Instruction
Yes, watching golf on TV can make you a better golfer
As passionate golfers, we want to watch the best professional golfers play in the biggest tournaments on TV. But don’t you get the feeling sometimes that you’ve wasted the entire weekend on the couch watching golf instead of improving your own game?
Well, that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, you can actually get better at playing golf by simply watching golf on TV. Here are a few things to look for the next time you turn on the tournament coverage during the weekend:
- Professional golfers’ pre-shot routines do not change unless they are way out of their comfort zone.
- Even the leaders hit funky shots and make “simple” mistakes on the back nine.
- Professionals tend to “miss” the ball in the correct place.
- Dial-a-Shot (I’ll explain this one later).
- If you want to be a better player, then you only have to master THREE clubs.
The importance of a pre-shot routine
Now I know each one of you are saying, “I already have a pre-shot routine.” And you’re getting ready to skip this section, but hold on!
Yes, most of you have a few actions that you tend to repeat before you hit the ball, but let’s dig a little deeper into your pre-shot routine. Let me ask you a few questions:
- Do you have a pre-shot routine for decision making behind the ball, or do you just randomly examine each shot?
- Do you have a set way you determine your target and how you approach alignment, or do you just walk up to the ball and begin your physical routine?
- Do you have a set physical routine before you hit the ball, or do you just take a few random swings and go from there?
As you can see, there are multiple routines within your overall routine, and it’s up to you to understand the differences. But I promise one thing, if you watch the professionals on Tour you will see the same exact actions from a particular player over and over, time after time. The only time this will vary is if they are in big trouble and are trying to find the “feel” of the grass or slope, or if they’re figuring out a confusing wind pattern. But 98 percent of the time they approach each shot the same exact way. Do you?
Funky shots don’t necessarily mean disaster
How many times have you watched your buddy play a great front nine, then on No. 11 or 12 hit it down the middle, miss the green with a wedge and make bogey. Then you watch him beat himself up for such a “stupid mistake” and never recover for the rest of the day?
Pay attention to the leaders during a given Saturday or Sunday. At least one time on the back nine they will miss a simple drive, approach shot, etc., but do they let it bother them? Nope. If you remember Jack Nicklaus’ 1986 Masters victory (the last major he ever won), he bogeyed No. 12 from just off the green and then played Nos. 13-18 in 5-under par. Later he said the silly bogey made him focus more. Do you react this way? Did your buddy?
Watch the professionals, as they ALL hit funky shots at inopportune moments, but most of the time they keep their cool enough to recover or at least not let it bother them for the rest of the day. Golf is all about mental and emotional management. So you have a resolve like most of the professionals on Tour?
Where to miss it
Let’s take a very simple green design and see how the professionals would play the hole. Here is the green on hole No. 9 on the Norman Course at Vidanta.
The green is firm, and it’s long and skinny with bunkers short and one long. If a professional had a similar shot with a 6 or 7 iron, where would he tend to try and leave this shot? Where would you?
I can assure you that with a firm green, you would see most professionals who prefer a fade start the ball a touch right of the left bunker and move it back toward the center of the green, thus taking the short and long bunkers out of play. If they prefer a draw, then you’d see a short right miss, if anything, taking the front bunker out of play as well.
How many of you would start the ball just right or left of the pin and work it toward the flag from 150 or so? Most of you, I’d bet. And you’d likely hit it short in the bunker, possibly plugged, or one-hop it in the back bunker; both of are very difficult up and downs. Professionals try to always miss the ball in the “easiest” places so they don’t tax their short games. It’s far easier to get the ball up and down with some green to work with than without.
While watching an event on TV, quiz yourself as to where you would aim on each shot, and where you’d want your ideal miss to end up. Then, note where that particular player ended up missing his shot. The more you play this game with yourself, the better you’ll get at managing the course in your rounds of golf.
Dial-a-shot
This is where you can learn more about how to score from watching TV than you can with your shag bag at the practice area.
The fact is, if you don’t have the shot for a certain situation, or you choose to play the incorrect shot, you have made the shot 10 times harder than it needs to be!
Watch the professionals as they assess how to play a certain short-game shot, and take note of the one they elect to play. The pros you see on TV have several ways to play each shot they encounter, then select from a number of different trajectories, spins, etc. Do you?
You need to develop more weapons in your arsenal around the greens so you’re never stuck hitting a shot that’s not comfortable to you. Take notes of what shots the pros hit around the greens, and try imitating them during your next practice session. Try a new short game shot after each tournament you watch, and your short game prowess will expand like you won’t believe.
