How Do I Know Which Golf Shot To Hit?

“How do I know which golf shot to hit?”

Pick The Right Golf Shot

I heard this question from one of my players as they were holding a driver in their hand while standing on the 1st tee. He was getting ready to play in a match at his home course against two other rival high schools.

Keep in mind, this player has played this golf course literally a hundred times in qualifying and casual rounds and was struggling with his golf course management by asking “How do I know which shot to hit?”

Well, his driver was broken two days prior to the event. He was “borrowing”someone else’s driver.

Maybe he didn’t think he was swinging the golf club as well as he should be? Maybe, it was the stress of playing in a tournament? What do you think?

In addition, to be fair, this player had only been playing golf for about 2 years and playing competitive golf for only about the past year. Over the past few months, he is shot scores of even par as well as in the low 80s. So… He does have game.

How It Turned Out

As the conversation continued, I asked him “What type of shot do you usually hit here?”

He answered, “The ball was turning both ways while I was on the driving range warming up.”

I probed further. “What is your go-to shot? Is it a draw or a fade.”

Yeah… I got the deer-in-the-headlights look from him. So I then asked him “If you had to hit one shot with a million dollars writing on it would you hit a draw or a fade?”

He quickly answered with “a fade.”

I said “There you go. Are you confident in hitting a fade here?”

He replied “Yes, but not with this driver.”

“What about with 3-wood or hybrid?” I then asked.

His voice changed and said “ I feel confident I can cut a 3-wood into the fairway.”

I responded with “Great!”

We had also been talking in practice about how hitting a golf shot is more like shooting a shotgun and not a rifle. So… I then asked him where he thought a good target would be. He picked a good one.

I then looked him in the eye and said “You can do this.”

He acknowledged me with a nod.

When he was called to the teeing ground, he placed his tee between the markers, stood behind the ball to visualize his shot and proceeded to put the ball in the fairway.

Now, I tell you the story because we have all been in the situation. Maybe it’s on the 1st tee or maybe it’s later in the round when you know you need a score, we have all asked ourselves “How do I know which shot to hit?”

Some of you may think that the answer would be different depending on your skill level. However, I’m not so sure that it is. The answer is to hit the shot that you are the most comfortable with in that situation.

A Popular Example

One of the more popular examples of this includes David Toms and Phil Mickelson in the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. On the final hole, David Toms found himself in the rough off the tee and decided to lay up on a par 4 and not go for the green.

Many said this was a very risky decision. However, he felt this was the best way for him to make par on the hole. He laid his ball up from the rough and proceeded to hit his next shot to 15 feet. Of course, he then made the putt for par to win his first major championship.

You may not be playing for major championship but, you can lower your scores by selecting the shot that you are most comfortable with and are able to execute.

Proving A Point

Here’s a golf drill or exercise that I have my team do regularly in practice. Once they complete the hole, I have them drop a ball in the center of the green and putt to the hole location.

I then have them keep track of how many putts it takes them to hole their golf ball from the middle of the green. I have yet to have a player “shoot over par” doing this.

The point of this exercise is to prove that you don’t have to go flag hunting all the time. I’m not sure about you but… I know I’m a lot more comfortable heading to the fat part of the green as I am aiming at a tucked hole location.

Many times when we are trying to decide “How do I know which shot to hit?”, I often see the player hit the shot that they feel like they “should” hit. There is no rule that says that you have to hit driver off of a teeing ground. Especially, if you’re not confident where your driver is going to go.

If you find yourself asking the question “How do I know which shot to hit?” often, look into the benefits The Ball Flight Academy online membership. Click here.

What Other Golfers Are Saying About Brad Myers, PGA...

