How to Make Good Mistakes in Your Golf Game

One of the best golf books that I have ever read is Dr. Bob Rotella’s book “Golf is not a Game of Perfect.”  I can certainly say after playing and teaching it at all levels for 35+ years that perfection is impossible.  That is why I get so upset when instructors start talking about the perfect grip or perfect alignment or the perfect setup or any other reference to perfect.  It just flat does not exist.

Golf is not about perfect shots, it is about how good your misses are.  What I want to accomplish here is to give you some idea how to have better misses.

A great deal of golf instruction and advice is based on the practice tee which is flat and conditions are ideal.  This is why hitting a lot of balls on the range is a waste of time for most people.  In all likelihood you will not see that perfect condition occur in an entire round or ever on the golf course, except on the tee box.

Here is a list of tips to help you hit better misses by making better mistakes.

Alignment

Make the mistake of lining up slightly open to the target rather than closed.  If you line up closed you will be forced to come-over-the-top just to get back on line which rarely produces a good shot.

Ball Position

Except with the driver, you are better to have the ball too far back in your stance than too far forward.  You will hit better misses a little short of the bottom of your arc than a little after the bottom.

Posture

Better misses come from bending over a little too much rather than being too upright.

Swing Plane

A little too flat produces better shots than too upright.  Shoulder level or below is better than above ear level.

Reaching

Reaching slightly produces better shots than having the ball too close to your body.  Better to miss the ball on the toe than shank it.

Grip

It is almost impossible to hold the club too much in the fingers.  It is very easy to hold it too much in the palms.

Stop worrying about trying to anything perfectly.  Just remember that if you want to have fewer really bad shots and more good misses the next time you play keep these mistakes in mind.  Making good mistakes is better than making bad mistakes.