X-OUT THOSE NASTY SPOTS ON THE COURSE 3 It might sound like a bad idea to think about the places you don’t want to go before hitting a shot, but that’s exactly what I and a lot of other pros do. We’re not thinking about it while we’re over the ball, but a lot of prep work goes into a shot before we step in, including where not to miss. play away from those areas. Finding the Xs is something you should do if you want to avoid big numbers on your scorecard. Penalty areas, deep bunkers and out-of-bounds markers are some obvious ones, but here’s another you might not have thought about: According to analytics,
your chance of getting up and down by 40 percent when compared to the opposite side. What that should tell you is that before you hit your approach shot, identify the short side, put a big X on it in your mind, and do what you can to play away from it. That’s why knowing your dispersion pattern with each club (tip No 2) is so helpful!
missing on the short side of the green – the side nearest the hole – reduces
Before tournament rounds, I’ll draw big Xs in my yardage book and then
FIND THE COVER NUMBER
that’s the number it takes to carry some form of trouble, like a false front on the green or a bunker. Remember, that number is the absolute minimum to carry your shot to a decent spot, so be generous in your club selection to make sure it does.
A lot of TV announcers think we’re firing at pins more than we actually are. We’re rarely taking dead aim, and when we do, it’s very situational. Most times we’re playing to a specific part of the green. One thing players always do is get their “cover number” –
56 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024
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