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Practice the Nail Drill to improve your swing without thinking about it

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Golfers often forget that they hold a massive amount of instinctive intelligence. They usually interrupt this with their own adult and analytical ways of learning things, breaking down their swings into a million pieces and trying to build them back up again.

What I have found as a golf instructor is that there is a massive amount of free technique in an intention. What do I mean by this? If I were to ask you to change your intention of how you hit the ball, I can often make 10 changes in your technique… without you even thinking about it.

During my years of teaching, I was lucky enough to come across this drill very early on. I have become better at adapting it to different players for a whole host of varying faults. I have also used it to set more golfers on a better path than I can count, and I want to share it with you today.

The Drill

Hold the club up at chest high and flip it so it looks like an axe. Then, imagine there is a big nail in front of you. Without thinking about how to do it, swing back and strike the imaginary nail. Repeat this move a few times being as instinctive as possible.

234Part 2

Place a club on a bucket as shown below. Repeat the same process, imagining the club as your nail. Swing back and keep your intention on the nail. Don’t hit the club of course, but swing the club back and toward the nail as if you were going to hit it.


Screen Shot 2015-06-12 at 12.33.46 PMnail-0181

nail-019-11

Last part

Now, drop it down to ground level. Imagine the nail is through the ball (I actually own a ball with a nail driven through it so people don’t have to visualize it). Flip the club the correct way (with the face facing where you want the ball to start) and repeat the feeling. Your mind will want you to go back to all the analytical thoughts about your swing, but don’t let it. Keep that instinctive focus on the nail.

straight nail dowsized

If driving a nail through the ball was your goal, what would your swing look like?

What this drill can fix and improve

I have seen incredible swing changes with students in the space of one swing, simply by working with this intention. And the best part is they are not thinking about swing changes; the movement is responding to the intention, just like movement is supposed to work in nature.

With this drill, I have seen improvements in:

  • Swing plane
  • Club face control
  • Strike quality
  • The grip
  • Wrist movement
  • Pivot
  • Weight shift
  • Head movement
  • Sequencing

I could make the list longer, but you get the point. Sure, the drill may not be a perfect representation of what goes on in the swings of elite golfers, but it gets pretty close. And it can make years of hard work on your swing fall into place instantly.

The Science

There is a lot of science that supports this drill, too, from the areas of your brain you are using when doing the drill to the actual performance you get on the range and the golf course. There is a lot of motor learning research supporting the benefits of what we call external foci, a focus on something external to your body, like a nail as opposed to internal foci such as arm movement, shoulder movement, etc.

It is also great to get overly analytical people to simplify their mindset. Being overly analytical myself, it has certainly benefited me as well.

Consistency

The No. 1 goal of golfers is to achieve consistency on the course, and this drill will help you get on that path. Not only does it influence mechanical consistency (I have never seen someone take the axe back wildly off-plane, but it allows a player to play and learn with one singular thought that can stay the same from day to day).

This is opposed to how most golfers think, varying thoughts from swing to swing, and it removes the uncertainty about how much of a swing though or feeling golfers need to apply on a particular swing or day.

I know a lot of advanced readers on GolfWRX may balk at the simplicity of this idea, but I urge you to try this drill before you dismiss it. I’ve found that golfers who know a lot about the golf swing may actually benefit more from this drill than anyone.

Editor’s Note: Adam discusses these principles and much more in his book, “The Practice Manual: The Ultimate Guide for Golfers,” which is available on Amazon.

Adam is a golf coach and author of the bestselling book, "The Practice Manual: The Ultimate Guide for Golfers." He currently teaches at Twin Lakes in Santa Barbara, California. Adam has spent many years researching motor learning theory, technique, psychology and skill acquisition. He aims to combine this knowledge he has acquired in order to improve the way golf is learned and potential is achieved. Adam's website is www.adamyounggolf.com Visit his website www.adamyounggolf.com for more information on how to take your game to the next level with the latest research.

42 Comments

42 Comments

  1. jim

    Jul 8, 2015 at 4:22 pm

    This is great golf drill that i’ve used for years, i also built a nice dog house with this drill.

  2. Zak

    Jun 15, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Without reading all the comments, Shawn Clement uses this analogy a lot. It helps and in some cases, greatly simplifies a swing into one thought. It’s a very useful way to use and understand the weight of the clubhead.

