Mastering the Smart Golf Approach

Are you aggressive or conservative on the golf course? Do you go for it all the time or do you tend to lay up in certain situations? If you don't know what type of player you are-and the advantages and disadvantages that come with that type of play-you should find out. Otherwise, you're missing a golden opportunity to cut strokes from your golf handicap.
A key to cutting down your golf handicap is knowing what type of player you are and how to adapt that type of play to different courses. It's called playing smart golf. Often, the type of person you are-aggressive or conservative-determines the type of player you are. If you're aggressive in business or in life, you'll probably be aggressive on the golf course. If you're conservative in business and life, you'll probably be conservative on the course.
But that's not always the case. So before you can start thinking about adapting your style of play to a course, you must first determine what type of golfer you are. Unfortunately, taking golf lessons or reading golf tips can't tell you. The best way of doing it is by playing.
Finding The Right Strategy
To determine the type of player you are, alternate playing aggressively and conservatively on each nine holes the next time you play a round. In other words play aggressively on the front nine and conservatively on the back nine. Or, vice versus. Do this for a few rounds and see how you do. The results will give you a feel for the type of player you are. It will also give you a feel for the types of mistakes you're likely to make.
Let's say you're going to play conservatively on the front nine and aggressively on the back nine. Playing conservatively, you hit your driver only if the hole is wide open and the rough is short or moderately long. You play for the fat part of every green. And you lay up on par 5's unless you have an 8-iron or less to the green. If you want to be ultra conservative, make that a 9-iron or less.
Next, play the back nine aggressively. Hit your drive on every par 4 and par 5, even if they're narrow and/or have thick rough. Go for every pin regardless of its location and any obstructions in the way. And instead of laying up, go for it on every par 5, regardless of the type of shot you feel comfortable hitting.
Play Several Rounds And Compare
In the next round, play the opposite way. Play aggressively on the front nine then conservatively on the back nine. Play your next six rounds of golf this way. Save your scorecards. Compare them afterwards to see if playing aggressively or conservatively significantly improves your score.
But don't take the results as an indication that you should always play that way. Rather, let the results decide what your general strategic tendencies should be when your not sure how to play a specific hole or course. Keep in mind that there will always be times when you need to play the opposite of how you typically play. Knowing when to play aggressively or conservatively may take you out of your comfort zone, but it can help you cut strokes from your golf handicap.
Another way of conducting this test is to play three or four rounds aggressively. Then play the next three or four rounds conservatively. Again, compare your scorecards and see which type of play works for you. Adapt the type of play as your overall approach to the game. But remember, there will be times when you will need to be aggressive and time when you'll need to be conservative. That's just being smart.
Playing smart golf, as I tell students taking my golf instruction sessions, is never a bad thing. Master the smart golf approach and you'll find yourself cutting strokes from you golf handicap.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately.

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