How to Break 90: An Easy Approach for Breaking Golf's Toughest Scoring Barrier

I bought this book, even though at the time I was trying to break 100 rather than 90. I really liked the way the authors focused on course management and the short game rather than swing changes. I also liked the little bits of humor scattered throughout. The authors make the point that if you average a 5 on every hole (something they call "Level 5's"), then you will shoot 90. I took this a step further and told myself that if I could shoot Level 6's, that's a 108. So if I could shave a few strokes from there, shoot 5 on a few holes (which isn't that tough, even for me), then I could break 100. Sure enough, using thier course management advice and focusing on shooting 6's, not thinking about par, I broke 100 several times in the my next few rounds. I'm now re-reading the book, and practicing some of the advice I thought was too advanced back then, and refining some more to hopefully break 90 soon. This book truly helped my game....one of the few books I can say that about!

For several years, I was locked in a zone of shooting around 95 on basically every course I went to. No matter how well I was swinging the club, there'd always be a couple holes with a double or triple bogey that would prevent me from breaking 90. To be sure, my fundamentals have improved over that time: my drives are longer and straighter, and my short irons were ending up closer and closer to the pin. Still couldn't break 90. Since I bought this book about a month ago, I have broken 90 in four consecutive rounds, and even had a darn good chance of approaching 80 my last time out. Yet, my swing is the same. So how has this book helped me? It drilled in three simple rules, which I will summarize: 1. Play to your level. I can have a difficult time with long irons, and this book taught me how to play a course wisely by using strategies rather than equipment. For example, there's a darn good chance that trying to land a 200 yard iron shot will get me in trouble, while two easy wedge shots will get me close to the hole. Why risk water, sand and rough in the unlikely chance for a birdie on a long par 4? 2. Stay out of trouble. The book gave me simple strategies to manage a golf course conservatively to encourage greater consistency. Golf is a lot easier to play from the short grass, and this book tells you how to leave yourself with easier shots. 3. Focus on the short game. There's great sections on chipping, pitching, sand play, and putting. It is simple tips that help me select the right shot for the right situation, and has opened up my eyes to the whole "feel" game. By learning how to read grains, survey bunkers, and a refresher on chipping, I now know how to select the right one of three pitch shots, for example. This saves valuable strokes. Believe me: golf is a much easier game when you're confident that your par-saving putt after a missed green will be within 5 feet of the hole, rather than having chips chunked, hit thin, off line, or just plain messed up. Next thing for me to practice from this book is how to shape shots and how to better read greens. I am very confident that my scores will start to approach the low 80s by the end of this year because of this book. However -- This book isn't for someone who has basic questions about grip, stance, or swing plane. There's probably three or four illustrations in the whole book. If you can consistently hit your short irons straight, fair pretty well with your 3 and 5 woods, and aren't a disaster with your mid irons, this book is for you. If you have a consistent slice or a tendency to chunk shots in the fairway, How to Break 90 isn't going to fix your swing problems. Get a few lessons at your local driving range, give 'em a few weeks to sink in, THEN buy this book.

excellent on strategy, and the mental process. The section on short game could have used some visuals and less talk.....I bouth their book "How To Break 100" a few years back.....Honestly this year I am breaking 90 about 1/2 the time...solid golf book if you actually follow the direction they provide.....

Level Fives is the simple system the author introduces to help the good golfer become an 80's shooter. Level Fives just means adding 1 to par for each hole and having a plan for when to go for GIR and when to get a safe GIR+1 and leave 2 putts for bogey.In addition to the course management stuff, there is also good advise on working the ball and some basic mechanics for good putting, chipping and pitching. This book combined with Bob Rotella's Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect really helped me to lower my scores. If you hit it well on the range but always seem to have a few big numbers that wreck your score, this book and Dr. Bob's will definitely help you. I also read and am a big fan of the Pelz putting and short game books as well as Hogan's 5 essentials for the full swing. And of course what library would be complete without Harvey Penick's Little Red Book.Also, not to ramble, but for general golf fun I like Bill Murrey's Cinderella Story and John Feinstein's A Good Walk Spoiled.I got the Tiger book and wasn't overly impressed.

I havent broke ninty yet but I see light at the end of the tunnel for the first time. Great book.