  3. John Grossi

    Jun 14, 2015 at 5:55 pm

    Adam, thanks for this article. After reading it, I realized I focus on internal foci. Some major swing changes this winter and spring left my swing out of sequence. I hit a lot of range balls, concentrating on things like “get the hands over the right shoulder on my backswing”, or a balancing thought, all internal foci. I took this external drill to the range this morning and played 9 holes this afternoon with it. I firmly believe it is the real deal. A friend of mine uses Hogan’s thought of the basketball bounce pass on his shots, and he is an excellent player. I believe this would be external foci also. thanks again.

  4. The lowdown

    Jun 14, 2015 at 11:39 am

    Strong grip, keep the club face facing the ball till the shaft is parallel to the ground, take the club up, butt of grip points just inside the ball, drop the arms, hit the inside of the golf ball, try to have impact position look like the hands at address (limit face rotation), 1 o’clock divot for right hand
    YOUR WELCOME

    • Dan Nichele

      Jul 1, 2015 at 4:26 am

      Have Your hands going towards the ball on the through swing not straight down. This gives you more room through impact. You’re welcome.

  5. Andy

    Jun 14, 2015 at 12:28 am

    Good stuff Adam, thanks for sharing this.

  6. Gary Gutful

    Jun 13, 2015 at 5:08 pm

    So many rude comments from absolute muppets.

    Here’s a drill for you – take your bladed 5 iron and stick it up your backside you smug gits.

    • Scott

      Jun 13, 2015 at 5:36 pm

      Now, now lil’ Gary, don’t get all upset and start crying like a baby because you think somebody said something rude. Go tell your mommy that you need a hug and some soft, kind words whispered in your tender ear. That’ll make you feel a lot better. A diaper change will probably help too. Okay lil’ fellow?

      • Gary Gutful

        Jun 13, 2015 at 9:39 pm

        I’d love to but unfortunately I can’t. My mother died after someone who tried this drill hit a stray nail between her eyes. Unfortunately when the ambulance arrived everyone spent more time arguing about who invented the drill instead of sending her to hospital. Tragic really but being the upstanding gentleman that you are I am sure you wouldn’t have meant any harm by bringing it up. Have a lovely day, tough guy.

  7. Christosterone

    Jun 13, 2015 at 10:12 am

    I have a solution…swing with a reverse c…Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Vijay and Colin Montgomerie come to mind as swingers whose head stayed down and back and this causes the body to do a very similar, repeatable series of athletic moves….their reverse c swings allowed them to rise to elite levels of greatness…
    I am 41 and my back has never suffered even though I copy as best I can every single move of Monty. I have spent years emulating him…
    As a side note, it’s nice to see another Monty acolyte, Robert Streb on tour…the reverse c is making a comeback.

  8. Steve Wozeniak

    Jun 13, 2015 at 9:38 am

    Good drill, but you should have the face square on ALL of the scenarios……any good hitter in any sport will do this……

    Steve Wozeniak PGA

    http://www.stevewozeniak.com

  9. Rich

    Jun 13, 2015 at 6:53 am

    Thank you for your article. If you are working with a student who badly comes over the top,other than the drill described above, what have you found to be the most effective, concept, focus, drill, or thought to produce an inside-out path? Also, what conceptual errors seem to be the root cause of this problem? My own view is that it stems from the “hit impulse.” It just seems more natural to hit an object (or person) coming to the object by rotating the shoulders first and then coming in at 180 degrees rather than approaching the object on a diagonal line.
    By the way, you’re book is terrific. Please ignore the trolls.

    Rich

    • Adam Young

      Jun 13, 2015 at 8:43 am

      Thank you Rich,
      I will say this, I have never seen someone do the nail drill and come over the top. The normal cause for someone reverting to an over the top move is what we call an ‘attractor state’ in motor learning – basically our subconscious has an ingrained idea of how it wants to hit the ball.

      My value as a coach stems from my ability to bridge the gap between the motion someone makes without a ball and the motion with the ball. This is usually 100% mental.

      My usual port of call with someone who makes the right action without a ball then reverts with a ball is to take the ball away and gradually add it back when the move is successful. We then go through stages progressing all the way from chip shots to full swing, moving up a stage when they maintain the move.

