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Best Course Management Hacks

Stick with your high percentage shots, even if they don't get you there in reg.

Sometimes it is hard to swallow that I have to hit 2 from 175, but the reality is, I can hit 175, but be left or right, and still have to hit a second to get on.

Less stressful to hit a 125 yard shot, then a 50 yard shot, with a high percentage of being on the green, rather than a 175 yard shot, that is either left, right or short in a trap, and have to hit some difficult touch shot.
 
1) Use the Sam Snead rule. Now what's this? When you get to the golf course you play the swing you have that day. It's too late to fix things with that small bucket you might get to warm up before your round. That's where you find out what swing you have that day. Where your miss is. If you're pulling it, play that shot. If you're hooking it more than usual, aim more right. If you notice it straightening out on the course as you play, you can make adjustments in your aim then.

2) Always try to advance the ball. I hit my ball into the woods. I had an open shot to a spot 180 yds up the fairway with a 5H. That was with roll out. It was safe. I flushed it but pulled it a bit. The ball hit a tree. Was it a bad shot selection? Should I have chipped out? No. I pulled it. I usually don't hit pulls. The ricochet left me in the woods. I had two choices. I could chip out onto the fairway or I could hit a PW up onto the 6th tee (black tees) which would give me a short pitch onto the green. I chose the latter and executed the shot. I ended up with a bogey. Yes it was ugly. Look for a way out that advances the ball.

3) Sometimes you have to take your medicine. Sometimes you have to chip out. Sometimes the situation is so bad that stroke and distance might be the better option. Don't say it's never the better option because sometimes it is.

4) If you haven't practiced shaping the ball, don't try it on the course. It won't end well.... unless the shot shape you're trying to hit is your natural tendency. If your tendency is a fade, don't try to hook it.

5) Know where the hazards are. Know where the trouble is. Know when to lay up and when to carry. Know how to hit a punch shot. Know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run. Spend 2 hrs once a year practicing bunker shots (doesn't have to be all at once).
 
Hit the fairway and stay away from sand are the two that work best for me
 
Leave the Hero Shot in the bag. You are not going to "sting this one under that branch, have it rise after that over the tree line, take the wind back over said trees into the fairway and have it float down to about 125 in for a perfect Wedge in..." Well, maybe once, like I did a few years ago when a buddy said, "you're screwed". "Oh, yeah?... watch this- I'm going to...etc... shut him up when I did it. Shut me up, too, to be honest. I thought I would clack one around and we'd have a great laugh about it.

But seriously, Hero shots will cost you more in the long run. In my case I knew kind of how to hit it after playing for so long, and I got lucky hitting it exactly the right way.

It's something I can count on my friends doing almost every time after years of proving to them that just getting back into play will save 10 strokes on their games. But, no.... they go for that 6 foot opening 50 yards away instead of the 50 foot opening 6 feet away.
 
gonyr;n8898150 said:
I like this. Try to get on in one over regulation. You won't make all of the putts, but you will make some. At least have a chance at par.
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Aiming to hit every green in regulation is where a lot of players get into trouble. I think thats one thing I see from a lot of high handicappers and frankly I did it a lot myself before I learned good course management.
 
Play tactically.

You have to learn to play the swing you came with that day. If you are hitting a baby fade when you normally hit a baby draw, embrace it and play the fade that day. Don't spend the whole round trying to figure out how to hit the baby draw again. Same thing with distance, the flight of the ball, and other variances that can happen round to round.
 
I am glad to see so much good discussion in this thread. Thanks for the great ideas everyone!
 
gonyr;n8898150 said:
I like this. Try to get on in one over regulation. You won't make all of the putts, but you will make some. At least have a chance at par.
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At 17, that is my game. I try to hit greens in GIR+1, but also knwo there are holes where i have a legit shot at GIR. Know the difference and when to play them. GIR+1 and all 2 putts = 90 on most courses, and like you said, you will make some, spo probably an upper 80s round with this strategy.

The way I think of this is "be putting for par".

Another note on course management, or more accurately, self management. Try positive talk. It is one of the hardest things for me to do, as I am my own worst critic. But getting ready for a shot and telling yourself "You got this. You can hit this shot. You know this shot." does help, even though it sounds hokey.
 
millsan1;n8898822 said:
At 17, that is my game. I try to hit greens in GIR+1, but also knwo there are holes where i have a legit shot at GIR. Know the difference and when to play them. GIR+1 and all 2 putts = 90 on most courses, and like you said, you will make some, spo probably an upper 80s round with this strategy.

The way I think of this is "be putting for par".

Another note on course management, or more accurately, self management. Try positive talk. It is one of the hardest things for me to do, as I am my own worst critic. But getting ready for a shot and telling yourself "You got this. You can hit this shot. You know this shot." does help, even though it sounds hokey.
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There is a lot of important stuff in this post. Getting on the green to at least have a putt for par is a great strategy, even for low handicaps or scratch players that are struggling on a particular hole. It helps take double bogey out of the picture.

