It’s easier than you think...To break 90!
- Perry Noun
- Jan 27
- 3 min read
Breaking 90 Starts With Decisions
If you usually make between 3 - 6 double bogeys per round, this article is for you. If your golf scores are typically in the low to high 90’s, this article is also for you. And, If you usually hit your drives around 160-190 yards, and you only hit 2-3 greens per round, you shouldn’t be surprised that this article is for you.
This would give him the opportunity to chip-in or make a putt for “birdie”, make an up and down for “par” or at worst , make bogey. This “course management” strategy would certainly insure him he would break 90 more often.
He didn’t like my suggestion and figured out a way to shoot under 90 on his own.
What Really Separates Golfers Who Break 90
Our friend Nick Foy, the Founder of Foy Golf Academy, tells us that, “Breaking 90 is more about the ‘decisions‘ we make rather than our ‘swing mechanics”.
He goes on to say, “You don’t need to hit 300 yard drives or have a tour-level swing, you just need to play smarter and manage your mistakes”.
“The actual difference between a golfer who shoots under 90 consistently and one who shoots over 90 consistently is very rarely talent”, according to Foy.
I believe Foy is exactly correct. The difference is rarely just talent.
A Lesson From the Past
I remember telling my brother Bill (a mid 90’s golfer) many years ago to focus on making sure his ball is either lying on the green or close to the front of the green in “one under par” for the hole he is playing.
For example; in 2 for par 3’s, in 3 for par 4’s and in 4 for par 5’s.
This would give him the opportunity to possibly make a putt or chip-in for “par”, an up and down for a “bogie” or at worst, a “double bogie”. This would certainly insure him he would break 90.
He did not like my suggestion.
What the Numbers Tell Us
My research indicates that golfers who shoot under 90 on an 18 hole golf course, struggle to hit fairways and greens in regulation...don’t have a very good short game (inside of 100 yards)...have difficulty reading greens...and have trouble selecting the correct club to use for certain shots.
Although the golfers who do not shoot under 90 already know these stats, I believe they desperately want to know what they can do to finally shoot under 90.
A Mind-Set Shift That Works
I really like what Nick Foy has to say on the topic because it creates a different “mind-set” than anything else I have heard about or read.
Nick says it this way.. “The biggest psychological shift to shooting under 90 is simple, STOP TRYING TO MAKE BIRDIES. INSTEAD, FOCUS ON AVOIDING DOUBLE BOGEYS”.
What he is really saying is that golfers who break 90, “know when to attack, when to lay up, and how to recover without compounding errors”.
When you stop chasing birdies, you naturally start making better decisions. You’ll aim for safer targets, avoid hazards, and play each hole with patience.
Keep big numbers off your card and 89 will come sooner than you think.
Simple, Common Sense Advice From Nick Foy
Other simple and common sense things Nick recommends for golfers who want to shoot in the 90’s...
Use your favorite club off the tee more often.
Club-up one club and swing smooth.
Lay up to distance for your full wedge.
Putt for par, never for miracle.
Chip with one club around the green.
Learn to read lies before you swing.
Focus on smooth swing, not power.
Always pick a precise target, not just the fairway.9 Accept bogeys as part of the process.
USE A PRE-SHOT ROUTINE THAT NEVER CHANGES.
Follow me at PerryNoun.com
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