      The easy part is the technique – the hard part is the mental side to creating a new technique

      • Rich

        Jun 13, 2015 at 11:23 am

        Thank you for your reply. I completely agree with your emphasis on the subconscious mind. That ball is the devil, LOL! I swing perfectly on plane with my practice swing away from the ball. The sequence is fine as well. But with the ball…
        Just to clarify,when working with someone who reverts, when you take away the ball do you keep it away for a few swings and then return it for a few swings, or do you actually randomly place the ball down at times or remove it at times *during* the swing?
        By the way, I’m currently taking a series of lessons with a gentleman who knows you and thinks highly of you. Can you be reached via PM on this site, as I’m not comfortable with putting names out here on a public forum?

  10. MHendon

    Jun 12, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    Any drill that encourages your naturally athleticism is ok by me. To many people try and turn the golf swing into a science and seem to forget, golf is actually a sport.

    • Steve

      Jun 12, 2015 at 10:22 pm

      The sweet science of boxing doesnt apply to you.

  11. Kris

    Jun 12, 2015 at 9:49 pm

    Great stuff Adam – keep it coming!

  12. Clay

    Jun 12, 2015 at 7:48 pm

    Great drill Adam. I had not seen this before so thank you for this article!

  13. Winmac

    Jun 12, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    Thanks for the drill. I used to break my swing into millions. In fact I had 2 stage swings as my buddies called it because I was trying to mimic the perfect swing. After I change my mentality to creating an in out clubhead path, then the swing improves dramatically and eveything else i.e. Weight shifts, postures, swing plane falls in place. So I agree on the external foci method. I’ll try to hit a nail on the ball and see how it goes.

  14. lars

    Jun 12, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    What’s with all the haters on this site?! 59 Shanks??? Seriously??? This is a great drill and I don’t think Adam claimed to be the progenitor of it. Give the dude a break.

    Great drill Adam! I couldn’t agree with you more about shutting down the analytical aspect of the golf swing. We didn’t get analytical when we learned to sign our names, yet our signatures are almost identical every single time. In fact, if you try to copy your signature (i.e. analytical) it is MUCH more difficult. Same goes for any learned motor behavior (E.g. riding a bike, tying shoelaces, brushing teeth, etc). Think about it and it becomes insanely difficult.

    Keep up the good work, and I apologize for all the haters out there.

  15. acemandrake

    Jun 12, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Sounds good. I’m for anything that “de-clutters” my mind.

  16. James

    Jun 12, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Nick Bradley? You mean the guy who almost put Justin Rose in a wheelchair teaching an S-Posture?

    Adam keep up the good work. This particular drill may not be your drill but your teaching and insight is light years beyond others in terms of depth.

    J

    • Adam young

      Jun 12, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      Thank you james.
      Yes, I apologise if it came across that I invented this drill (I was under the assumption that almost all drills are recycled), but I hope this article maybe gives a fresh take / reminds people / introduces people to this way of thinking.

      My main premise behind this article is the idea that technique can self organize around a clear concept, and that external foci fit in with the science.

      Glad you enjoyed

      • John

        Jun 13, 2015 at 7:25 am

        “External foci”

        BINGO!! I read somewhere that they tested 3000 chronic over the top slicers and divided them into 3 groups. First group was taught to focus on swinging the clubhead out to the right approx at “1:00” through impact….External Foci

        Second group was told to focus on keeping their right shoulder/upper body back and more behind them along with footwork…Internal Foci.

        And the third group was where the students tried both methods as they so wished…Control Group.

        The results were astonishing…the external foci group had a HUGE improvement in their club path and plane…the external group…barely measurable. After a few months times, they measured the student’s swings again and the external foci group actually were able to maintain their improved path though the ball…the other two groups basically showed no improvement.

        External thoughts are IMO 300% more effective than internal thoughts…of foci.

        Great article…I use something similar for teaching my students. The good ole Melhorn Grasswhip….and a SNAG snapper.

  17. David

    Jun 12, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    Mr. Young – Would you please stop copying other golf teacher/instructor/coach’s training material without giving them credit, and claiming it to be your original ideas? That’s a question…

    • Adam Young

      Jun 12, 2015 at 3:33 pm

      Hi David,

      Yes, I know I am not the first to do this idea – as I stated in the article, I picked it up early on in my teaching at the academy I worked at. And I am sure the guys I learned it from picked it up from others.

