Amateurs have long looked to tournament pros as the gold standard for how the game should be played. From swing mechanics to course strategy and even clubs in their bagif the best in the world do it, it should be worth copying.
While you can get a lot of what the pros do, Cameron McCormickor GOLF Top 100 Teacherssays you can learn as much from it as they do not do.
In a recent Instagram post, McCormick revealed that there are three shots he routinely sees amateurs attempt during their rounds that you’ll rarely see the pros execute in a tournament.
McCormick said the reason pros avoid specific shots is simple: they’re dangerous. When millions of dollars are on the line, their job is to mitigate the risk and play the shot with the best odds. However, amateurs often choose the flashier option because they are more focused on proving they can execute it than understanding what the situation calls for.
“Pros aren’t playing for the main roll, they’re playing percentage — and you should, too,” McCormick said.
Below are the three shots McCormick said the pros rarely hit — and the shots you should play instead.
Short sided knockdown shot
When you find yourself short sided around the green, it can be tempting to try to land a high, soft shot on the green. But McCormick says it’s a tournament rarely chosen by the pros.
“Pros almost never use this shot because it brings so much volatility to the score potential,” McCormick says, “They’ll only hit that shot when they absolutely have to.”
Rather than risk hitting an errant shot from the short side and sending the ball sailing over the green — or worse, chipping it a few feet in front of you — McCormick says most tour pros opt for a safe, low-run shot.
“They’ll go with a simple bump and run, using the bank (of the green) to slow the ball down,” he says.
The hero shot
We’re all familiar with this type of shot—you spot a gap in the tree, try to cut a corner, or take too much punch from an already tricky lie. Basically, if the shot requires near-perfect execution just to have a chance, it’s a heroic shot.
Pros prefer the conservative approach.
“(As a tour pro) I’m going to try to two-putt to get to the fairway and I’m going to rely on my short game to get it up and down,” McCormick says.
Playing it safe puts them in position to lean on their short game—a strength for most pros—while avoiding the crash that follows a botched hero shot attempt.
“Do a level the hard way, instead of doing a double,” says McCormick.
Full motion wedge
According to McCormick, professionals avoid full-motion wedges because they are difficult to control.
“(Hitting a full-swing wedge) presents the possibility that they’re going to lose their carry distance, and they could potentially create a lot of spin — emptying it off the green,” McCormick says.
“What the pros do is they push into the wedge; they’ll go to their next, lower wedge,” he continues. “And they learn a clock system where they can control distance, launch angle and spin speed.”
The clock system is a repeatable method that creates feel and consistency. And when you’re as good as the pros, these short, controlled swings allow you to tailor every wedge shot to the specific lie, distance and conditions, which reduces risk and maximizes control.”
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