Play golf as you would play chess. The best chess players think two—three—four—moves ahead, assessing every possibility and then evaluating the permutations. No one would ever play chess like most weekenders play golf—moving a piece in the general direction of the opponent, and hoping for the best.
Before deciding on a shot, consider every possibility and permutation: “If I hit to location A, what will I have for the next shot?” And, “Will that be a better or worse shot than if I hit to location B?”
Ben Hogan said: “Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf;” and “The most important shot in golf is the next one.”
Billy Casper concurred: “Think ahead. Golf is a next shot game;” and “Play every shot so that the next one is the easiest you can give yourself.”
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This got me in trouble last weekend during our club championship. On the par 5 #3, the fairway narrows to 20 yards at 240, and With driver I often end in or near the creek on the left at the choke point. So since I had hit my 4 wood well and hit the fairway on 1 and the green on the 210 yard #2, I decoded to play 4 wood to hit the 50 yard wide fairway at 220. Ended way left in a bunker, and a 10 for the hole. Taking my normal trouble, a 7 had been my max all year.