I suppose you noticed that Graeme McDowell laid up on the 72nd hole a few days ago instead of going for all the distance he could muster. Smart. You should do that, too.

It’s good to be able to pitch on from 30-70 yards or so, but it’s even better to avoid those distances if you can. Shots from there require finesse. You never know just how they’ll work out.

Find a distance that is comfortable for you to hit into the green with a pitching wedge using a full, not-holding-back swing. That might be right around 100-110 yards.

You’ll use this strategy most often on a par 5. Say after your tee shot you have 280 yards to the green. If you hit your fairway wood, you might leave yourself 70-80 yards into the green. Tough shot.

Instead, hit a shot that will cover no more than 180 yards. That will set you up at your comfortable distance with that pitching wedge.

Or say there’s only 240 left. Hit a 7-iron and a wedge. If you can’t reach the green, divide up a big distance into two easy ones.

Closer is not always better. Eating up yards doesn’t help you if it leaves you with a difficult shot. Play easy shots that set up easy shots. Golf is much simpler that way.

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