Golf Tips: Swallow Your Pride, Know Your Skill Set

Taking your medicine comes down to course management and playing smart golf, which is always easier said than done. This one was the hardest for me to buy into because I never liked the idea of purposefully laying up on a par five or punching out to get the ball back into the fairway. It’s just not as fun, right? And, mostly, I despised my friends chirping me from the cart for it. So, if you can find the courage to swallow your pride and play the sensible shot when needed, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. I was always the player to see a small gap through the trees and think by some miracle that I could pull off the shot, and next thing I know, my ball ends up out of bounds, leaving me to shamefully record the gentleman’s triple bogey. This may seem like simple advice, but really think back to your last round, there was probably at least three instances where you could have made a better, safer decision to save a couple strokes.

Taking your medicine on the course also has everything to do with knowing your skill set. You need to be aware of your skill set and realize what you are and aren’t capable of. For example, at this stage in your game you should most likely not being play from the tips (back tees) at any course. It’s only going to make the day longer, as well as make the group behind you hate you. Under-clubbing is a huge problem average players have, and probably plays a big role why you aren't hitting the green ever. When your friend is on the tee box and asks what everyone’s hitting, don’t think you need to change clubs because all your friends have nine-iron pulled and you have a seven-iron in your hands. Sure, it may be slightly embarrassing for a second, but who really cares? When you’re on the green and putting for birdie no one is going to care what club you hit to get there. Don’t try to muscle up and hit a club that you know won’t give you the distance you need. For one, if you try to muscle up and swing harder, you’re most likely going to create an errant shot with a slice, top, or shank. And even if you do muscle up and hit it pure, chances are it still won’t give you the distance you need. So why flirt with all those potential factors? Know the distances you hit each club, stick to it during your round, and don’t change based off of other people.