How to Pick Smart Targets to Minimize Risk

Golf is a game of targets. For each shot you hit, you should have a very specific target in mind.

In fact, one of the leading mistakes made by amateur golfers is the failure to pick a target before making a swing.

Some players just aim in the general direction of the fairway or the green, and such an approach is unlikely to yield good results.

If you aren’t in the habit already, get used to picking specific targets for each shot and your game is very likely to take a step forward.

Of course, there is a difference between picking a target and picking a smart target.

For instance, you may decide to aim directly at the flag on a given approach shot, even though you are 200 yards away on a windy day and the hole is cut just steps from a water hazard. That’s an example of picking a target, but not a smart one.

The goal with target selection is to aim at spots that are going to give you opportunities to make pars and birdies without taking on too much risk in the process.

It’s a fine line that you need to walk, and we hope the tips below will help you manage it in upcoming rounds.

Penalty Strokes Are Your Enemy

The average golfer would benefit from the idea that avoiding penalty strokes is the main objective during a round of golf.

You probably have other areas you typically focus your attention, such as trying to make birdies or even something like hitting long drives. However, if you can prioritize the avoidance of penalty strokes, you may be surprised to find just how much your average score will improve.

European Tour – European PGA Championship, Singles, Men, 4th round:…

European Tour – European PGA Championship, Singles, Men, 4th round: Patrick Reed from the USA drops a ball. Photo: Axel Heimken/dpa Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

This is such an important topic because it is going to inform the way you make decisions about target selection.

If your focus is on avoiding penalties, you’ll be reluctant to aim anywhere near a hazard that might add a stroke to your score. Instead, you’ll aim toward the safer side of the fairway or green, giving yourself some margin for error in case you make a poor swing, or the wind comes up at the wrong time.

Most golfers aim directly at the hole regardless of nearby threats, and they wind up incurring quite a few penalty strokes as a result.

The Length of the Shot is Crucial

As you evaluate the situation you are facing to decide where you’ll aim, remember to pay attention to the length of the shot. It’s much easier to be accurate from 100 yards than 200 yards, for example.

You should feel more willing to take an aggressive line when you have a wedge in your hands as opposed to when you are hitting a four or five iron. Making smart decisions doesn’t mean you have to play it safe each and every time – it just means you need to think each shot through and evaluate how likely you are to succeed.

With a long shot, playing it safe is almost always the way to go. As you get closer to the green, your willingness to take some risk will likely increase.

Know Your Ball Flight

Another piece of this puzzle is the ball flight that you typically deploy while on the course. A right-handed player with a draw can more easily attack a hole location tucked on the left side of the green than the right, since the shot shape will fit the situation at hand.

As you pick out your target for any given shot, always think about the ball flight you are going to use to get the ball to that spot.

Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa watches the flight of the ball during a practice…

Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa watches the flight of the ball during a practice round as the International team prepares to take on the US at the President’s Cup tournament at the Royal Melbourne golf course,… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

If you don’t have the right ball flight to easily access the target you’ve picked, it might be best to rethink your plan and settle on a more suitable target.

Don’t Stretch Your Carry Distance

Sometimes, the job of picking a target will come down to deciding if you are going to attempt to carry a hazard or lay the ball up short. When faced with such a situation, remember that there is a difference between how far you can hit the ball, and how far you should attempt to hit the ball during an actual round of golf.

Tee shots with your driver are a great example of this concept.

If you are standing on the tee facing the option of carrying the ball 250 yards over a hazard or hitting a shot of fewer than 200 yards to lay up short, you might feel like taking a chance and going for the carry.

After all, you can think back to a couple other times when you hit great drives and the ball flew more than 250 yards. So, you have the ability to hit the ball that far, but do you do so on a regular basis? Maybe not.

Unless you are sure that carry distance is easily within your reach, laying it up is the logical play.

Pressure Plays a Role

One thing that is easy to overlook is the role that pressure can play in selecting targets.

Simply put, you should expect to be more accurate when you are relaxed and comfortable than when you are nervous. If you are playing in a competition and find yourself feeling pressure that you wouldn’t feel in a casual round, you might want to pick safer targets – at least to start out the round.

Once you get going and settle into a rhythm, you may notice the nerves fade away and you can go back to your usual target selection.

There are many non-physical skills you need to possess in order to play good golf, and target selection is up near the top of that list. By picking smart targets which minimize risk and keep your ball away from trouble, you can provide yourself with much-needed margin for error in this difficult game.

Think a little more carefully about the targets you use during your next round and hopefully your score will reward you for the effort!