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Mizunoman · #7 (**permalink**) 04-30-2005, 07:43 PM

Its all course management at the end of the day ricky. If theres out of bounds or trouble off a tee you have to ask yourself if you really need to take the longest but least accurate stick out the bag. Maybe a nice smooth 3 wood or even a crisp long iron would get you into play and close enough to attack?

I was lucky enough to get paired with the best player at our club in the second round of club champ qualifying last year. He played honking but still shot 72 and sailed into the knock outs. He only pulled the big stick a half dozen times the rest of the time he used his 3 wood. Granted he pumps it 250 regular but he had a plan and stuck to it. He made a lot of bad shots but never tried to force a score. He knew what was required (after shooting 67 in the first round he didnt need a lot) and just went about his job.

By contrast I play regularly with one of the most naturally gifted ball strikers I have ever seen (and that includes on telly) who plays off 5. He can hit a 5 iron as far as I can hit my 3 and just destroys balls with the driver. Yet he cant manage the course. As a result he goes from 68 to 78 in the space of a day. A little bit of choking back would see his handicap tumble. Most of his bad shots are balls that are maybe only 10 yards off line but because they are travelling so far they run out of room and end up in the hay.

As for the putting, you have to build confidence into your stroke and the only way to do that is to spend hours putting from 3 feet and get to the stage where you have to get down and read a line if you want to miss it! Thats what the pros have to do. You might also want to work on your long range putting. If I miss a putt and it finishes more than 18 inches away I want to know why. 3 footers arent the length to leave yourself. Spend a couple of hours getting your feel for distance right, its the dominant part of good putting.

Divots going right sounds ok for avoiding a pull. You may want to check the clubhead on the way back as it gets to waist height, the toe should point straight to the sky, if not you are heading left regardless of what you do on the way back down as the clubface will be closed hitting out to 1 o clock wont save you either as I would imagine that's whats causing the divot shape.

D.