How to Break Par

If you are looking to find out how to break par for the first time, or how to break par more consistently, then Shot Scope and Mark Crossfield are here to help.

Shot Scope have provided the key statistics a golfer needs to achieve in order to break par. Mark Crossfield and Coach Lockey play 18 holes putting these statistics into practice whilst they try and break par!

Lower your score with Mark Crossfield

Data provided by

“Breaking par is an achievement only a minority of golfers will manage.”

How to Break Par in 5 steps:

1. Bogey avoidance is key
2. Ben sensible with approach shots
3. Clean up inside 6ft on the green
4. Be aggressive off the tee
5. Hit 1-2 more greens from 50-125 yards

Avoid bogeys – A 3 on a Par 3 is ok!

Making 2 less bogeys a round significantly increases your chance of breaking par. You can see the difference between number of birdies per round is similar in the graph, however the biggest difference is in the number of bogeys made per round.

In order to break 70 you need a Par 3 Scoring Average of 3.11, making a par on a Par 3 is a win. Out of 215 PGA Tour players, only 9 have a scoring average under par on Par 3s.

You do not have to go for every pin

Be sensible with your approach shots, you do not have to attack every pin in order to break par. Remember you are trying to reduce the number of bogeys per round.

Playing for the middle of the green is best. A 30ft putt leaves an average of 4.8ft for your 2nd putt, compare that to an aggressive approach shot that misses the green – a 10-20y chip shot leaves an average of 10.8ft for par.

Pick an aggressive tee shot strategy

The further you can get your tee shot down the hole, the better your chances are at making a par, or birdie. Approach shot proximity is nearly halved when you get inside 175 yards with your approach, so why lay up further back?

Being aggressive off the tee does not always mean hitting your Driver. Hit a club that gets you as far down the hole as possible, but in play!!

Sharpen up your wedge play

If you are looking to break par, having a wedge into the green gives you a great chance. An average scratch golfer only hits 68% of greens from 50-125 yards, whereas the PGA Tour average is 81% from this distance.

Of course, the aim is to break par (not play on the PGA Tour) however this number provides a good target for anyone wanting to know how to break par. Hitting one or 2 more greens from this distance will create more birdie chances and reduce bogeys.

Clean up inside 6ft

Short putting is vital when you are trying to break par. Nobody likes to miss a short putt, but even more so when you are trying to hole out for a par. Practice is the only way you will ensure you hole more putts from 6ft and in. However, hitting the first putt close also helps this.

More often than not, a missed putt from 6ft and in contributes to a 3 putt and to break par consistently you need be averaging a 3 putt no more than every 45 holes (2.5 rounds of golf).