Opinion & Analysis

Hole-By-Hole: The Best and Worst Shots in Masters History (Back 9)

Published

12 years ago

Apr 11, 2014

Everyone has their favorite moments from the Masters. But what are the best and worst shots in Masters history for each hole at Augusta National?

From shots that directly impacted the outcome of the tournament, to others that were impossibly shocking, miserable, or symbolic in their own right, every hole has a story to tell.

77 years, over 3,000 different players, and more than one million shots taken. These are the legendary bests and worsts forever etched in Masters lore.

No. 10: Camellia – Par 4, 495 yards

The Best

Bubba Watson is a self-described new age redneck. He raps in golf videos, drives the “General Lee” and flies around the golf course in a hovercraft. So it shouldn’t be surprising he dared to even imagine the Looney Tunes shot he pulled off on the second playoff-hole of the 2012 Masters.

Watson was deep in the woods on No. 10 after an errant tee shot. His ball nestled in a bed of straw in a place where Augusta’s pines looked like monsters from Sleepy Hollow. Watson couldn’t even see the green, but he stepped up and just bludgeoned his wedge. The ball screamed 40 yards through the trees, snap-hooked right and soared 115 yards in the air before plummeting softly on the green. Watson then two-putt for par to become the 76^th Masters champion.

Watson put himself in position to win on the strength of consecutive birdies on Nos. 13 through 16. But it was his shot at No. 10 that everyone wanted to talk about afterward, including Bubba.

“I’m obviously going to say I’m the only one who can do it,” Watson said. “I’m the only one who had a chance to do it.”

Call that bravado. Call it a Bubba-ism. Watson is a Masters champion with a style as bold as his swing.

The Worst

Scott Hoch was 24 inches from Masters immortality on the first playoff hole of the 1989 Masters. Twenty-four inches from breakfast in the Masters Champions Locker Room. Twenty four agonizing inches, but that might as well been 24 feet.

Hoch greased his Green Jacket gimme entirely outside the hole and 4 feet beyond. It was the shortest putt missed with a chance to win any major championship in history. And when Hoch launched his putter 10 feet in the air, he became the Masters poster boy for putter paralysis.

It was more painful than childbirth to watch. And Hoch said after the playoff, “I’m just glad I don’t carry a gun with me.” Nick Faldo made his 25-foot birdie putt on the next playoff hole and went home as the 53^rd Masters champion. Hoch just went home.

No. 11: White Dogwood – Par 4, 505 yards

The Best

The 51^st Masters was a modern-day tale of David and Goliath. Larry Mize was a relative unknown, a local kid who ran the scoreboard during the 1972 Masters. Greg Norman was golf’s most dominant player, ranked No. 1 in the world. And with one deadly sling of his wedge in a sudden-death playoff, Mize dropped the giant Norman to his knees.

Initially a three-man playoff, World No. 3 Seve Ballesteros was eliminated on the previous hole. And on No. 11 Norman reached the green first, leaving Mize a choice between playing it safe or going for the jugular. The fresh-faced Mize went for the kill.

Taking aim at the front edge of the green, Mize chipped towards a grassy bank. The ball bounced twice before catching the slope. Then it broke straight for the hole. And when it finally dropped in the cup, Norman was out on his feet.

Mize chipped in from 140 feet, delivering one of the most absurdly fantastic shots in Masters history. The crowd went berserk. Mize danced in disbelief. And the hometown hero became an Augusta legend in 1987.

The Worst

Ben Hogan had a well-documented blueprint for playing “White Dogwood” in 1954. Always aim the approach towards the right fringe of the green. Anything left was too risky with the greenside pond. But in the final round of the 18^th Masters, Hogan deviated from the plan and it cost him a potential third Green Jacket.

Hogan heard a tremendous roar from the crowd two groups ahead, and presumed his lead had diminished. So Hogan uncharacteristically fired at the flag and the result was disastrous. Rather than recording par or birdie like he did in the first three rounds, Hogan took a double-bogey six when his ball found the pond.

