Breaking 100 in Golf: Proven Strategies & Tips That Actually Work

Breaking 100 in golf is a rite of passage. The first time you break 100 in golf, you’ll feel like a “golfer.”

It doesn’t matter if you have been playing golf for 15 days or 15 years; chances are, you are overcomplicating what it takes to break 100.

We will break this process down for you into simple tips so you can consistently break 100.

How to Break 100 in Golf (Key Takeaways)

If you don’t have time to read our entire guide, these are the tips to take with you right now. Work through them a few at a time, and you’ll notice changes within just a few weeks.

• Play forgiving clubs; even if you miss the center of the face, you’ll get a good result.
• Play a golf ball that matches your swing speed.
• Learn to control your wrists so you can control the clubface
• Practice weekly to refine your swing, ball striking, and distance.
• Take some golf lessons or do a clinic.
• Know where the ball should be in your stance for each club.
• Play more loft off the tee for an easier launch and consistent carry distance.
• Learn to hit a chip and a pitch shot.
• Play smart and avoid bunkers and water.
• Use a rangefinder to narrow down your distances.
• Get a pre-shot routine in place.

17 Tips to Consistently Break 100 in Golf

1. Play Forgiving Clubs

Golf manufacturers have developed golf equipment that offers greater forgiveness. Essentially, you can miss the center of the clubface but still get a great result.

The equipment is legal, under the USGA rules of golf, and it’s also the same price as equipment that is unforgiving.

Look for keywords like:

• Offset
• Low Center of Gravity (or CG)
• High MOI
• Draw bias
• Perimeter weighting

Here are some examples of forgiving golf clubs that could help you when it comes to breaking 100:

• Drivers: Ping G440 Max, PING G430 MAX 10K, TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Driver, TaylorMade QI35 Max, Callaway Paradym Driver, Cleveland Men’s Launcher XL.
• Fairway Woods: Ping G430 Max, Cobra Men’s Air X, TaylorMade Sim 2 Max, Cleveland Launcher XL Halo.
• Hybrids: Callaway Elyte Hybrid, Ping G430, Cleveland Men’s Launch XL Halo.
• Irons: Cleveland Men’s Launcher XL Halo, Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal, Callaway Rouge ST Max OS, Titleist T400, Tour Edge Men’s Hot Launch E523.
• Wedges: Cleveland CBX Zipcore, Cleveland RTX Full Face, Cleveland Smart Sole 4.0.
• Putter: Ping Prime Tyne 4, Odyssey Ai One Rossie, Odyssey 2 Ball Ten Triple Track.

2. Find the Right Golf Ball for Your Game

Golfers trying to break 100 often default to the cheapest ball they can find. But if you can afford to step up just a bit, the right ball can make a noticeable difference.

• Match your swing speed to the ball’s compression. Higher swing speeds need higher compression balls, while slower swings benefit from lower compression.
• Urethane-covered balls offer better spin and stopping power around the greens—if your chips don’t check up, it might be the ball, not your technique.
• You don’t need to spend $55 a dozen, but investing in something around $30–$40 can help improve both feel and control.

3. Learn What Your Wrists Should Actually Do

Most amateur golfers, even those breaking 80, don’t fully understand how wrist angles affect the golf swing.

If you’re still guessing, it’s time to stop.

Your lead wrist at impact largely determines your clubface angle, and your clubface controls direction. If your shots keep leaking right, odds are your lead wrist is too extended at impact.

HackMotion has analyzed over 1,000,000 swings from players of all levels.

One thing’s clear: pros consistently show slight lead wrist flexion (bowing) at impact.

Learning to train this position can unlock better ball flight, tighter dispersion, and more power.

4. Practice Weekly

If you’re trying to break 100, it’s not just about hitting more golf balls; it’s about making your practice count. Even two hours a week can make a big difference if you’re focused and intentional.

Here’s how to turn basic range time into real improvement:

• Set a Goal for Each Session: Don’t just “hit balls.” Go in with a purpose, fix your slice, learn to hit a fade, improve your shoulder turn, etc.
• Use Alignment Sticks: Always check aim. Poor alignment leads to poor habits.
• Rotate Clubs: Don’t just hit a 7-iron. Mix in driver, wedges, and long irons to simulate real play.
• Track Performance: Pick a target and keep score, like how many out of 10 you can hit within a certain distance.
• Use Tech That Gives Feedback: HackMotion is like having a coach in your pocket. It shows your wrist angles in real time, so you know when you’re doing it right—and when you’re not. No more guessing. No more grooving bad habits.

5. Hire a Coach

Take a golf lesson.

Tell the coach your goal and some of your common swing mistakes. After analyzing your swing, you should ask for actionable tips to work on the information they presented.

Professional insight and taking lessons make it easier to combat all of the bad advice you will be getting on the course from your friends!

6. Master Distance Control in Putting

Let’s be honest, you probably three-putt more than you’d like. If you can start turning those into two-putts (or even the occasional one-putt), you’ll save strokes fast. Most golfers think putting is about stroke length, but timing, tempo, and face control matter just as much.

HackMotion has analyzed over a million putting strokes. Here’s what consistently separates good putters:

• Symmetry: Balanced backswing and follow-through lengths.
• Centered Contact: Hitting the sweet spot of the putter face.
• Consistent Shaft Lean: Managing wrist angles to deliver ideal loft.

