Page 15 - Livin on the Wedge/May

Within the broad approach-shot Distance errors play a bigger

category, shots that start 100 to 200 role than direction errors. Solid
yards from the hole contribute the ball-first contact is a key to

most to scoring differences. Shots in improving these shots.

the 100- to 150-yard range are more Clubbing-up is another

important for weekend players, while solution.
shots in the 150- to 200-yard category

arre big for the pros.
a
A 90-golfer's shot pattern on
a 150-yard shot from a tee box
Skeptical? Well, consider the results is different. It's a more circular

of shots that start 150 yards from the shape, about as long as it is

hole in the fairway. A 90-shooter hits wide, so distance and direction
the green only 35 percent of the time. errors are nearly equally

Half of that player's shots finish important.

more than 59 feet from the

hole—that's two and a half times
The 90-shooter's shot pattern
f on a typical 150-yard par-3 hole
farthearther than a Tour pro's shots.
is much tighter than the pattern

We can learn more by looking at a created by the same golfer
90-shooter's shot pattern starting hitting from the same distance

from 150 yards out in the fairway. in the fairway. Two factors

You might expect this pattern to be contribute to this: Golfers are
circular and centered around the b
betteetter at club selection from the
hole, but it's not. The pattern is tee than they are from the

oblong and 50 percent longer than it fairway, and they benefit from

i using a tee. So always tee it up
is wide, and its centes wide, and its center point falls
about 13 yards short of the hole. on par 3s.

(Continued on next page...)
That means 90-shooters leave these

approach shots about one club short

of the hole.