Better Course ManagementBetter course management depends on you having sound, fundamental ball striking skills. No matter how good a strategist you are, you still have to have the basic game skill to deliver on what you decide to do. So, how come people say to focus on the mental side of the game? It's often been said that golf is 80 percent mental. I'm sure you've heard that too. Well, let me ask you this question? Ever had a lesson on the mental side of the game? So much of golf instruction is about the physical side -- ball striking, the swing and getting physically fit. Sure, that's important, but if the game is 80% mental, aren't we missing something? Jack Nicklaus is a genius at course management. Jack has been voted the best golfer of the twentieth century. He mastered both the mental and physical parts of golf. His disciplined attitude toward practice and playing golf is also documented in the Practice Strategy Examples page of this website. Nicklaus' book, Jack Nicklaus Playing Lessons (with Ken Bowden, Pocket Books, 1976) says it best, as he explains the role that strategy and better course management play in conjunction with ball striking: "I had always realized that golf is a two-part game: striking the ball and managing yourself and the course. Like most amateurs, however, I'd worked hardest during my learning years on part one,...." "Probably it was the recognition of my shot-making limitations that brought part two of the game into such sharp focus when I became a pro........I'm in no doubt today that my record in golf rests much more on part two of the game than on part one." "Now, let's not kid ourselves. Shot making -- ball striking -- comes first and always will. To play strategical and tactical golf you have to be able to hit the ball more or less in a predictable direction a good part of the time...And here's the reason." As a handicap golfer you are always being told you would score better if you would think more about strategy and less about the swing -- to put tactics ahead of technique when actually playing on the course. This is almost certainly true, but as a piece of advice it's pretty useless unless you know or can discover exactly how to do that.....And here's the real rub: almost all golf instruction, both direct and written, focuses almost entirely on striking the ball rather than playing the game. In short, golfers suffer from too much information about its physical elements and too little information about the mental qualities necessary to use these to maximum effect." I highly recommend Nicklaus' book. For me, it should be standard reading for anyone trying to improve their game. Jack outlines many keys to better course management. I highlight some of the major points here: Contents - Key Factors of Better Course Management:
Keep a yardage card. Nicklaus learned this tip from Deane Beman while at US Amateur Pebble Beach in 1961. Beman (who later became commissioner of the PGA Tour), paced off every hole they played during a practice round. Beman taught Nicklaus to locate key landmarks on each hole from which he could get accurate distances to the front, middle and back of every green. From that date, Nicklaus paced off every course he ever played. Pacingthe course takes the guess work out of judging distance. It makes club selection much easier. It lets you play your game with more confidence. Know the Course and how to prepare your game to get the most from your round. This relates to playing for position with your ball. Putting it in a place that maximizes your chances to make a good shot the next time you have to hit the ball. Every hole on every course has an "ideal route" to the green from the tee. That route depends on your game and will vary from player to player. Identify that route on the tee box and you improve your chances of improving your score on a given hole.
