The 43rd Ryder Cup is upon us. As the first groups tee it up for one of golf’s biggest events, many players will be wondering how to earn strokes against their opponents in order to score a precious point for their team. The decisions on when to take acceptable risks is always a precarious one, but it is something that ingrained the fabric of every golf tournament, not just the big ones! If you have ever played in competition, you were immersed in the pressure of risk/reward decision making, hopefully with some success. With Garcia, Rahm, Spieth and Thomas being the first groups out, they will set the Friday morning tone and battle for the critical first point!
Continue readingRisk Reward golf shot
That Is Just Crazy Golf Talk!
I was playing golf the other day when low and behold I found myself in position that I needed to talk out my possibilities for my next shot. At a moment or two of this process, I actually talked out loud to myself in hopes that the best solution would pop into my head. Before moving forward, my score was not a factor because I was having a mediocre round at best, so a few more strokes would not matter, hence my options increase significantly. My process always boils down to risk/reward regardless of the multitude of factors that my influence my shot.
Continue readingTrying The High Risk Shot In Golf
Every golfer has played themselves into a position where a high risk shot is needed. Whether we are in a tournament or having a great round, sometimes that impossible shot is placed right before us and it cannot be ignored. This happened to me a few rounds ago and I decided to make the high risk shot instead of playing it smart. Well, it took two tries, but I made it!
Continue readingIs Hitting Greens and Fairways Boring Golf?
Over the many years of playing, I have heard my golf game described as boring. I hit the fairway and greens more often than not and do not seem to make many poor shots (believe me I do, but they seem to go unnoticed). It is the nature of my game that I have honed over the many years of playing. After a discussion with Andre, a friend I met last year golfing, he suggested that I need to take a slightly more aggressive approach to my golf game. Mmmm, this is a great thought provoking statement!
Continue readingThe Biggest Dilemma in Golf
There is an age-old dilemma in golf! It is on every players mind every time the stand next to their ball wondering which club to hit next. They are at 175 yards, hitting over water, with a wide open, yet tricky green to land on. The dilemma has arrived; play safe or go for it!
I asked this very question a short time ago, and was surprised by the response.
81% of the respondents had enough confidence in their game that they felt going for it was the answer! Personally, I would go for it as well, but I would have to admit, I would not go for it every time. @cencalhack added a qualifier to his comments below and most golfers would agree that “going for it” depends on many factors.
Hitting a long shot over water is difficult at best. There are so many factors that must be considered, that I am not sure we amateurs actually consider them all! So, I thought I would make my list and see if I am forgetting something. If I am forgetting something, please let me know! Here is what I look at when hitting the ball 175 yards, over water, to an open, tricky green:
- Lie. My lie will have to be relatively flat and in the first cut or fairway for my next shot to be an automatic go shot.
- Wind. Which way is the wind blowing and how strong is the wind are definitely.
- Hazards. The water hazard is the most obvious hazard, but what about the hazards by the green. What happens if I hit long, left or right? Are there out-of-bounds markers near the green?
- Feel. How am I playing to this point? If I am playing poorly, well a lay up shot might be the best course management approach. If I am playing well, then pin hunting might be the solution.
My list is fairly generic, but covers most situations. Again, if you have any suggestions, I am all ears!
One final note, ego does play a part of golf. Some players (myself included sometimes) automatically reach for a club when we get to a specific distance or think “that difficult shot” is in our bag. Playing automatically is not good course management and will cost us strokes over 18 holes. So beware of that dreaded ego!
It is important to remember that risk – reward is part of every golf shot!
Regardless of your decision, commit to the shot because anything can happen on the golf course!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 