Breaking 70

May/June 2025: Breaking 70

Ted Odorico July 7, 2025

Golf Milestones

Breaking 70

Gapping Your Clubs for Overlapping Distances

There’ll be times during a round of golf when hitting a shot to a yardage with your stock club might be impossible, if not inappropriate. This could be due to environmental factors, the lie, or you’re just not feeling it today. But breaking 70 is still a possibility. Being able to understand how set up variations can alter trajectories, spin, and distance, can lead to yardages that overlap from club to club. Making these skills valuable when the possibility is there to 70.

Start with opening your stance first when it comes to varying your set up positions. Doing short naturally shortens your swing relative to your target. Which in turn should shorten any shot with any club.
Understand how far a ball travels when you shorten your swing by 25% or 50%. These shorter swings could come in handy when faced with a yardage that requires using a different club because of something between you and your intended target.
Learn what your “max” distance is for every club. You must feel like your swing remains in balance as you do so. Making it repeatable on the course when faced with adversity.

Tip provided by: John Hughes, PGA Master Professional & Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor

Contact: john@johnhughesgolf.com

March/April 2025: Breaking 70

Ted Odorico June 9, 2025

Golf Milestones

Breaking 70

B.I.P. – Birdies in Position

A statistical category often used by touring professionals to determine if they played the most efficiently in any round is a new statistical category you should consider using too. Why not in 2025, evaluate your round by measuring “birdie percentage conversion? Or what is called on tour, “Birdies in Position” (B.I.P.).

This statistical category starts with you placing a scoring club in your hands, say 8 iron through your wedges.
And your second shot will be hit from a relatively normal condition. This condition does not have to be in the fairway. It could be in the rough, an uneven lie, or other condition. But you have a clear shot to hit the green.
The other “stats within a stat” you can now concentrate on is:
- Green in Regulation (GIR)
- Proximity to the Hole (distance of your first putt to the hole)
If you have 10 of these opportunities in a round, how many birdies did you convert? The goal is to convert at least 50% of these opportunities to increase your chances of recording a sub-par round

Tip provided by: John Hughes, PGA Master Professional, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor.

Contact: john@johnhughesgolf.com

January/February 2025: Breaking 70

Ted Odorico May 12, 2025

Golf Milestones

Breaking 70

Breaking 70 Requires at Least One Statistic in the 70’s

When you examine sub-par rounds, there typically is at least one major statistical category that topped the 70% threshold. In turn creating more opportunities to reduce the total number of strokes it will take you to break 70 in 2025. Based upon last year’s stats, is there a category you can get closer to 70%?

Become more accurate off the tee? And doing so without sacrificing more than 5% of your total distance average.
Increasing your greens in regulation percentage?
Increasing your GIR Proximity to have at least 70% of your shots land within 20 feet of the target?
Learn to “flight” your approach shots to gain control over the spin of the shot. Not being able to control the spin of an approach shot can increase the distance your first putt is from the hole.

Tip provided by: John Hughes, PGA Master Professional & Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor

Contact: john@johnhughesgolf.com