Become a three-club master
There once existed a great golf school years ago called “Three Club Golf Schools,” which helped people learn how to hit their driver, wedge and putter. And the professionals you see on TV have also mastered each of these clubs.
When you’re watching an event on TV, pay close attention to how each player swings:
- The driver. Aggressively, yet in control. They don’t guide the ball down the fairway, but rather hit the ball freely even when the fairway is tight or there’s trouble.
- Their wedges. Without apprehension. You don’t see a player nervously decelerate, even while hitting difficult shots off of skinny lies.
- The putter. With confidence and precision. Aside from a few rare cases of the yips, take note of a each player’s putting stroke, mainly his tempo. Practice in the mirror applying the same tempo to your putting stroke.
Remember, you want to be a master at all three, so if you notice a weakness relative to your handicap, you’ve figured out where to spend your time during your next practice session. Don’t forget, you can learn a lot by just watching, and then applying the same approach and confidence of the touring pros into your driving, wedge and putting games.
I hope by now you see that paying attention to HOW professionals play golf and score will give you valuable insight as to how you can lower your handicap. So grab your favorite bag of chips (or broccoli and dip for the fitness-conscious among us), prop your feet up and prepare to watch some golf.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Philip
Mar 5, 2016 at 1:33 pm
Great article! My game started to quickly improve once PGA Tour Live started. Being able to watch an entire round of a player, warts and all, helped me understand that my routine was weak, as well as my course strategy, among other things. The best educational rounds are when they are showing players that are not so hot that week or lower in the standings.
I used to aim for the flag all the time, until I realized that the majority of the time they aim to spots – on the fairway, as well as, around and on the green. Playing some rounds with just an 8i showed me how much course strategy is very much like a chess game – were you should be always setting up your next shot. I also saw how many just hit little pitch and punch shots to the green all day long – especially when the stance is awkward (unlike those at the top of the standings who are on fire). The less the swing the better ones chances of executing the shot. I realized that they sink so many long putts, not just because they practice, but because they know the spots on the greens that funnel the ball to the hole – as such, I started doing that last season and I started sinking long putts again. I learned that a longer putt from certain spots on a green is better than shorter putts from most of the green. Most important – a confident, accelerating swing/stroke will always win out on a timid swing/stroke. Thus one must know their yardages and only execute the shots they believe in at any moment. If you do not believe in your ability to execute the shot required, then execute the shot you have the most confidence in moving the ball closer to the hole – the principle also applies on the green.
Dr Troy
Mar 5, 2016 at 10:52 am
The only thing I will say that you should not learn from watching guys on TV, is pace of play. These guys are fighting for wins, big time money, tour cards, etc etc etc….A LOT of the take their time, back off shots, wait for the green to clear 250+ yards away, etc…I GET IT. They can do that if they need to….Amateurs need not mimic all this, because its completely slowing down play. I see this type of imitation all the time and drives me nuts….Learn from the guys on TV, but please don’t think you have to plumb bob every putt or wait for the green to clear on a par 5, because “I just might get a hold of one”…You probably aren’t, so don’t the rest of us up….Rant over 😉
Double Mocha Man
Mar 6, 2016 at 8:37 pm
0-5 handicap = 1 minute over shot
6-12 handicap = 30 seconds over shot
13 – 36 handicap = Just hit it!
Mbwa Kali Sana
Mar 5, 2016 at 5:35 am
I fully agree with 4 Pillars :you don’t play the same golf as the Pro’s :first and foremost you don’t hit the ball the same distances .even the short game distances are different .You don’t “work ” the ball as they do and better not try ,you’ll foul your game .Hit it straight ,that’s far enough good for you.
I ‘m still 7 handicap at age 81 though I lose distance every year that goes by ,but I play my own game ,not the Pro’s game .As said a famous ancient champion :”Always play the easiest club you can play in a given situation .Always play to where you want to play ypur next shot from ”
Each 10 yards more of distance with your driver equals one point off your handicap :you can’t beat that even with a fabulous short game
Jim
Mar 4, 2016 at 8:13 pm
I almost never watch the tournament but instead watch what players are doing in their swings. Depending on what I’m working on with my own swing I try to study good players swings. And getting to study Scott, Rose, and Ooosheizen is the best. I think it really helps and you can take what you see to the range too.
Miguel T.
Mar 4, 2016 at 5:13 pm
I agree. I actually don’t even pay attention to the tournament in general. I watch what the players are doing. Routine, stance, tempo, etc. Most people just watch for fun and pay attention only when shot is hit. Additionally, I play golf online (WGT), and believe it or not, it has helped me tremendously with course management and mental game.
