In the world of golf, many enthusiasts have experienced the experience of being precise and powerful in the tranquility of the driving range, as if victory is in hand, and confidently looking forward to the upcoming tournament. However, once you stepped onto the first tee of the court, that calmness and confidence seemed to be blown away by a gust of wind, replaced by a sudden nervousness and uneasiness. This phenomenon of "driving range masters, novices on the field" is actually a common challenge for many amateur golfers.

The skills of the professional golfers are certainly better than those of our average golfers, but the difference between us and them is not only in the skill but also in the strategy. A lot of players are master strategists, and if we want to have the same skills as them and also play good scores, we need to improve not only our skills, but also our on-the-court strategy. 

What is the golf strategy

Golf strategy refers to a set of plans and decisions that golfers take to achieve the best results when participating in a golf tournament. These strategies include an analysis of the game environment, an assessment of individual skills, and an adjustment of mental state. Before playing, familiarize yourself with the layout of the course, including the placement of fairways, greens, bunkers, water hazards and OB piles. Assess the risk of each hole before deciding what strategy to adopt. Golfers should choose the appropriate tee shot based on the width of the fairway and the direction of the dogleg hole to maximize the landing point of the ball and reduce the risk of entering the hazard area. When it comes to club selection, golfers should choose the right club based on distance, wind direction and the position of the ball, so as to have better control over the distance and trajectory of the ball. Weather conditions are also an important factor in the design of the strategy, and golfers should consider the influence of wind direction on the flight of the ball and adjust the angle and strength of the shot accordingly. In addition, on the greens, the player needs to determine the line and strength of the putter based on the grass pattern, slope and speed. Last but not least, it is important to maintain a positive mindset and a healthy body.

How to design a golf strategy

When designing a golf game strategy, you should first identify your strengths and weaknesses, such as tee distance, iron accuracy, putter stability, etc., and analyze your swing data, such as average tee distance, fairway percentage, save rate, etc.

The second is to study the topography of the course and understand the layout of the course, including slopes, fairways, greens, bunkers, water hazards and the location of OB piles. Then, you should set realistic goals based on your skills and the characteristics of the course, such as total strokes and target completion rate. Based on the risk assessment of each hole, it is determined whether to adopt a conservative or offensive strategy, as well as to determine the target for each hole. It is also important to decide in advance about the clubs that may be used for each hole, depending on the distance, wind direction and the position of the ball. In terms of environmental factors, weather conditions such as wind speed and direction, as well as court conditions such as the length and hardness of the grass, are observed.

How professional players design pitch strategies

In the golf strategy design process, the first goal is to determine the end goal – what is the likely number of strokes you want to win? Once you have this information, everything can revolve around that goal for you to reach it as much as possible. If we're playing an official handicap event, you might expect a 6-under-par net score to give you a chance to win the title, so a handicap of 16 should be the goal of a handicap of +10, and you can aim for a 6-under-par finish anytime, if not a handicap. With the winning target score, you can calculate the average number of strokes needed for each round. Take, for example, the Sanderson Farm Championship, which he won with a four-round score of -22. This means that you have a better chance of winning by shooting -5.5 per round. Now that the goal of each round has been set, it is up to the player to decide how to achieve it. Maybe nine birdies and three bogeys per round could win the race, and maybe a consistent round of six birdies without bogeys would have a chance to win. Let's say you're a very solid professional, especially if you're hitting the ball with an iron in the 120-200 yards range. Based on this, it was possible to decide on a more conservative tee shot and green attack strategy that minimized drops and converted the ON putt into birdies as much as possible. 

The next step is to analyze the holes that are challenging or relatively easy. For those difficult holes, you need to work out the best strategy. If you are within a given range of strokes, this should be set on the toughest par 4 to minimize the impact of your goal conceded. And for these tough holes, you should try to withstand the pressure as much as possible and focus on playing every shot you set. What we can do is try to practice as many shots as you can before the game that you're not good at. Simple holes don't always require an overly aggressive style of play. Play to your strengths and choose a strategy that will allow you to score the lowest average score in 10 attempts on a particular hole. Statistically, this method is the best strategy for you to get the best results. If this is your home stadium and you're not sure which strategy is the best, then play five holes with one strategy and five holes with the other, and then calculate the average score of both methods. 

