We talk a lot about the golf swing here on GOLF.com, and for good reason. It’s super important! But, the best coaches also know that there’s a time and place to make changes to your golf swing, and there’s a time you have to play with what you have. It may not be perfect, but when you’re standing with a golf club in your hands and a green in front of you, you’ve got to make the best of it.
That’s why I enjoyed this handy course management tip from GOLF Top 100 Teacher and GOLFTEC’s VP of Instruction, Nick Clearwater. Best of all, it’s really simple to follow, regardless of your skill level. Here’s how it works, and if you’re looking to get your own game evaluated, you can book a swing evaluation at your local GOLFTEC right here, or below.
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When to aim at the center vs. the pin
More often than not, golfers are better served to simply aim for the middle of the green. Certainly whenever you’re not sure what to do, you can do a lot worse than simply taking an extra club and aiming for the fattest part of the green, regardless of where the pin is.
But if you want to get a little more fancy, Clearwater lays out below the exact yardages you should take aim at the pin, rather than the middle, based on a study of dispersion patterns from GOLFTEC players:
- For those who shoot in the 100s, only aim at the pin if you’re 50 yards away from the pin or closer.
- For those in the 90s, 78 yards is your magic number. Aim away from the pin unless you’re inside 78 yards.
- 80s shooters should be playing towards the middle anytime they’re outside 120 yards.
- 70 shooters (or better) have the most opportunity to go at the green. If they’re inside 172 yards, take dead aim.
Of course, this all goes without saying that every golfer is different, but treat is as a general guideline. And take the lesson within: You should probably aim for the middle of the green a lot more than you currently are.
Watch the full video right here:
