Determining Your Golf Scoring Potential

Everyone wants to be a better golfer. Well, almost everyone. But if you’re one who does, you might already be a better player than you think you are.

Have you ever skanked a shot, then dropped another ball and hit it just great? The second time was no accident. You are that good. For some reason, that goodness didn't come out the first time.

How low would you score if your round consisted of nothing but your better shots? Let’s find out. You’re going to play a half scramble with yourself.

Go out to the course when it's not too busy, because you’re going to play two balls. Ball A you play like you usually do. Hit it, find it, hit it again.

Ball B is the scramble ball. If you don’t like the shot you hit off the tee with Ball A, hit another one, Ball B. Now two balls are in play. Remember, Ball A is pure golf. No fudging with that ball.

When you get to Ball B, you hit it. If you like the shot, take it and move on. If you don’t, drop another ball and hit it. That ball is the new Ball B. Pick up the old Ball B because it is now out of play.

What you’re doing is giving yourself a second chance on one ball whenever you need one. The other ball you play straight up.

Hole out Ball A, and Ball B. Record both scores. Here’s how it might work for one hole:

Ball A: tee shot into fairway, iron short and left, chip onto green, approach putt, putt into hole. Score = 5.

You didn't play a Ball B on the tee shot because it was a good one. You hit the iron again, though, and got onto the green. Ball B is now in play and lying 2 on the green. Your approach putt with this ball went eight feet past the hole, so you hit it again and left it two feet short. Lying three, you hit the two-footer into the hole. Score = 4.

What if you go, fairway, green, putt, putt with Ball A? Well, good for you! Put down a four for Ball A and Ball B, even though you never played a Ball B on that hole.

One little rule: Whenever you hit a shot over again, you have to play that shot. No deciding the first one was really better and sticking with it.

The greater the difference between the Ball A and Ball B score, the greater your scoring potential. Nine holes of this is enough.

So how do you bring your Ball A score down to your Ball B score? Read my book, The Golfing Self and find out. It's not in your shot-making, it's in how you use your mind.