The 11 Proven Drills to Finally Help You Break 80
Breaking 80 is a big milestone. For many golfers it’s the thing that makes you feel like you have made it and you are now a good player.
If you ask any great golfer about breaking 80, they will probably tell you it was a matter of making a few small tweaks to their game. If you are going from 82 to 79, it’s really just a matter of saving a few shots.
Sometimes, a great golf drill can help this finally click.
We pulled together some of the best golf drills for players looking to break 80.
You’ll find options for short game, long game and everything in between. Pick one that works for you and head to the driving range.
Key Takeaways
If you don’t have time to work through all of these drills here are some of the key takeaways you can take with you right now. Bookmark this post so you can come back to it when you have time to hit the page.
- Focus on a variety of drills, from driver and tee box to chipping and putting.
- Make sure you narrow down the skill you are working on. At this point, you are looking for small improvements in certain areas, not a swing overhaul.
- Schedule time for on- and off-course practice, which is a good part of breaking 80, and it also includes on-course practice and golf course management.
- Don’t take the basics for granted; work on drills to ensure your setup and alignment is perfect for each swing.
11 Key Drills to Finally Break 80
Clubface Control Drills
To consistently break 80, you’ll need control of your clubface. This video from Rob Cheney includes several drills to work on your clubface and distance control.
The first is a distance control drill in which you take a club, such as a 7 or 8 iron, and attempt to hit the golf ball the same distance with a punch-style follow-through. You aren’t looking for your maximum distance.
Instead, it’s just a straight shot that goes the same yardage every time. When playing on the course, these are the types of shots you can rely on.
In addition, Cheney talks about the driver’s clubface control and how many golfers struggle with awareness and consistency. Using the HackMotion wrist sensor, you can understand what your wrists are doing at setup, at the top of the backswing, and again at impact.
Use this information to dial in your clubface angle and start hitting straight drives with maximum distance.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Oblique Crunch Right Shoulder Drill
The right shoulder has quite an impact in the golf game. As you are swinging through the ball the position of the right shoulder will determine the consistency of your strike and even how much you are able to compress the ball.
Many amateur players forget the right shoulder when learning new concepts in the game.
I’ve tried this drill and concept and it creates a unique and powerful feel through impact. If you haven’t tried to focus on specific tweaks like this in the past, give it a try on your way to breaking 80.
Motorcycle Drill for Better Wrist Control
At HackMotion we have studied more than 1,000,000 golf swings to determine what works for golfers, and what doesn’t.
The most common culprit we see in poor wrist control is too much extension at the top of the backswing and therefore too much extension at impact.
This can be fixed by working on the motorcycle drill. The drill helps you feel your wrist moving towards a more flexed position as opposed to extended right from the top of the swing.
It feels like revving a motorcycle at the top of your golf swing, and it works!
Tee Behind You at The Top
There is no debating the fact that Scottie Scheffler is one of the best ball strikers in the game.
This drill he uses requires nothing more than your golf club and a tee. The drill can help you achieve some of that same accuracy in your iron shots that Scottie has.
Simply put a tee in the end of the club. Make sure it’s pointing behind you at the top of your swing and that you are getting the tee to point at your belt buckle on the way back.
It’s a simple concept and works quite well visually for becoming a better ball striker.
Alignment Stick Chipping Drill
This video has some of the game’s best golf alignment stick drills. If you are still heading to the range and throwing a stick down on the ground as an aiming point, you may be missing out.
There is so much more that can be done with the proper use of golf alignment sticks.
Our favorite is the drill to stop head movement in chip shots. Precision in your short game matters if you want to break 80.
Use the alignment stick to keep your head in a stable position directly over the golf ball.
Hammer Drill
If a little extra power in your driver could make breaking 80 easier, this is a great drill to consider.
Your approach to the golf ball needs to be shallow, with your head staying behind the ball. If you can get to that position each time, it becomes much easier to fire at the ball with full speed.
The most important benefit of getting a few more yards with the driver is that your approach shots with your irons will be that much shorter. I’ll take a 7 iron into a green over a 5 or 6 iron any day!
T Rex Putting Drill
If you are shooting in the low 80s, chances are your putting stroke is pretty well-established.
However, you must also consider how consistent you are with it. Are you able to keep it the same every time?
For most players, it’s these slight changes in the stroke and the small movements that cause the inconsistency in your putting stroke.
With these putting drills and the help of HackMotion, you can take the same putting stroke every single time.
Create Repeatability in Your Golf Shots
Hitting golf balls on the range can be good for your game. However, if you want to break 80 on a consistent basis you have to get a little harder on yourself about the shots you expect to hit.
You’ll need to be able to fade, draw, and control the ball flight of your shots. Without this ability on the range, you won’t be able to do it on the course.
This video from Bryson gives a very unique and in-depth look into his practice routine, how he got as good as he is, and how hard it is to be a professional player.
As you move towards consistently breaking 80, you’ll want to consider advice from the professionals and the little nuances they focus on in their games.
Max Homa Swing Plane Drill
Getting the golf club on plane will make it easier to generate power and consistency.
Max Homa uses a simple drill with an alignment stick in the ground. The stick is used as more of a guide and a visual aid to help ensure your swing plane is correct.
Many good golfers have a tendency to take the club too far inside, especially when swinging a driver. This drill will help you create width in your swing and bring the club down on the proper path.
Pitching Towel Drill
The closer you get to breaking 80 consistently, the more important it is to focus on the short game.
You need to start to dial in your pitch shots. Every golfer will miss greens occasionally, but if you can get up and down, you can save your score.
This pitching towel drill is very simple and helps you stay more connected and get that crisp pitch shot you need to go low.
Alignment Drill
Hitting a perfect shot that ends up 20 yards right of your target is frustrating. You’ll look at your fundamentals and think about what I could have done.
Many times it’s not your swing it’s your alignment that causes this issue. An alignment drill is the perfect way to fix this.
Start really getting strict about your alignment. Make sure you are properly set up on each shot that you hit.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you have plenty of drills to work on to start breaking 80 consistently.
You’ll find one or two of these drills that really make a difference in your game, and you can work with them for months until you feel ready to move on.
Don’t forget to incorporate tools like HackMotion into your routine. You’ll be able to keep track of important data and information and see where your game is improving.
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