The next ten “Tip of the Day”s are being taken from an article by Dr. Bob Rotella for Golf Digest, titled “Inside the Golfer’s Mind.” We’re paraphrasing, changing the language a little, and condensing his typical three to four paragraphs into one or two. This is tip ten of ten: SCORE!
Tour players and scratch golfers don’t just “get up and down” a lot – they put the ball in the hole a lot too. And when they miss, they leave themselves tap-ins or manageable putts. When a pro misses a green, it usually takes him out of birdie contention, but it rarely results in a bogey. When a pro has a shot from 100 yards or less, he’s more likely to get up and down than anything else.
Your scoring clubs – your wedges and your putter – are designed to score. Many don’t take advantage of that. Many dread a chip shot or a long putt. To score with these clubs you need to understand them. If a driver is 10 yards offline it’s not a big deal. If a wedge is, it’s a tremendous deal. You need to understand the spin, trajectory, and distance of each of these clubs and from various positions, to different kinds of pins and green conditions.
You score with your wedges and your putter. Learn to trust them, and you’ll soon be scoring too.