You step up on short par 4s and your instinct is to get as close to the green as possible, so you whale away with your driver. That’s OK for good players, but golfers less skilled with wedges need to look at the shot they’re leaving themselves. If you’re playing a 300-yard hole and you drive it 240, the remaining 60-yard shot can be one of the toughest. Add in a small green or deep front bunker—common features on short par 4s—and you can make a big number fast.
The trick on these holes is to drive the ball to your favorite wedge yardage. For some players, it’s a full wedge, like 110 yards, or a three-quarter shot of 80 or 90 yards. Then you look at the length of the hole (300) and subtract your favorite distance (110) to figure out what you want from your tee shot. In this case, covering 190 yards might mean hitting a hybrid or long iron. Then just commit to covering that yardage, not swinging like you have a driver in your hands. You’ll make more birdies that way than trying to pitch it close from an awkward distance nearer the green.
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