Golf is like a big game of outdoor chess. It
doesn’t take long to learn the basics, but
it can take a lifetime to master the strategy
of playing the game.
The primary key of good golf strategy is to develop
a one-shot-at-a-time attitude. Always keep in
mind where the next shot should be played from
but never how the next shot will be played. The
aim is to ensure that you do not get swamped or
overwhelmed by what is going on around you.
Outcome orientation or focusing on the result,
what other people think, etc., should be avoided
at all costs.
The most effective way to play is called procedure
orientation in which you focus only on the procedure
of playing the shot at hand. This philosophy enables
you to focus on the job at hand and shut out any
and all irrelevancies. Concentration is maximized,
allowing you to call on all aspects of your practice
to assist in the situation at hand. A one-shot-at-a-time
approach gives you permission to forgive yourself
for any previous poor shots, wrong judgment and
even simple bad luck.
THE TRAFFIC-LIGHT STRATEGY
One way of assessing your upcoming shot is to
visualize each shot as fitting into one of three
categories — red light (danger), yellow
light (caution) or green light (safe).
RED-LIGHT SHOTS
A red-light shot is the shot to play when you
have absolutely no other option. Running a red
light is very dangerous. You might get through
and get to work on time without incident, but
sooner or later you will get caught or worse.
A red-light shot is a desperation shot. It is
played when you have your back against the wall.
There is no margin for error. You may consider
a red-light shot if you need to get back into
the match. For example, you may need to hit the
ball over water and against a strong wind in order
to land on the green.
The downside of red-light shots is that the
penalty (what happens to your score if you don’t
manage to pull off the shot) most often is a double
bogey or worse.
YELLOW-LIGHT SHOTS
With a yellow-light shot, the element of risk
involved in the shot is less than it was for a
red-light shot. You would be looking to produce
a yellow-light shot when things are going fairly
well, your confidence is up and you have the chance
to make birdie or eagle with some aggressive play.
An example would be if the pin were on the front
left of the green just over a bunker. If you shoot
straight for the pin and clear the trap, a short
birdie putt is the result. If you fall short in
the bunker, you can still get up and down and
salvage par. If the shot fails, this yellow-light
shot should not penalize you more than a bogey
at worst.
GREEN-LIGHT SHOTS
These shots are the safest and most conservative
shots to play. A green-light shot gives you the
biggest margin of error to the left, right, long
and short of the target. You hit the ball in the
middle of the fairway or the middle of the green.
There is no real risk involved in your play.
The downside with this shot is that there is
little chance of making birdies. Many tour pros
play green-light golf for the first few holes
to set up a foundation of a good score. It requires
discipline to fire away from the pin to the middle
of the green. It is important to always pick a
definite target and hit a positive shot at it.
Many golfers fall into the trap of steering the
ball when they try to play conservative golf.
Within the overall philosophy of a one-shot-at-a-time
attitude, you can elect to play a safe shot/game
or engage in an attacking shot/game. The decision
is yours. Your approach may change depending on
your confidence, the setup of the course and your
particular game plan. My philosophy is to work
toward a blend of conservative and attacking golf
and be able to manage the decision-making between
the two. The key is that you are the one who decides
the shot you will play.
