How to Break 90 in Golf Consistently – The 20 Proven Tips for Better Scores

Breaking 100 in golf is a big deal, but golfers who learn to break 90 feel a great sense of pride. Let’s face it an 88 is better than most golfers will shoot in their entire lives.

Golfers overcomplicate breaking 90.

Instead of focusing on actionable steps that can take your game to the next level, they focus on perfection. I’ll show you how to break 90 in golf consistently.

The process will take you from being a somewhat unaware amateur golfer to a player with a goal, a plan, and some understanding.

How to Break 90 in Golf Consistently – In Short

• Use forgiving equipment to combat mishits.
• Understand launch and ball flight laws so that you can play each hole to the best of your ability.
• Work with a golf coach and use golf technology to eradicate common golf swing mistakes.
• Develop a pre-shot routine to visualize and prepare for each shot.
• Improve your short game to minimize leaked strokes on the green.
• Learn how to scramble and escape bad situations with a par score.
• Start to understand how the clubface works and how to control it.
• Prepare mentally to shoot 90 by knowing ahead of time how many bogey/pars it’s going to take to get it done.
• Aim for the middle of the green to prevent your ball from rolling off.

20 Tips Teaching You How to Break 90 in Golf

Use More Forgiving Clubs

Modern game improvement golf clubs are built to mitigate slice shots, preserve ball speed and contain spin on mishits.

This enables high handicappers to generate more distance and accuracy from tee to green.

In addition, forgiving clubs are often fitted with a low and deep center of gravity (CG) to encourage higher launching shots.

It allows golfers to get airborne and optimize carry distance, even on off-center hits. Plus, woods, hybrids, and long irons often carry increased offset to produce draw bias flight.

Besides the longer clubs, manufacturers also produce lenient wedges and putters for consistency on and around the green. Forgiving wedges often contain a versatile sole grind for several shots and a cavity back with perimeter weighting.

Together they prompt increased spin and an enhanced launch for a drop and hop spin.

The bottom line here is that if your golf clubs are older, and don’t have forgiveness built in, they could be the reason you are struggling to break 90.

Here are some examples of forgiving golf clubs that could help you when it comes to breaking 90:

• Drivers: Ping G430 Max, TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Driver, Callaway Paradym Driver, Cobra LTDx Max Driver
• Fairway Woods: Ping G430 Max Fairway, TaylorMade Stealth 2 Steel Fairway, Callaway Paradym Fairway, Titleist TSR 2 Fairway
• Hybrid: Titleist TSR2, Callaway Men’s Paradym, TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue
• Irons: Ping i230, Titleist T300, Mizuno JPX Forged, TaylorMade P790
• Wedges: Callaway Jaws MD5, Ping Glide Forged Pro, Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore
• Putters: Ping Anser, Odyssey Toulon Series, Cleveland HB Soft Premier

Find a Golf Shaft that Matches Your Swing Speed

If you swing with more than 100 miles per hour of speed in your driver, you should have a stiff shaft in your golf club. However, if you can’t quite get these speeds, don’t be afraid to go with a regular or senior shaft.

Too many golfers looking to break 90 have a shaft that is not flexible enough to promote forgiveness.

The increased flexibility gives golfers added spring into impact for exceptional energy transfer and rapid ball speed.

In addition, most regular and senior flex shafts carry a low or mid-kick point, encouraging a mid-to-high launch for improved carry distance.

Work with an Instructor

I often meet high handicappers that have never had a lesson from a certified instructor and wonder why they are struggling. These players are typically coached by their buddies on the course, who are also standard, casual golfers making the same mistakes.

Working with an instructor for a few lessons gives you deeper insight into the mechanics of your swing and the subsequent outcome.

In addition, your coach will help you route out common golf swing mistakes and provide solutions and drills to eradicate them for good.

Until you seek the assistance of a professional, you will continue to make annoying errors that make it difficult to break 90.

Develop a Pre-Shot Routine

Once you develop a pre-shot routine, it helps you in three predominant aspects.

The first benefit is it clears the last shot from your mind to focus on the task ahead. Secondly, you can identify your clubface alignment and whether the ball is set optimally in your stance.

The final advantage is that it allows you to envision your next shot and plan out the hole.

A common pre shot routine is to take one practice swing standing, looking down the line at the target. Then line up the clubface, come around the golf ball, look back at the target and then take your shot. You can work to make the pre shot routine more specific to your game, but the most important aspect is that you have one.

Practice with a Purpose (and Some Technology)

When you visit the golf driving range, avoid continually hitting shots without a plan in place.

Practice with a purpose and set your sights on achieving a specific goal.

Playing my home course on the driving range is a simple drill I frequently use. I envision each hole and hit the same club I would on the course, inducing the exact shape.

When I get on the golf course, my club and shot selection are second nature, and I can hit all the correct positions.

