Playing aggressive golf has been given a negative connotation by taking shots that you don’t have in your bag, swinging out of your shoes, and not planning for misses. This is not what being aggressive in golf should lead to and most of the time those decisions will end up in a disastrous round of golf. In the rest of this article, I am going to discuss what it means to be an aggressive golfer, and how by taking more calculated risks you will see your game improve.
When is it Best to Rip the Driver
When there is a narrow landing area in the fairway that is surrounded by the rough it might be tempting to just leave the driver in the bad and just rely on a nice and simple iron shot to get you in play. However, when you are in need of a big hole it is best to trust your driver and have the confidence that you are going to step up and hit the shot. The worst that is likely to happen is that you end up in the rough but you are often much closer to the hole than you would be.
Now if the fairway is surrounded by water or out of bounds, this is a fine time to play it safe as the risk of missing this shot with the driver has much more dire consequences. It is all about taking these calculated risks that will pay off in the long run.
What goes into Pin Hunting
Once you get up to your approach shot you are often left with two options, play it safe where you end in a good spot close to the green, or hunt down that flag by playing aggressive golf. I would argue that if you decide to hunt the flag you will have better results in the long run than playing that hole conservatively. Sure you are going to leave yourself with some difficult bunker shots from time to time, but you will also leave yourself more putts within five feet of the hole. You will also get better over time at aiming straight for the pin which in turn will make you a better golfer.
As with any of this, if there is a very tricky green that would make an up-and-down near impossible on a missed shot, it is better to be a bit safer on that approach shot. Even when playing aggressive golf it is important to keep in mind where the ball may end up with a miss.
How to Stay Aggressive on the Green
Once you have made it to the green it is important to not be scared of a three-foot putt coming back the other way. It is best to play the ball with no break and live with the consequences. Your confidence begins to build once you start draining these putts with a cool attitude that you know is going in before you hit it. Also, making a putt helps build confidence for the next tee shot and that sort of energy culminates in a great round of golf.
Now I would recommend trying out these new tactics during a practice round before heading to your next tournament as they will take some getting used to.
Go out and try this approach mentally and I promise you will see an improvement in your golf game. If you want even more ways to be more aggressive on the golf course check out the article here. If you want more tips on how to continue succeeding on the course, look at our other Golf Tip Tuesday blogs. Stay tuned every week for more Tip Tuesday blog content.
