Sometimes it’s not your best shots that define your round; it’s the mistakes you don’t make. Professional golfers and low-handicap players aren’t perfect. They avoid the big errors that lead to double bogeys, blow-up holes and mental spirals.
If you’re looking to stabilize your game and lower your scores without overhauling your swing, start by learning what not to do. Here are five mistakes better golfers avoid at all costs.
Thinking about hazards instead of targets
Standing on the tee and seeing only the trouble—water left, trees right, bunkers everywhere—is a mindset that can get you in trouble. Thinking about hazards instead of targets leads to tension and tentative swings. Better golfers flip the script. They focus on their intended shot shape, pick a confident target and visualize the ball flight. This positive framing helps them swing freely and commit.
Fix it: Train yourself to pick a target and visualize the shot you want, not the mistake you fear.
Skipping the pre-shot routine after a mistake
When things are going your way, it’s easy to remember to complete a pre-shot routine and take the necessary time to plan your golf shots, etc. After a bad shot (or hole), it’s not as easy to stay composed.
One of the quickest ways golfers spiral is by rushing into the next shot after a bad hole. Whether it’s frustration from a three-putt or a poor drive, better players pause, breathe and go through their routine like it’s a brand-new hole or shot.
That moment of discipline often saves a round from going sideways.
Fix it: Stick to your pre-shot routine, especially after a mistake—it’s your reset button.
Trying to make up for a bad shot with a heroic one
You’ve hit a bad drive. Instead of chipping out, you try to thread a 4-iron through a six-foot gap in the trees.
That second mistake is what turns a bogey into a double or worse. Pros don’t let one error turn into two—they pitch out, play to their strengths and trust they’ll save a stroke later.
Fix it: When you’re in trouble, make the next shot a high-percentage play.
Not practicing anything but a full swing shot
Recovery shots and half-swing shots are part of the game. They need to be reliable. Tour players have stock shots they lean on when they miss the fairway: a low punch or a bump-and-run shot. They also know how far a three-quarter 9-iron shot travels.
Amateurs often freeze up because they haven’t practiced anything but full swings.
Fix it: Develop one simple shot, like a low punch or a waist-high to waist-high reliable swing, you can rely on when you’re out of position. Try to determine how far you hit this recovery shot so you can use it appropriately.
Taking the same club for every bunker shot
That 56-degree sand wedge might be your comfort zone but it’s not always the right tool.
Evaluate the specific bunker shot you are facing before you automatically reach for the sand wedge. When the sand is firm or you have a lot of room between you and the pin, a gap wedge could be a better choice. If you are up against the lip and short-sided, a lob wedge is probably the smarter option.
Pros vary their wedge choices around the green and that includes the sand.
Fix it: Practice bunker shots with different clubs to build options and better outcomes.
Final thoughts
How many of these mistakes have crept into your recent rounds? What’s the one error you keep making even though you know it’s the wrong play?
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