Hogan lost in an 18-hole playoff with Sam Snead the following afternoon. But that roar from the crowd on Sunday? It wasn’t an eagle roar, or even a birdie roar. It was a roar of approval for a player who went barefoot into Rae’s Creek searching for an errant shot.

No. 12: Golden Bell – Par 3, 155 yards

The Best

Every Masters champion has to successfully navigate “Amen Corner” on Sunday if he’s going to wear the Green Jacket. And at the 56^th Masters in 1992, Fred Couples survived this rite of passage with the help of something supernatural.

Couples held a three stroke lead heading towards the treacherous No. 12. But when his tee shot came up short and hit the sloping bank of Rae’s Creek, Couples’ dreams of winning the Masters were about to wash away.

There was really no reason Couples’ ball should have stopped. Nothing was in its way: nothing that anyone could see that is. Ninety nine out of 100 times that ball winds up in a watery grave, but miraculously it held on.

“The biggest break probably of my life,” Couples said afterward.

Couples chipped up to inside a foot and held on to win his first major by two strokes. But Augusta officials could have stopped the tournament right there and declared Couples the winner. His ball was touched by an angel.

The Worst

Tom Weiskopf was known on Tour as “The Towering Inferno.” By Weiskopf’s own admission, he was “spontaneous with his emotions.” And during the opening round of the 44^th Masters at No. 12, Weiskopf threw a match in the gas tank.

Weiskopf’s tee shot hit the green, skipped forward and then spun like a Ninja Blender down the bank to drown into Rae’s Creek. Weiskopf dropped from 60 yards and the result was an exact copy of the first. Hop, skip and dunk. Then Weiskopf started percolating. He detonated his third shot in the center of the creek, splashed his fourth shot with a direct-hit and drenched his fifth shot with mainstream perfection.

In the 1980 Masters Weiskopf hit five shots into the water in about a five-minute span, en route to a record-setting 13 on No. 12. And, oh by the way? In Weiskopf’s previous 12 Masters appearances he didn’t hit a single ball in the water on No. 12.

No. 13: Azalea – Par 5, 510 yards

The Best

When your ball is on pine straw and there are two gigantic trees in front of you, the percentage play is to lay up and avoid the big number. But for Phil Mickelson in the final round of the 2010 Masters, the play was to thread the needle and sew up his third Green Jacket.

Greatness or fate took over on No. 13 when Mickelson hooked his 6-iron through the trees, over Rae’s Creek, to four feet from the cup. Mickelson missed his eagle attempt but sunk the birdie. And Mickelson’s one-stroke lead suddenly became a more comfortable two-stroke lead. Mickelson didn’t have to hit that shot. And maybe he shouldn’t have. But “Phil the Thrill” wanted to.

“A great shot is when you pull it off,” Mickelson said afterwards. “A smart shot is when you don’t have the guts to try it.”

It’s hard to argue with that when the guy saying it just won the 74^th Masters.

The Worst

Tommy Nakajima was a fierce competitor on the Japanese Tour in 1978. But a comedy of errors in the first round of the 42^nd Masters led to Nakajima posting the highest score ever recorded on “Azalea.”

Nakajima’s drive at No. 13 sailed into the woods and forced him to take an unplayable. After Nakajima laid up, his fourth shot flew into Rae’s Creek. Not wanting to take another unplayable, Nakajima hit from the creek and popped the ball in the air. It landed on Nakajima’s foot for a two-stroke penalty.

Nakajima’s next shot hit the creek bank and rolled back where he was standing. The ball didn’t hit Nakajima this time. But Nakajima slammed his club on the water in frustration and was slapped with a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a hazard.

Nakajima finally chipped out onto the green, and two-putted to close the book on No. 13 with a perplexing 13. When asked after the round where it all went wrong, Nakajima simply replied, “On the tee.”

No. 14: Chinese Fir – Par 4, 440 yards

The Best

The greatest moment in the history of No. 14 came during the final round of the 1997 Masters when Tiger Woods’ birdie changed the game forever.

Woods’ birdie established a new Masters record for lowest tournament score (270, 18-under). It also set a new Masters record for largest margin of victory (12 strokes) and punctuated Woods’ dominance as the youngest player and first black man to ever win the Green Jacket.

