Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
Golf is more fun when you shoot lower scores. Sure, there’s enjoyment to be had no matter how you play, but there’s a certain level of satisfaction that can only be achieved through posting a low number. It’s as simple as that.
Actually, shooting those lower numbers isn’t always so simple. Whittling your handicap down takes tons of time and dedication — something many weekend warriors just don’t have. But that doesn’t mean your quest for a lower handicap is doomed.
Speaking with the media ahead of the Travelers Championship, Rory McIlroy gave some great advice to any recreational golfer looking to shoot lower scores — and implementing it is easier than you think.
Pros might compete against the best in the world each week, but that doesn’t mean they’re insulated from the plight of the weekend warriors. No, thanks to weekly pro-ams, they get to see tons of swings from high handicappers.
When McIlroy plays in these pro-ams, he’s happy to hand out swing advice or green-reading tips when called up. However, that’s not typically the best way to help his pro-am partners get better.
“I’ll certainly help them to read a green,” he said. “But the last thing they need is more swing thoughts in their head when they’re playing in these pro-ams.”
The real way McIlroy thinks recreational players can get better is simply by playing smarter golf. That doesn’t necessarily mean diving into advanced analytics and dissecting a course the way the pros do. Instead, McIlroy suggests amateurs simply be realistic about the shots they’re attempting.
“I think sometimes it’s just more they try to take shots on or they try to hit a shot that they probably could pull off once or twice out of 10 instead of playing a little bit more percentage,” McIlroy said. “That’s boring, but that’s certainly the most effective way to lower your score.”
If you’re serious about shooting lower scores, heed this advice. If you can eliminate penalty strokes and big numbers, you’ll see your scores drop quickly. And the quickest way to reduce these mistakes is through a smarter strategy.
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