Course Management · Lesson
Five Smart Decisions a Caddie Would Make
Part of our course management programs for picking targets. Build a program with it
Good caddies think about more than the yardage. Adjust your number for slope, temperature and breeze. Then take an extra club and swing smoother. Aim at the middle of the green, favoring the wide side of the flag. In the trees, chip out sideways. Read your lie. Wet, thick rough comes out dead, but wispy grass can jump. Only go for a drivable par 4 if you'd pull it off seven or eight times in ten. Around the green, use less loft.
Step by step
- Adjust yardage for slope, temperature and wind.
- Take one more club, swing smoother.
- Aim at the middle of the green.
- From trees, chip out sideways.
- Around the green, use less loft.
Why it works
Yardage alone ignores what changes how far the ball carries. Uphill shots, cold air and a headwind all shorten the carry, so you need more club. A smoother swing with that extra club improves contact and keeps misses closer to the target line. Aiming at the middle of the green and chipping out sideways keep your worst result small, and a lower-lofted club around the green rolls the ball more, which is easier to judge than a high flight.
Common mistakes
- You use the printed yardage and ignore slope, temperature and wind.Before each shot, adjust the number up or down for each factor, then pick the club for the adjusted number.
- You take the extra club but still swing hard to make it fly the same as a shorter club.Commit to a smoother swing at about three-quarter effort and let the longer club cover the distance.
- You try to thread a shot through a gap in the trees instead of taking the safe route.Pick the widest opening, chip out sideways to the fairway, and accept a short approach next.
How you'll know it's working
- Your approach shots finish on the green's middle third more often, even when they miss the flag.
- Contact feels centered with a smoother swing, and the ball carries the distance you planned.
- Short shots around the green land on the green sooner and roll toward the hole instead of flying all the way.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice with only the first two decisions on a par 3 or short hole, picking your club from an adjusted yardage and aiming at the middle of the green.
Harder: Play a full nine holes and make all five decisions on every shot, including your lie reading and your odds on any drivable par 4.
Common questions
How much should I adjust yardage for wind?
There is no fixed number, so judge it by feel. Add a club into a headwind that clearly slows the ball, and take less club with a helping wind, then check the result and adjust.
Why should I aim at the middle of the green instead of the flag?
The middle gives you the most room for a miss in every direction. Aiming at the flag, especially when it is near an edge, turns a small miss into a bunker, water or a short-sided chip.
