Closing out a great round isn’t always easy. Sometimes, a desire to achieve a goal can cost you a chance to finish strong. If you’re playing with your buddies like many weekend golfers in my golf lessons do, it’s not a big deal. But if you’re playing in a tournament, it can hurt. Just ask Phil Mickelson.
In the final round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tournament, Phil failed to close strong in the last round–he missed a short putt on the last hole. Had he made it, he would have tied Vaughn Taylor for the lead, and that would have sent the tournament into a playoff.
Instead, he missed the short putt. That cost him a chance to win the tournament and $1.2 million in prize money (not that Phil needs it, but I bet he sure wouldn’t turn it down!)
But finishing strong is easier said than done. It’s easy to let your game get away from you on the back nine. A missed putt. A wayward drive. A poor approach shot. They can all kill you when finishing a round of golf. And that can cost you a chance to knock a stroke or two off your golf handicap. Below are seven golf tips on how to finish a round strong:
1) Stay focused on the process
If you’re having a great round, you’re probably putting well. But your success can make you “hole conscious” by hole 12 or 13. That, in turn, can create a tendency in you to try to guide your putts through impact. That’s not good. Instead, stay focused on the process not the result, like going through your pre-shot routine when putting. It will keep you focused.
2) Forget the holes ahead
When you’re playing well, it’s hard not to think several holes ahead. That’s especially true if you’re close to breaking a personal record. Getting ahead of yourself can cause you to forget the little things, like aligning yourself properly. These small mistakes can be costly. So stay in the present.
3) Keep your energy up
When you’re playing well, you get excited. That burns more energy. And that can cause you to run out of gas later on. So eat and drink something midway through the back nine. Also, move around at a normal pace. When we’re pumped, we often speed up how we play. That burns energy faster.
4) Avoid big gambles
Sometimes when we’re playing well, we try to do more than we can. It’s only natural. We’re pumped. But this feeling can hurt you. Look at the movie Tin Cup: Roy McAvoy always had to prove himself to everyone, and it burned him a lot of times. So remember to take the possibility of a penalty on a hole out of the equation whenever you can. Put another way, stay within yourself.
5) Make aggressive swings to safe spots
When you’re having a great round, there’s a tendency on the back nine to protect the round. That can lead you to play too conservatively. Instead, stay aggressive by making good swings to safe spots. If you decide to aim away from the flagstick, be bold about it. Take dead aim at the fat part of the green and go for it.
6) Go to your trusted swing
Sometimes during a great round, you’ll lose your swing or the feel of playing well. When that happens, revert to a “trusted shot” — one you hit well almost all the time. That will get you through the final nine. It might be a fade off the tee, a 3-wood off the deck, or just choking down on a driver and hitting a nice smooth draw. Whatever it is, now’s the time to go to it, even if it sets you up for a longer second or third shot.
7) Have a secondary goal
While you want to achieve a low score, don’t let that dominate your thoughts when finishing off a round. Thinking too much about your score can hurt. In other words, don’t let your score be your only goal. Have a second one in mind, like finishing high in the standings, for example. That takes your mind off your score.
Use these seven golf tips to help you finish off a great round strong. When you close out a round like a deadly assassin, it’s a great feeling. For me, there’s nothing worse than finishing off a strong round poorly. It can burn a hole in your confidence. And that can keep you down for days afterward. So finish strong and avoid that feeling!