      So, I will credit the guys at Cranfield Golf Academy – not sure who passed it down to them.

      We all stand on the shoulders of giants in this industry.

    • Adam Young

      Jun 12, 2015 at 3:36 pm

      Sorry, David, I just rechecked the article and I do say “During my years of teaching, I was lucky enough to come across this drill very early on. ”

      I don’t think I ever mentioned inventing it or it being my original idea. However, the presentation and pictures are my own

      • Steve

        Jun 12, 2015 at 5:57 pm

        FYI saying “During my years of teaching, I was lucky enough to come across this drill very early on. ” is not giving credit to anyone. You are coming across like a bulls***er. Especially when I read your bio. Author of best selling book? By who’s standard? Didnt see it on the new york times best seller list.

        • QB

          Jun 12, 2015 at 6:39 pm

          Here we go with “Steve” again, your about as obnoxious as they get.

    • Terry Alverson

      Jun 12, 2015 at 5:26 pm

      David: I had to go back and read the introduction and at no time does Adam claim this is his drill. He specifically says he “come across this drill very early on.” Reality is if you can think it someone else has most likely already thought it.

    • Winmac

      Jun 12, 2015 at 6:38 pm

      Steve, what’s with the rage man?. Never in his article had he mentioned the drill was his. And his intention is just to declutter the swing thoughts and hopefully it works on you. He’s not selling books here. You, on another hand had not contributed anything. So, why don’t you err go hit a few hundreds more?

      • QB

        Jun 12, 2015 at 6:47 pm

        Lol rage….right? And that’s what he was accusing me of last week for no apparent reason. I guess what goes around comes around! Funny stuff.

        • Steve

          Jun 12, 2015 at 7:18 pm

          Didnt know, your the roids guy. Thanks fo following.

          • QB

            Jun 14, 2015 at 10:00 pm

            And your the idiot that nobody cares for.

            • QB

              Jun 14, 2015 at 10:10 pm

              Its too bad your jealous of my knowledge and good luck with the bad attitude I’m sure everybody avoids you because of it.

              • Steve

                Jun 15, 2015 at 9:33 am

                The roids have to be rotting your brain. Or i am so in your head, that you comment and 10 minutes later have to comment again. Either way thanks for folowing me around the site like my little pet.
                RAGE ON

                • QB

                  Jun 16, 2015 at 3:10 pm

                  Follow you around the site lol, yeah I read articles and check out the comments and you think I’m following you around the site. You really are full of yourself. A bad attitude about everything and full of yourself, man you got a lot going for you lol good luck with that buddy.

        • Steve

          Jun 16, 2015 at 4:03 pm

          This coming from a guy that posted 5 times here and not once about the topic. Just reponses to my post. So yeah you do follow me around when all you do is repond to me, my pet. Jealous of your knowledge? You havent shown any, since you dont post about the topic. RAGE ON, my little stalker pet

  18. Steve

    Jun 12, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    “In one of his books”

  19. Steve

    Jun 12, 2015 at 2:09 pm

    Didnt Nick Bradley have something like this in ne f his books?

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Instruction

How to play your best golf when the temperature drops

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The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.

“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.

If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.

Understand What Cold Does to Your Game

Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.

Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.

Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.

Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing

Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.

Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.

Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.

Take More Club Than You Think You Need

This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.

The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.

Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.

Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens

Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.

Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.

Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.

Embrace the Mental Challenge

Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”

That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.

Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.

Warm Up Longer and Smarter

This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.

Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.

The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.

 

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 “Playing Through  now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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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3 lessons from Brooks Koepka that’ll actually lower your score

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Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.

What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.

So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.

Stop Overthinking Every Shot

Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.

This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.

How to actually do this:

On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.

Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.

If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.

This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.

Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)

Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.

Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:

Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.

Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.

Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.

Save Your Best for When It Counts

Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.

How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.

Here’s what actually works:

Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.

Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.

Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.

The Bottom Line

Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.

You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.

Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.

 

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 “Playing Through  now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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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What we can learn from Blades Brown’s impressive American Express performance

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Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.

Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.

Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee

Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.

Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.

Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.

The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.

Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens

This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.

How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.

Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.

Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.

When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.

Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient

Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.

He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.

Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.

Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.

Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.

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  now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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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