When Jack Nicklaus first set those records in 1965, Bobby Jones said of Nicklaus, “He plays a game with which I am not familiar.” At the 61^st Masters, Woods not only played a game with which Nicklaus was not familiar, but he played it in a way that elevated golf to new a cultural plateau.

The Worst

Fred Couples was 46 years old in 2006. He had no trouble keeping up with young guns off the tee. And during the final round of the 70^th Masters, Couples hit the ball like a Masters champion. He just didn’t putt like one.

Couples had a four-foot birdie putt on No. 14 to pull within one stroke of leader Phil Mickelson. But he jabbed the putt across the lip and five-feet past the cup. Couples missed his putt coming back for an eventual three-putt bogey.

From tee-to-green, Couples was as good as anyone in the field. But his flat-stick left him sputtering to a third-place finish.

“I didn’t hit the ball like I was 46,” Couples said afterwards. “But I putt like I was 66.”

It was Couples best opportunity for a second green jacket, and would have made him the oldest champion in Masters history.

No. 15: Firethorn – Par 5, 530 yards

The Best

Gene Sarazen knew he caught the ball pure. It left the face like a gunshot and never wavered from its direct line to the pin. When it reached the green, a thunderous roar went up. When it dropped in the cup, the roar was deafening. In the final round of the second Masters in 1935, Sarazen hit “The Shot Heard Round the World.”

Sarazen used a 4-wood from 235 yards to record the first albatross in Masters history. It launched “The Squire” into a 36-hole playoff where Sarazen defeated Craig Wood for his first and only Green Jacket. And most importantly, Sarazen’s double-eagle permanently put the Masters on the map.

Sarazen’s “Do-Do” (that’s what he called his Wilson Turf Rider 4-wood) is in the USGA Museum for generations to marvel at. And in 1955, Augusta National honored Sarazen’s unforgettable shot by dedicating a bridge in his name. “The Sarazen Bridge” is the first bridge to ever be named after a player in Augusta’s history.

The Worst

In 2013, Tiger Woods nearly holed his approach shot for eagle at No. 15. But it hit the flag during the second round of the 77^th Masters, and after his ball diabolically caromed off the flag and rolled into the water, Woods’ next shot would become a “Firethorn” in his side.

Woods took his drop and got up-and down for a bogey six, but a television viewer noticed Woods dropped the ball a few yards further back from the pin, a violation of the rule to drop “as close as possible” to the original spot.

Rules officials discussed the drop with Woods, and he admitted to dropping farther back so he wouldn’t hit the flag again. Woods was not disqualified, but a two-stroke penalty was assessed and his score at No. 15 was officially a triple-bogey eight. Woods’ admission set off an ugly storm of controversy, however.

Journalists, commentators, fans and players called for Woods to withdraw for knowingly attempting to circumvent the rules. Woods might have been cheated out of a eagle on No. 15 and a potential fifth Green Jacket, but allegations of Woods cheating himself was the biggest character test of all.

No. 16: Redbud – Par 3, 170 yards

The Best

Tiger Woods was in a final-round battle with Chris DiMarco at the 69^th Masters in 2005. And Woods appeared wounded on No. 16 when his 8-iron missed the green long and left. Woods couldn’t take dead-aim at the hole because of the severe slope of the green, but that didn’t mean Woods wouldn’t attack the cup.

Woods picked a spot 25-feet left of the pin and chipped. His ball checked up, broke right and picked up speed toward the hole. Then it slowed to a dead stop… for two seconds. It was golf’s version of the Heisman pose before crossing the goal line. Woods’ ball freakishly dropped over the edge for an impossible birdie.

Woods roared like a gladiator and the crowd went berserk. It took several minutes before any semblance of normalcy returned. Woods ultimately needed a playoff to defeat DeMarco and capture his fourth green jacket. But “in your life…” You know the rest.

The Worst

Greg Norman is the most heartbreaking character in Masters history. And Norman’s legendary low-point occurred in the final round of the 60^th Masters.

