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Should you hit a long iron, hybrid or 5 wood from this lie?

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For as long as I’ve been playing the game, I have always struggled hitting shots from the rough from about 200 yards or so. Either I just wasn’t strong enough to drive the club through the grass, my technique was faulty or I used the incorrect club a majority of the time. Whatever the reason, I can tell you that if you’re smart, you won’t have to fight the same battle I did because of the improvements to fairway woods and the advent of hybrids.

Fairway woods and hybrids have gotten so good, in fact, that I was inspired to use my Trackman so I could measure how a long iron, hybrid, and fairway wood of the same loft would perform from similar lies in the rough. As golfers know, it’s almost impossible to exactly duplicate the exact lie each time, but I’m hopeful that since our rough is consistent here at Vidanta the results will hold true.

For this test, I hit several shots with a 3 iron, 3 hybrid, and 5 wood from the lie, or something very similar to the lie pictured above. Also, each club was set to 19 degrees so we can compare apples to apples as best as possible.

3 Iron (TaylorMade RSi TP, 19 degrees)

StickneyRoughTest3i

Click to enlarge.

I’ve been using a hybrid in place of my 3 iron for years, and I forgot just how difficult it is to hit a 3 iron from lies in thick Bermuda grass. As you can see, my average carry with the club was only 151.1 yards, with a high of 164.1 yards and a low of 137.3 yards. These results show just how hard it is to make consistent contact with a long iron out of the rough.

With an average spin rate of 1586 rpm, an average height of 45.7 feet, and an average landing angle of 27.5 degrees, the ball was knuckling and landed low and hot. I’m just glad that I was NOT trying to carry this ball over a water hazard. The dispersion wasn’t too bad, but what good is hitting it straight if it doesn’t even reach the putting surface?

Hybrid (TaylorMade R15, 19 degrees)

StickneyRoughTest3H

Click to enlarge.

The hybrid jumped out of the same lies with ease and was much easier to hit than a 3 iron. My average carry went up to 186.5 yards — 35.4 yards longer compared to the 3 iron. Even my worst shot with the hybrid (176.2 yards) was 12 yards longer than my best shot with the 3 iron.

With the hybrid, my spin, height, and landing angle all went up dramatically, as well giving my shots a drastically better chance to stop on the green. While my average shot with the hybrid was farther offline, it was a matter of a few feet, which I’ll trade for 30+ yards any day.

5 Wood (TaylorMade SLDR, 19 degrees)

StickneyRoughTest5W

Click to enlarge.

The 5 wood got the ball out of the rough almost as easily as the hybrid did, but there was a feeling that I could not “get down to it” as easily as I could with the hybrid. Carry distance was around 192 yards, with a high of 204 yards and a low of 173.5 yards.

Overall, the 5 wood went a touch farther than the hybrid, but only by 6 yards. The average miss, however, was 27.5 feet with the worst shot being almost 90 feet left of the target. Shots with the 5 wood also launched with less spin than I prefer, but they had enough height and a steep enough landing angle to stop on the green — just not as fast as the hybrid.

Long iron, hybrid, and fairway wood comparison

StickneyRoughTestCompare

Click to enlarge.

In conclusion, avoid hitting long irons out of the deep rough, as they simply can not match the performance of hybrids and fairway woods from similar lies. In my experience a golfer’s best bet is usually a hybrid, as it will go almost as far as a similar lofted fairway wood, except much straighter.

Fairway woods do tend to go farther, however, so if you keep finding yourself in a position where you need to hit a big ball to reach the green in regulation or make an eagle, a fairway wood may be your best bet.

Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at tomstickneygolf@gmail.com and he welcomes any questions you may have.

48 Comments

48 Comments

  1. Scott

    Nov 5, 2015 at 5:05 pm

    Thanks Tom. I have actually changed out all of my woods for hybrids (15 degree, 19 degree, and 24 degree) I may have lost a bit of distance, but I have gained in versatility.

  2. tonks

    Nov 5, 2015 at 7:14 am

    Peter Alliss wrote in his book Golf Master Classes `If the lie is none too frightening, your fairway woods should be much more effective than a 4 or 5 iron. Woods push through the grass , rather than cutting through as an iron does. This means there is far more chance of preventing the club head twisting. A club with a small head is better and something between a 4 and 7 wood can be ideal.` I used to use a small head 5 wood (real wood!) that out performed any other club in this situation. Unfortunately time has got the better of it and I am thinking about looking for a replacement. The area of the face is smaller and the bottom of the club if a `U` rather than the modern flat bottom.

