How Can Avoid Blow Up Holes? (Video) - by Dean Butler
How Can Avoid Blow Up Holes? (Video) - by Dean Butler

So the question is how can I avoid blow up holes? Well, the correct answer is to plan it in advance. How many times you’d be on the golf course and you’ve got a good round going and all of a sudden, you have a catastrophe on a hole. And knowing that catastrophe is something because you’ve not planned. You’ve looked at the shots, you pulled out your favorite club and you’ve most probably try to play one of those shots, one of those, you know, one in a million shots I’ve just come off.

So, just give you an example of how to plan. Imagine you’re on a hole, so nice, powerful, we’re standing on the teeing ground. I’ve got water down the left hand side. I’ve got out of balance down the right hand side. What am I going to do? If I just set myself up and try and play a normal golf shot, and I accidentally just pulled the ball which is to the left hand side, I’m in the water. So, let’s plan. Let’s say the water starts at 250 yards. And I know that my driver can reach 250 but my 3-wood could only go 225. First of all, let’s pull out the 3-wood because I’m now planning sensibly. Remember, we’re trying to avoid blow up holes. I pull out my 3-wood. I now set myself up for the left hand side of the middle of the fairway. So, I’m not aiming at the water but I’m aiming left. Why? I’ve got out of balance on the right. I now set myself up in the position I had normally do, commit myself with the swing back and forward. And if I do actually gently pull the ball, I’m not in the water, I’m not in any trouble because I can’t reach the water. The only shot that might put me in trouble is a weaker slice. But when you’re setting yourself up down the left hand side the center, for you to pull that ball out of bound, it would have to be a really, really weaker golf shot. And the chances are you’re not going to actually do it. So, plan out. So, when I’m coaching my pupils, I’d like to say to them golf is about a game of chess. It’s all about position. You stand on the tee, we know where you want the ball to go but let’s plan the journey all the way down. So remember, simple terms, no more gambling because gambling equals risk and reward. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. But when you got a metal card in your back pocket, what happens then, that blow out suddenly cause you maybe the competition. So, plan ahead. What we don’t want you to do is to take – get yourself setup, look at the shots and you know, if I actually hit my best shot here, I can carry that water and I’ll be safe. But what if it doesn’t come up? It might come up to a ten. Remember what we said at the beginning? You’re now gambling. Plan ahead. Keep it safe. Keep it clear in your mind. And by plotting you away around the golf course, the risk and reward is all of a sudden reward, no risk.
2014-05-13

So the question is how can I avoid blow up holes? Well, the correct answer is to plan it in advance. How many times you’d be on the golf course and you’ve got a good round going and all of a sudden, you have a catastrophe on a hole. And knowing that catastrophe is something because you’ve not planned. You’ve looked at the shots, you pulled out your favorite club and you’ve most probably try to play one of those shots, one of those, you know, one in a million shots I’ve just come off.

So, just give you an example of how to plan. Imagine you’re on a hole, so nice, powerful, we’re standing on the teeing ground. I’ve got water down the left hand side. I’ve got out of balance down the right hand side. What am I going to do? If I just set myself up and try and play a normal golf shot, and I accidentally just pulled the ball which is to the left hand side, I’m in the water.

So, let’s plan. Let’s say the water starts at 250 yards. And I know that my driver can reach 250 but my 3-wood could only go 225. First of all, let’s pull out the 3-wood because I’m now planning sensibly. Remember, we’re trying to avoid blow up holes. I pull out my 3-wood. I now set myself up for the left hand side of the middle of the fairway. So, I’m not aiming at the water but I’m aiming left. Why? I’ve got out of balance on the right. I now set myself up in the position I had normally do, commit myself with the swing back and forward. And if I do actually gently pull the ball, I’m not in the water, I’m not in any trouble because I can’t reach the water. The only shot that might put me in trouble is a weaker slice. But when you’re setting yourself up down the left hand side the center, for you to pull that ball out of bound, it would have to be a really, really weaker golf shot. And the chances are you’re not going to actually do it.

So, plan out. So, when I’m coaching my pupils, I’d like to say to them golf is about a game of chess. It’s all about position. You stand on the tee, we know where you want the ball to go but let’s plan the journey all the way down. So remember, simple terms, no more gambling because gambling equals risk and reward. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. But when you got a metal card in your back pocket, what happens then, that blow out suddenly cause you maybe the competition.

So, plan ahead. What we don’t want you to do is to take – get yourself setup, look at the shots and you know, if I actually hit my best shot here, I can carry that water and I’ll be safe. But what if it doesn’t come up? It might come up to a ten. Remember what we said at the beginning? You’re now gambling. Plan ahead. Keep it safe. Keep it clear in your mind. And by plotting you away around the golf course, the risk and reward is all of a sudden reward, no risk.