Norman began play with a six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo, but when Norman arrived at No. 16 it had decomposed into a two-stroke deficit. With only three holes left to get those strokes back, Norman fired at the pin hoping for an ace. Instead he butchered his 6-iron into the water.

In 1996, Norman blew the biggest final-round lead in Masters history. And his 6-iron on No. 16 was the “recognition” of this “Greek Tragedy.”

No. 17: Nandina – Par 4, 440 yards

The Best

When Jack Nicklaus arrived at Augusta National for the 50^th Masters in 1986, no one gave him any chance of winning. Nicklaus was 46-years old and past his prime, but he was able to roll back the years. And then on No. 17 he rolled in the putt.

Nicklaus found himself locked in a dogfight with Greg Norman, Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros and Tom Kite to start the back-9. But he separated himself from Norman and Langer with a birdie at No. 13, an eagle at No. 15 and another birdie at No. 16. Nicklaus’ charge on the back nine was the greatest stretch of competitive golf ever played.

Then on No. 17, tied for the lead with Ballesteros and Kite, Nicklaus sank the most famous putt in Masters history.

Staring down a double-breaking 12-foot putt with a train whistle screaming in the background and the opportunity for Nicklaus to grab sole possession of the Masters lead for the first time in 11 years, Jack’s killer instinct took over.

Nicklaus gently stroked his mammoth putter, raised his left arm triumphantly in the air and chased his ball down the hole for birdie. He became a a six-time Masters champion, and the signature moment was Jack’s magical putt on No. 17.

The Worst

Stuart Appleby enjoyed a four-stroke advantage to start the third round of the 71^st Masters in 2007, but on No. 17 the “Eisenhower Tree” issued a high-command resignation of Appleby’s lead.

Appleby pulled his tee shot so far left it flew over the famous pine and into a greenside bunker one fairway over. Applbey then caught his 9 iron thin out of the bunker and dropped it in a stockpile of pine cones.

It took Appleby two more shots to reach the green, and after he three-putt for a very un-presidential triple-bogey, Applbey said, “Stuff like that happens. That’s Augusta.”

No. 18: Holly – Par 4, 465 yards

The Best

Phil Mickelson came into the 68^th Masters needing a major resuscitation. He was an agonizing 0-for-11 in previous Masters appearances. And in 2004, Mickelson’s putt on No. 18 proved to be a real heart-stopper.

A 20-foot birdie putt on No. 18 was the only thing standing between Mickelson and his first Masters championship, but the odds were not in his favor. Only five players in Masters history had birdied the 72^nd hole to win the Green Jacket.

Mickelson’s putt looked like it was going to barely miss left, but it caught a piece of the lip, circled around the hole and dropped in. And Mickelson… well, he hopped.

Maybe the relief of finally winning a major got the best of Mickelson. His jump for joy wasn’t exactly gravity-defying, but it was a Mickelodean moment hard to top in the putt-making celebration category.

The Worst

Arnold Palmer strolled up the fairway during the final round of the 25^th Masters confident in his third green jacket coronation. All Palmer had to do was par No. 18 like he’d done the previous three rounds, but “The King” put his head on a chopping block.

Palmer pushed his approach right into the greenside bunker. Then he skulled his bunker shot across the green and into the gallery. Palmer’s next shot raced 15 feet past the hole, and finally Palmer missed a putt that would have at least forced a playoff.

It was a brutal turn of events for Palmer, who finished one stroke behind Masters champion Gary Player. Palmer would still go on to win two more Green Jackets, but in 1961 “The King” could not escape the guillotine.

Opinion & Analysis

Brandel Chamblee PGA Championship Q&A: Rose’s huge McLaren risk, distracted LIV pros and why Aronimink suits the bombers

Published

1 day ago

May 12, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

PGA Championship week is here, and Brandel Chamblee did not hold back in our latest discussion ahead of the season’s second major.

In our 2026 PGA Championship Q&A, golf’s leading analyst made the case that PIF pulling LIV’s funding has left its players competing in a state of confusion, called Justin Rose’s mid-season equipment switch a huge risk at 45, and explained why Aronimink will be a bombers’ delight this week.

Check out the full Q&A below.

