7 Biggest Risk And Reward Scenarios… And How To Play Them!

Compiling a good score requires a reliable swing and a smart strategy. In this article and video, we’re focusing specifically on those make-or-break moments that often define your success on the course. We are going to talk you through the thought process behind smarter decision-making and offer some simple tips for improving your skillset if you want to take on more risk. As you’ll see in this video, to help us get all of the yardages needed in each of the situation, we used the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i laser rangefinder.

1 Taking The Tiger Line

There are certain occasions when you’ll need to weigh up whether to take an aggressive line off the tee. In the scenario shown below, playing down the left side of this fairway (to the left of the bunker), whilst blind, tighter and more dangerous, leaves a much shorter route to the green. It’s always worth using the width of the tee to help you find the angle you need for the shot you’re about to play. If you’re a fader you’ll be better off using the right side of the tee whereas drawers might want to tee up from further left. Your shot shape should determine whether you take the Tiger line. Try to visualise the ball flight required and if you don’t feel comfortable, take the safer line.

Taking the aggressive line here means playing a blind shot. In this scenario, it’s imperative that you pick a small target to aim at in the distance and then draw an imaginary line back to your ball. I like to spot a mark on the grass or even a broken piece of tee peg on that line just in front of my ball. That way I can use that spot to better set my alignment at address. From here, you need to stick to your usual pre-shot process and have full commitment to the shot in hand.