Double Mocha Man
Mar 6, 2016 at 8:40 pm
Agreed with the WGT. It has helped my game.
Butch
Mar 4, 2016 at 3:20 pm
I nearly always play a better than average round after watching the LPGA tournaments – always gives me better tempo!
Gorden
Mar 4, 2016 at 3:43 am
Why we are not like the pros (I know there are a few out there becoming pros someday and some super quality armatures) Have you ever hit a huge drive right down the middle on the first hole, or dropped one in the hole out of the bunker or hit a 5 iron to within a foot? And do you remember by the next hole how you hit one of those wonderful shots…Well besides having super hand eye coordination touring pros have super ability to remember how and what they do and did… You can hit 300 balls out of the practice sand the day before you play and the first bunker you get in your first question is “How did I do that again” How many years have you played and you still do not understand how the lie of the ball can effect your shot…We have to live with our short comings and like any sport golf leaves us with plenty/
Dave
Mar 3, 2016 at 11:43 pm
4pillars:
Yeah, you can learn nothing about golf watching the best players in the world on television (or in person). Just like you can’t learn anything about writing by reading Shakespeare or insert-another-author. Or a musical instrument by listening to…whatever. You can’t tell what they were thinking, either.
Other Paul
Mar 3, 2016 at 8:53 pm
I read about a study done with kids. Teachers took a bunch of kids and had them watcb great golf swing for some time before a lesson. The kids that watched did better than the kids that didnt watch the swing video.
Ryan k
Mar 3, 2016 at 8:08 pm
Always like your articles. I’m confused on one part of this one, probably in an area I need to work in myself. Number 2 where to miss; could you further explain the thinking behind the draw player? I completely understand the fade player, I think, but can’t understand why the good miss is short right for a draw.
Duncan Castles
Mar 4, 2016 at 3:00 pm
Ryan. Short left is probably in a front bunker. Long left probably in the back bunker. So the percentage shot is to aim right of the flag, with a club that can’t reach the back bunker. If he strikes the ball well it draws from the right onto the green. If he doesn’t catch it properly it stops short of the green and right of the flag, avoiding the front bunker and leaving a relatively easy wedge shot with plenty of green to work with.
blaise
Mar 3, 2016 at 5:17 pm
negate 4pillars comment and really take these notes to heart. one of the easiest ways to get better is by playing (watching) people who are better than you. ask questions and learn either on or off the course. And actually you have a pretty good idea what they are thinking because there are only a few things for them to think about. 1) Yardages (pin, front, middle, back, slopes, bunkers, water) 2) factors (wind, elevation) 3) ideal bail out placement. (away from water hazards).
and listen to the commentators as well, especially Johnny Miller if you are trying to improve your game. he says a lot of things that are going through the Pros mind, some are very obvious (last week when talking about adam scott hitting two balls in the water “if you hit the first one in you definitely don’t want to hit the second one in”) and some are very insightful.
4pillars, its pretty obvious you have absolutely no idea what youre talking about. if you read up on Tom’s bio you can see he is a very respected teacher of the game.
4pillars
Mar 3, 2016 at 5:39 pm
Never said he wasn’t a respected teacher.
I just said. you can’t learn from watching TV.
And if there are only a few things to think about you don’t need to spend hours watching TV.
Which brings me back to my main point. Tom may know what they are thinking about because of your experience.
But an individual watching it doesn’t.
tom stickney
Mar 3, 2016 at 2:19 pm
4pillars…I have played with countless PGA Tour and Web.com Tour Players…I don’t just watch, I ask questions, therefore I have a good idea, as well as, being a tournament player myself.
4pillars
Mar 3, 2016 at 12:18 pm
I normally regard your articles very highly, but cannot with this one.
Firstly in your article you are saying what the Tourplayer is thinking. You have absolutely no way when watching the TV to have any idea of what he is thinking about, whether he has an easy miss area identified.
If you look at tour pros, even if they show the full pre shot routine which is rare they are not that consistent. There is a Youtube of 90 mins showing Jordan and Justin’s round and Jordan is not consistent in his routine. Justin is far more consistent.
Watching doesn’t translate into action
You have no reseach data whatsoever to back up your views
Jafar
Mar 3, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Yah, because this is a peer reviewed research website.
Good for you for taking on all of these non issues with amateur sports writers and columnists.
4pillars
Mar 3, 2016 at 5:59 pm
Tom validates his swing articles with Trackman and 3D motion.
There is no validation.
Even a small before and after test with training and watching the Masters would prove things.