Gianni: With the PIF confirming that they’re pulling funding from LIV at the end of the season, what impact do you expect that to have on the LIV players competing at the PGA Championship?

Brandel: I would imagine that they have all been thrown into a state of confusion, and will be distracted, not knowing where they are going to play next year and not knowing exactly their road back to either the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. Or in Rahm’s case, being tied to a sinking ship for the next few years, likely playing for pennies on the dollar in events that no one cares about or watches.

I doubt this would put him in the best frame of mind to compete at his highest level. Keeping in mind, however, that majors are the only time that LIV disciples get to play in events that matter, so never disregard the motivation they have to prove to the world they are still relevant.

Gianni: Justin Rose switched to McLaren Golf equipment mid-season while playing some of the best golf of his career. What do you make of the change?

Brandel: I don’t really know what to make of Rose switching equipment. It seems a huge risk on his part, even though it is likely, in my opinion, that the clubs he’s playing are similar, if not the exact grinds, to what he was playing previously, with a McLaren stamp on them.

Having said that, at best, it is a distraction when he seemed to be as dialed in with his game as any 45-year-old could be and trending in the majors to perhaps do something that would definitely put him in the Hall of Fame. At worst, given the possibility that these clubs aren’t just duplicates of his old set stamped with McLaren on them, he’s made an equipment change that would take time, and 45-year-old athletes don’t have the time to do such things.

Gianni: Aronimink has only hosted a handful of professional events since it hosted the 1962 PGA Championship. What kind of test does it present, and does a course with less recent major championship history tend to level the playing field?

Brandel: Even though Aronimink has only hosted a handful of meaningful professional events, it has been fairly discerning in who can win there. When Keegan Bradley won the BMW Championship on the Donald Ross masterpiece in 2018, he was the 2nd best iron player on tour coming into that week. When Nick Watney won the AT&T at Aronimink in 2011, he was 2nd in strokes gained total coming into the week.

In 2020, Aronimink hosted the KPMG Championship, and Sei Young Kim won. On the LPGA that year, she was first in greens in regulation, putts per green in regulation, and scoring average on the way to being the LPGA player of the year. And then there is the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player, who eventually became just one of a few players to win the career grand slam on the way to winning 9 majors. It is a formidable test, and if it’s not softened by rain, it will bring out the best in the upper echelons of the game.

Gianni: Is there a specific hole at Aronimink that you think will do the most to decide the winner?

Brandel: The hardest hole at Aronimink in each of the three tour events that have been played there since 2010 has been the long par-3 8th hole, with the par-4 10th being the second hardest, so most of the carnage will happen around the turn, but with the par-5 16th offering opportunities for bold plays and the tough closing holes at 17 and 18, the finish is likely to be frenetic.

Gianni: The PGA Championship has always sat in the shadow of the other majors. What does the ideal PGA Championship look like in your eyes, and what would it take for it to carve out its own identity?

Brandel: The PGA Championship, to whatever degree it suffers from the comparison to the other three majors, is still counted just as much when adding them up at the end of one’s career. Almost 1/3 of Nicklaus’ major wins were the five PGA Championships he won. Walter Hagen won 11 majors, five of which were PGA Championships.

Tiger Woods twice in his career won back-to-back PGA Championships, and those four majors count just as much as the other 11 he won. The PGA may not have the prestige of the other three, but it carries the same weight. Having said that, I preferred the identity that it had as the last major of the year.

Gianni: You nailed your Masters picks. Rory won, Scottie finished solo second, and Morikawa surged to a tie for seventh. Who are your top 3 picks for the PGA Championship and why?

Brandel: I am not a huge fan of majors played on golf courses that have been shorn of most of the trees, although I understand some of the agronomic reasons for doing so and of course the ease with which it allows members to play after errant drives. However, at the highest level, it all but eliminates any strategy off the tee and turns professional golf into an even bigger slugfest. That means that it will likely be a bomber’s delight this week, but fortunately, Scottie Scheffler is long enough to play that game and straight enough to play it better than anyone else.

