10 Captains Tips from Observing the Newport Cup

[iacas]

As @mvmac and I drove around observing golfers playing in the Newport Cup this past few days, several thoughts occurred to us.

We won't single anyone out, of course, and to those of you reading I want to point out that these players were all single digit handicappers.

In no particular order, here are some of the things we noticed and what you can or should do about them to play better golf.

1. Short Game Shot Selection

As it says in Lowest Score Wins , the first rule of a short game shot is to not leave yourself with another short game shot. If you have a 30-yard bunker shot but the green is five yards away, hit the ball somewhere between six yards and 40 yards. Leave yourself with a PUTT first and foremost.

Countless times @mvmac and I observed someone going for a pitch to a short sided pin only to leave themselves still short sided and pitching again. Though, yes, "Golf's Longest Yard" is important, you're simply far more likely to make a putt than a chip, and you can't start worrying about golf's longest yard before you get the ball on the putting green.

2. GIR is King

Following up on #1, hitting greens is important. I advised my team all week to get the yardage to the flag and, if it was in the back, to subtract five yards or so and if in the front, to add five yards or so. I still think they could have done that more, and paid more attention to it. It's a tough thing to actively look away from the flag and play a shot to the green. Sometimes it's tough to even pick a target line. But it's important, because again, you're more likely to make a putt (or two-putt) than to hole a chip (or get up and down).

#1 and #2 tie in to each other. The point of both is to get you to the areas where you're almost as good as a PGA Tour player as soon as possible: putting!

3. Shot Zone Size

@mvmac and I joked that everyone's Shot Zone must have been about 5x larger than they thought. Some holes had 100 yards between homes left and right… yet we watched balls find the homes to the left and the right. Yes, maybe they were in the 20% of the "aberrations," but with the penalty buffer that players should have been using, drivers were often not the play given the actual size of the Shot Zones. On a 398-yard hole, and given the importance of GIR (they're the King!) and nGIR (Queens), a player who hits hybrid 240 yards and can then reach the green with an 8- or 9-iron rarely has the need to hit a driver to leave a sand wedge.

This seems to fly in the face of "advancing your ball," but remember The Rule from Lowest Score Wins . Particularly, remember the "safely" portion. If there are Penalty Buffers, Bunkers (which have their own penalty buffers, remember), or thick trees… it can and often should change the chosen shot.

4. Not Watching Ball

@mvmac and I have noticed some things that differentiate good players from the not-so-good players. When a good player hits a good tee-ball, he doesn't watch it. When he hits a bad shot, he watches it like a hawk. The not-so-good player is the opposite: he will turn away from a bad shot and often takes delight in watching every second of his good one.

Yet… this approach leads to lost balls. There aren't a lot of places to lose a ball in the desert (particularly when the course is not really a desert course with a bunch of cactus off the fairways), but we saw a fair number of lost balls. Watch the ball. Move sideways to get a better angle to view where it lands. Keep your eyes on the area where it lands. Remember landmarks to serve as pointers when you start to look for the ball.

This applies to everyone's shots. We saw a number of people not watching their partner hitting a shot… in the alternate shot format. Blows our mind. That's your ball that your partner is hitting.

5. Learn to Hit Big Curves

The 17th hole required (the first two days, anyway) a big cut with a driver, 3-wood, or hybrid. Yet very few attempted this shot, mostly because it wasn't in their arsenal. Good players can hit big curves on occasion. Big curves are a form of trouble shot - a big hook can get you around a corner, a big cut can get you out from behind a tree but still on or near the green, etc. Many hit a double-cross and pulled the ball straight into the water, but that can't happen: learn how to hit some big curves because, when they come in handy, they can save you one or two shots on THAT hole, right then, instantly.

Plus, learning to hit big curves (hooks and slices, effectively) can teach you quite a bit about your path and your clubface awareness.

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@mvmac will finish this with five more observations.

[mvmac]

6. Misses and Adjustments

We saw a number of players that had a particular miss but they didn't make any adjustments. If you notice you're pulling the ball, whether it's on the range or on the course, play for that shot. It doesn't make sense to set up for your "stock" shot when, for whatever reason, your stock shot has changed that day. Be aware of where you're missing it and account for it. It's fine to play your "miss" that day, fix it on the range after the round but when you're on the course you have to figure out how to grind out a score.

