How to Break 70 in Golf – Actionable Tips & Advice from a PGA Professional

Does breaking 70 in golf seem like a pipe dream?

I’ll be honest: for most golfers, it is. The chance of getting your golf game to a level where you can consistently shoot in the 60s is very difficult.

However, you can certainly give breaking 70 a shot. You will have to follow some pretty specific guidelines and have a very strong understanding of the game of golf.

Breaking 70 requires more than just athletic ability; it requires mental strength. Think you may have what it takes? Let’s find out.

Key Takeaways

To break 70 in golf, you will need to do certain things to prepare. Here are the key takeaways as to what it takes to break 70 in golf and how you can do it.

• Breaking 70 in golf requires you to have an awareness of your body; you must know the positions of your hands, wrists, arms, legs, hips, and even where your body weight is at all times. It’s more complicated than you think.
• Wrist action controls the clubface; golfers that break 70 have control of the clubface and know how to manipulate that face through impact.
• To break 70, you will need a coach, or you will need to use technology that acts as a coach; golf swing analyzers and measuring devices give you the data you need to reach this goal.
• In addition to playing more often, practice routines must be scheduled, planned, and perfectly executed; if you don’t have a practice plan, you will struggle to break 70.
• Finally, breaking 70 costs money; you won’t find a way around this one. You need a place to practice and play, equipment that matches your playing style, and golf technology that helps you obtain your goals.

What is the Significance of Breaking 70 in Golf?

Breaking 70 in golf and shooting in the 60’s is really the gold standard in being an exceptional player. As said prior, it is a feat that only between 1% and 3% of golfers are able to accomplish.

It is important to note that a handicap index does not represent a golfers average score. A true handicap comes from the best 10 of a golfer’s last 20 scores posted.

In other words, your handicap is more an indication of your potential.

With this in mind, it is worth noting that being able to break 70 and average below 70 are not the same. Many golfers that hold a zero to +2 handicap, or even slightly better, don’t actually average under 70 for 18 holes.

To give you some more perspective on breaking 70, according to data collected by the National Golf Foundation (NGF), only 5% of golfers are able to average a score under 80. This shows how rare it is to average under 70.

What the Tour Pro’s Average Scoring Looks Like

To continue to help paint the picture of the significance of being able to break 70, I thought I would share the following.

Professional Tour players on the PGA Tour, Champions Tour, LPGA Tour, and DP World Tour are seen as the best of the best in the game.

The following chart shows some interesting scoring stats on each of these Tours.

2022 Season	PGA Tour	Champions Tour	DP World Tour	LPGA Tour
Leading Scoring Average	68.67	68.27	68.75	68.98
Tour Scoring Average	71.09	71.42	71.06	71.50*
Last in Scoring Average	72.68	74.23	74.27	74.50*

How to Break 70 in Golf Consistently

Being able to consistently break 70 in golf first requires a golfer to be able to break 80 on a regular basis. That is a minimum requirement I would think if learning to consistently break 70 is the goal.

There are several preliminary things that someone striving to break 70 needs to consider before starting on this journey.

In order to even consider making a game plan to reach this goal, the following areas need to be looked at first.

Where to Start

Self-examination of current Strengths and Weaknesses

A golfer looking to work towards breaking 70 consistently needs to know the current state of their game.

All aspects need to be considered and tracked including the following:

• Fairways hit in regulation.
• Driving distance.
• Greens hit in regulation.
• Up and down percentage.
• Putting average.

Self-examination of Time Available to Practice

Being able to achieve the goal of consistently breaking 70 requires a considerable amount of practice and playing time.

In many respects, this pursuit will almost be something that will require a full-time work schedule in order to accomplish and maintain.

Access to Resources

A golfer looking to break 70 consistently will need to have access to several resources to help optimize this pursuit.

Since a large majority of individuals looking to accomplish this are ultimately looking to play professionally, the following has that idea in mind as well.

