Golf isn’t about how good your swing looks, or how far you hit the ball, or how many birdies you make, or how many fairways you hit.
It’s about how well you score. At the end of your round, there’s a number on your card and that number is the only thing that matters.
All great players have one thing in common and it has absolutely nothing to do with their swing. They all know how to score.
Even on days when they aren’t hitting the ball great, they find a way to get it done (Tiger Woods has made his career by doing this). It’s easy to shoot a good score when you’re swing is in sync but it’s much harder to avoid a bad score when it’s not.
So next time you’re not hitting the ball so good, don’t just assume you’re going to have a bad round. Instead, see it as an opportunity, use some of the tips below and grind out a respectable score.
Focus On Your Putting
Putting is, without question, the most important part of golf. It can completely erase bad shots and in most cases, it’s the only part of your game that doesn’t change much on a day-to-day basis.
If you’re not hitting the ball well, putting can be the equalizer. You can hit a bad drive, a bad approach shot and a bad chip, but if you can make a good amount of 8 to 10 footers, you can make pars. So spend more time on the putting green when you’re waiting for your swing to come back.
Put the Driver Away
If you’re swing is out of rhythm, the driver is likely to be the worst club in your bag. If you’re off target with your short irons by 5 or 10 yards, you’re driver is going to be off by 20 or 30 yards and that means your ball could go anywhere off the tee.
So leave the big dog in the bag and take out a club that’s a little easier to hit (maybe a 3-wood or a hybrid). Obviously, you’ll be giving up a little distance but at least you won’t end up out-of-bounds.
Avoid Penalty Shots
Penalty shots are round killers, so avoid them. Simple as that.
Play Conservatively
If you’re game is a little off, don’t take risky shots. If you end up behind a tree, just tap out. Don’t try to make some miraculous recovery, just take your medicine and move on. You’re probably not going to make many birdies but you’ll take doubles and triples out of play.
Accept the Bogeys
Unless you’re a professional, you probably have your fair share of bogeys every round so if you make one, don’t get discouraged. Just take it in stride and move on to the next hole.
Make it a goal before every round to come in without anything higher than than a bogey. If you can do that, your “off” days won’t be anything to write home about but they certainly won’t be anything to be embarrassed about either.
Golf isn’t about “how”, it’s about “how many”.