  3. Bob Pegram

    Nov 4, 2015 at 5:36 pm

    Much of the choice depends on how you swing and how strong your hands are. If you have strong enough hands to keep the face square through the rough and high enough swing speed to get the club through the grass and make a solid hit, use the 5 wood as long as that is your 200-220 club. The rough will sometimes reduce total distance. Experience tells you how much it will be reduced.
    For somebody with less hand strength or lower club head speed, use a more lofted club to just get the ball out and toward the green.

  4. Rich

    Oct 31, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    It would depend which direction the hole was going. If my direction of play was to the left, I might take something longer because there is much less grass right behind the ball. If it is to the right, it would be take my medicine, wedge it out and move on.

  5. Rick

    Oct 30, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    Lie looks like a flyer since my average 5iron goes 184 yd Arccos determined and longest 206 I play it back in my stance to get a more descending arc

  6. CD

    Oct 30, 2015 at 4:54 am

    Anyone else look at it and think ‘7 iron’?

    • Mat

      Oct 30, 2015 at 12:57 pm

      Yes!

    • SirBigSpur

      Oct 30, 2015 at 4:48 pm

      From 200 yds out??

    • IceMan

      Oct 31, 2015 at 3:46 pm

      Yes, my first thought was 7 iron. If it is buried in the rough, my first thought is not always “how can I get this on the green”, but “what is my safest option of getting this out of this grunge, still advance it forward pretty well, and be down there far enough to try and get up and down for par”. That up and down might be attempted from 50 yards out, but to me, that is better than hitting a wood or hybrid possibly 50 yards right or left if it comes out squirrelly or I make a bad swing leaving me in the heavy rough again, or if I catch it fat and only advance it 50 yards, still leaving me 150y out. Sometimes its best to take your medicine and use more loft to get it out and forward, try to get up and down from the fairway, and take the big number out of play….

    • ABgolfer2

      Oct 31, 2015 at 6:54 pm

      Yup.

  7. birly-shirly

    Oct 29, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    I’m pretty sure that from a decent lie I’ll hit hybrid or fw to a more consistent carry distance, but I’ll hit the equivalent iron straighter. That much seems consistent with the results here. However on balance, I think the offline shots are more damaging to my score and so I tend to stick with the irons. I’m not under any illusions though about hitting them from poor lies in the rough – from there I’ll take my medicine.

  8. Joe

    Oct 29, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    Very predictable results. Mass is the obviously answer.

    • Mat

      Oct 30, 2015 at 12:59 pm

      The three iron head has more mass than any hollow head…

    • IceMan

      Oct 31, 2015 at 3:49 pm

      If more mass is the predictable answer, why did the author conclude hybrid was the best option? The 5 wood has more mass than hybrid….. Just sayin…

  9. Joe

    Oct 29, 2015 at 7:06 pm

    The outcome of this test was very easy to predict. Obviously the 3 iron would be more effected by the rough, it has less mass and the hosel will be more affected. The hybrid as more mass than the 3 iron but less than the 5 wood.
    I like hybrids but replaced mine with the newer designed Callaway FW, because they are easier to hit from the FW or rough. The reason is that the woods have a rail on the bottom and it will glide through the rough and has more mass.
    Some of us that are older gents may the Ginty of the 70s and 80s. This wood had a massive iron wedge concave on the bottom. Nothing, and I mean nothing ever has been as easy to hit out of the rough.

  10. Joe

    Oct 29, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    A wedge, take your medicine, and try to one-putt your par.

    • COGolfer

      Oct 29, 2015 at 9:08 pm

      Can’t agree more. Trying to muscle a hybrid out of deep rough is far too unpredictable.

      • SirBigSpur

        Oct 30, 2015 at 4:52 pm

        Totally depends on what hazards are in front of you. In general though, distance beats everything (as pointed out statistically in “Every Shot Counts”). I’d rather be left with a 30-40yrd pitch from deep rough than a 150yd iron from the fairway. Your chances of hitting the green and being close to the flag are substantially higher from 30yds as opposed to 150, regardless of lie.

