subject: Drive For Show And Putt For Dough...and Dial Your Irons In To Win! [print this page] You've heard the golfing clich "drive for show and putt for dough" a thousand times, and for sure it has a lot of merit.
Great putting is so often the decider when it comes to most tournaments, and on the days you are really putting well it is truly a great feeling (not for your opponent!).
But if you can't drive it in the fairway, you'll probably be putting to save par at best rather than putting to make birdies.
So driving straight and long is crucial too, and you and I both know the thrill, buzz, excitement, kick you get from a good drive is priceless; it sets you up in a good frame of mind for the hole.
Emotionally, it's about as good as it gets on the course
But are you missing a piece of the puzzle?
Maybe, always remember the role your irons play; especially your wedges.
Irons are the link, maybe the missing link for good scoring.
Good iron shots put you on the green, even better, they put you close to the hole, eliminating the dreaded three putt and making the one putt a real possibility.
When you put together your practice schedule for each visit to the range, make sure you include a designated period for iron play - specifically accurate iron play.
The purpose of your irons is to get the ball close to the hole, never confuse practicing your irons with your driver which is all about length.
I recommend you start with your wedges, and concentrate on aiming for specific targets, targets you know the yardage for.
And in play, make sure you have the yardage for every shot you play, notice if you are long or short and adjust club selection for next time.
You have to accept your shots will be sometimes left and sometimes a bit right of the target, but start noticing your yardages and very soon you'll be hitting the ball consistently the same length with each of your irons
- And it doesn't matter what distance anyone else hits with their irons! This is important - you need to know your yardages - trust them - and be able to repeat them.
When you do this simple exercise, your consistency will improve dramatically, and you'll start to convert your great drives into birdie opportunities far more often.
So next time you hear "Drive for show and putt for dough" think to yourself..."and dial your irons in to win"
