29. Don’t turn a 5 into a 7 by still going after a 4

• Are you a high handicap player?
• Did you set yourself a goal of reducing your handicap in the coming seasons?
• Are you finding it difficult?

If so, then this lesson is definitely for you. It could well be you are trying to improve your golf by looking at your whole game. It could be you are working on making major swing changes. It could just be you are trying to do too much.

If you apply the following idea, then there is every chance you can knock 6 shots of your handicap by in the next year.

High handicap players have a very destructive shot in their repertoire and whenever they hit it, it proves very costly. Taking away the par three holes, an average course has 15 holes where a metal wood is usually used. Let us suppose that in a typical round when you play to your handicap, you hit 5 fairways from the tee with your driver or three wood. Another 5 tee shots find the semi – rough which presents not to much trouble but unfortunately, the remaining 5 find the jungle. This is where the score mounts up with penalty drops from bushes, over optimistic recovery strategies and lost balls.

As simple as it may sound, if the player could only hit 3 more fairways in a round of golf, then 6 shots minimum could be the saving. Every player has certain holes when the stomach tightens and these are the holes when disasters are most likely to occur. Instead of blasting away with the driver on these holes do something totally radical and hit a 5 iron off the tee. If you hit the same club again for your second, you would be amazed how easy a par 4 hole becomes when all you need for your third is a wedge or 9 iron. On in three and two putts gives you a 5 instead of a 7. Don’t turn a 5 into a 7 by still going after a 4

This simple shift in tactics with course management planning will give you the results
You’re looking for.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Lao Tzu