How to Score Inside Golf’s “Red Zone” (Video) - by Pete Styles
How to Score Inside Golf’s “Red Zone” (Video) - by Pete Styles

So all the talk about golfers being able to save shots when they get in the scoring zone or in the red zone, as we might say utilizing terminology from other sports, this is the scoring zone where we could really capitalize on the fact that distance is no longer the issue. We just got to get it in the hole in the fewest number of shots. Now for you to work out your own scoring zone or red zone, the easiest thing to do, is taking your most lofted wedge and hit it full power and see how far it goes. So take your lob wedge or your sand wedge, hit it flat out, it might go 70 yards, so from 70 yards and in is really your scoring zone.

Now the first thing to make sure you have got the right equipment for the scoring zone or the red zone. Now I would like to see most golfers carrying, at least three if not four wedges. And Mickelson is now even carrying five wedges, to some tournaments, but at least three or four wedges. So just probably have your standard pitching wedge and sand wedge in those cases. I would like to see add to that with a log wedge and possibly even a gap wedge. A gap wedge is going to be around about 50-52 degrees and would sit between your pitching wedge and your sand wedge. And then immediately, you have got all of the clubs at your disposal, to hit different distances, from different lies, but also different heights and trajectories. From there a lot of it will come down to just good quality practice. So I am going to align myself up in my red zone, so I hit my full lob wedge, that goes – sorry, that goes 70 yards. And then I am going to drop myself back to 60 to 50 to 40 to 30 yards and practice hitting all of my different four wedges, different heights, different distances, to different flags. And work out also how the ball lands and how the ball reacts, because often you see people from this distance 50 yards out. They land the ball beautifully next to the flag, it takes one bounce and rolls over the back of the green. And they say, well, how come Mickelson spins the ball and gets the ball to stop. Well he’s probably using a different quality of golf ball, so if you want the ball to spin, make sure you are using a soft enough ball and clean enough groove and a new enough wedge. Then utilizing the right technique of hitting down and pitching the ball nice and cleanly. And you want to see the ball landing around the front of the green and spinning up to a standstill quite quickly. So if you want to improve your scoring in the scoring zone in the red zone, practice hard in the area, utilize the right clubs, make sure you have got the right ball and practice hard on good clean, crisp strikes and your scores will come down if you are good in the red zone. 2013-09-16

So all the talk about golfers being able to save shots when they get in the scoring zone or in the red zone, as we might say utilizing terminology from other sports, this is the scoring zone where we could really capitalize on the fact that distance is no longer the issue. We just got to get it in the hole in the fewest number of shots. Now for you to work out your own scoring zone or red zone, the easiest thing to do, is taking your most lofted wedge and hit it full power and see how far it goes. So take your lob wedge or your sand wedge, hit it flat out, it might go 70 yards, so from 70 yards and in is really your scoring zone.

Now the first thing to make sure you have got the right equipment for the scoring zone or the red zone. Now I would like to see most golfers carrying, at least three if not four wedges. And Mickelson is now even carrying five wedges, to some tournaments, but at least three or four wedges. So just probably have your standard pitching wedge and sand wedge in those cases. I would like to see add to that with a log wedge and possibly even a gap wedge. A gap wedge is going to be around about 50-52 degrees and would sit between your pitching wedge and your sand wedge. And then immediately, you have got all of the clubs at your disposal, to hit different distances, from different lies, but also different heights and trajectories. From there a lot of it will come down to just good quality practice.

So I am going to align myself up in my red zone, so I hit my full lob wedge, that goes – sorry, that goes 70 yards. And then I am going to drop myself back to 60 to 50 to 40 to 30 yards and practice hitting all of my different four wedges, different heights, different distances, to different flags. And work out also how the ball lands and how the ball reacts, because often you see people from this distance 50 yards out.

They land the ball beautifully next to the flag, it takes one bounce and rolls over the back of the green. And they say, well, how come Mickelson spins the ball and gets the ball to stop. Well he’s probably using a different quality of golf ball, so if you want the ball to spin, make sure you are using a soft enough ball and clean enough groove and a new enough wedge. Then utilizing the right technique of hitting down and pitching the ball nice and cleanly. And you want to see the ball landing around the front of the green and spinning up to a standstill quite quickly. So if you want to improve your scoring in the scoring zone in the red zone, practice hard in the area, utilize the right clubs, make sure you have got the right ball and practice hard on good clean, crisp strikes and your scores will come down if you are good in the red zone.