Excellent
Based on 57 reviews
Joseph Jusko
Joseph Jusko
December 10, 2021.
Before taking lessons from Brad I had a tough time breaking 100 even though I was a 15 handicap two years earlier. I was so frustrated with my game that I almost gave up golf altogether. After just four lessons (and lots of practice) I am striking the ball better than in my entire life!! His calm, measured approach was a perfect match to my personality. There was no magic formula but rather a return to the fundamentals of a solid golf swing which I am building day by day. Golf is fun again! I look forward to continuing my lessons with Brad and becoming the golfer I always dreamed of being.
Michael Gonzales
Michael Gonzales
December 1, 2021.
I have been playing golf for a long time and decided to take a few lessons with Brad. I had not been hitting the ball that well and after just the first lesson with Brad I saw improvement. I played a few days following the first lesson and hit my drives better than I had been for several years. Brad has a way of fine tuning simple things that bring improvement. He is very good at making the adjustments simple and with practice, repeatable. Looking forward to several mor sessions with Brad. Thanks Brad!!!!
Robert Johnson Jr
Robert Johnson Jr
November 27, 2021.
I started taking lessons from Brad back in April. My game was so so. Middle 80s most of the time. After 3 lessons and a lot of time practicing my game is now 78-80. He showed me how to improve my golf swing with confidence!! I would highly recommend Brad for future reference!! Thank you Brad!! Bob "bobbyj" Johnson
Juliana Lima
Juliana Lima
November 22, 2021.
My first experience with Brad was when I signed up for his golf lessons offered through the Suncoast Technical College. I was impressed with his knowledge and excellent teaching skills. After finishing my group lessons I was able to start playing. He helped immensely. I then attended few of his clinics and signed up for private lessons. What a huge difference it made! He helped with some adjustments that improved my overall distance. The biggest difference was the improvement I saw with my drive. I had better distance and accuracy which in turn helped me with my confidence. If you are a beginner or an experienced golfer, I highly recommend Brad.
Barbara Beam
Barbara Beam
November 14, 2021.
I recently had a lesson with Brad and it was time well spent. It was also obvious that he not only knows a lot about golf, he knows just as much about teaching golf. That to me, is of paramount importance if I'm the student! He gave me different ways to practice the skills we worked on and didn't overwhelm me with too many things to remember. Brad is also a really nice guy. I had never met him and was a bit nervous at first. He was kind, encouraging, and quickly made me feel more comfortable. I highly recommend him and won't be taking lessons from anyone else.
Bluewater Gear
Bluewater Gear
November 9, 2021.
I have seen Brad only a few times thus far, and already, he has helped me cut a ton of strokes from my golf game. And just last week, I shot my best round to date. I highly recommend seeing Brad if you wish to improve your golf game.
Justin Phillips
Justin Phillips
November 6, 2021.
If you want to play better golf, go see Brad! Before taking lessons from him, I truly did not understand my swing and specifically what to do when it was off. Last week, I started a round well enough but and at the ninth and tenth hole, I lost my swing. Instead of getting frustrated, I was able to refocus on Brad's had been teaching me and turned my round around and finished strong. Even the guys I was playing with noticed the difference. I have seen great improvement and more enjoyment in my game thanks to Brad. He is a great teacher and coach!
Erik Smith
Erik Smith
November 5, 2021.
I attended Brad’s putting clinic and thoroughly enjoyed it! He was very detailed and concise with his directions and made it easy to understand the drills we were working on. Each drill tested different aspects of the putting stroke that has helped me shave strokes off my game! Brad was great to be around and extremely helpful!
Dan Woldhuis
Dan Woldhuis
October 25, 2021.
Brad is an excellent golf instructor, he helped me understand the basic concepts of the golf swing. Brad gave me drills that I can go back to when my old habits start creeping back into my golf swing. Easy to talk to and made practice enjoyable
Alan Funk
Alan Funk
October 15, 2021.
Brad offered very constructive and useful suggestions in a really concise, simple manner. He was helpful and on point with what I needed to do to hit my driver better.

Learn More About How To Hit Certain Golf Shots...


Although players are always looking for the best putting drills to solve all of their

7 Easy Putting Drills To Lower Your Scores In Your Next Round

Imagine… after only a single putting lesson with your golf coach… you no longer have

Putting Lesson

Ok... You have signed up for a series of lessons. Do you have a plan

Golf Lessons: How To Get The Most Out Of Yours

Golf advice for beginners is EVERYWHERE!Golfers get  "free golf tips" from their friends, family, YouTube,

Golf Advice For Beginners

Online golf classes are becoming more and more popular with many players. Back when the

Online Golf Classes
Brad Myers, PGA
Join Us...

Leave a Reply