One of the greatest course management The mistakes I see golfers make is aiming for the flagstick without considering where their shots typically miss. I joke with my students during game lessons that they aim for more flagsticks than me, and I’m the pro!
It encourages golfers to play aggressively at conservative targets. It might sound contradictory, but the concept is simple: pick a smart target, then take an aggressive, committed swing.
To understand why this works, you need to recognize your gun model, that is to say the dispersion of your shots around an intended target. Nobody hits every shot perfectly. Some left, right, short and long. That is why it is crucial to choose a target that also leaves your bad shots in an OK place. Understanding your predominant miss should influence where you want to be.
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For example, if your typical miss is left and the flag is hit on the left side of the green, aiming directly at the club increases your chances of putting up short. Aim for the middle instead, and that same miss will leave you with a birdie putt.
I demonstrated this during a game lesson when I told a student to aim for a palm tree behind the middle of the green. The flag was to the right, but I knew my tendency was a light pull. I made my swing, pulled the shot slightly and finished about three feet from the hole.
If my student had not known my intended target, he would have assumed that I aimed directly at the flag and executed a tremendous shot. But I don’t. He really did missed my goal My strategy only allowed the failure to produce a great result. It is the difference between good course management and relying on a perfect execution.
The next time you approach a green, consider the problem, your typical miss and where an imperfect shot could end up. If you do that, you’ll start shooting lower scores without changing anything about your swing.
Remember: conservative target. Aggressive swing. That should be your mantra on the course. Give it a shot.