While we may never truly know the inner workings of a tour player’s game, there are a few shots and strategy basics that pros — and even elite amateurs — know and follow. Recently, Cameron McCormick, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and instructor to tour players like Jordan Spieth, shared three crucial shots pros rely on in tournaments to navigate tough playing conditions.
While the pros use these key shots, they’re also simple enough to incorporate into your own game — and they might just be what you’ve been missing.
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Keep reading to learn what the three survival shots are and how to start using them during your rounds.
Low, fairway finder drive
While it’s fun to hit the long bomb, precision off the tee is often rewarded more than length — but you still don’t want to give up the advantage of hitting driver off the tee.
That’s why it’s important to have a stock drive that you know can find the short grass every time. McCormick explains that pros create more control by dialing back their swing and making an easy setup adjustment.
“Pros are going to dial speed down a little bit, they’ll drop the tee height, which will help them create a lower launch trajectory, keeping the ball out of the wind,” McCormick says.
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To dial back your swing, focus on control rather than simply swinging slower. A useful drill is to practice at 80–90% effort and gradually increase your speed. As soon as your control or consistency starts to decline, you’ve found your limit. From there, scale back to the highest level of effort where you can still produce consistent results.
For tee height, experiment to find what best complements your swing. In the clip above, McCormick tees the ball so that the top of the ball is level with the top edge of the driver face. Use that as a starting point, then test slightly higher and lower tee positions to determine which setup helps you make the most consistent contact.
Flighted wedge shots
Like many amateur golfers, you may find that your wedge shots inside 100 yards constantly come up short. While there are a number of reasons this can happen, McCormick says a common mistake amateurs make is trying to hit the ball too high on these key scoring shots.
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“In trying to hit it high, I introduce the chance of mis-executing my ball speed too short and therefore leaving it short,” he says.
Rather than launching their wedges high into the air, tour pros favor a low, flighted trajectory.
“Pros will almost always choose to flight their wedges lower because it gives them better control of their carry distance,” McCormick says.
To hit those penetrating, flighted wedge shots, use two keys from GOLF Top 100 Teacher Parker McLachlin, better known as Short Game Chef. First, set up with your weight forward. Then, play the ball slightly forward of center. This setup encourages a downward angle of attack without getting too steep, helping you produce the low, flighted wedge shots the pros have mastered.
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Protect the low-side miss
When faced with a putt that’s long and winding, McCormick explains that tour pros always protect the low-side miss. They play the maximum possible break, so that it only gets closer to the hole as it crests the hill.
“It almost ensures that the next one is a guaranteed tap in,” McCormick says.
Not only does this improve your chances of making the putt, but as McCormick explains, it also demands less speed. Instead of choosing a line that requires an aggressive stroke and causes the ball to break away from the hole, you select a path that allows the putt to track closer and closer to the cup as it loses speed
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