Developing a knowledge of the ideal route comes from experience and observation while playing a course. Nicklaus gives an example that, when you pass a hole you'll be playing later, note the pin position, it will help you pick your target when you play that hole from the tee box when the time comes. Before you play your shot, evaluate the hole in front of you in terms of the risks that confront your game. Nicklaus' rated the risks in descending order as:
Once evaluated, pick a target area for your shot that is within your abilities. Not a spot, an area -- nobody is good enough to consistently hit a spot consistently -- it reduces the inner pressure. You aren't trying to hit the best shot of your life, so don't put your mind under needless pressure. Better course management will come from your awareness and experience with assessing the risks relative to your game plan. Next, now that you've picked your target, Jack suggests you try what he's become famous for -- and since it's a classic, I quote him directly: "Go to the 'movies'. Picture first the flight of the ball as it will move from the clubhead to the target -- track the ball's flight just as you will after you actually hit it. Pick the ball up in your mind's eye about 50 yards out and watch it soar and fall right into the heart of the target area you're actually looking at. As soon as it has 'landed' change mental images again. This time, sense the feel of the swing that will send the ball flying just as you've visualized. To that a couple of times, at least. Undoubtedly a club selection will suggest itself, if it didn't already. Take the club from the bag, put your best grip on it, aim and align yourself, and play away." Well, how many of us, "Go to the movies" on a regular basis? I sure don't, not even off the golf course. Jack did it pretty much with every ball he struck. Now, you can bet most pros on tour use this visualization all the time. Watch Aaron Baddeley's pre-shot routine, for example. He stands back and his eyes close as he visualizes each and every shot. Stands there for about10-15 seconds, then steps forward and hits it. The discipline that must take is amazing. The results speak for themselves. Develop a Game Plan for the course. Use practice rounds to develop a strategy that matches your game strengths with the characteristics of the course. Assess the doglegs (right or left), par threes, short par fours, length of the par fives relative to your game. What sort of shot shape is called for on particular holes? Dothe holes favour a fade or a draw; are there forced carries over hazards? are there spots where you can gamble, reach a green in two; make a needed birdie? Think through the course and match your abilities to the shots you are most likely to encounter. Practice the shots you are going to need and come up with a plan that will help you tackle the course during a round or a tournament. Apply the plan and stick to it during the round. Understand How To Play Slopes and elevation changes on the course. Every course has its uneven lies. At address, you'll find yourself with the ball below your feet; above your feet; mounds, downhill slopes; uphill slopes; all of these predicaments require adjustments in your swing or stance or both. I always used to have a tough time on the ninth hole at Loch March -- my home course in Ottawa. It's a short downhill par four that turns back uphill slightly about 60 yards in front of the green. I would always hit driver and finish on the end of the downhill section, having to hit up to a deadly, tiered green. My tendency would be to chunk a wedge and struggle for bogey. So, I asked Tony Genereux, my local pro about what to do in that situation. I had tried everything I knew, from moving the ball around in my stance, pitching or chipping -- nothing seemed to work. "Tony, what should I do?", I asked. Without hesitation Tony said, "Don't hit it there!" His message was right on. Try for a tee shot that puts the ball in a level lie. A longer shot from level ground left me with a far better chance of hitting the green in regulation and even a chance for birdie. Instead of stubbornly forcing a shot that was obviously not one of my strong points, I should have used better course management. Think better, score better. So now, I take anything from 5-wood to 5-iron on the tee and the ninth hole is at least a routine par most days. Elevation changes are another better course management candidate. Know that when your shooting for a green that is below you, that a good rule of thumb is to take one less club for every 10 yards of elevation change. For example, a green 20 yards below would mean you take an 8-iron instead of a six. Since you are above the hole, the arc of your ball will be higher in relation to the green, so the ball will be airborne longer and so, carry farther. The reverse adjustment is needed if the green is 10 yards above your location.
Learn to play from green-side and fairway bunkers. For the green-side, a sand wedge and log wedge are both useful. The key strategies here related to a smooth swing, controlling the club on its swing path and reading the green before picking a target landing area. Sand shots are primarily "feel" shots and your swing path will depend on the lie you have in the bunker. Generally, the more plugged the lie, the steeper you club should be on entry behind the ball. Rule number one, for Nicklaus, was to get the ball out of the sand. Get it on the putting surface whether you are in a fairway or greenside bunker -- that is the primary goal. Another great tip from Nicklaus on assessing bunkers before the shot is to use your feet to feel the depth and texture of the sand. "The rules forbid you to test [the sand] with your hands or the club, but they say nothing about your feet." If the sand is powdery, the deeper yourwedge will tend to bury on impact, so you should try cutting a shallow path under the ball with your swing. If you're on coarse sand, hit deeper under the ball. Don't rush the swing, staying under control is very important, so feel as if you're swinging in slow motion out of the sand. Because sand play offers so many options and varied conditions, the only way to improve is constant practice. Bunker play is a major differentiator between low handicapper and duffer. Don't beafraid to experiment and make practicing from the sand a regular habit. Develop Your Target Focus During Practice. You need to spend time on the range to develop your golf swing mechanics. But be careful. A driving range is basically an open field, so don't just bang balls or you'll lose your sense of accuracy. Get out on the golf course, and you have to aim every shot. A target focus is critical to good scoring, so take a target mentality with you when you practice. Jack's rule is: "never to hit a shot without a specific, clearly-identified target in mind, both on the course and in practice. That's been a rule of mine since I was 15, and it's one I have never broken." Identify your desired target area off the tee based on hazards, hole layout, pin position, wind direction and your capabilities. Pick where you want the ball to finish. Align yourself to the target; pick a mark on your target line close to your ball, pick your club and swing freely while focusing on the target. Keep your swing thoughts simple and to a minimum (one should do). No room for swing mechanics here, those thoughts are left on the practice range.