And even more important is the positive thinking you refer to, and I'll extend this to mental imagery. You should have a mental picture of a shot you know is within your capability, commit to it 100% and have that successful picture loaded into your muscle memory before you swing, so to speak. If you are standing over the ball wavering on which way to strike the ball or not 100% committed to a play, you are done. An analogy is in woods racing, you need to look where you want the car/bike, etc. to go. If you get distracted by a gnarly rock or root laying across the trail, or ditch/hazard, you will probably hit it and crash. Just like if you are thinking about not hitting a ball in a hazard, you will tend to do just that.
 
millsan1;n8898155 said:
Stick with your high percentage shots, even if they don't get you there in reg.
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I say this to myself all the time...whats the high percentage play here? The only time I ignore the rule is when the miss isnt going to hurt me oooorrrrr Im in a scrmable and im going at every pin haha
 
Has anybody read the Ultimate Golfer's Guide e-book from Shot Scope? It's a good short read on strategies based on their collected data. They recommend hitting driver off the tee as often as possible as hitting a 3-wood off the tee instead of a driver cost 0.3 shots per hole because a 3-wood is only slightly more accurate than driver, but the distance sacrificed hurts more than the driver inaccuracies. I've been hitting driver more since reading this and my GIR's have gone up.
 
I cant get with the notion not to try to hit greens. I mean this is the idea is it not? At some point we do have to play the game for what it is. if one is on tee distances respectable for ones capable driving distance then most holes should offer a legitimate fair chance at getting on in GIR. Of course there can always be some holes that are exceptions but most should offer a fair chance with a decent enough tee shot given the right tee set. . The only time its a real issue besides the exception hole is when one hits a poor tee shot that is either errant or much too short leaving a second shot much too long. But simply just having to use say a 5h or 5i or 6iron instead of what should been a 9 or a pw is not what id call a situation where one has to play 2 more shots intentionally.

Play the game long enough and avidly enough and id call that over managing. And im a big believer in making smarter and safer choices. But there comes a point where imo we simply have to play the game for what it is. Basic golf shots shouldn't be thrown aside just because we may struggle with consistency. I mean yea, after a poorer short tee shot now trying to place a second shot 5w down a narrow tight fw with a well protected green is one thing where safer choice should be made. But having to simply play a 6i say where we would have been a pw if the tee shot was good is still a basic golf shot that should be attempted.

As a believer and safe choice player as I can be I just believe that we need to make basic shots. Its why we are there. Id never ask one to split the uprights of a tree window or bend a punch out around the corner or play something significant from a poor lie or with obstacles to overcome etc. as thiose could be poor wring choices ...but choosing not to simply hit a longer club via a basic swing and golf shot is just not something imo that helps one get better at the game. Too much too overcome then yes I agree 100% but when the scenario allows for it one shouldn't just refrain from it due to inconsistency. If we fail we fail then so be it. That doesn at all mean we made the wrong choice.
 
I once read a Tommy Armour quote, "Play the shot you've got the greatest chance of playing well, and play the shot that makes the next shot easy."

I subscribe to this and it helps keep blow-up holes to a minimum.
 
This is a great thread with lots of very helpful tips. Thanks to all that have contributed.

I few things this year that have helped me significantly:

1. Shoot for the center of the green, or the largest part of the green.
2. When in trouble focus on getting the ball back in play rather than focusing on getting the most distance.
3. Not always using driver. Great example - my home course there is a par 4 with a hard dog leg right with a trap right in the inside of the turn. In the past I always hit driver to make sure I cleared the trap and would typically hit the ball too far and end up in the far side rough under trees with usually a terrible lie. Lately I've been hitting my 4h from the tee and staying in the fairway with the second shot from the fairway. Result - usually now on the green in 2 or 3 rather than 3 or 4. Now getting par or bogey rather than double or triple.
4. Focusing on the shots/clubs that are working for me that day and making club and shot selections accordingly.
5. Putting. On longer putts Since really focusing on distance control to get the first putt within 3 feet, my number of 3 putts have dropped significantly . In the past I was so focused on trying to make every putt.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
 
1) Develop a consistent pre-shot routine.
2) Keep your timing consistent with a mantra during your swing (some pros use a 3-syllable word, others a 4-syllable word. E.g. Tom Watson would say "Edelweiss"). Per Watson: “Think of the word edelweiss.” Each part of the swing matches up to a syllable. “Take the club back on the ay sound,” he explains. The del sound represents the pause at the top of your swing, and your downswing sweeps through on weiss".
3) Learn to control and be conscious of your breathing; breathe with your diaphragm.
4) Never fail to pick a precise target.

These are keys to consistency that you have absolute control over.
 
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