There’s a difference between learning the game and playing the game.
In the beginning, all aspects of learning are focused on building good technique and the foundation for the future.
Then you move into learning the various ways to control the ball flight and distance. You begin learning how to shape shots and use your imagination and creativity to strategically place the ball exactly where
you want.
As you work your way around the course and begin various levels of competition, make note of situations where you are uncomfortable. It could be different lies, recovery shots, playing into the wind, or hitting different shots from various lies.
- What do you do on a downhill lie?
- What do you do on an uphill lie?
- What do you do when you’re playing in a crosswind?
- What do you do when you’re playing into the wind or downwind?
- How do you hit it out of a bad lie?
You might get a bad lie in the fairway. You might get a bad lie in the rough. You might get a bad lie in a hazard.
The best thing you can do is learn course
management
When you’re playing out there, most golfers don’t understand that they’re half caddy and half player.