While we can never truly know the inner workings of a tournament player’s game, there are certain strategic patterns and fundamentals that professionals—and even elite amateurs—know and follow. Recently, Cameron McCormick, a GOLF Top 100 Teachers and instructor of tour players like Jordan Spieth, shared three important shots that tour pros rely on to navigate tough playing conditions.
While the pros use these key shots, they’re also pretty simple to incorporate into your game—and they could be the ones you’ve been missing.
Keep reading to learn what the three survival shots are and how to start using them during your rounds.
Low car, free way finder
While it’s fun to hit the long ball, accuracy off the tee is often rewarded more than length – but you still don’t want to give up the advantage of hitting your driver off the tee.
That’s why it’s important to have a stock car that you know can find the short grass every time. McCormick explains that pros create more control by dialing back their swing and making a slight adjustment to the setup.
“Pros will slow down a little bit, they’ll lower the tee height, which will help them create a lower launch trajectory, keeping the ball away from the wind,” McCormick says.
To pull your swing back, focus on control rather than just moving slower. A useful workout is to practice at 80–90% effort and gradually increase the speed. Once your control or stamina starts to drop, you’ve found your limit. From there, return to the highest level of effort where you can still produce consistent results.
For tip height, experiment to find what best complements your swing. In the clip above, McCormick squeezes the ball so that the top of the ball is level with the top edge of the driver’s face. Use that as a starting point, then try slightly higher and lower mouse positions to determine which setup helps you create the most consistent contact.
Flying wedge shots
Like many amateur golfers, you may find that your wedge shots inside 100 yards consistently come up short. While there are a number of reasons this can happen, McCormick says a common mistake amateurs make is to try to hit the ball too high on these key shots.
“In trying to hit it high, I introduce the possibility of misexecuting my ball speed too short and therefore leaving it short,” he says.
Instead of launching their wedges high into the air, tournament pros favor a low, flying trajectory.
“Pros will almost always choose to fly their wedges lower because it gives them better control of their carry distance,” says McCormick.
To hit those penetrating, wedged shots, use two keys by GOLF Top 100 Teacher Parker McLachlin, better known as the Short Game Boss. First, position yourself with your weight forward. Then, play the ball slightly in front of the center. This setup encourages a downward angle of attack without getting too steep, helping you produce the low wedge and flying shots that the pros have mastered.
Protect the low side error
When faced with a putt that’s long and winding, McCormick explains that tour pros always advocate for the low miss. They play the maximum possible break so that it only approaches the hole as it crests the hill.
“It almost ensures that the other one is a guaranteed entry,” McCormick says.
Not only does this improve your chances of making the putt, but as McCormick explains, it also requires less speed. Instead of choosing a line that requires an aggressive shot and causes the ball to break away from the hole, you choose a path that allows the putt to track closer and closer to the cup as it loses speed
