Three solutions for a lower score

At the end of last season, I did my annual report card and concluded there were a number of areas that needed improvement if I wanted to break 80 on a regular basis. I won’t list them all here now but over the next few months, I’ll talk about some of the issues and what I’m doing to fix them.

You may recall that there are four pillars of sport: mental, physical, technical and tactical. Today, I want to focus on the tactical, specifically on decisions you can make on the course that can lead to lower scores.

We’re not pros. We’re inconsistent. We make mistakes. But we can minimize those mistakes and give ourselves a better chance on every hole if we leave our ego in the bag and think more realistically.

Here are three things to try next time you play:

Use the 70% Rule

This one is hard for me. I used to fire at every pin and go for the green all the time. As I got older and lost a bit of distance, my consistency also declined. That 190-yard carry over water wasn’t so automatic anymore. Adding more club didn’t help either. While a longer club might provide the needed distance, it’s not as precise as a shorter club.

The 70% Rule says to hit the shot if you have a 70% chance of making it. Anything less dictates that you should lay up. In my case, I’m still pretty consistent at 175 yards but less so at 190. If there are ponds, wetlands, deep bunkers or Out of Bounds near the green, I’m on firmer footing laying up and using a wedge on my next shot. I could still save par but at least it takes bigger numbers out of the equation.

Everyone will have their own version of comfort. Our natural desire to hit the ball as far as we can all the time is hard to overcome, but the pros will tell you the secret to scoring well is not making birdies, it’s avoiding big numbers.

Next time out, make a point of playing more conservatively and using the 70% Rule. You might be surprised at the result.

Develop a Fairway Finder

On some holes, trouble lurks everywhere on your tee shot, and your options are limited. Either hit the fairway or get ready for one of those big number. This is where the pros use their ‘fairway finder’ – a bit shorter than their normal drive but always down the middle.

While Bomb and Gouge is generally the mantra on the PGA Tour, their dispersion pattern is much narrower than the average golfer and wedging it out of the rough is different than hitting out of the trees or a pond.

Statistics show that for recreational golfers, hitting an approach shot from the fairway is a huge advantage over any other lie or circumstance.

In my case, teeing the ball a bit lower and trying to swing my diver at 70-75% works. Sometimes my fairway finder is a 5-wood or a hybrid.

Many people will comment that this is just common sense – which we all know isn’t always that common – and that may be the case. But more importantly, do you practice your fairway finder?

Play It Forward

Boy, how many times have you heard that one? I’m suggesting it now as an experiment. If you decide to move farther back later, that’s up to you but finding the appropriate tees for your skill level is what’s critical.

You’ve probably played courses that have signs telling you which tees to play based on your handicap or how far you hit your drives. They always seem to suggest that the correct tee is at least one deck ahead of where you usually play. They’re likely not wrong.

Most of us think we hit the ball farther than we do or assume that because we occasionally crank one 270 yards, that all our drives are that long. Get real.

Here’s how to decide which tees to play: Let’s say you think the White tees are appropriate. Take your average driving distance and subtract it from the applicable yardage on each par 4. The resulting number should be something you can hit comfortably with a mid to short iron or at worst fall into your 70% distance. If not, try moving up a tee deck or develop your own set of hybrid tees to match your comfort level.

Your ego will survive. Your score will improve, and you might find that golf is more fun.

Keep it in the short grass!