Strategies to help you improve your play and your golf score

By Jean Harris CONTRIBUTOR

You have been practicing and you feel like you have your golf game all together. However, when you go out to play, you just can’t score.

Below are some strategies you can incorporate that will help you get the results you want.

• Know all your distances with each of your clubs. These should be your average carry distance. Hit at least 10 balls on the range with each club and get an average. If you are fortunate to get on a launch monitor, that would be a great help.

• Know how various lies affect distance and direction. Uphill lies play longer and downhill lies play shorter. They also affect direction.

• Know how wind affects distance and direction. A 10 mph wind in your face can take at least one extra club.

• Look at the pin placements before choosing your club. Think of a traffic light. Green: Go for the pin; yellow: go for the center of the green; red: play conservative away from the pin.

• On par 5’s, lay up to yardages that you prefer as opposed to hitting a shot maybe farther that is a distance that you don’t like. Sometimes 50-yard shots are more difficult than 100 yards.

• Know which holes are bogey holes for you and play them where you keep double bogey out of the equation. Sometimes a shorter club off the tee can keep you from getting in trouble.

• Play to your strengths. If a driver off the tee is a weakness, try hitting a fairway wood or hybrid. Hit more of the shots you are good at during your round.

• Commit to your decision. Don’t worry about the consequences and focus on the shot you are hitting.

• Set realistic goals each time you play. This should be done by looking at the score card and deciding which holes you should get strokes. Keep track of fairways hit, your greens in regulation – which is your goal minus two putts. Finally keep track of how many putts you take.

• Separate your round into three-hole segments. See how many over par you are for every three holes. You might start to see a trend where you start out poorly or get tired later in the round. It could be that certain holes ruin your round. Once you determine these trends you can use different strategies to play these holes.

• Finally accept that golf is a hard game. It is a game of good misses. Keep your misses in play.

Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional and teaches at local golf courses. jean.golfdoctor.harris@gmail.com; golfdoctorjean.com