We've all hit so-so shots around the green, then plopped down a second ball and hit that one absolutely perfect. The reason you play your second ball so well is the power of hindsight — you know how the ball and clubface will react given the lie, how far the ball will fly, how soft or firm it will land, and how far it will roll. That information, coupled with a fresh understanding and feel for the shot, makes it much easier to hit a second shot from the same place with better results.
You can take advantage of this second-shot effect by previewing your shots around the green. Before each shot, make a realistic practice swing (same stance, same club, same lie, etc.). As you make this preview shot, imagine what the ball will do. If you like what your mind's eye sees, step to your ball and play the shot with the same swing. If you don't like what you imagine, make another practice swing, and keep doing so until you see and feel a preview of the exact shot you wish to hit. An added benefit to the preview swing is that you'll know the perfect ball position based on your preview swing divot.
Proof! The second-shot effect is real
• To verify the power of the second-shot effect, I asked a foursome of young Tour professionals to play a "special" round one day after the group shot a best-ball 67 from the back tees at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.
• During the "special" round, each golfer played as he normally would, then hit a second ball from the same lie. The key to this experiment was that the second ball counted as their score every time — they didn't get to choose. There was no pressure on the first shot; it was just for learning purposes. There was normal pressure on the second shot, because it counted.
• Under these conditions, the foursome carded a best-ball 61, and their own personal scores improved by an average of 3 shots. The second-shot effect is real — harness its power and you'll post better scores.
Short-game success starts with club selection
PICTURE THIS: You're faced with a shot to a pin 50 feet away. You have no bunker to carry, a clean fairway lie and lots of green to work with — a pretty easy shot. You could use almost any club in your bag. So which one should you reach for?
The truth is, there is no single answer. But there is a best way for each golfer, and you need to learn which way is best for you.
The question is not which shot ends up closer on average, but which shot leads to more one-putts. That's a crucial distinction that many golfers don't recognize. When your shots end up within 3 feet of the hole, you'll one-putt almost all of them. When they end up 4 to 9 feet from the hole, you'll miss about half, and from more than 10 feet, you'll two-putt the vast majority of them.
Here's the drill: Find out which club, shot and swing technique leaves you more putts inside 3 feet. For any given shot around the green, hit five shots one way, then five another, and repeat this three times. After 20 shots each way, count how many putts you left inside 3 feet. Then you'll know which technique is better for the way you play.
For information on Dave Pelz, his three-day Scoring Game Schools, one-day Clinics and products, log on to pelzgolf.com or call 888-DAVE-PELZ.