You can’t fix what you can’t feel, but HackMotion tracks wrist flexion, extension, and radial motion in real time, so you don’t groove bad habits.

7. Learn the Correct Ball Position

Incorrect ball position is a common mistake by high handicappers. The problem with poor ball position is that it wastes a perfectly good swing.

If you hit behind the ball or top it from time to time, focus your attention here.

Here’s the ideal ball position for each club in the bag:

8. Keep Your Driver in the Bag

Have you thought about the fact that 99 on a par 72 course is +27, meaning you do not need birdies or loads of pars to break 100.

You can afford to hit shorter and focus on accuracy.

The driver may not be the best choice on all golf holes. Consider a hybrid or fairway wood. Sometimes, you’ll have an easier time hitting the center of the fairway.

If you can keep the double bogeys away, it will make breaking 100 so much easier.

9. Aim for the Middle of the Green

If you’re pushing to break 100, there is no need to attack the flagstick and run yourself into trouble. Aim for the middle of the green, leaving yourself more room for error.

By playing to the center of the green, your wayward shots still stand a chance of remaining in play, leaving you a chip and a putt to get down.

Learn more about shot dispersion in golf.

10. Learn How to Scramble

Scrambling means saving par after missing the green. On a par 4, that’s one chip and one putt. Simple in theory, not so much in practice.

Here’s how to train for it:

• Head to the short game area.
• Drop 3 balls in different lies: rough, tight, sand, short-sided, longer pitch.
• Hit each shot to a different pin and aim to finish inside 10 feet.
• Track how often you get up and down. Try to improve that number over time.

You won’t make every putt, but the more you leave inside 10 feet, the more pars (and fewer doubles) you’ll make.

11. Lay Up – Play Some Par 4’s Like Par 5’s

When you are trying to break 100, a score of 5 on a par 4 is not a bad thing. In fact, if you can do that on each one, you’ll make a lot of progress in reaching your goals.

Start to think about the more difficult par 4 holes on your course as though they are a par 5. Hit a driver, then hit something like a 7 iron to lay up to a comfortable distance.

Use your rangefinder to find an exact spot that avoids all trouble. When the ball is on the green, all you need is two putts, and you make an easy bogey.

You’ll have to take a little ego out of the golf game, but if you break 100, it’s worth it, right?

12. Play Your Round on the Driving Range

When warming up for your next round, start to visualize each shot for the first few holes. Play a driver, then an iron shot, and a chip. The power of visualization in golf is strong.

Create a fairway zone in your head and aim for the relevant side to put yourself in the right position. When you get out on the course, you’ll feel some confidence in the fact that you have already “played” the first hole at the range.

13. Play the Bump and Run

The bump and run is a heavily underused shot by amateurs that could save countless strokes around the green. It’s designed for you to induce a putting stroke and roll the ball up to the cup, eliminating the risk attached to a loss of distance control with higher launching shots.

This video will give you the basics you need to hit a solid bump and run shot.

14. Lag Your Putts

Lag putting is all about getting your first putt close enough for a tap-in. Instead of trying to make every long putt, the goal is to leave yourself a stress-free second putt. That’s how you reduce three-putts and start shaving strokes off your score.

Don’t be overly aggressive. Focus on rolling the ball to the hole with enough pace to get it there, but not much more. A smart lag putt leaves you with a two- or three-footer at worst.

15. Pre-Shot Routine

Every golfer should employ a pre-shot routine into their game to go into each shot in a better mind frame. The pre-shot routine gives you time to focus and visualize the shot you have in front of you.

Practice your pre-shot routine on the driving range. There is no real right or wrong way to do this.

Make sure you focus on things like alignment, a practice swing, and a visualization of where you want your shot to end up.

16. Warm Up

Warming up and stretching before a round of golf is underrated and often forgotten. You might not play on the PGA Tour, but you still need to activate your muscles for optimal performance on the course.

Stiff muscles impact your hip and shoulder turn, resulting in reduced power and the inability to consistently get the clubface square at impact.

When possible, arrive at the course 45 minutes to an hour before your tee slot. If you don’t add some warm-up time in, you won’t start playing your best golf until you get to the fourth or fifth hole.

17. Ignore Your Score until the Clubhouse

My final tip on how to break 100 in golf is to ignore your score until the clubhouse. Instead of calculating your total score after every hole and speculating what you could shoot, avoid it until the 19th hole.

We have all done it. Tallying up your scores and constantly checking if you can break 100 eventually gets the better of you, and your round implodes.

Take your round one shot at a time, focus on striking the ball well, and making easy bogeys whenever you can.

FAQs

What is the handicap for breaking 100 in golf?

Golfers with a 27 handicap or lower on a par 72 course are breaking 100 in golf consistently.

How long should it take to break 100 in golf?

As a beginner golfer, you will often have to invest at least a year of practice and playing to be able to break 100.

How do I lower my score from 100 to 90 in golf?

Improving your chipping, putting, and distance control is the key to lowering your score from 100 to 90 in golf. In addition, continue working with an instructor, practice weekly, use forgiving clubs, aim for the middle of the green, and play it safe.

Summary

Work with these tips a few at a time until you feel like you are making progress in your golf game.

Some technology, such as the HackMotion wrist sensor, should be incorporated. Follow that up with weekly practice and working with a coach.

If you follow these steps and dedicate the time, you’ll be breaking 90 before you know it.