Golf Plateau: How to Break Through

If you’re tired of not hitting your golf goals, you’re in the right place. A golf plateau can happen for all types of players, but the good news is that you can break through when you use the right strategies.

The problem is most golfers all practice and play the same way. Then wonder why they don’t improve.

In fact, did you know the average male golfer is a 14.2 handicap and only hits it about 230 yards off the tee? To lower your handicap and get different results, you need to do different things than most golfers.

Today, I’ll help you overcome your plateau with seven proven strategies that have helped me become a +2 handicap golfer.

Golf Plateau – 7 Ways to Break Through 

If you’ve played golf for more than a few years, chances are you’ve experienced a plateau at some point. Maybe you broke 100 quickly but breaking 90 is proving to be difficult. 

Or, you have no issue shooting in the 80s but struggle to get into the 70s. Or, maybe you even have aspirations of becoming a scratch golfer. Luckily, I’ll help you get to the next level to avoid the frustrations that come with a plateau. 

Key Takeaways

• If you’re stuck at your current handicap, you need to objectively and subjectively look at all parts of your game. 
• The five areas to consider are woods, irons, wedges/short game, putting, and mental game.
• If you don’t yet, it’s a good idea to track your statistics so you can see how different parts of your game stacks up to similar golfers. Objective data makes it much easier to improve and spend your practice time wisely.

Keep reading to implement these seven strategies to bust through a plateau in golf. 

1. Learn From Your Statistics

Before sharing any tips for practice, let’s first start with statistics because numbers don’t lie. If you don’t track your statistics yet, I can’t recommend it enough. When you use Arccos Golf or something similar, it’s much easier to get an overview of your game.

Stats will show your strokes gained in the big four areas; off the tee, approach to the green, around the green, and putting. One area is typically a glaring weakness in your game, so listen to the numbers and then focus on that part in practice.

For example, if you’ve tracked your stats from the past seasons and irons are the worst part of your game, focus on them in practice. That might mean:

• Getting a lesson from a golf coach.
• Changing your grip for a more neutral flight. 
• Buying a training aid to work on a specific part of your swing. 

Or, even getting a custom fitting to see if your irons might be holding you back from hitting more greens in regulation. Remember, numbers don’t lie, so track your performance so you can spend your practice time wisely. 

2. Increase Driving Distance

Whether your goal is to break 90, 80, or even par, distance is key. You can have the best short game in the world, but if you only hit it 220 off the tee, shooting super low scores is nearly impossible. 

Studies consistently show that longer distances off the tee equal lower handicaps. 

The best way to add distance to your game is with overspeed training. Using a speed trainer – such as the Stack System, Rypstick or SuperSpeed – will help you add distance quickly.

All it takes is a few months (or less) to see huge results from speed training. Also, make sure to read these articles next to increase your clubhead speed and driving distance fast:

• Golf Workouts 101
• The Most Forgiving Drivers in Golf 
• How to Stop Slicing the Golf Ball (10 Strategies)  

3. Improve Your Strike 

Aside from hitting it longer, don’t forget to work on your overall ball striking too. 

The more often you can find the sweet spot (or avoid the huge misses) the easier it will be to get to the next goal. Plus, as you find the middle of the clubface more often, you’ll avoid the double cross and big miss.

To improve your strike, make sure to:

• Work on contact drills at the driving range.
• Record your swing (and analyze it properly). 
• Use a portable launch monitor to evaluate your strikes.

4. Dial in Your Putting

The fourth strategy to break through a plateau is to evaluate your putting. Most golfers have a ton of room to improve in this area, as putting plays such a pivotal role in the game. Plus, it’s a lot easier to change your putting stroke than your swing.

The first step to becoming consistent on the greens is to choose the right putter. If your putter is unforgiving, not the right length, or not great with alignment, good luck making putts. This is why I always suggest serious golfers get a custom putter fitting. 

Once you have the right putter for the job, you should then focus on:

• Green reading. Even if you’re a fantastic putter, it won’t matter if you can’t read the greens properly and get the ball started on the right line. 
• Improving your short putts. These are the easiest shots to get back and will make a huge difference in your scoring average.
• Spend a lot of time on speed drills. Once you’re outside 10 feet, speed is more important than line, so don’t neglect the putting green for speed drills. The more tap-ins you can make, the fewer three putts.
• Create a consistent putting routine. Lastly, don’t forget to create your own routine so you have a consistent process over every putt to mentally prepare yourself.  

5. Play Up a Tee Box 

If you’re shooting the same scores consistently, it might be time for a mental reset. 

Instead of playing the same tee boxes every time (especially if you’re a member at a country club) play up a tee box. Playing up will make the course shorter and typically easier to score lower.

Bryon DeChambeau credited this strategy to helping him learn how to go low and talked about after shooting 58 in a LIV event. Here’s the full quote as noted in Golf.com.

​​“For any junior golfers out there, it’s probably the best thing you can do when trying to learn how to score. You go up to the red tees and try to shoot sub-60 rounds, for a good aspiring junior golfer that’s trying to be a professional golfer.”

Even if you don’t want to be a professional golfer, playing the forward tees can mix up the round and help you shoot lower scores. It will also likely help you with tee box strategy, improve your wedge game, and get comfortable making more pars/birdies. 

6. Play More Golf 

While practice is needed to improve your golf game, there is a point of diminishing returns. As you know, golf on the course is very different from banging range balls on a flat lie (or sometimes mats) with no consequences.

This is why you need to get out on the course more often. 

On the course you can see what shots need work, what clubs need the most help, and how you deal with adversity. Plus, you can also see how your mental game stacks up when playing a buddy during a Nassau or other betting game. 

Plus, practicing on the golf course is a great way to mix it up and have more fun working on your game. If you can sneak out on the course when it’s not busy, you can work on different shots that you can’t do at the driving range. 

7. Don’t Neglect the Mental Game

Most golfers head to the driving range or short game area to improve. While that’s needed to some extent, never forget the role of the mental game. As Dr. Bob Rotella said, “Golf is about how well you accept, respond to, and score with your misses much more so than it is a game of your perfect shots.”

Some of the best ways to improve your mental game include:

• Writing in a golf journal. A simple notebook can help you get out of your head, map out who you want to become, record swing thoughts, and more. 
• Developing a consistent pre-shot routine. A good routine is one of the few habits of all elite golfers and something every golfer can do to improve.  
• Try out other mindfulness techniques. Whether it’s a regular meditation practice, trying out golf hypnosis, or even speaking with a sports psychologist. 

The more skilled you get, the more important the mental game is in golf. 

My Experience

I’ve plateaued at every level, but I just kept going and refused to quit. This is arguably my biggest piece of advice – never give up.

As Jack Nicklaus said, “Resolve never to quit, never to give up, no matter what the situation.”

This game might make you want to quit, especially if you’re at a plateau. But if you keep having fun (the number one priority), work on your weaknesses, and refuse to give up, you can make it happen.

Don’t forget to ask for help too – whether it’s a coach, sports psychologist, or friend who might be more skilled. Finding a golf mentor can help you stay optimistic and keep working toward your goals. 

Final Thoughts 

Plateaus are part of golf, but the problem is that so many golfers accept them for months, years, or decades! The truth is, no matter where you are not now, you can improve with hard work and commitment. 

Use the seven tips above to analyze your game and get to work on the parts that are holding you back.