 – foot putt, and so on. Then it becomes merely a matter of swinging the putterhead through the ball with the same amount of acceleration on every putt.

I also suggest you hold the club so that your palms align with the putter-face, especially on short putts where direction, rather than distance, is paramount. On such putts, merely move your hands straight back and straight through, with the thought of accelerating the putterhead slightly on your forward movement.

4) EXPAND YOUR TARGET ON SAND SHOTS

If you leave sand shots in the bunker, or fly them over the green, you probably suffer from either inadequate technique or over – anxiety, or both.

Let’s wipe out the anxiety first. It’s probably caused by fearing that you won’t hit the shot close enough to the hole to sink the putt and thus save your par. What you should realise is that to break 100 – or even 90 – you really don’t need such pinpoint accuracy. It will suffice if your close-in sand shots merely finish some where on the putting surface. Given a sound bunker technique, you will find that you can hit this larger target with almost automatic regularity.

The technique is simple, especially if you own a sand wedge. If you don’t you should, because this heavily – flanged club makes the shot easy. Take a firm stance and align your feet and body as if you were going ti hit the ball slightly to the left of the target.

Part II next week

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