The best advice to break 90, according to the low handicappers

Golf is full of milestones, but one of the biggest for recreational players is breaking 90. Once you do, you graduate from hacker to weekend warrior.

Those who have overcome that hurdle will likely remember the euphoria of reaching that goal. It might not be the same as slipping on the green jacket, but it’s still something worth celebrating.

For those who haven’t quite climbed that mountain, dream of breaking 90 it endures. And here at GOLF.com, we want to help you accomplish that feat. Below, you’ll find the best tips for breaking 90 from a handful of single-digit disabled people on staff.

Gather your bases, play mind games

Breaking 90 for the first time is a major milestone in any golfer’s career. Don’t get too upset if you haven’t crossed that threshold yet. Your time is coming. That said, there are a few things you can do to grease the wheels a little. First of all, you need to practice your setup. You’d be surprised how easy it is to forget the basics when nerves are high. With a solid setup, this is one less thing to worry about and you reduce the chances of making an avoidable mistake.

The second tip is to play at an adjusted level. Many golfers’ egos and expectations are what end up ruining their rounds. Instead of putting pressure on yourself to make par on a long par-4, attack it like a par-five. This adjustment gives you a little extra breathing room and increases your chances of making bogey or better. And, on a par-72 course, you only need to make par or better on one hole to break 90, which seems much more doable, in my opinion. My last power of wisdom is to distract myself by playing short matches, seeing if you can hit three over par for those particular holes. —Maddi MacClurg (6 handicap)

Keep the driver in the game

I know what you’re thinking. What does this arrogant plus-handicap know about breaking 90?! But these days, the guys I play golf with the most are content with keeping things in the double digits and trance to sneak under 90. And the biggest key I’ve noticed as they start shaving off some shots: When they find a way to keep the ball in play off the tee, it makes all the difference. I am begging you to find a way to stop losing shots. The Golf is quite strong from the fairway; there’s just no way to succeed when you’re playing out of trees, falling out of water, or coming back hitting 3. You can’t do it!

Now look, I’m not one of those old school counselors. The driver is the biggest club and flies the farthest. Find a way to beat him in the game. Take a lesson. (Seriously, take a lesson. Maybe several lessons.) Hit the range. And then go to the course to learn your tendencies and learn where the driver goes when you are nervous, tense, tired, under pressure, in the wind, etc. Don’t get too caught up in the bombing – we’ll get to that later. And be kind to yourself. This is a tough game. Might as well start in the right direction. —Dylan Dethier (+2.6 handicap)

Get comfortable with your nerves

When I was a teenager, trying to break 90 for the first time, the biggest challenge I faced was getting over the mental barrier of success. I knew I had the ability to crack that magic number, but my mind always got in the way. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone down the back nine with a chance to score in the 80s, only to make a big mistake and screw it up.

When finally He did break 90, I remember feeling completely comfortable with the situation. I had been there many times before so I wasn’t too nervous either. You will find yourself getting nervous as you approach any important moment in golf. The only way to combat these nerves is to get comfortable with them.

If you’re trying to break 90 for the first time, the best advice I can give you is to put yourself in that position as much as possible. You most likely won’t achieve your goal the first (or second, or third) time you’re able to do this – but that’s okay! Every time you get into that place, you learn to handle the nerves a little better. Keep knocking on the door and eventually you’ll break through. Then, it’s time to focus on breaking 80. —Zephyr Melton (4.6 handicap)

Avoid explosions

I’ve played a lot of golf with my mom this year, and she’s right in this scoring area. She averages rounds in the low to mid 90s, but I know a high 80s day is definitely possible for her! Whenever she has a good round, or even a good side of nine holes, we discuss the change. For him, it tends to be the same thing every time: dodging shots. She hits it straight and keeps it in play consistently, so the most frequent derailments generally happen around the green, something like bunker trouble or an errant chip mixed in from a three- or four-putt. It’s really, really hard to break 90 if you have a few 8s on the card, so avoiding those momentum killers is key.

Distance is also an important factor, so I would suggest making sure you play the appropriate tees. Even from the front tees, my mom can’t always hit every par 4 in regulation. So the goal becomes to make those holes par 5s. And some par 5s become par 6s. Being realistic about your distance ability helps a lot with the mental challenge of breaking 90. Set your sights on getting to the green in as few strokes as possible, hitting your safest club every time. It may also help to think of each hole in a round as a par 5. Two sides of an “even par” get you to 90. A par on a par 3 and bogeys on a par 4 and par 5 on a par-72 course gets you in … 86! Doesn’t that seem totally doable? There’s also a nice mental lift that comes from being “two-under” after a par on a par 3. —Jessica Marksbury (handicap 9.8)