7. Pace of Play

I think players tend to interpret slow play as the golfer that takes a lot of practice swings or stands over the ball for a long time. While the Newport Cup players weren't "slow" but they certainly weren't fast. It comes down to doing the simple stuff correctly. Players wouldn't drop their partner off at their ball and then go to their ball. There was too much time spent watching other players hit their shots when they could have been moving or standing near their ball, getting ready to play. Players wouldn't start reading their putts until it was their turn to play. Players needed to play more ready golf, not "wait until it's my turn and then get ready" golf.

Next time you play, make sure to get to your ball and be ready to play. Get your yardage, take your practice swings while other golfers are playing or are at their balls.

8. Simple Rules

Don't lose strokes or holes on the simple stuff. One simple rule a couple players broke was the "sin" of hitting the wrong ball. Make sure you hit the correct ball, take a second to check because it can be very important. Not just because it may cost you a hole but also because it can change the momentum of a match.

9. Pattern Awareness

Erik and I were surprised at some of the misses we saw. Some players could hit a push draw off the tee and then push fade an iron. They didn't have a pattern. It's important to hone a pattern because it makes it much easier to manage your way around a golf course. You can't play good golf standing over a ball and not knowing where it's going to start and how it's going to curve. Obviously we're all going to hit bad shots from time to time but the majority of your shots have to fall within your shot pattern.

10. Get out of Jail

When you hit it in trouble, make sure to get yourself out of the trees, high grass, bunkers. Advance your ball the farthest you can but make sure to advance it in a position where you have a clear shot at the green. Part of the problem was the player didn't hit their punch shot solid. They would hit it fat and not get it out of trouble. This is a big mistake.

We also saw a player use a sand or a lob wedge when they had to hit the ball under a tree. The player hit the ball solid  but the ball launched too higher and hit a tree limb. Be smart about what clubs you use, don't try to hit a club that has 56 degrees of loft under something. Take a 8 or 7 iron and make sure to get it under and past the tree. Spend some time on the range practicing these shots. Play the ball back, weight forward and hit it hard. Get familiar with what you need to do to hit these shots solid and the correct trajectory.

[mchepp]

These are great. Thank you for putting them together!

[Dave2512]

None of this surprises me, well except for not watching ball, pace of play and get out of jail. The single digit guys here are the most self deprecating members. Not uncommon to see a post where they mention a lot of these issues. My guess is some of it was nerves and the rest of it that's how inconsistent single digit golfers are. Personal experience is my intent and the result rarely the same thing. Most of the time I feel like a 30 handicap golfer so I'm certain that's how it looks to those watching.

[kpaulhus]

Great post. I can think back to some shot I hit where it applied to almost every one of these observations. I need to re read LSW again and make sure I make it part of my game.

[Golfingdad]

Others are obviously welcome to do the same or not, and everybody is welcome to critique my critiques too, but here are the grades I'd give myself for each of these categories:

1. Short Game Shot Selection - B

This is probably going to be my highest score on here because I'm well aware of, and subscribe to, that rule.  I can think of one situation where I flubbed a pitch (it was muddy) but otherwise I made it a priority to get the ball on the green first and foremost, and I executed that pretty well this week.

2. GIR is King - C-

Yeah, I don't hit nearly as many greens as I should.  Not so much from lack of strategy but rather ability.  I made a point to aim for the #deadcenter often and it paid off, but still my GIR percentage is severely lacking.

3. Shot Zone Size - C

I was sitting with @iacas and @mvmac at lunch on Saturday and Erik says "Mike and I learned a lot more about what a 6-8 handicap really is this week."  I replied "you mean how bad we suck??"  He nodded. ;)  Shot zones with the driver for many of us are just huge and we probably would be best off hitting driver very infrequently whenever there is OB in the zip code.  One problem, however, is that many of us suck with the 3 wood too. ;)

4. Not Watching Ball - A ... D

I am very good about watching my ball when it's going wayward.  What I stink at is keeping tabs on it as I'm driving to it.  I see the tree or bush to use as a landmark but then when I get up there, I forget which one, or "was it just past this tree or just short of this tree?" and nonsense like that.

