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Why practicing more can actually make you worse

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Congratulations, you’ve finally done it. You’ve committed to getting better at golf, and made the promise to work harder than ever on your game. Or maybe you’re recently retired and have more time on your hands. So off to the course you go, everyday, to bang a tour-size bucket of balls. The problem is, you’re getting worse, not better.

How? The answer is simple. When most golfers hit range balls, they’re often doing little more than ingraining or accentuating swing faults. In order to get better at golf, you must make correct repetitions. “Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect,” Vince Lombardi said.

Think about it: If you have the classic, overly inside takeaway, a slight over-the-top transition, and play a pull-fade, you can still score and play the game with enjoyment if you are a weekend golfer who hardly practices. If you hit 500 balls per day, however, your takeaway will most likely get more inside, and your transition will move more and more over the top. A playable pull-fade becomes a push-slice, or possible a duck-hook. You’ll lose any semblance of ball control, and your score will rise.

So what’s the secret?

Having the time to practice is great, but golfers need a roadmap or plan of action in order to get to the next level. This is where a teaching professional comes into play. Take the time to see an instructor in your area who can audit your entire game. They should look at your long game, short game, putting, and also ask questions about your mental game, course strategy and fitness level. They should also discuss your long-term and short-term goals. Defining your definition of “better” will help you stay focused on improvement, and help your instructor make better decisions about the direction your game needs to go.

From there, you BOTH can lay out a plan of action that allows you to have consistent lessons on every part of the game. They can be as infrequent as once per month, or as frequently as once per week. I also recommend that part of the plan be supervised practice sessions, where the professional keeps a watchful eye on your habits and tendencies. He or she may even be able to get on the course with you to see how you handle its challenges. By watching you play or practice, an instructor can point out when you begin to aim too far right, hunch over, or get too quick in real time — before it becomes a major issue.

Remember, the key to improvement is a plan of action, checkpoints to audit, and working smarter, not harder. Does this describe you? Leave your instruction questions below in the comments section, and I’ll do my best to answer as many as I can.

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.

41 Comments

41 Comments

  1. cgasucks

    May 21, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    It is not how long you practice, it is how. You might be proud of yourself being a range rat for for hours practicing your swing…but all that time is wasted if your swing is always over the top. It doesn’t hurt to experiment when you practice, after all, you might have a revelation if you do.

  2. Barry stevens

    May 19, 2016 at 11:19 pm

    I really think that the normal club coaches charge far too much therefore making having lessons for the majority of average players out of the question.

  3. Steven

    May 17, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    I like the idea, but I both agree and disagree. It is true that more practice can ingrain bad habits. I have no doubt about that. A golfer with certain tendencies will have a limited ceiling of improvement. However, it won’t necessarily exaggerate those habits. Hitting 500 balls may actually cause the bad habits to be more consistent. If they are consistent, then the misses will be consistent. A golfer who knows where the miss will be is in a great position. That golfer may not break par, but their scores will be around the same. I agree a more correct swing is advisable, but consistency can make up for a ton of problems with most amateurs.

  4. Bob

    May 13, 2016 at 7:54 pm

    Gir

  5. Bob

    May 13, 2016 at 7:54 pm

    Gir is king of all! Keep practicing it will come to you.

  6. RG

    May 12, 2016 at 11:23 pm

    Didn’t know you were capable of having a humble opinion…

  7. RG

    May 12, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    If you want to change your swing you need to practice the swing without hitting a ball. The golf ball can lie to you. When swinging without the ball there is no pressure. There is no short cut to breaking 80. Rhythm and tempo are prime. Perfect mechanics without them is dead. Bad mechanics with them and your still playin good.

  8. Pete

    May 12, 2016 at 11:03 pm

    “In order to get better at golf, you must make correct repetitions”, is not actually as a fact true. Also faulty repetitions will make you better in ways, one does not usually aknowledge. They add your library of what not to, and give your subconscious triggers to change things as they happen and react to familiar positions, where you have missed a shot and run a sort of autocorrect in your head.

    There are certain rules of what a good, close to perfect swing is and looks like, yet no-one ever repeats a swing perfectly. Every single swing is different from one, another. Block-practice will get you somewhere in short terms, but variable training is what improves your skills faster and more consistently on long run.

    I think, instead of perfect practice making you better it should be written: “Playfull practice will make you better”, because in variable training your brain will have to work on every single shot as if you were playing on the course. It’s a proven fact, that learning after a block practice is at the level reached in the practice, but will fall in time, but in variable training the process in your brain will continue after the practice session is stopped and you’ll improve even afterwords.