In addition, practicing using HackMotion on the driving range allows me to keep an eye on how my wrist angles are at setup, top of the backswing, and at impact. This data is saved from one practice session to the next, allowing me to monitor my progress and improve.

When I have the HackMotion sensor on, I take a second or two longer to think about the shot I’m hitting and really try and make the most of my practice session.

Learn How to Scramble

Scrambling has helped me break 90 and 80 in golf. It is the reason I am a massive proponent of it.

Do you ever find yourself in the rough or blocked out behind a tree because of your tee shot? This is common in your handicap range, and learning how to scramble could be the way to fix it. Eventually, you will want to hit straight shots at your target, but being able to scramble can save your score.

To become better at scrambling, stick to working on golf shots from 50 yards and in, as well as varying the ball flight of your shots. Try to learn the low punch to get you out of trouble.

I would also recommend trying to make some 8-10 foot putts; sometimes a good scramble takes a solid putt.

Take the Right Club

Golfers yet to break 90 may fall victim to incorrect club selections and distance readings.

We have many factors to ponder, including slopes, weather, altitude, and moisture.

Most golfers under club themselves. They think if they can hit the ball 150 yards and it’s 155 to the pin, it makes sense to hit the 150 yard club. For most players, this ends up with a shot that is short of the green requiring a chip up. Learn your carry distances and know them well. If you hit a 7 iron 150 yards, you probably carry it about 145 yards.

Learn to Feel the Clubface

The clubface is what controls the direction of your golf ball. If the clubface is open at impact, the ball goes right; if it’s closed at impact, the ball goes left. If you want to break 90 in golf, you have to have some idea of what the clubface is doing.

HackMotion can teach you how to control the clubface. Start by taking some swings and gathering data. The key data point to look for is the extension in your wrists. Golfers with too much extension at the top of their backswing often have too much extension at impact, leaving the clubface open.

Many golfers who shoot in the 90s and 100’s still don’t know how to feel the clubface or how to control it. Working with a feedback tool like HackMotion can get you there and have you playing more deliberate and better golf.

Learn How to Chip

According to Golf Magazine, Higher handicappers miss 30% of their greens in regulation. Having to get up and down often is difficult.

Learning to chip goes a long way to helping you set up for an easy makeable one-putt, helping you save par or a bogey.

I recommend keeping it simple with low chips or a bump-and-run shot. The lower you keep the ball the safer it is. Avoid trying the flop shot from the side of the green, as it is risky when you need the stability and control of a low-rolling chip.

If you have much green to work with, you might prefer a bump-and-run shot with a stronger lofted club.

Reduce Three Putts

You have likely heard many commentators and coaches harp on the importance of your putting stroke, and they are right.

Golfers with a handicap of 20 to 25 three putt 19.1% of the holes they play. In addition, those with a handicap higher than 26 record three putts on 25% of their holes.

According to Shot Scope

Imagine if your final score is 93, and you could have saved those 4 strokes with a superior putting stroke.

The HackMotion can be used on the putting green to develop more consistency in your stroke. There is no perfect wrist angle in putting, but you can learn to keep yours more consistent and reduce the number of times you three putt.

Play a Familiar Golf Course Frequently

One way to help finally break into the 80s in golf is to frequently play your home golf course to increase your confidence.

Frequenting the same club allows you to gain “member’s knowledge” and learn where to land your ball on different holes to enjoy the assistance of the layout.

The more you play the same course, the easier it becomes to make better-informed club selection, which leads to improved distance control.

As a result, you start playing intelligent golf and understand your strengths and weaknesses to avoid leaking unnecessary strokes vital in your quest to break 90.

While I believe that players should diversify and learn to play on different layouts and conditions, you must crawl before you can walk. Gain confidence in a familiar environment and learn how to break 90 first. Then you can start testing your skills on other layouts.

Warm Up Before Your Round

Amateurs are notorious for skipping warm-up and heading straight to the first tee to let their driver rip.

This leaves you at risk of injuring your back, neck, and knees. It also hampers you from producing optimal rotation and power during your swing.

Start your warm-up by stretching your arms, shoulders, back, and hips to loosen your core golf muscles.

Once your muscles are activated, stroll to the practice range to hit a few balls if your home club has the luxury of a warm-up range. Avoid worrying about the quality of your ball striking or the accuracy of your shots. Focus on boosting rotation and loosening up your bones and muscles.

After a 15-minute warm-up on the range, get to the putting green. Hit a few putts to get your eye focused and a feel for the green speeds.

Position the Ball Front, Middle, and Back for Different Shots

At this point of your golf career, you are likely familiar with the front, middle, and back ball positions.

However, you probably still get it wrong every now and then, which causes you to top, chunk, or slice your ball.

A simple rule of thumb is to start with the ball on the inside heel of your lead leg for tee shots.

Next, you move it marginally back for fairway wood strikes and keep the sequence going until it sits on towards your back leg for wedge shots.

Effectively, the ball sits forward for the longest clubs in your bag, middle for mid and short irons, and towards the back (not all the way back) for wedges.

