As a coach, one of the first things I always do with a player — whether amateur or professional — is a scorecard analysis. Numbers don’t lie, but our perceptions about our game often do.
Many golfers think their strengths are the things they like to do, and their weaknesses are the things they avoid. That’s sometimes true — but often, it’s not. Preference doesn’t always equal performance.
🧠 A Case of Misunderstood Strengths
While working with an LPGA player in Taiwan, I noticed something strange on her card. She had just made birdie on a 220-yard par 3, a hole that demands long iron or fairway wood precision. But then she made bogey on a 310-yard downhill par 4 — one that should have been much easier.
Why?
She explained that most players hit a 4-iron off the tee and left themselves a 100-yard wedge shot. So that’s what she did. She was just copying what others were doing — assuming it was the “right” way to play the hole.
But she wasn’t converting birdies that way. She was often missing the green or ending up too far from the flag for a good putt.
Here’s the twist: She was excellent with her driver and fairway woods, but didn’t feel confident hitting full wedges from 100 yards.
So I asked her, Why not hit driver? That would leave her with a 50-yard shot or even just a chip — something she could manage better.
She tried it.
She started birdieing that hole almost 50% of the time.
📊 How to Identify Your Birdie Holes
When I coach professionals, I help them map out which holes should be birdie opportunities. It’s not just about the scorecard yardage — it’s about how a player matches up with the hole.
Here’s what I evaluate:
- Driving distance
- Performance on:
- Short par 3s (100–120 yds)
- Mid par 3s (140–170 yds)
- Long par 3s (210+ yds)
If a player is strong inside 110 yards, they should be making birdie 50% of the time in those zones — so we highlight the holes that give them that chance. But we also stay flexible:
If you feel confident, expand your list of birdie holes. If you’re off that day, scale it back. That’s part of good strategy.
🕵️♂️ Diagnosing Missed Opportunities
If you’re not scoring where you think you should, ask:
- Am I missing the fairway?
- Am I not hitting it close enough (short, mid, or long range)?
- Am I just not making the putts?
That’s your roadmap to improvement.
⚔️ Strategy First, Practice Second
When you train, follow this simple order:
- Sharpen your strengths. If you’ve got a sharp knife, keep sharpening until it’s Excalibur.
- Avoid your weaknesses. If you struggle with 60-yard shots, either go closer and chip it, or lay back to 100 yards.
- Then—and only then—work on your weaknesses.
🗣️ “There are many ways to make birdie. You don’t have to do what other people do. Find your way.”