    The wisdom of Chuck Hogan is a key to improve, he said: “I’m learning perfectly, yet everything I learn is not perfect.”

    • Steven

      May 17, 2016 at 1:47 pm

      This is a great comment, and I 100% agree. The new research on interleaving practice (variable practice) shows long term improvement happens by playing simulation games with different clubs, etc. Switch clubs on the range or even in the house without a ball. Switch between full, half, pitch, chip, etc shots each time. Focus goes up and improvement lasts.

  9. Troy

    May 12, 2016 at 2:58 pm

    Yep, I’d agree with this Tom.

    I see at guy at the range nearly every week practicing the same poor swing each time. It doesn’t change and he doesn’t seem to be working on any drills to improve.

    Cheers

  10. Larry

    May 12, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    shank!!!!

    Keep pounding range balls until the desired shot shape is achieved. You will get worse then uptick to you max potential.
    Golf requires nothing but will and desire to be better. It reveals you to yourself. Man up and get better or let (INSERT FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH INSTRUCTOR) tell you this that and the other is wrong with your game.
    There is no quick fix or tip your own game is inside you.
    Instructors see $$ not your game.

    • James

      May 12, 2016 at 4:16 pm

      You have had some poor instructors if that’s your attitude to us

      • Larry

        May 13, 2016 at 9:02 am

        Exactly!! people need to realize only YOU can fix your slice. I am a firm believer in that the hack golfer has ZERO clue as to what task he is about to preform. When you address the ball and have no idea what it is you have to accomplish, the rest is already written.
        Read as much sound scientific theory about the golf swing as you can. Inundated your mind with the right pictures and diagrams of what takes place during that presious 1 sec.
        Once you have a good grasp of what is required to get the ball down the track that is when you can honestly try and dig your inner golfer out of you.

  11. Deryck

    May 12, 2016 at 2:40 pm

    I’m in the camp that believes ball striking is god. Let me put it this way, PGA Tour pros would have bad up and down numbers if they were put in the same positions as your everyday golf hack who blades / slices an iron approach shot off of the fairway that flies 40 yards off of the green. Ball striking helps short game. If on that same approach shot you are a good ball striker and you miss the green, you more than likely will miss the green (as a good ball striker) much closer to the green than the aforementioned hack WHICH equates to an easier shot game shot and a higer percentage to get up on down. Watch any PGA Tour event and the pros when they miss greens don’t miss the greens by that much so their up and downs are far easier than you weekend hack. Of course, you have to have some sort of competence with your short game but to say things like 90% short game / 10% long game practice is ridiculous. You NEED to be fully competent at ball striking.

  12. Rob

    May 12, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    WOW SMH around here….

    Its been said time and time again. Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

    The point of the article was don’t practice all willy-nilly. Practice with a purpose, practice with a goal dont just show-up hit some range balls hit some putts and call it good. Actually work on something and if that means having a coach look at your game and help you move forward so be it.

    • mikee

      May 13, 2016 at 8:49 am

      100% correct…..find an instructor you can relate to who can help….playing lessons IMHO are the best once your handicap is single digit. Course mgmt. strategy, playing from unusual lies etc works best once you have a decent swing.

  13. Erik

    May 12, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    I agree. My time on the range is spent just getting warmed up and getting a feel for what I anticipate the ball will do when I get out on the course. I want to know what the driver will do on the first tee and then I spend most of my time 100 yards and in practicing wedges.

  14. Jnak97

    May 12, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    That being said, I do agree that having a pro help you practice is invaluable.

  15. Jnak97

    May 12, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    All of you people saying that short game practice should be where you spend the majority of your time need to consider the fact that an OB from the tee means you already need to hole out your second shot to make par! If you cannot get the ball on the fairway first whats the point of having a good short game.Practice the things that are making your score go up. For me that is getting it on the fairway an hitting more greens. I can get it up and down a lot because I never neglect the other parts of my game and always spend at least a little time working on them every time i play

    • Tom

      May 12, 2016 at 3:59 pm

      “All of you people saying that short game practice should be where you spend the majority of your time need to consider the fact that an OB from the tee means you already need to hole out your second shot to make par!” Huh….I’m perplexed?

      • Philip

        May 12, 2016 at 4:22 pm

        I think he meant one’s 3rd shot for a 4 with a penalty. Which would have been your second shot if you did not hit OB.

  16. Forsbrand

    May 12, 2016 at 1:39 pm

    Absolutely agree too many people out there “hitting it like a god on the range” and can’t score when they hit the course spend way too much time on the range. I’ve been guilty of this myself

  17. TCJ

    May 12, 2016 at 10:58 am

    So the secret to golf, coming from a golf instructor, is to seek out a golf instructor… genius!