The major championships give us very few surprises anymore, going back to the beginning of 2012, so the last 57 majors played, the average world rank of the winners has been better than 15th in the world. So look at the highest ranked and longest drivers who are on form coming into the PGA Championship who also have great short games as the surrounds at Aronimink are very challenging. That’s Scottie Scheffler by a mile and then McIlroy and Cameron Young with a far bigger nod towards DeChambeau than I gave him at the Masters.

Club Junkie

A putter that I love and hate – Club Junkie Podcast

Published

5 days ago

May 8, 2026

Brian Knudson

In this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, we dive into one of the most interesting flatstick releases of the year with a full review of the new TaylorMade SYSTM 2 putters. After spending time on the greens, I break down what makes this design stand out, where it performs, and why it has me completely torn between loving it and fighting it. If you are into feel, alignment, and consistency, this is one you will want to hear about.

We also take a look at some of the putters in play on the PGA Tour last week. From familiar favorites to a few surprising setups, there is always something to learn from what the best players in the world are rolling with under pressure.

To wrap things up, I walk through the process of building a set of JP Golf Prime irons paired with Baddazz Gold Series shafts. From component selection to performance goals, this is a deep dive into what goes into creating a unique custom set and why this combo has been so intriguing.

Opinion & Analysis

From 14 handicap to pro: 4 things I’d tell golfers at 50

Published

6 days ago

May 7, 2026

Jaacob Bowden, PGA

This year my 50th birthday. Gosh, where has the time gone?

As a teenager in rural Missouri, some of my junior high and high school years felt interminable. Graduation seemed light years away. But the older I get, the faster life seems to fly by.

I’m also increasingly aware of my mortality. My dad died recently. Earlier this year, a friend and fellow PGA of America professional and I were texting about our next catch-up. The next message I received was news of his unexpected passing at 48. Shortly after, a woman I dated in college succumbed to cancer at 51.

Certainly, one can share perspective at any age. Seniors help freshmen, veterans guide rookies. But reaching this milestone feels like as good a time as any to do one of those “what would I tell my younger self?” articles.

I’ve had a uniquely varied career in golf. I started as a 27-year-old, average-length-hitting, 14-handicap computer engineer and somehow managed to turn pro before running out of money, constantly bootstrapping my way forward. I’ve won qualifiers and set venue records in the World Long Drive Championships, finished fifth at the Speedgolf World Championships, coached all skill levels as a PGA of America professional, built industry-leading swing speed training programs for Swing Man Golf, helped advance the single-length iron market with Sterling Irons®, caddied on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and played about 300 courses across 32 countries.

It’s been a ride, and I’ve gone both deep and wide.

So while I can consult and advise from a lot of angles, let me keep it to a few things I’d tell the average golfer who wants to improve.

1. Think About What You Want

Everyone has their own reason for picking up a golf club.

Oddly, as a professional athlete, I’m not internally driven by competition. That can be challenging, as the industry currently prioritizes and incentivizes competition over the love of the game.

For me, I love walking and being outdoors. Nature helps balance my energy. I prefer courses that are integrated into the natural beauty of their surroundings. I’m comfortable practicing alone. I’m a deep thinker, and I genuinely enjoy investigating the game, using data and intuition to unearth unique, often innovative insights. I’m fortunate to be strong and athletic, so I appreciate the chance to engage with my abilities. Traveling feels adventurous. I could go on.

You don’t have to overthink it like I do. For you, it might be as simple as hitting balls to escape work, hanging out with friends, and playing loosely with the rules and the score.

The point is to give yourself permission to play for your own reasons, and let that be enough.

But if improvement is your goal, thinking about your destination—and when you want to get there—is important, because it dictates the steps you need to take. When I set out to go from a 14-handicap to the PGA TOUR as quickly as possible, the steps I needed were very different from those of a working golfer trying to break 90 in six months. That’s also different from someone who just wants a few peaceful hours outside each week, away from work or family.

None of these goals are better than the others, but each requires a different plan that you can work backward from.

2. There Are Lots of Things That Can Work

One of the challenges of golf is that, although there are rules for playing, there aren’t clear, industry-wide standards for how to best play the game. There’s a lot of gray area.

