Strategy

Sometimes, it is appropriate to think of golf when you aren't on the golf course.  Whenever I think about golf off the course, I try to think about strategy.  Most of the time I end up thinking about something I'm not happy with in my swing, which is not a bad thing to try.  I've figured out problems with my swing while I was laying in bed; it works.  What I'm trying to suggest is to think of how you play the game when you don't have the golf course to obscure your thinking.

Strategy can make or break your round.  If you play smart, you can be victorious over people who execute shots better than you do.  You have to try to use everything possible to play better, even your brain.  If you think about it, you cannot exceed in golf once you get past a certain point with your physical swing.  The rest is all mental.  If you watch the pros play, you will notice they do not hit a driver on every par 4 and par 5.  This is because they are trying to play to their own advantages by hitting their drives to the widest part of the fairway.  Working the ball from left to right or right to left also comes into play when planning a round.  If you have a hole where trouble is to the left, you may want to start the ball right and work it back left.  This way you stay away from trouble as long as possible, even if you don't execute the shot perfectly.  The pros put all of this into consideration, especially when hitting into a well protected green.  This strategy also comes in to effect around the greens.  If you have a lot of green to work with, pull out that 8-iron and hit the bump and run.  I don't know how many times I have seen people have a whole green to work with and still chip with their 56 degree wedge.  You don't need it!  It's the same thing as hitting a driver on a par 4 where your landing zone is the smallest part of the fairway.  It is unnecessary!

All I'm trying to say is this, play your smartest and you will play better.  If you stay away from trouble and use everything the course offers you to use, you will see the strokes falling off your scores.  You can still take risks (don't be too conservative, for it can hurt you).  If you have the confidence in hitting a risky shot and you're not in the lead by a few strokes, go ahead and hit it.  Most of the time you will be able to execute when you are confident in yourself.  So have fun, plan your next round appropriately, stick to your plans, and watch the strokes disappear!