5. Learn to Hit Big Curves - C-

I can do this.  I hit a really nice drive on Thursday morning on 17 and a really nice drive (3 wood this time) on Friday afternoon as well.  However, the other two rounds showed me that I am still capable of a double cross because both of those times I hit it dead straight into the water.  A big intentional slice is possible, but its still a work in progress.  A big (intentional) hook is a lot harder for me.

6. Misses and Adjustments - C

I'm just getting used to the fact that I'm turning into a player who misses one way a lot more often than the other (left) so I'm still not comfortable giving myself more room by aiming further left.  It hasn't been that long since a big push or push slice was one of my misses so aiming down the right side of the fairway or to the right edge of the green is still uncomfortable.

7. Pace of Play - A-

I think I got a pretty good handle on this one.  I probably have to be careful to avoid bothering my playing partners more than anything because I'm always trying to do something when its their turn such that when it's my turn, all that's left is to hit the ball.

8. Simple Rules - B

I never hit a wrong ball, and even though I gave myself a D above, I never actually lost a ball either.  I could stand to have a little better knowledge of some of the rest of the rules though.

9. Pattern Awareness - C-

See my answer to #6 above.  I'm getting a little better at having a pattern but it's not all there yet.  WIP. ;)

10. Get out of Jail - D

I did not put the ball far enough back in my stance nor did I swing hard enough.  I had quite a few shots like this (many which were coupled with #5) off of the hardpan and although I thought I had a handle on it, I fatted these and didn't reach the fairway more often than not.

Thanks to Erik and Mike for the notes. More to work on now!!! (once it stops raining) ;)

[dennyjones]

It's great to hear thoughts about other's play. Thanks for your insight.

[saevel25]

1. Short Game Shot Selection - C 2. GIR is King - B, when i actually had a GIR attempt i was pretty solid. 3. Shot Zone Size - Big Time F, thw driver should not have been taken out on Saturday. 4. Not Watching Ball - B 5. Learn to Hit Big Curves - B 6. Misses and Adjustments - C, i could aim more left off the tee. My miss was way right. 7. Pace of Play - B- 8. Simple Rules - A 9. Pattern Awareness - C 10. Get out of Jail - A

[kpaulhus]

1. Short Game Shot Selection - C

2. GIR is King - F, I did not hit many greens over the tournament, but I was close.

3. Shot Zone Size -  F, I gave away a half a point to V on the 18th hitting my driver OB, as well as #12 where I hit three drives in the same guys backyard.

4. Not Watching Ball - B - I didn't lose any balls off the tee that I didn't already know were going OB.

5. Learn to Hit Big Curves - C. Not a D because I can hit the ball right to left, just not left to right.

6. Misses and Adjustments - C I know my miss, but was sometimes still dumb enough not to aim far enough right.

7. Pace of Play - A. I play very fast. So fast that @mvmac had to remind me to envision my shot and take a practice swing.

8. Simple Rules - A - I didn't hit anyone else's ball.

9. Pattern Awareness - C

10. Get out of Jail - C - I am the dummy that used a 56* to hit my punch shot into a low tree branch.

[billchao]

Thanks for the posts, @iacas and @mvmac . Obviously there's a lot here for all of us to learn, not just the Newport Cup participants. I'm guilty of a number of these myself, especially #4. I'm awful at #4.

[newtogolf]

This is a great thread and while it applies directly to the single digit cappers it is something that I will keep in mind as I work my way down to single digits.  It's a bit refreshing and disturbing to know that even when one reaches a single digit handicap one still has issues with shot zone, misses and adjustments and get out of jail.  I know that even the pro's will sometimes screw up but I was hoping that as my handicap dropped I wouldn't have to worry about those things as much.

The tip on GIR is also very helpful.  I tend to go with the exact distance my range finder tells me, and it will sometimes result in a shot too short (flag up front) or too long (flag in the back).  I plan to try this advice out tomorrow during my round.

I appreciate you all grading yourself in the different areas though I'm sure you were tougher on yourselves than an outsider would be.

It's threads like these that differentiate the Sand Trap from any other golf website.  Thanks.

[JonMA1]

This is a great thread and while it applies directly to the single digit cappers it is something that I will keep in mind as I work my way down to single digits.  It's a bit refreshing and disturbing to know that even when one reaches a single digit handicap one still has issues with shot zone, misses and adjustments and get out of jail.  I know that even the pro's will sometimes screw up but I was hoping that as my handicap dropped I wouldn't have to worry about those things as much.

