Amateurs have long looked to tour pros as the gold standard for how the game should be played. From swing mechanics to course strategy and even the clubs in their bag, if the best in the world do it, it must be worth copying.
While you can pick up a lot from what the pros do, Cameron McCormick, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, says that you can learn just as much from what they don’t do.
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In a recent Instagram post, McCormick revealed there are three shots he routinely watches amateurs attempt during their rounds that you’ll rarely see pros execute in a tournament.
McCormick said the reason pros avoid specific shots is simple: They are risky. When millions of dollars are on the line, their job is to mitigate risk and play the shot with the best odds. Amateurs, however, often choose the flashier option because they are more focused on proving they can execute it than on understanding what the situation calls for.
“Pros aren’t playing for the highlight reel, they’re playing percentages — and you should, too,” McCormick said.
Below are the three shots McCormick said pros rarely hit — and the shots you should play instead.
The short-sided flop shot
When you find yourself short sided around the green, it can be tempting to try landing a high, soft shot up on the green. But McCormick says it’s a shot tour pros seldom select.
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“Pros almost never use this shot because it introduces so much volatility in potential of outcome,” McCormick says, “They’ll only hit that shot when absolutely forced to.”
Rather than risk mis-hitting a short-sided flop shot and sending the ball sailing over the green — or worse, chunking it a few yards in front of you — McCormick says most tour pros opt for a safe, low-running shot.
“They’re going to go with a simple bump and run, using the bank [of the green] to slow the ball down,” he says.
The hero shot
We’re all familiar with this type of shot — you spot a gap in the trees, try to cut a corner or take too much club from an already tricky lie. Essentially, if the shot demands near-perfect execution just to have a chance, it’s a hero shot.
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Pros prefer the conservative approach.
“[As a tour pro] I’m going to try and take two shots to get to the green and rely on my short game to get it up and down,” McCormick says.
Playing it safe puts them in position to lean on their short game — a strength for most pros — while avoiding the scramble that follows a failed attempt at the hero shot.
“Make par the hard way, rather than make a double,” McCormick says.
The full swing wedge
According to McCormick, pros avoid full-swing wedges because they’re difficult to control.
“[Hitting a full-swing wedge] introduces the chance they’re going to miss their carry distance, and they potentially could create too much spin — saucing it back off the green,” McCormick says.
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“What pros do, is they defer down in their wedge; they’ll go to their next, lowest lofted wedge,” he continues. “And they learn a clock system to where they can control distance, launch angle and spin rate.”
The clock system is a repeatable method that builds feel and consistency. And when you’re as good as the pros, these short, controlled swings allow you to tailor each wedge shot to the specific lie, distance and conditions, which reduces risk and maximizes control.”
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