You might hear a top coach or trainer insist that a certain move is the best way to swing or train. Then you dig a bit deeper and, much to your confusion and frustration, another respected coach or trainer says something completely different. I don’t think anyone is trying to confuse you—at least I hope not. It’s just where the industry is right now.

You have to be careful with advice from tournament pros, too. They might be great at scoring, but they’re also human and sometimes just as susceptible as amateurs to believing things that don’t really move the needle. Tour players might describe what they feel, but that’s not always what they’re actually doing when assessed with technology.

I recently ran a test on my YouTube channel (which connects to my GolfWRX article “How to use your hands in the golf swing for power and accuracy”), and, interestingly, two of the most commonly taught hand actions produced the worst results in the test.

Coaches can certainly help. If you find someone you connect with to help navigate, that’s great. But there are many ways to get the ball in the hole. In the current landscape, you may need to seek multiple opinions, think critically, and use your own intuition to discern what seems true and whose advice resonates with you.

I’d recommend seeking someone who is open-minded and always learning, because things constantly change. Absolutes like “correct” or “proper” should raise a red flag. AI can be useful, but it tends to confidently repeat popular advice, so proceed with caution.

3. Get Custom Fit

If you’re serious about becoming a better player, getting custom fit is hugely important. There’s no sense fighting your equipment if you don’t have to. Most better players get fit these days and, if they don’t, they’re usually skilled enough to work around clubs that aren’t ideal.

If you plan to play for a long time, it’s worth spending a little more upfront to get something that truly fits you and your game, rather than continually buying and discarding equipment.

Equipment rules haven’t really changed significantly since the early 2000s. To stay in business, manufacturers keep pushing those limits. If you pull a bunch of clubs and balls off the rack and test them, you’ll find differences. I’ve tested two new drivers and seen a 30-yard total distance gap. Usually, the issue isn’t bad equipment; it’s that the combination of components simply isn’t the best fit.

It’s like wearing a new pair of floppy clown shoes. Sure, they’re shoes—but you won’t sprint your best in them compared to track shoes that fit perfectly.

Be wary of what’s called custom fitting, too. Sometimes the term is used as a marketing strategy rather than an actual fitting. In some retail settings, fitters may be incentivized to steer you toward higher-priced components. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s not the best fit, but you should be aware of potential biases.

I learned a version of this lesson outside of golf. Years ago, I bought a tennis racquet at a big box store from a seemingly knowledgeable employee who thought it would suit me best. The racquet gave me tennis elbow, and I spent months recovering with rest and acupuncture. The next season, I invested more time and money to find what actually fit me, and I walked away with something amazing that I still play with years later.

So if you’re going to get fit, be smart about it.

Find someone you believe has deep knowledge—possibly with certifications, but not necessarily. Make sure there’s a wide inventory across many brands. Check recent reviews for the individual fitter if possible. Make sure you trust that the fitter has your best interests at heart. If they’re wearing a hat or shirt with a specific brand’s logo, proceed with caution. Unless you specifically want a certain brand or look, be wary of upsells, especially if two options perform nearly the same.

Also, while golf is called a sport of integrity, there’s a thread of manipulation in the industry. I once drafted an equipment article for an industry magazine, structured just like one of their previous popular stories, with matching word count and great photos. The assistant editor loved it; it was useful to readers and required little work on his part. But the editor-in-chief nixed the story. When I asked why, I was told it was because I wasn’t an advertiser. It turned out the article I’d modeled mine after was a paid ad cleverly disguised as editorial content.

I really dislike games, clickbait, and fear-based manipulation. I hope this changes, but golfers deserve to know it exists.

4. Distance and Strategy Matter

There’s a real relationship between how far you hit the ball and your scoring average, even at the PGA TOUR level.

I experienced this early in my pro career. I started as a power hitter, swinging in the high 120s and breaking 200 mph ball speed with a stock driver.

Back then, some instructors advised swinging at 80%, so I tried slowing down for more accuracy. That worked fine on shorter, tighter courses. But on longer setups, I was coming into greens with too much club, and par 5s stopped being