The tip on GIR is also very helpful.  I tend to go with the exact distance my range finder tells me, and it will sometimes result in a shot too short (flag up front) or too long (flag in the back).  I plan to try this advice out tomorrow during my round.

I appreciate you all grading yourself in the different areas though I'm sure you were tougher on yourselves than an outsider would be.

It's threads like these that differentiate the Sand Trap from any other golf website.  Thanks.

+1. There's so much good information on this site.

[iacas]

2. GIR is King - B, when i actually had a GIR attempt i was pretty solid.

You actually score much worse here than you think. GIR is unachievable if your first drive is OB or in trouble. You don't get to say "when I had an attempt…" - you also have to give yourself a LOT of attempts. You didn't do that as well as you could. It is stated in LS W, but the entire GamePlanning section is built around getting on or near the green as quickly as possible. That starts with the tee shot.

[isukgolf]

This is a great thread and while it applies directly to the single digit cappers it is something that I will keep in mind as I work my way down to single digits.  It's a bit refreshing and disturbing to know that even when one reaches a single digit handicap one still has issues with shot zone, misses and adjustments and get out of jail.  I know that even the pro's will sometimes screw up but I was hoping that as my handicap dropped I wouldn't have to worry about those things as much. The tip on GIR is also very helpful.  I tend to go with the exact distance my range finder tells me, and it will sometimes result in a shot too short (flag up front) or too long (flag in the back).  I plan to try this advice out tomorrow during my round.    I appreciate you all grading yourself in the different areas though I'm sure you were tougher on yourselves than an outsider would be. It's threads like these that differentiate the Sand Trap from any other golf website.  Thanks.

Well said!

[saevel25]

It is stated in LS W, but the entire GamePlanning section is built around getting on or near the green as quickly as possible. That starts with the tee shot.

Adjustment

2. GIR is King - C-

[alleztom]

Quote:

These are great. Thank you for putting them together!

Absolutely, really helpful as a tool for self-reflection and understanding how to improve.

[JazzFatCat]

Good stuff. Some great tips in this thread.

I find tip six hard to do. I'm often more inclined to try to fix my swing during a round than to play a round with a shot shape I'm not happy with. Part of that is because when I'm trying to figure out what club to hit and visualizing the shot in my head I don't want to visualize myself hitting the same crappy shaped shot that I hit the last 3 holes. Sometimes it leads to me over-correcting and hitting a different kind of crappy shot.

[GolfLug]

Grading oneself seems to be a good idea. Here's mine:

1. Short Game Shot Selection: B

The selection was not bad at all. All along I just wanted to get on the green just like prescribed. Execution befitted an 18 handicapper. Not much hope when that happens.

2. GIR is King - D

I don't think I hit more than 5-6 greens on any of the rounds until the singles. I think number 3 below to blame.

3. Shot Zone Size - F

I came in with a few weeks of really decent golf. So I am feeling a bit humbled with the turds I laid last week. Never knew what I was going to get off the tee even standing over the ball. The only few positive came in the singles match. So back to work...

4. Not Watching Ball - A

I absolutely watched the ball, mine, partner's and competitors.

5. Learn to Hit Big Curves - B

So about 17... I usually hit and prefer draws. On Friday afternoon four ball I hit two cuts first we thought was in OB but apparently wasn't and my second which was clean. Was very prepared to do it on Saturday, which of course ended up being not needed. So yeah, curves? - Check. I mean, sorta...

6. Misses and Adjustments - F until Friday morning, B after till Saturday.

My whole game is based on adjustments so I usually do but the F is because I simply could not find it and kept getting more and more desperate till Friday afternoon. Finally it clicked somewhat.

7. Pace of Play - A-

Yupp, I don't really mess around or usually even take practice swings. It takes me 10 -12 seconds to find my grip and trigger my swing but not much I can do about that.

8. Simple Rules - FFFFF

Hit wrong ball once, and twice didn't look for an in play ball abandoning them as OBs, both instances proving VERY costly.

9. Pattern Awareness - ??-

What pattern? Lol.. Military golf is not exactly a pattern. WIP.

10. Get out of Jail - C

I hit few good bunker shots to give myself a chance. From behind trees I think I at least put the ball back in play.