Josh’s Tips & Tricks: Take Your Medicine

Welcome

Hello golfers, welcome to this weeks tips & tricks. I hope you’ve been putting into practice some of my tips over the previous weeks on the driving range and the golf course.

This week we’re going to look at a bit of game management and hopefully save you some shots on the course.

Don’t Be Greedy

How many times have you been on the golf course and ended up being too greedy? You have all undoubtedly ended up under or behind a tree at some point on the course. I bet on more than one occasion you have ended up in a worse place than when you started because you tried taking on a shot that wasn’t really the sensible play.

My first bit of advice this week is to take your medicine. You’re always better off taking the easiest option with the highest chance of success, even if that means playing sideways or backwards.

Most of you reading this will have a handicap higher than 18 meaning that you have a shot to play with on every hole. If you hit it in the trees with your tee shot, chip it out sideways, hit it near the green, and get up and down on a par 4 you can still make a bogey. If you hit it in the trees then try to hit it at the green but end up hitting a tree and losing your ball you’re staring down at least a double bogey.

Hit it lower

The only way you can get better at recovery shots is by lots of practice. I have spent lots of time on the driving range practicing controlling the ball flight preparing for any situation on the golf course. I have hit lots of shots trying to keep the ball very low and see how far I can hit it keeping it below a certain height. Then when I’m on the course and stuck under a tree (which does happen occasionally) I have a shot to play that will get me closer to the hole than chipping out sideways.

Take a look at the following video for an example of a 3 iron under a tree…

Summary

If the risk outweighs the reward or you’re not confident in your ability chip out from under a tree backwards or sideways. Make a sensible bogey instead of making a reckless double or triple. We all hit it into trouble on the course and we need to accept that. There is no shame in making bogeys, these won’t destroy your scorecard, doubles and triples will.

If you would like to learn how to play low “punch” shots or the “Tiger stinger” come and have a lesson. Not all of your practice on the range needs to be about hitting the perfect shot every time.

See you soon,

Josh