Your goal is to position the ball to where you have the best second shot possible. Practice Long and Short Putts. Putting is just as important as any other form of ball striking, maybe more so. On the pro tour, a good number of putts in a round is 30; 36 would be "passable" for an amateur, but go for 30 as a benchmark for greatness. Your attitude is a big part of successful putting, since the flat stick requires the least physical strength and is the most mentally demanding part of the game. Believing you're going to make a putt will help make you a better putter. Confidence is everything on the greens. Long putt strategy: measure them by walking them off. This helps you get a feel for the weight of the stroke needed to get the ball within a three foot circle of the hole. Take your stance an stand more upright over the ball to give you a better perspective on the line and breaks between you and the hole. Concentrate on solid ball contact, realistically you're not trying to make long putts, you're trying to get the ball as close to the hole as possible. Hitting the ball solidly will get to the target circle more often that if you are trying to hit the head of a pin from 30 feet or more. Keep your stroke long and smooth, don't "hit" at the ball. Tempo is more important than mechanics on long putts. This will help the ball keep the selected line and maintain the desired speed on its way to the hole. Short putt strategy: When you're under pressure and faced with a significant short breaking putt, you're better off to pick your line and strike it firmly in a must-make situation. Rather than tap and tickle the ball to the hole, a firm strike under pressure will be more in sync with the adrenalin that's running in a clutch situation. This strategy changes on short, breaking downhill putts; those you should let "die" into the hole. Miss the short downhill breaker, and you're faced with an even longer comeback putt under pressure. Avoid that situation if at all possible. Nicklaus stated that there's more pressure on the greens that anywhere else on a golf course. "Miss a short putt and you know it's irretrievable -- a stroke gone forever. If the putt is very short, the prospect of the embarrassment you'll feel if you miss it often adds to the pressure." The best remedy is confidence through practice and the experience that comes from previous success. Other than that, if you miss a short one, let it go. Move on to the next hole and look forward. Don't let the pressure build up by dwelling on the past. Stay in the present. The problem comes from tall grass interfering with the clubface at impact. The rough tangles around the hosel of your golf club, slowing the heel and causing the toe of the clubface to turn inward or close. The taller and wetter the glass, the greater the tendency to close the clubface. Compensate for tall grass by addressing the ball with the clubface open. The heavier the rough, the more open the clubface. On your swing, you should also compensate by coming down more steeply with the club so that the clubface hits more ball than grass -- limit the amount of grass that can come between ball and clubhead at impact. You'll have to grip the club a little tighter than normal to force the club down and through the grass. Adjust your aim and play a realistic shot; heroics bring risk and pain if you go for too much. In shorter grass, the grass-between-clubface problem is still there but presents what is known as a "flier lie". That is, as the grass interferes between ball and clubface, it covers the grooves on the club which imparts less spin on the ball and it flies and rolls "hot" or too fast to stop and rolls through the green. Again, the correction for this is to swing more steeply into the ball to minimize grass contact and select less club to reduce the distance the ball is likely to carry. |
