You know what brings the duffer back? It’s on the last hole of another disastrous round when the club goes back and then comes through perfectly and the ball jumps in the air and rises like a rocket. It heads straight down the fairway or heads straight for the green. Everyone is spell bound and the player says, “See, I knew I would figure it out,” or “Why can’t I do that more often?”
If the player is a 20 handicapper, he or she will never figure it out, and to play better he doesn’t have to do it more often. I used to be a 20 handicapper plus and I still try to hit the perfect shot every time. But, I now realize it isn’t necessary to hit great shots to be a better golfer. So I have come up with my golfer’s bible for those of you who want to score better, but probably aren’t ever going to master the golf swing.
I subscribe to Golf Digest and Golf Magazine and each month they promise to add 10, 15, or 30 yards to my drives and to reduce my handicap by 3, 5, or even 7 strokes. The August Golf Magazine has Hunter Mahan on the cover and it says, “Hit Every Fairway [and add 15 yards].” I like Hunter Mahan and enjoy watching him play. I also recognize that those pros are not playing the same game we are. They hit shots that we wouldn’t dare try. He gets paid for wearing a Ping Hat and an Under Armor shirt. David Leadbetter pays me not to wear anything with his name on it.
Anyway, the Mahan article says on the backswing, your right thigh should feel “tight at the top.” My whole body feels “tight at the top,” and then sort of unravels on the way down. I don’t think golf magazines are the answer.
So, let’s start with my bible revelation. A 20 handicapper is only going to hit three to five really great shots a round (on a good day). That means that not counting putts, he or she is going to hit over 50 shots that are not great. So, are you ready for this, it is the quality of your not-so-great shots that will improve your score.
Let me use a 390 yard, par 4 hole as an example. Most of us 20 handicappers can’t reach the green in two. Let’s assume that we hit the ball 180 yards off the tee. I don’t have anything in my bag that will go 210 yards. So I am going to be on the green in three, if everything goes well. An absolutely perfect shot will make me feel great, but I will still have 30 yards left to the green. A mediocre shot that only goes 140 yards leaves me with 70 yards to the green. Both shots leave me in a good position. But, if you pop the ball in the air or top it and it rolls 20 yards, you are in trouble. This is what I mean by the quality of your not-so-great shots. It is important that your mediocre shot get you within 100 yards of the green.
I periodically play with a fellow, who, when he hits a mediocre shot, looks at it and then says, “That’s OK.” What he is really saying is, “I can get on from there,” or “I will still be on in the same number of shots.” So rule one is to make sure your mediocre shots move you down the fairway 130 or more yards, and don’t fret that the shot wasn’t great.
Next, if your tee shot goes into the woods, give careful thought as to how to get back in the fairway. Look for the best and widest opening. Don’t try some miracle shot to put the ball down the fairway. Hitting sideways or even backwards will cost you one stroke. Playing pinball with the trees will rack up a monster number.
Another score killer is being 10 yards off the green and taking two shots to get on. This is many times caused by trying to put the ball close to the flag stick. Putting it close to the flag stick is good, but not if it requires a risky shot. Feel comfortable with the club you choose and knock the ball on the short grass.
It is bad enough that someone thought up the idea of bunkers, but to make matters worse, the ground around the bunker usually slopes towards the bunker. It may sound silly for me to say you need to get out of the bunker with one stroke, but I said it. It’s nice to blast out close to the hole, but if it requires trying something different, don’t do it. Keep your weight on your front foot and take a good swing. It is important that you follow through. If you leave your club in the sand, the ball will be there too. I once blasted from the bunker on one side of the green into the bunker on the other side. And, then I blasted the ball back into the bunker where I started. This is when it is important not to have sharp objects in your bag.
The last topic I will mention is the mental/emotional part of the game. If you let your emotions get the best of you, you are done. Right Rory? I’ll define a bad three putt as inside 10 feet. Anybody who has a bad three putt will play hell hitting a decent shot off of the next tee box. When things really go badly for me, I try to smile. A smile or a humorous comment breaks the tension and stress and will put you back on track.
I’m a little embarrassed about calling this a golf bible, but if I called it a golf diatribe, I’m not sure anyone would read it. Play well.
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com