Researchers who study recreational golf know a lot about our game, and they all agree on one thing: the truly awful shots � hopelessly errant tee shots or short chips that fly over greens � ruin most rounds by average golfers. If 105 is a typical score for you, you are likely to have about eight awful shots per round, while someone who shoots around 80 will probably have just two. That�s according to Mark Broadie, a Columbia University professor who has spent years analyzing data from average golfers.
O.K., so we know we�re inconsistent, but here�s the thing: many average golfers also follow up one dreadful shot with an equally dreadful shot. Why? Because we�re frustrated and not thinking.
�You�ve really got to calm down after a bad shot and assess what�s going on,� said Don Hurter, one of Golf Digest�s top 50 instructors. �There�s a good chance the hole can still be salvaged. Gather yourself, and really focus on what you�re trying to do next so you can at least make bogey.
�So if you�ve hit it into the woods and are trying to punch out, don�t just grab a four-iron and chop away. I see that all the time. And what often happens is that shot goes 40 yards farther than intended and rolls into a pond or into the woods on the other side of the fairway.
�Plan your recovery with a clear head. Examine the lie, and evaluate the new task at hand. It�s natural to want to get it over with, but that�s how one mistake turns into two and three mistakes.�
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