Know Your Position at the Top

Do you know where the club is when it’s at the top of your backswing? Most golfers have no idea where the club is, and because of that, they end up with a clubface that is open or closed. In addition, sometimes, the length of the backswing is too long.

Instead, start practicing with the HackMotion and pay very close attention to the position you are in at the top of your backswing. If your wrist is flat or there is a bit of a flexed position, you are in a great spot. With a lot of extension, you have your work cut out for you.

Some golfers notice that when they take the club too far back, it tends to add even more extension and make the process of squaring the face that much more difficult.

This simple tweak can restore accuracy and give you a fighting chance of breaking 90.

Compensate for Any Unwanted Shape

I am sure some golf coaches are cringing as they read this, but I used this trick as a last resort during horrific rounds.

When I generated an excess hook or slice during a golf round, I would adjust my setup to compensate for it.

Generally, my struggle stemmed from too much slice.

So, I would aim further to the right, close my clubface slightly, and usually, it was enough to land my ball in the intended area.

However, I would head to the driving range after the round and check my wrist angles with HackMotion, video my swing and sign up for a lesson with my golf coach.

Compensating for unwanted shot shape is not a permanent solution. It is instead a setup used to mitigate excess unwanted curve, which appears midway through your round.

Aim for the Middle of the Green

The next tip is elementary advice, yet amateurs consistently ignore it in the search for glory.

To achieve your goal, you need bogies and the odd par. If the par total at your home course is 72, then +17 is good enough to break 90. Therefore, 17 bogies and a single par are all you need. This is why you can afford to aim for the middle of the green.

Understand the Green

When I mention understanding the green, I refer to how it breaks and impacts your putts and approach shots.

Knowing how the green slopes can play into your favor on approach if you land the ball in the correct area, it works with the slant to roll closer to the cup.

In addition, it is crucial to better your green reading ability to know which way and how fast a putt breaks.

Using the slopes and the speed of the green to your advantage enables you to position yourself optimally for each putt and reduce three putts to avoid leaking strokes.

A simple misread of the green can send your golf ball several feet in the unintended direction, leaving the door open for a three putt.

Play it Safe

Every golfer has their strategy and personality, but playing it safe is an easy way to break 90.

Birdies and eagles are not required to help you break 90, but a round with mainly bogies and the odd par will get you there.

To finally break 90, you need not do anything aggressive.

Most amateur golf courses are not exceptionally long. You can still compete using a long iron or hybrid off the tee.

A solid 3-iron or hybrid leaves you a long but achievable approach shot, but if you miss, you have a chip shot to get up and down for par or a bogey.

On a difficult par 4 I encourage you to think about playing for a 5; it’s not going to hurt your quest to break 90.

Choke Down On the Grip

Another tip I frequently used as a high handicapper was choking lower on the grip to increase my control.

When I utilized this strategy, I found it easier to square the clubface at impact and prompt straighter ball flight. Granted, like shortening my swing, gripping down on the club reduced my distance potential. Use this when you need to or if you have to take a few yards off a shot and still want to use the club you have in your hands.

Invest in Technology to Improve Your Game

With the amount of technology available to help you become a better golfer, you will find that there are some investments that can help you break 90 with ease.

There are countless swing aids around, but very few are designed to prevent the root cause of erratic golf shots.

Your hands are the only element of your body that connects with the golf club, and your wrist angles impact the clubface angle during the swing.

HackMotion helps golfers of all skill levels achieve the correct wrist angles through the swing, which prompts the body to fall into place and follow suit.

The clubface determines 80% of the golf ball’s direction, and when your wrists are out of position, it hampers the clubface angle.

As a result, Hack Motion measures your wrist angles, delivering immediate feedback to optimize the accuracy and power of every swing.

FAQs

Is it hard to break 90 in golf?

Yes, it is hard to break 90 in golf because it takes time, practice, intelligent planning, and the correct equipment. Backing up these claims is the fact that only 26% of golfers break 90.

However, once you understand your swing and the game, it becomes easy to break 90 by playing safe, aiming for the middle of the green, and improving your short game.

How long should it take to break 90 in golf?

It can take a month or years to break 90 in golf. It comes down to talent and hours of practice invested in the process. Progress can speed up using technology such as HackMotion to improve your swing mechanics.

What percentage of golfers in the world can break 90?

According to the PGA, only 26% of golfers break 90, while 29% of all amateurs consistently shoot between 90 to 99.

How do you practice breaking 90?

You practice breaking 90 by working on your short game and scrambling to help you escape challenging situations and get up and down from the greenside. Next, golfers need to learn to control the clubface so that they can hit straight golf shots.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to break 90 in golf is a process and typically takes golfers several months or years to master. However, if you play with forgiving clubs and the correct shaft flex, master your short game, and play it safe, you will break 90 shots consistently. Learning how to control the clubface now will also get you closer to breaking 80!