Instruction
Three steps to better golf with no practice
Let’s talk about three simple things you can do to help get the season started on the right foot.
Play to the yardage to the back of the green, not the middle.
This means that when you have a shot to a green and it’s 150 yards to the middle of the green and it’s 165 to the back edge, I want you to play to the 165 yardage, not 150. How often does your shot finish some amount short of the hole? A lot, right?
Almost 90 percent of all golf shots I see (full swing, chip, putt, etc) all finish short of the hole. How many times do you hit a shot that goes over the green that you hit well and didn’t skull? It’s very rare, agreed?
There are a lot of things stacked against you that cause you to hit it short:
- Bad contact
- Wrong club
- Bad strategy
For most golfers, hitting a ball over a green RARELY happens. So do us all a favor and when your ball comes to rest at the 150-yard marker, find out how far it is to the back of the green. If you don’t know how far it is to the back, it is generally safe to add 10 to 15 yards to the yardage you have to the middle. This gives you much more room for error if you mishit a shot or choose the wrong club in the first place. Trust me on this one.
Focus on speed control with putting
Speed control is the most important factor in putting. While reading the greens well and starting your ball on your intended line is important, speed is king — especially at the start of the year.
The two things I want you to focus on to attain this (outside of hours and hours of practice) is to:
- Make sure you hit some long-distance putts on the putting green before you go out and play.
- When you are taking your practice strokes while playing, make sure you are looking at the hole or the spot by the hole where you’re aiming. If you were going to toss a ball to someone, would you be looking at that person or your hand/ball while getting ready to throw?
Aim for the center of the green
This one is simple. Unless you are shooting par or better every time you are playing, you will be better off aiming for the middle of the greens rather than shooting for flags on the left or right side of the green. The percentages and stats on this one are very clear. Anything 100 yards and out, aim for the middle. Trust me.
That’s three very simple things that can help you play better golf WITHOUT practicing! No excuses!
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Don
Apr 28, 2015 at 3:30 am
I found all the advice to be sound and sensible. As an aging golfer the consistency of the ball strike is slowly diminishing.
The idea of playing longer than the pin is so sensible. I know when I’m not on my game I take more club than I need… and the majority of the time it finishes on or close to the yardage.
After 40 years of golf as an A grader… its great advice… I know I don’t play like a pro… I just work on managing my way around the course.
James
Apr 27, 2015 at 2:31 pm
I know I’m a little late to the responding party, but I wanted to tell you Eric that this was a great article and read for me. Once in a while (and some people more than others) we all become expert critics in golf and/or all other aspects of life in general. If we only look for what is negative or what is wrong, we only find the negative and what is wrong, rather than seeing the value and positive side of the situation.
I agree with all three steps you have laid out, knowing/assuming that there are situations where selecting the club for the exact yardage or aiming at the pin is the go to play, and your three steps to better golf are great statistical measures for everyone playing better and I appreciate that.
Think about if you are a sports gambler betting on a game that is listed as a pick’em, even though 1 team is clearly the heavy favorite every time and is likely to win 80% of the time. Clearly, you would pick that favorite every time, knowing that if you bet every time and the same amount each time, you’ll win 80% of the time.
Whoa, I apologize to everyone for this philosophical comment… I don’t really know where that all came from….long story short, great article Eric.
MarkNado
Apr 25, 2015 at 9:51 am
Everyone is missing the point of rule 1
Just like 90 percent of golfers slice
90 percent constantly come up short
I watch a lot of ppl play in front of me and if this was done a little more then gir would go up….
But I will say this doesn’t apply to players that score well cuz their miss is left or right not so much long and short or should I say short and short
Eric Cogorno
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:29 pm
Agreed. Certainly, there are situations when you wouldn’t want to miss long. If you are a good ball striker and don’t miss short often…which is a very small percentage of golfers..than perhaps this doesn’t apply to you as much. But if every single golf shot hit this year was played to the back edge, overall handicaps would come down.
Eric Cogorno
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Agreed. Certain situations where you wouldn’t want to be long, but for the masses the stats are clear. More greens would be hit..scores would lower.
For players who are good ball strikers and can control their distance really well, perhaps #1 wouldn’t apply to you as much..
Eric Cogorno
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:38 pm
Yes, agreed. The statistics are very clear. If every single golfer in the world played to the back edge, there would be more GIR hit..
Sideshow Rob
Apr 24, 2015 at 3:46 pm
Number 1 is bad, bad advise. The other 2 are good.
If you want to visit the ugliest places on any golf course, just go long. As a bonus, on the off chance you actually have a shot, you will have a downhill chip or pitch. That’s the fastest way to make a double off a well struck shot that I can think of. This might work on the local muni but if you play a better course you better learn to pick your spots for being aggressive.
Eric Cogorno
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:37 pm
I still believe when aiming for the back edge, very very few people would actually go long…
AussieDanB
Apr 24, 2015 at 3:02 pm
I think the article has some validity, however the 1st point – whilst I get the basic logic behind the concept, we are having to assume that the player hits a lot of heavy shots as his or her mishits. Playing off a 0 handicap, I get asked by fellow club players how can they improve their general game, I always respond with- learn how far you hit your shorter irons- most golfers playing 18+ handicaps will be hitting a lot of 3rd shots from under 100yards and the sooner they can learn how to control them clubs the better the chances they will have at making the odd par and easy bogeys. Secondly, I’d always suggest learn to play to the middle of the green? The average green is 30/35yards in depth so if you can hit the middle you should never really have more than 40foot putts assuming the worst case scenario of a very front or back pin. The best miss the average golfer can make is the middle of the green, hitting short/long/left/right only means they then have to chip or pitch, not usually the strong point of higher markers.
