Simple Things Golf Pros Do That You Don’t
September 10, 2024
There are many things that separate a Tour player from the average player. From swing mechanics to course management, there are tens, even hundreds of factors to consider when stepping up to the ball. In this article, we focus on things Tour player do that you don’t.
Wind Speed and Direction
The direction and intensity of the wind while playing is often overlooked by many beginner or intermediate players. Although some may argue its a minimal effect in the ball flight, it can be the difference of being on or off the green.
So how do you harness the power of the wind? The first two things you need to consider are 1) the general wind direction and speed (MPH) for the round and 2) the wind direction at any given moment. Although Tour pros are not allowed to use compasses on the course, you are permitted to use a weather app to find the general wind direction and speed.
Using this information, you can then better plan out what your shot will be. If the wind is coming straight at you, expect to club up. A nice phrase to help is “When It’s Breezy, Swing Easy.” Another important factor to take note of is to not use a high lofted club. The higher and longer the ball is in the air, the more the wind can grab the ball and push it where you don’t want it.
If the wind is coming from behind you, expect to club down. Another alternative is to just swing a bit lighter, but people may find it easer to do the first option.
If the wind is coming from the right or left, simply shift your aim point opposite of the wind direction, helping you hit more greens and fairways just like the pros.
Here is a chart to help with choosing the right club.
This chart may seem difficult to understand, so I don’t feel pressured to memorize it fully. This just gives you a general idea of what wind speed equals what distance gain or loss.
The Lie of the Golf Ball
Many of you may be thinking “I already focus on the lie of my ball every time!” Although you may, there are few important overlooked factors about the lie that the Tour pros look at that you don’t.
Uneven Lies
Firstly, whether the ball is above or below your feet greatly effects the trajectory of the golf ball. When I say above and below your feet, I mean literally is the ball resting above or below the front of your shoes. To help you better understand, imagine your on a upwards hill with your back facing downhill. In this case, your feet would be below the ball.
When the ball is above your feet, the ball typically goes left. When the ball is below your feet, the ball goes right. A simple way to remember this is to think which way the slope of the hill is going, that’s the direction your golf ball will go.
When your out playing, it can take some time to figure out how far left or right your ball goes, but once you get it down it will make you a much better golfer. Unfortunately, this skill can be difficult to practice on the range as there are no uneven lies on your traditional range, so this skill must be learnt on the course.
Grass Direction
When reading this, you might think this is overkill. If you think about it in simple terms, it’s another quick five second thought you can add to your pre-shot routine. This skill is mostly applied in the rough.
Firstly, identify which direction the grass is growing. If it is growing towards the target, expect a shot with less spin and a lower ball flight. This is because the grass allows the club to move quickly through it, with less resistance. If the grass is growing away from the target, expect a shot with less distance, more spin, and a higher ball flight. This is because the grass almost catches the club, putting these three factors into play.
Small thoughts like these are the difference from an amateur being ten feet off the green to a pro being ten feet closer to the hole.
Tee Box Position
For many beginners out there, many might think the best option when it comes to teeing up is to plop down right in the middle of the tee box. Surprisingly, positioning yourself a few feet to the right or left can be the difference of being on or off the fairway.
When playing I guarantee none of you have though about the course architect. When a golf course architect is creating a golf course, they purposely position the tee boxes so they set you up for failure. Take hole sixteen at Pebble Beach as an example. The tee box is set way right, aiming you straight for the bunkers on the right side. By teeing up on the left side of the tee box, you bring more of the fairway into play, increasing your chances of hitting the fairway.
One interesting fact is that only the ball has to be in the tee box area, your body and feet can be outside it. You can use this to your advantage by teeing the ball up right next to the tee marker, and stand outside the tee box. See the USGA rule here.
The pros use these points to their advantage when they are faced with a hole such as Pebble Beach sixteen, where they would tee up on the respective side of the tee box to bring more of the fairway into play.
In this situation, you are looking at hole 16 of Pebble Beach. When teeing off from the middle of the tee box, your effectively aiming yourself right at the two bunkers. Keep in mind the course architect designed this on purpose! Although you could simply aim left, your attack angle would bring the right rough into play.
