Simple Ways to Win
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
There’s no question that most golfers could shoot in the 70s if they had enough time and energy to devote to the game. But most golfers, for any number of reasons, don’t; so, I’ve developed guidelines that will allow my students to play smarter with the swing they already have.
- Always play your dominant shot pattern.
Let’s say that, like most right-handed golfers, your tendency is to hit some type of slice or fade — a shot that curves from left to right for right-handers. You arrive at the 13th tee of a dogleg to the left with out-of-bounds on the right.You conclude that the hole calls for a draw — a shot that will curve to the left. So you aim down the right-hand side of the hole, and you hit your usual fade out of bounds. Sam Snead said it best: “You’ve got to dance with the one you brought,” or words to that effect. What this means is, if you have a dominant ball flight pattern — either left-to-right or right-to-left — don’t fight it on the course – fix it on the practice tee. Never aim so that if your ball follows your normal pattern, you’ll end up in trouble. And if you don’t have room to play your fade, hit an iron.
- Don’t make stupid decisions when trying to carry a hazard.
This is a simple rule of thumb that you should defer to any time you’re faced with a carry over water – or any hazard: If you need at least a 4-iron to carry the water, lay up. Stick to this rule consistently, and you’ll avoid wasting strokes on penalty shots and save a whole bunch of money on golf balls.
- Take one more club. Always allow for a miss, i.e., take a six-iron instead of the seven, especially over water.
- Don’t let your ego make your shot selections for you.
This is another seemingly simple, basic point, but it’s probably the No. 1 cause of mishaps during a round played by an everyday player. Here’s an example:You get on the tee, and everyone else has a driver out. You feel more comfortable with a 5-wood, which doesn’t go unnoticed by your boyhood chum, Lefty.“Say,” says Lefty, “I see you’re going to lay up on this one. What’s wrong, feeling a little weak after that aerobics class this morning?” A lot of players would go back for the driver at this point, with the usual result: You overswing and hit a lousy shot. Here’s my advice: Forget Lefty. Hit your 5-wood and win the hole.
- Golf is a point A to point B game. As you work yourself around the course, each shot should be planned and executed within the confines of your capabilities.
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
