Male golfers often ruin their own scores by refusing to lay up when they should. A recent report from Golf Monthly highlights how one player’s stubborn refusal to switch from a driver to a safer club cost him the game. The article describes a fourball where a man hit the ball into the rough six times because his ego would not let him stop swinging at full speed. This behavior is not unique to that single round but represents a widespread flaw in how many men approach the sport.
The root of the problem lies in a desire to hit the ball as far as possible rather than finding the fairway. The writer notes that the man in question produced a horrid hook repeatedly because his hands could not control the clubface at top speed. He kept swinging at maximum velocity even as his shots went astray. By harnessing control over power, the writer found nearly every fairway that day, in contrast. This difference in approach led to a scorecard that was nearly level par for the writer while the stubborn player dropped dozens of shots.
The Cost Of Hero Shots
Many amateur players chase the big hit that might become a talking point at the 19th hole. The report explains that if this target is missed, it becomes an uphill battle to score well. The best case scenario leaves the ball in trouble requiring a hack out, while the worst case results in a lost ball and a reload. These hero shots are described as a scorecard wrecker that destroys the round. The writer rarely takes on such risks, preferring to lay up and leave a short approach shot into the green.
A lot of men could learn from this strategy of playing safe. The report points out that while some brilliant male players like Rory McIlroy can control their tee shots at high speeds, most recreational players cannot. The faster they swing, the more they struggle. The article proposes that men can benefit by playing golf with women, who depend on a more rhythmically flowing swing since they lack the genetic makeup for ferocious speed.
Why Power Fails The Average Player
The failure to manage risk is evident in the specific actions taken on the 17th hole. After the writer launched a tee shot down the middle of the fairway, one of the men asked sarcastically, “Do you ever miss a fairway?” The same chap had played three off the tee no fewer than six times that day. This exchange highlights the disconnect between the desire for power and the reality of the swing. Although the man was clearly struggling with the big stick, he had refused to put the driver away.