In this situation, you are teeing off from the left side of the tee box. Although it doesn’t look like that much of a difference on this map, mathematically, your better off here. Now that you have more fairway to work with, you don’t have to worry about the right rough or bunkers unless you hit a nasty slice. Simply look at the fairway from the tee box, and if your off center, tee up on the side closer to the center.
Think Percentages, and Think Ahead
When out playing golf, your either thinking too hard or not thinking at all. As the golf pros are walking up to hit their next shot, many important but quick thoughts run through their head. One of the most important ones are thinking percentages and thinking ahead.
Thinking Percentages
When I say thinking percentages, you need to think of all of the possible outcomes of the shot. Think of all options you have. For example, take the image below as an example. Imagine this is your drive. Here you are in a tough spot, with three possible outcomes. The first is to punch out into the fairway, giving you a clear shot to the green. Second, is to hit through the trees, over the bunker, and onto the green. Finally, your final option would be to hit to the right to have a clear shot at the green, but over a bunker. You might think that because the pros do it, I can do it too. This is the trap that many players find themselves in.
First, you need to analyze each shot for its best case scenario and worst case scenario. For punching out, your best case is in the middle of the fairway, and worst case is you end up too far or too short. Around 80% of the shots you take from here will end up in the fairway. In both situations, you are still looking at par if you can get on the green and one putt. Even if you don’t one putt, your still with a bogey. For the shot through the trees, the best case scenario is if you get on the green. The worst case is if you get caught in the trees, and put yourself in a potentially worse spot. Best case, you are looking at par. Worst case, it might be double bogey or worse. Your chances of getting it on the green are slim to none, around 5%. Looking at all the trees, your chances of hitting one are around 95%. Finally, hitting a shot out to the right. Your best case would be ending up with a clear shot to the green, and worst case would be ending up in one of those bunkers. Best case, you are looking at bogey. Worst case, your looking at a double. Your chances of hitting a nice shot are around 50%, and 50% of the shots might end up in the sand.
I know that’s a lot to think about, but realistically it takes less than a minute to make your decision. Your best bet here would be to punch out, as your chances of hitting the green are much higher and you have a better chance of getting par or bogey than the other two options.
This also applies to other situations on the course, and can also be applied to where your aiming.
Think of all the possible shots you can take, and choose the one that has the highest chances of getting the ball where you want it, just like the pros do.
Thinking Ahead
Golf Pros use this simple technique to hit more greens in regulation and in turn lower there scores. On a par 4, instead of immediately trying to smash your driver down the middle of the fairway, take the time to see how long the hole is. Secondly, ask yourself what club in your bag are you most consistent with. For some, it could be a seven or six iron, and for others it can be wedges. Whatever it is, aim to hit your tee shot a distance that would give you your favorite club to the green. For example, lets say your playing hole four at Augusta National, which is a 350 yard par 4. You know that your pretty solid with a 7 iron from 150 yards out. Subtracting 150 from 350 leaves you with a tee shot of only 200 yards, setting yourself up for a 7 iron. Not only does this set you up for a nice approach shot, but because your clubbing down off the tee you are less likely to hit a poor shot that could potentially add strokes to your score.
Don’t Full Swing Wedges
If you ever watch the PGA on TV, you will notice that none of the pros take full swings with any of their wedges (besides their pitching wedge). Instead, they take a higher lofted club such as a PW or 9 iron and take a smaller swing.
The reason behind this is because of ball flight time and height. The longer the ball is in the air, the higher the chances of the wind catching it. This is often why you see your driver deviate more left and right than your irons, because the ball is in the air longer and higher.
When the ball is suspended in the air for longer periods of time, the wind can catch it and make it more too far, short, left or right, practically ruining your shot. This can even be said for hitting anything 100 yards and in.
By switching to a higher lofted club, your taking ball flight time and wind out of the picture, as the ball is travelling closer to the ground. Players actually say that taking a smaller swing helps them hit the ball better, and more consistent.
In the end, these tips should help you improve your game. Don’t expect results right away, with anything you need practice and reps. Even focusing on one thing Tour players do that you don’t is a great way to start shooting lower scores, and enjoying your round of golf.