Once you've completed the steps above, it's time to strategize for each hole. It's all about planning each hole backwards and focusing on where the ball falls between the tee and the green, rather than focusing on what club you need to play for each shot. This way your pitch strategy will leave the most controllable space for strategy execution when you are actually playing. The above process and the estimation of the score are mainly influenced by two factors, which are weather conditions and course conditions. If the wind speed increases, the performance can deteriorate rapidly, and this factor can usually be predicted a day or two before the race, allowing for adaptive strategies to be developed. Thicker rough and hard greens are two of the biggest variables on the course, and again, you can start to get a sense of the course 1-2 days before the game, which is something to keep an eye on at the test course. These can be estimated and taken into account.

How to approach golf game strategies for beginners

When a newbie is introduced to the game of golf, they should view the game strategy as a process of learning and improving, not just a means to win. First and foremost, newbies should understand the basic rules and etiquette of golf, which is the foundation for developing an effective game strategy. When the technique is not yet mature, newbies should focus on improving their basic swing, putting, and chipping techniques, rather than overly complex strategies. When it comes to strategy selection, you should avoid trying overly complex or advanced tactics at the outset. Second, novices should learn how to evaluate the risks and rewards of each hole in order to make sound decisions about being conservative or offensive. Taking the time to understand the layout of the course, including the placement of fairways, greens, bunkers, and water hazards is also an important part of a novice design strategy. In addition, staying calm and focused during the game is an important prerequisite for both novice and professional players, so novices should learn to develop good mental qualities. As we all know, physical fitness is the foundation of the game of golf, and beginners should maintain basic physical training or increase the intensity of training. In addition, newbies should maintain a positive attitude and enjoy the process of learning and improving, rather than just focusing on the results. If possible, try to seek guidance from a professional coach as they can provide personalized advice and guidance. In addition, watching professional games and learning the strategies of top golfers is also an important way for novices to quickly learn golf strategies.

Play golf like a touring player

The pros know how far they can hit each club, and they know how far they fly, which is the distance they land. They also know exactly how far each club can hit with a 3/4 swing and a 1/2 swing. Beginners certainly don't have to be that level of finesse, but you should know how far each club hits when you're balanced and in control of your swing. Modern technology can help us know how far we can hit the ball, such as the Toptracer on the driving range, or even the simulator, and you can usually get more accurate numbers. You should keep a record of your distances and keep them in a book. Before you tee off, whether you're playing at home or playing an unfamiliar course for the first time, you need to know what is going on on every hole before you hit it down. You'll need to develop a strategy for each hole based on your own technical characteristics. In fact, it is best to have two strategies for each hole, one is a positive strategy to use when you are in the right shape, or if you need to play a hole, and the other is a conservative strategy to use when you are not in good shape, or when you feel the need to play it safe. Many courses offer a cup position for the day. Although this is important information and is available on the course most of the time, very few golfers use it. In fact, with a good hole cup diagram, you can save a lot of rods. After hitting the ball around the green, many golfers don't have a strategy to deal with it. They pulled out wedges at the same angle and hit the same ball every time. However, the ball with a higher success rate is the one with a low trajectory and multiple rolls. Try using a lower-angled club around the green to roll the ball on the ground and get to the hole faster. Don't make the hole your final destination, but create a two-foot "circle of trust" when putting. Realistically, with a putter 18 feet away, your strategy should be to keep two putts and eliminate the dreaded three putts. When you're facing a putt over the middle to long distance, create a two-foot "circle of trust" so that your hole will look bigger.

Summary

I believe that seeing this, there will definitely be golfers who feel that these are too rational and feel that the passion for sports is useless. But on the contrary, when you're in the game, the mood is never less, and the only thing we lack is that little bit of rationality in our heads. Only by properly planning and rehearsing from big to small before the game can you leave room for your skills to be displayed during the game.

Golf is a challenging sport, but it is also full of wisdom and enjoyment. If you are new to golf, don't be afraid of the challenge and learn more about course strategy to make your golf journey more exciting. Let's rise to the challenge together.