• An accomplished and respected coach.
• A mental sports performance coach.
• A golf fitness performance coach.
• Access to adequate equipment.
• Reputable club fitter and builder.
• Money to cover tournament fees and related expenses if competing.

Statistical Goals to Strive For

In my first bullet above I mentioned that a player looking to work towards breaking 70 consistently needs to look at their strengths and weaknesses.

Most notably, they need to look closely at their current stats in 6 key areas.

• Fairways in Regulation: 60% or roughly 8/14 fairways per round (Tour Average 59.08% in 2022)
• Driving Distance: 280 yards to 300 yards (Tour Average 299 yards in 2022)
• Greens in Regulation: 65% or between 11 and 12 greens per round (Tour Average 65.57% in 2022)
• Up and Downs: Get up and down 60% of the time on missed greens (Tour Average 58.30% in 2022)
• Putts Per Green: Be on par with the Tour Average of 1.77 in 2022
• Putts Per Round: Be on par with the Tour Average of 29.06 putts per round in 2022

Putting a Plan Together

With a good understanding of knowing what it will take to be able to break 70 consistently, you now can start to plan your strategy to get there.

The first step in the planning process, in my professional opinion, would be to search for a coach to work with.

They can be a great resource and guide in planning and starting you on your journey.

Find an Accomplished and Reputable Coach to Work With

A great resource to find and evaluate reputable golf coaches in your area can be found on the PGA website. I would definitely advise you to really do your research.

You are not only looking for a coach that knows their stuff, but more importantly, knows how to communicate with their players. Look at reviews and ask for references.

Do a preliminary lesson to get a feel for how they operate.

I would advise you to be careful of choosing a coach only based on a name, or how fancy their facility may be. Sometimes some of the best coaches that may be a great fit for you may not have a huge marketing budget, or be a big name.

The number one thing is finding a good match for you, your style, and your needs.

Consider a Mental Performance Coach

My suggested starting point in putting your plan together will always be finding a main coach.

Considering a mental performance coach, in addition to your main coach may be worth looking at. This specialized coach touches on areas that are very important for those looking to reach the heights of shooting below 70 consistently.

Your main coach can indeed help in this area. However, a specialized mental coach can go much deeper into the all-important mental and emotional aspects of the game.

A mental performance coach is not someone who you need to see nearly as frequently as your main coach.

Having one as part of your team however, could prove to be very worthwhile.

Creating and Measuring Consistency in Swing Motion

A golf coach can make a big difference when working to break 70 in golf. However, the goal coach is not always going to be with you. In fact, more times than not, you will be working on your game without the help of a golf professional.

That’s where a swing analyzer like HackMotion can make all the difference.

With HackMotion’s ability to measure the position of your wrists at setup, top of the backswing, and impact, you can work on everything from grip position to clubface angle to golf ball control.

Having analyzed more than 1,000,000 swings, including those of the best golfers in the world, we know that the wrist position determines the clubface angle at impact. The clubface angle at impact will determine your ball’s flight.

Keeping a HackMotion device with you while you are on the range working to break 70 can help you get to your goals faster. HackMotion even lets you tag your practice sessions and good shots so that you can check back in and ensure your game is moving in the right direction.

Use HackMotion to help you learn about your swing in real-time.

Fitness Planning and Retaining a Golf Fitness Performance Coach

As with a mental performance coach, you can absolutely gain an edge by considering working with a golf fitness coach.

With or without one, having a fitness plan is going to be a critical aspect in becoming a player that can break 70 consistently.

With that said, I highly advise seeking out and working with a professional in this area. A great place to find the best golf fitness coaches in the US can be found here.

Access to Quality Golf Equipment

Again, your greatest resource is going to be a coach that has a great reputation and a great network. That certainly includes being able to help you with your golf equipment needs.

Most reputable coaches that have several years under their belt in the business will have connections and access to the top equipment lines.

Proper equipment is important for any golfer at any level. This is even more the case for the top 3% of golfers that play the game.

Having equipment in your hands that can help you on mishits, as well as enhance your good shots will definitely shave shots on your scorecard.

