Part V: Managing Yourself And Your Game
Lesson #92: 3-Way Yardage

Golf may not be a game of inches, but modern-day golf has certainly become a game of yards. Whereas Hogan, Nelson, and Snead played essentially by feel, today's pros never hit a full shot without knowing the precise distance they have to cover.

I, of course, subscribe to this ball-to-hole measurement, but I also like to know two other distances on every approach shot I hit. First, I want to know how far I need to hit a ball to clear any fronting bunkers or hazards. Second, since I'm an aggressive player and often hit the ball with a lot of backspin, spinning my approach shots back toward the hole, I like to know the distance to the very back of the green - how far I can fly the ball and still keep it out of the trouble beyond.

For amateur players who don't have the same consistency or distance control as pros, I recommend this three-yardage approach. For each hole on your home course, it pays to know not only the pinpoint yardage but the depth of the safety zone as well.

Illustration by Jim McQueen

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