1. Work on your putting first. One stroke is still one stroke whether it's 8 inches or 320 yards. Learn to read a green, practice your setup, develop your mind, find your dominant eye and get on the putting green before each round. This single area will shave strokes off your round.
2. Work on your short game. If you can get the distance to the green but are just off the green, you'll want to be up and down in two. If you can do
that like Tiger, your short game will save you in more than one situation. In sand, too long, too short, par 3s, and on the fringe. Get a solid chip shot
with a 3 wood, a loft wedge, sand shots and know your nine iron and you will shave more strokes.
3. Hit straight off the tee. Work on your grip, stance, set-up, pre-shot routine, take away, swing plane, hip turn and finish and remember 200 yards dead center in the fairway beats 250 yards in sand, water, trees, deep grass, and the next fairway any day of the week.
4. Learn course management skills. Plan each hole to work on your strengths. Don't just blast away. The best test of this is the choice to hit a 3 wood 210 yards, or two 105 yard 8 irons. If you are a strong short iron player and spray the driver course management means to make that exact decision and not let your golfing buddies talk you out of it.
5. Learn to enjoy the game in your head. Much of this game is played in your head and getting a grip on your emotions and fears and the yips is one big part of the game. I played a round this year in which I shot an awful score but completed the round with the same ball I started with, had 3 fabulous sand saves, 3 greens-in-regulation, drove nice and straight but three-putted 11 $%$^**&#)?/ GREENS! I had lots of chances to throw my putter in the river, but . . . did not. That to me is a great day. Have more days like that.
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