How To Break 80 In Golf - What The Stats Say

Breaking 80 is one of many golfing milestones that usually takes golfers years and years to achieve.If you shoot below 80, it means you're probably somewhere between seven-to-ten over par, so for this article we'll be looking at the statistics of an eight handicap golfer to see how they compile their rounds and what you can learn.

We've already written about the stats behind a scratch golfer as well as how scratch vs 18 handicap golfers compare, so what can we learn from eight handicaps? We take a look through various different aspects of the game.The stats in this piece from Arccos Golf, with data gleaned from more than 540 million shots from 11.5 million rounds worldwide.

Video: How to break 80 - What the stats say

Break 80 stats - scoring

The most important numbers to consider if you're trying to break 80 relate to scoring. On average, 8 handicap golfers make just 0.9 birdies per round, 7.7 pars, 7.2 bogeys and 2.3 doubles or worse. 

These numbers show that to break 80 you clearly don't need to make birdie after birdie, but need to limit the doubles, triples and blobs. Eight handicappers average 3.6 on par-3s, 4.5 on par-4s and 5.4 on par-5s, suggesting that they play the longer holes slightly better and probably make the odd birdie on the par-5s. If you have more than three or four double-bogeys per round, limiting them to just two would make a huge difference to your scores.

Break 80 stats - driving

The average 8 handicapper averages 237 yards off the tee, finding 47% of fairways. It must be said, though, as important as distance, accuracy and driving are, this area is likely the least important when it comes to breaking 80. If you only hit the ball 220 yards or perhaps are a bit wayward from the tee, there are still plenty of opportunities to shoot in the 70s thanks to course management, well struck irons, a solid short game and good putting. 

Break 80 stats - approach

Typical 8 handicap golfers hit just 40% of greens in regulation, which equates to an average of 7.2 per round. Break that down per nine holes to 3.6 and it shows that if you're hitting 4 of 9 greens each half then you'll be on for shooting in the 70s. If you're only hitting between 4-6 greens per round, this is a real area to improve on if you want to break 80. Maybe your driving is costing you the chance of greens in regulation or perhaps it comes down to poor iron play. The average 8 handicap player hits their approaches to 30ft when finding the green in regulation, and 60ft on all approaches. 

Break 80 stats - short game

Short game is crucial when it comes to breaking 80, with 8 handicappers getting up-and-down 40% of the time from within 25 yards of the pin. If you're nowhere near 4 in 10 up-and-downs, then heading to the practice green will do you a world of good. From inside 25 yards, 8 handicappers only get it up-and-down from bunkers 24% of the time, but they find the green 81% of the time - likely pointing to the fact that they rarely leave it in the sand and waste shots.

Break 80 stats - putting

This is really where a round can turn from a 77 to an 81 - on the putting green. Typically, 8 handicappers one-putt 3.9 times per round, two-putt 11.7 times per round and have just 2.4 three-putts. Overall, they average 1.8 putts per hole, 33.4 putts per round and 3.1 putts per green in regulation.