Shot selection
Advanced Shot Selection for Competitive Golfers
A course-ready guide to advanced shot selection for competitive golfers, with practical shot selection choices explained in plain golf language.
Separate courage from guessing
Advanced Shot Selection for Competitive Golfers is not about attacking every flag. It is about knowing when the reward justifies a tighter window and when the same swing only adds volatility for shot selection. Use lie quality, wind, carry number, penalty areas, and the best side to miss to decide whether the bailout is playable. If the miss is dead, choose another route; if the reward changes the hole, be decisive for shot selection.
| Situation | Advanced question |
|---|---|
| Clean lie | Can the shot improve a target your stock shot can handle enough to risk the miss? |
| Guarded target | Is the safe side still a scoring position for shot selection? |
| Late-round pressure | Does the smart target protect par or invite a needed birdie? |