  18. Marty Moose

    May 12, 2016 at 9:14 am

    I’ll usually hit half the bucket like I’m playing a “real” round. Think of a course I know really well, pick targets and hit driver, iron, wedge, etc. The second half of the bucket I use to practice short game, 100 yards and in. Finally, I spend the rest of my practice time putting.

    Never fails to see that person at the range hitting driver after driver. That’s never going to make you a great driver of the ball. I typically hit mine around 5 – 7 times while practicing.

  19. Jordan G

    May 12, 2016 at 9:00 am

    I believe you could spend 10% of your practice time hitting range balls, and the other 90% of your time focusing on short-game and putting, and you will see a drastic improvement in strokes cut off each around. If you can’t get up and down after missing a green, then what’s the point to practicing?

    • Clemson Sucks

      May 12, 2016 at 9:29 am

      Agree with this 100%.

      • Christen_the_sloop

        May 12, 2016 at 9:41 am

        When I have time to practice, I spend the majority of my time working on short game. I watch others (actually very few others practice short game, and most do with a big bucket of balls) hitting the same shot over and over and over. I use no more than three balls and move from place to place. Keeps my focus on sharp. The rest of the people hit ball after ball after ball at the range. Short game is everything. If you can get it in the hole you can be a lot more aggressive off the tee.

      • chad

        May 12, 2016 at 10:38 am

        Unless your short game is one of your strengths. If you really want to improve you have to improve your weaknesses. Just saying always practice short game isn’t going to get you far if you can’t hit a fairway

    • TheCityGame

      May 12, 2016 at 9:40 am

      The point of practicing is to miss fewer greens. That’s the point. You’re never going to score if you can’t hit a lot greens. End of story. No matter how good your short game is. No one gets up & down enough to score well if they’re only hitting 5 greens.

      • Jack

        May 12, 2016 at 9:48 am

        It’s easier to improve ur short game than to improve you mid iron game. That’s why people suggest that. You need some talent to be a good enough ball striker to get on the green in one stroke from 150 plus out consistently.

        • TheCityGame

          May 12, 2016 at 10:01 am

          Fine, then just resign yourself to being a guy who can’t get below 85 because it’s tough to improve ball striking, or you need natural talent, or whatever other excuse people come up with.

          “I have the short game of a single digit player”.

          How many hacks have I heard that from?

          • mikee

            May 13, 2016 at 8:53 am

            Absolutely! Greens in reg is what it’s all about. The most important shot in golf is the approach shot. Need to have the mid irons working well to hit them greens

          • Scott

            May 13, 2016 at 11:58 am

            +1 on the hacks that “supposedly” have a great short game. I think that the golf gods don’t want them, or me, to suffer any longer. Funny, I seldom (or not with any consistency) see those hacks with great short games get up and down to save par when given the chance

      • Scott

        May 13, 2016 at 11:53 am

        @TheCityGame +1
        No one practices their short game correctly and most do not have the skill to have a great short game. If players would track their stats, they would see that their best rounds correlate a the higher number of GIR.
        However, having confidence in your ability “on the course” vs. “at the range” is the only way most people will experience better shots.

    • TCJ

      May 12, 2016 at 10:55 am

      +1

    • Bob Jones

      May 13, 2016 at 11:28 am

      Getting better at the short game will take you from 95 to 90. If you want to break 80, you need a better swing.

    • realist

      May 28, 2016 at 7:03 pm

      Probably usually how it works out for me, but it seems really hard to find good places to practice 40-80yd shots without going to the range and wasting money hitting to nothing or using a hole at course(usually a no go)… I wish ranges would put better targets(a line with marks would do) at least every 10 yds after the 50yd mark, these shot need to be pretty precise.

  20. Desmond

    May 12, 2016 at 8:34 am

    Practice without feedback leads to zero change, or near zero change — I’ve experienced it. Avoid it.

  21. Alex

    May 12, 2016 at 7:32 am

    Short focused practice is great. And you need to have your swing checked. Yesterday I was at the putting green trying to unsuccessfully fix my putting stroke. My buddy who is a great putter showed up and simply told me “your eyes are not on the ball” and voila! I started making putts again.

    • Tom

      May 12, 2016 at 11:22 am

      Agree. I practice religiously and make a point to have an instructor or single digit friend offer their observation.

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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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Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use have been updated as of January 29th, 2026. Please review the updated policies here Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. By continuing to use our site after January 29th, 2026, you agree to the changes.

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