  11. Lou

    Oct 29, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Something seems off here to me. Maybe I am missing something. If you have a 3 iron and a 3 hybrid both of the same 19 degrees and shaft length, they should go the same distance no matter what shot you hit, correct? This is assuming you make the same contact, i.e. in perfect conditions (from the fairway) both clubs should go the exact same distance. I am I misstating that?

    If the 3H and 3i are indeed the same, then this test only shows that the user is not using the clubs properly or has a mental block about the 3i. Contact at the same angle should yield the same results assuming the shaft length and type are the same. Simple physics.

    So were you digging the 3i into the ground and trying to take a divit or was there something else going on with the swing and point of contact?
    I agree it is probably easier to hit the 3H but the difference in distance shouldn’t be there.

    • ScubaSteve85

      Oct 31, 2015 at 4:03 pm

      A 3 Rescue has much more perimeter and back weighting than a 3 Iron. The metal wood design and thinner face also creates much faster ball speeds…..simple physics

    • steve

      Nov 17, 2015 at 11:04 am

      Sorry, but did you even read the article? It clearly states the author is testing the three clubs out of seriously deep rough, not a perfect lie. So it’s not about his swing, it’s a comparison of how the different head/club designs interacts with long Bermuda grass

      • Lou

        Dec 17, 2015 at 4:43 pm

        @ ScubaSteve, I tried to keep it simple but maybe went too simple. Weighting is different from mass. I was trying to make the point that if the mass on the end of the stick were the same for each club, the ball should go relatively the same distance. I think what has happened here is that I assumed that the 3h and 3i are equal clubs in terms of mass when they really are not. The bottom line is that he has 3 different clubs and might as well have used any 3 clubs. The fact that they are all 19 degrees is moot due to (as you pointed out) the weighting and mass are different between them all.
        @Steve, yes I read the article, did you read my response? My point was that in any situation (i.e. from the rough or fairway) he is going to hit the 3h farther than the 3i so what is the purpose of this test? He might as well have tested a 3i, 5i, and 7i to see which goes furthest.

  12. mhendon

    Oct 29, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    Hybrids are awesome from any lie but especially less than perfect lies. I know many of the purest on here will claim long irons are more accurate but that depends on the type of hybrid you carry. There are wood based hybrids and there are iron based hybrids. I carry a 20 degree Adams A12 and 22 degree pro black both of which are iron based, especially the pro black and would put them up against the 2 and 3 irons I used them to replace any day even from a perfect lie.

  13. Peter

    Oct 29, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    I am wondering whether there is a “transition” point at which the edge switches back over to irons. Seems to me that the 3 iron/5 wood/ 3 hybrid question is somewhat easy or intuitive but I’d really start wondering what works best when you get down to a 5 iron or even 6 iron.

  14. Christestrogen

    Oct 29, 2015 at 3:03 pm

    This is Golfwrx….everyone on here hits 8 irons 200 yards…
    Just ask them.

    • mhendon

      Oct 29, 2015 at 6:14 pm

      I only hit mine 160

    • other paul

      Oct 30, 2015 at 2:57 am

      180

    • Christestrogen

      Oct 30, 2015 at 10:04 am

      143.75

    • ScubaSteve85

      Oct 31, 2015 at 4:06 pm

      They must all play in the mountains or something or just have some need to try and impress people. Stock 8 iron from the fairway is about 150 for me and 155 off the tee.

      • ABgolfer2

        Oct 31, 2015 at 6:58 pm

        So, longer than average, but not “bull****” long. ????

    • So close to the green

      Sep 6, 2020 at 11:58 am

      Right! That’s on every golf message board. 200 yard 8 irons. 100 yard lob wedges.

  15. ca1879

    Oct 29, 2015 at 2:52 pm

    Tom – surely the type of hybrid has a bearing on this decision too. Fairway like hybrids don’t get through the rough as well as the more compact ones, at least in my experience.

  16. Mat

    Oct 29, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    There is something odd about this. If you hit it out of rough, all with a 19º loft, and you assume that the club lengths are the same, you should get a roughly equal result. The slight problem that I have is the discussion between the 5-wood and hybrid… there’d be 6 yards of length difference anyhow, so that’s not really the point. The point is he’s suggesting the 5-wood is less accurate.