For better players, I think working on getting set with your scoring clubs is critical. This includes your wedges and putter.

Access to a Reputable Club Fitter and Builder

Staying on the topic of equipment, having access to a reputable club fitter and builder is a good thing to consider as well.

These folks can help in tweaking swing weight, loft and lie angles, bounces on your wedges, and even suggest shaft changes that could give you an edge.

Even simple things like having good grips on your clubs regularly is to be considered when breaking 70 on a regular basis is the goal.

Having a Facility to Practice and Play

This one seems like a no brainer. What is important here though is finding the right place to practice and play.

With having to put in long hours in order to reach the lofty goal of being a sub 70 golfer, having a great home course is important.

Things to evaluate in selecting the right home to practice and play at include:

• A challenging course in good condition.
• A good double ended driving range.
• A covered range tee or having indoor practice capabilities if possible.
• A wedge range with targets.
• A chipping and pitching green with bunker.
• A separate putting green.
• Good membership options including a range or practice membership.
• A supportive and friendly atmosphere.

Associated Expenses

As said earlier, getting to the level of being able to break 70 consistently for most will be a major undertaking.

Not only will this endeavor take time, but it will also cost you a good chunk of change. You can indeed find ways to put this all together on different budgets.

However, like with anything that you want to excel at, cutting corners may extend the time it could take to reach goals.

For those looking to break 70 consistently, and eventually play professionally, that adds another layer in relation to the expense side.

Players looking to play professionally often seek out financial backers and investors to assist them.

Being able to entice this kind of support requires a player to be able to market themselves. Obviously, being able to play the game at a high level is a given.

The Plan Itself

With all the information laid out above, you now have what you need to know to put your plan for breaking 70 together.

The best place to start is with your coach. He will likely start out with a full evaluation of your skills, and your knowledge including areas like the rules and course management.

Areas that should be evaluated prior to making your initial plan include:

– Skills

• Full Swing Driver and Woods
• Full Swing Irons
• Shot Shaping
• Wedges (Distance Control)
• Pitching and Chipping
• Bunker Shots
• Putting (Short, Mid-Range, Lag)
• Course Management

– Physical

• Strength
• Flexibility
• Endurance

– Knowledge

• Posture, Grip, Alignment
• Ball Flight Laws
• Rules

– Mental and Emotional

– Equipment Evaluation

– Time Commitment Potential

All the above will help you and your coach lay out your initial plan. In the planning process there will be short, mid-range and long-term goals.

These will be evaluated regularly in order to monitor progress. The pace at which progress is made is really something that will play out as you go. Its hard to put a timetable on progress.

Be prepared however to be in this for the long haul. This is definitely something to be seen as a journey. Not a sprint but rather a marathon.

FAQ’s

What percentage of golfers can break 70?

This is a feat that only between 1% and 3% of golfers can accomplish. Averaging below 70 is an even smaller percentage. Probably somewhere just under 1% of all golfers can accomplish this.

How long does it take to break 70 in golf?

This is hard to say.

For most that can eventually get to the sub 70 level, it is something that takes years to accomplish.

For some, and honestly, not many, it is a milestone they achieve early in their playing career. That scenario is reserved for very, very few that play the game.

How many greens in regulation do you need to average to break 70?

Greens in regulation is often a stat the people look at in determining what is necessary to be a sub 70 golfer.

While hitting greens in regulation is indeed something more accomplished golfers do often, the numbers may surprise you.

The PGA Tour average of greens hit in regulation is right around 65% or between 11 and 12 greens per round.

The most important stats really lie in scrambling (up and down) and putting.

In Summary

Breaking 70 in golf and shooting in the 60’s is really the gold standard in being an exceptional player.

This is a feat that only between 1% and 3% of golfers are able to accomplish. If you can hit this mark, you are among the elite players in the game. Getting to that sub 70 mark is something that takes years to accomplish.

To help those that are willing to take the journey, I’m hopeful that this article laid out what is required and what to expect.

Wishing you well in your journey!