How To Play Smart Golf: Dont Try To Hit The Heroic Shot

If you think that you are a better golfer than your scores indicate, read this article to find tips for how to play smart golf and shoot better scores.

Have you ever hit the golf shot of a lifetime?  I know I have.  In fact, I have hit several golf shots of a lifetime.

I will tell you about this one particular shot that astonished me and all of my playing partners.  I had hit a long drive slightly askew with my new Taylor Made Driver.  I was using one of their new draw drivers, which I now love, but in the beginning I was tending to pull the driver.  So, in this instance, I ended up pulling the ball left into the trees.

Thus, I was left with a 215 yard shot to the hole but I could not hit the ball more than 5 feet in the air or it would hit the looming branches and I would be stuck in the trees.  I grabbed a 3 iron, placed the ball somewhat back in my stance, and hit the shot of a lifetime.  The ball travelled about 165 yards through the trees, stayed low the whole time, rolled out into the fairway, then onto the green near the hole, and left me with a 2 foot birdie putt, which I made.

When we were at the "19th hole" after the round, all of the talk was of this particular shot and the subsequent birdie.  Plus, this particular hole was a carryover of many in a skins game so it carried extra impact.

I will remember this shot always but this is unfortunate.  Why?

Since then, I have tried to repeat that same shot a minimum of ten times and failed every time, causing double and triple bogeys or worse.  This great golf shot caused future golf bad decisions.

If you want to be a par golfer, you have to play smarter golf to shoot better scores.  You should not try golf heroics.  Normally, when you are in the woods, the best idea is to punch out to the safest available location, and play for a bogey on the hole.  If you hit a great iron shot to the hole, perhaps you will even be able to salvage your par.

However, in trying to hit the shot of a lifetime, you risk completely damaging your round and shooting a much higher score that you should for your level of golf.

When you get into trouble on the golf course, do not try to hit the heroic shot.  You want to get the ball back in play and have a chance at salvaging a good score on the hole.

Golf is about rhythm and temperament.  If you get a high score on a hole because you tried to hit the heroic shot, you will throw of both your rhythm and your temperament and your golf score may be ruined.

So, the next time you find yourself stuck in the woods, punch the ball out to a safe spot and play for bogey.