Novices have long looked to the professional tour as the gold standard of how the game should be played. From swing mechanics to course techniques and even the clubs in their bag, if the best in the world are doing it, it should be copied.
While you can learn a lot from what the pros do, Cameron McCormick, GOLF Top 100 instructor, says you can learn a lot from what they do. don’t do it do.
In a recent Instagram post, McCormick revealed that there are three images he often watches rookies try during their rounds that you rarely see players play in competition.
McCormick said the reason experts avoid certain guns is simple: They’re dangerous. When millions of dollars are on the line, their job is to minimize risk and play a shot at finding the best opportunities. Newbies, however, tend to choose the brighter option because they are more focused on proving they can do it than understanding what the situation requires.
“Pros don’t play the highlight reel, they play the percentages — and you should, too,” McCormick said.
Below are three shots McCormick said the pros rarely hit – and shots you should play instead.
A short sided flop shot
If you find yourself on the short side near the green, it may be tempting to try to pull a high, soft shot over the green. But McCormick says the shot tour is rarely chosen by professionals.
“Professionals almost never use this shot because it introduces so much variability in potential outcomes,” McCormick said, “They’ll only hit that shot when they have to.”
Rather than risk hitting a short-sided shot and sending the ball over the green — or worse, dropping it a few yards in front of you — McCormick says many tour pros opt for a safer, slower-running shot.
“They will just go with the bump and run, using the bank [of the green] to lower the quality of football,” he said.
The warrior fired
We all know this type of shot — you see a gap in the trees, try to cut the corner or take a lot of club from a tricky lie. Basically, if a gun needs a close kill just to have a chance, it’s a hero shot.
The good choose the way to save.
“[As a tour pro] “I’m going to try to hit two shots to get to the green and rely on my short game to get it up,” McCormick said.
Playing it safe allows them to lean on their short game – the strength of many pros – while avoiding the controversy that follows a failed hero shot attempt.
“Do it the hard way, rather than double it,” McCormick said.
The perfect wedge
According to McCormick, professionals avoid full wedges because they are difficult to control.
“[Hitting a full-swing wedge] it introduces the possibility that they’ll miss the distance they’re taking, and they may create a lot of turbidity – a greenback,” says McCormick.
“What they do well, is that they retreat from their limit; they will go to their next wedge, which is much higher,” he continued. “And they learn a clock system where they can control distance, launch angle and rate of rotation.”
The clock system is a repeatable method that builds experience and consistency. And if you’re good as a pro, these short, controlled curves allow you to tailor each shot to specific lies, distance and conditions, reducing risk and increasing control.”
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