Eric Cogorno
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:40 pm
Yup. The logic behind it is to have a game plan where your absolute best shot would reach the back edge..leaving room for anything less than perfect still on the green and putting..
Andy
Apr 24, 2015 at 12:24 pm
All of these are great suggestions, but step 1 makes a lot of sense especially for par 3’s. I feel that most trouble on par 3’s is towards the front of the holes.
Eric Cogorno
Apr 27, 2015 at 12:40 pm
People who design courses know most people miss short…so they put trouble there 🙂
setter02
Apr 24, 2015 at 7:54 am
1. You’ll likely have an easier putt if short of the pin, not hole high or past. No different then a ball short of the green, but chipping up hill. How many players can really roll the putts well down hill, let alone see how much more break needs to be played?
2. With so many poor putting techniques and a lack of green reading skills, this one is always going to be tough unless you put the time in.
3. About 95% of all golfers are just hoping to ‘hit the green’, let alone try for a specific area of the green. So they are already aiming for the big green thing, let alone the middle, which would be firing to a certain area of the green in which they are only hoping to get onto, any part of…
Phil
Apr 24, 2015 at 3:12 am
I tried the hit to the back of the green tip last night, when our course was playing hard and fast. It doesn’t work. I was having to drop the ball on the front to get it to stop before the back because the course is so firm and dry. If you play on a hilly, firm course like myself then its useless the majority of the time. It just leaves you a lot of downhill putts!
michael p
Apr 23, 2015 at 11:56 pm
You know its interesting that many professional golfers tell amateurs the same thing about hitting one more club and swing smoothly. Instead of hitting your 150 yard club or wedge at full speed it actually works! I have tried to use that theory because I would rather hit one more club and swing in good tempo rather than trying to force a club that I might have hit it that yardage on a good day and not make it there. Putting it has been always about speed the line is fine but the speed is the most important part of the equation. Finally the center of the green is the best option especially when they tuck the pins. I hit a draw and I generally aim at the flag when its tucked on the right hand side and let the ball go to the center of the green. If the pin is tucked on the left I am at the right side of the green or edge and let the ball naturally go left to the center. Unless I make a mistake and over cook the draw to a hook. Its about minimizing your mistakes and having the best chance to make par and maybe even a birdie but mostly taking double bogey out of the equation and at worst making a bogey.
Double Mocha Man
Apr 23, 2015 at 11:12 pm
Pretty good stuff for the average golfer. Though I’d say aim for 10 yards beyond the pin, after determining just exactly where on the green the pin is located. And a bonus for going long, based on the article claiming our chip and pitch shots tend to be short, is that over the green generally will give you a downhill slope that will help you not miss short coming back.
snowman
Apr 23, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Yep; all are very good pointers. #1: Your playing partners may think you are a short hitter with the irons, but you’ll be pin high a lot more often (only ignore this advice if there is a hazard over the green). #2 Unless you are below a five handicap, you’re gonna have lots of long putts. Focus your putting practice on lags(you hit the green but not ‘stiff”, or you played a mediocre/poor pitch.chip) and 5 foot and in (you hit a mediocre lag or a decent chip/pitch).
#3. Absolutely forget the flag unless you have a PW or less in your hands. What will guarantee you will lower your handicap? GIR! Your main objective is to get your ball on the green – anywhere on the green will do.
acemandrake
Apr 23, 2015 at 5:47 pm
1. Correct
2. Correct
3. Correct
All three suggestions are grounded in reality and can make the game easier. Too many of us have unrealistic expectations and make the game more difficult. Play to your abilities and help yourself with these wise strategies.
Liam B
Apr 23, 2015 at 4:40 pm
I have to say I do not agree with tip number one at all here Eric. I think that step should be more like “learn where to miss your next shot”.
For one thing, each hole will be different. I would never tell someone to play the yardage of the back of the green when the flag is short, water or bunkers are behind the green or the wind is going with your shot.
The second reason I do not like this is BECAUSE you may end up with a better shot when you DO NOT make solid contact or play the wrong club ect. This could train the mind to think that it is okay to hit bad shots and over a long term make your ball striking ability progressively worse because you are now thinking about hitting a so-so shot to hit the middle of the green.
Learning where to miss your next shot in my opinion will actually strengthen your course management far more. I agree that players should play to the middle or safe side of the green but I think they should also consider where would be the best place to miss if they were going to and what would be the worst place. With that in mind you can pick your target, how you want to shape the ball to that target (if you have the ability that is) and execute knowing that even if you do not hit the shot you intended to you have a far better chance of being in a position to recover then you did if you hit it somewhere else.
sgniwder99
Apr 23, 2015 at 8:58 pm
If you think that the front side of the green is where you should play to miss your next shot when the pin is on the front (“I would never tell someone to play the yardage of the back of the green when the flag is short”), then Eric’s post is for you.
Golfraven
Apr 23, 2015 at 7:14 am
Cheers. Some very good advise I will take to the course playing. I see how this can improve scoring over time.