    What would help us wrxers is finding out what makes a 5-wood less accurate, and what makes a 3-iron *that* much shorter in Bermuda grass.

    Also, it sure would have been nice to know what fairway numbers would look like on those same conditions. How much yardage was lost? Additionally, the severe lack of spin on the 3-iron might be a reason, but the 3-iron was very consistent in its apex – the two others were wildly different. One was so far off, he might have crowned it.

    Ugh… my mind hurts with these small sample sizes…

  17. Philip

    Oct 29, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    Sorry Tom, but the real answer to your question is – I don’t know, because the picture does not show the entire situation. I cannot tell what I am hitting into, is the ball above or below my feet, any trees nearby, etc. I had an identical lie last month and the correct club was indeed a low iron as I could not get into trouble if I hit it poorly – a hybrid though – would have created a double bogey easily based on the placement of traps and rough around the green, trees by my ball, and the cliff behind the green. However, on a flat lie with a receptive green design I will pull my hybrid 9/10 times, but I am rarely in such simple situations.

    • Jafar

      Oct 29, 2015 at 2:22 pm

      omg Philip I’m glad you were here to post such useful information.

      Trees… can’t forget about trees.

      • Mat

        Oct 29, 2015 at 2:26 pm

        Yep. If he’d done something he didn’t do, he’d have definitely done it worse. Because golf.

        ¯\_(?)_/¯

      • Philip

        Oct 29, 2015 at 2:59 pm

        More useful than your reply – for sure – but I won’t waste anymore of your time

        • Jafar

          Oct 29, 2015 at 3:43 pm

          You are right, it was rude. So what are you having for dinner tonight? I might eat pizza…

          • Philip

            Oct 29, 2015 at 4:03 pm

            B-52s by the look of it – maybe I should have inverted my comment (I thinking of doing it before I posted) – and put that I use my hybrid 9/10 times as it is like a lawn mower in the rough. Then add that unfortunately the application is not so clear in many cases. I appreciate what Tom does as it really helps me understand what I am trying to do and is based tangible data.

  18. Brian k.

    Oct 29, 2015 at 1:07 pm

    Nice. I replaced my 3 & 4 irons with 19 & 22* hybrids. Much easier, more forgiving, more height, better stoppage on greens, etc. I even ditched the 4 wood which was the only fairway wood i played because the 19* hybrid goes just as far when hit well.

  19. Teaj

    Oct 29, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    I went with more of a tweener setup I use two Utility irons the Srixon U45 at 23 and 18 deg I feel like I can get down into the ruff but the added forgiveness keeps any distance loss to a minimum. A lot easier to hit then the iron equivalent thats for sure. this may not be for everyone however as I am already a high ball hitter.

    good write up though, if no one else is interested in getting data from the utility iron I sure would be.

  20. Jafar

    Oct 29, 2015 at 10:55 am

    I’ve been having this debate for several weeks now myself.
    I think I’m gonna keep a hybrid in the bag and put a “driving iron” (Mizuno mp H5) as my 21 degree iron so I have options from the rough but also keep the versatility of a hybrid as my 18 degree club. I threw a fourth wedge outta the bag because I’m more skilled in that area than I am with longer fairway clubs. Plus the driving iron can help me with long par 3’s as well.

    • Geordie B

      Oct 30, 2015 at 5:12 am

      Depending on the course & conditions, I’ll do the same. I’ve got both a 4-iron & 4-hybrid in my bag. Call me odd, but from a less than ideal lie in the rough, I’ll hit the iron. I just feel like I have more control with an iron & can ‘muscle’ it through whatever is there.

  21. Graham

    Oct 29, 2015 at 10:52 am

    Great article. I recently swapped my 3 iron for a 5 wood and because of the wet conditions in the uk have now swapped my 4 iron for a rescue club. The stats kind of back up what I thought but has really added some more confidence. I miss enough fairways so can’t wait for the weekend.

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Instruction

The Wedge Guy: Beating the yips into submission

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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!

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Instruction

Looking for a good golf instructor? Use this checklist

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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!

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Instruction

What Lottie Woad’s stunning debut win teaches every golfer

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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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