Stroke play strategy
A Practical Guide to Stroke Play Strategy
A course-ready guide to stroke play strategy, with practical stroke-play strategy choices explained in plain golf language.
Read the hole first
Good stroke-play strategy starts with the lie, the trouble, and the shot you would be happy to play twice. Use penalty avoidance, center-green targets, patient pars, and double-bogey control to narrow the choice before the club comes out of the bag. The useful target in A Practical Guide to Stroke Play Strategy is the one that leaves a round that never needs a miracle recovery. That may mean aiming at the fat side, taking one more club, or accepting 25 feet instead of flirting with a short-sided miss for stroke play strategy.
Quick checklist
- Safety first: decide where stroke-play strategy cannot miss on this hole.
- Club after lie: let the turf and stance choose the shot shape before your ego does for stroke play strategy.
- Next-shot thinking: picture the leave before you picture the highlight for stroke play strategy.
- Full commitment: a cautious target still deserves an athletic swing for stroke play strategy.