Course Management · Lesson
Course Strategy, Made Simple
Part of our course management programs for big numbers, picking targets. Build a program with it
Smart thinking is a big difference between average and good golfers. And it doesn't need a better swing. Know your real distances. Use your average, not your best. Play your usual shot shape. Aim so your normal miss stays in play. On hard holes, be happy with bogey. Pick safe targets when trouble is near the flag. Save your aggressive plays for easy holes. Choose targets that match the shots you really hit.
Step by step
- Learn your average carry distances.
- Aim so your miss stays in play.
- Take bogey on hard holes.
- Play safe near trouble.
- Attack only easy holes.
Why it works
Most shots miss the target by a fairly consistent amount and in a consistent direction. If you plan around your average distance and your usual miss, the result of a poor swing is smaller. Avoiding big penalties, such as a lost ball or a shot from deep trouble, saves more strokes than a slightly better swing would.
Common mistakes
- You pick a club based on your best-ever distance.Choose the club from your average carry, which is the distance you reach most of the time.
- You aim at the flag when water, bunkers or out of bounds sit next to it.Aim at the middle of the green or the widest safe part, and accept a longer putt.
- You try to force a shot shape you don't normally hit.Play your usual shape and set your aim so that shape finishes in the safe area.
How you'll know it's working
- Your misses finish on the fairway, green or short grass more often, and you have fewer shots from trouble.
- You can name your average carry for each club before you pull it.
- Your bad holes become bogeys instead of doubles or worse.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Start with just three clubs, such as driver, a mid-iron and your wedge, and learn the average carry for each before you add others.
Harder: Write a plan for every hole before you play it, with the club, the target and the miss you can accept, then compare it with what happened.
Common questions
How do I find my average carry distance for each club?
Hit about ten balls with a club and note where each one first lands. Ignore the best and worst shots, and use the middle of the rest as your average carry.
When should I play aggressively on a golf course?
Attack when the hole is easy and the penalty for a miss is small, such as a wide fairway or a large open green. If trouble is close to the target, play safe.
