How to Play Smart Golf - 11 Proven Strategies for Lower Scores

Golf isn’t just about hitting great shots—it’s about making smart decisions, staying focused, and managing your game effectively. Playing smart golf doesn’t mean playing perfectly; it means maximizing your strengths, minimizing risks, and approaching each round with a clear plan. 

The best part?

You don’t need a perfect swing to start playing smarter and shooting lower scores fast.

Whether you’re a high-handicapper looking to improve or a low-handicapper chasing new milestones, these strategies will help you think your way around the course and shoot lower scores. Let’s dive into 11 proven ways to elevate your mental game, course management, and overall approach to playing smart golf.

Smart Golf Leads to Lower Scores 

Before jumping into the specific strategies, it’s important to shift your mindset. Smart golf is about making decisions based on probabilities, not just going for glory on every shot. 

Great players think ahead, weigh risks and rewards, and stick to their plan—even when it’s tempting to take unnecessary risks. By adopting this approach, you’ll start to notice how small adjustments can lead to big improvements in your score.

Now, let’s explore 11 actionable tips to help you play smarter golf and take control of your game.

1. Develop a Pre-Shot Routine

A consistent pre-shot routine is the foundation of playing wicked smart golf. It helps you stay focused, block out distractions, and build confidence for every shot. As Dr. Bob Rotella famously said, “Routine promotes consistency. Routine is a golfer’s wingman, fending off the dangers of doubt, fear, and distraction.” 

In my new book, Wicked Smart Golf II: The Blueprint to Breaking 80 Consistently, I cover routines in depth. Your routine should include a few key elements: analyzing the lie, intentional rehearsal swings, visualization, and alignment. All of which will help you commit to the shot and play more consistent golf. 

A great pre-shot routine not only keeps you in the present moment but also ensures you approach each shot with purpose and clarity.

2. Learn DECADE Golf

DECADE Golf is a game-changer for course management and smarter decision-making. The system, developed by Scott Fawcett, teaches players how to strategize like PGA Tour professionals by using data and probabilities. 

One of its core principles is minimizing risks and maximizing scoring opportunities by aiming for the safest targets. For example, instead of attacking a tucked pin, aim for the middle of the green to reduce mistakes based on data. DECADE Golf helped me become a plus handicap and now I always know when to hit the driver, where to aim on the greens, and tons of mental game tips too.  

By learning DECADE Golf, you’ll gain a clear game plan for every hole and make decisions with confidence. Read my full DECADE Golf review to learn more. 

3. Play One Shot Shape

Stop trying to hit fades and draws - you don’t need both! Trying to hit every shot on the course is a recipe for inconsistency.

Instead, commit to one shot shape—whether it’s a fade or a draw—and play it every time. This simplifies your swing, reduces decision-making, and increases consistency. 

A single shot shape allows you to plan better and trust your swing under pressure. Remember, consistency doesn’t come from hitting “perfect” shots—it comes from predictable ones. 

Pick your shape, practice it, and stick with it on the course. After implementing this in 2022, I’ve held a plus handicap and wish I would’ve learned this simple tip sooner. 

4. Start Off Course Mental Game Training 

Smart golf isn’t just about what happens on the course; it’s about preparing your mind off the course, too. Here are three ways to improve your mindset off the course to you perform better on the course:

• Master your breathing with Neuropeak Pro and the NTEL Belt. Learning to breathe properly will help you stay out of stress and get in the zone.  
• Learn your Mental Golf Type to better understand your thought patterns. These methods help you stay composed under pressure and make better decisions during your round. Read my review of Mental Golf Type to learn more about this game-changing system. 
• Start a meditation practice. A strong mental foundation allows you to manage emotions and remain confident, even after a bad shot or tough hole.

Learn more about golf offseason mental game training here. 

5. Hit Driver More Often

Many golfers shy away from using their driver, opting for “safe” clubs like 3-woods or hybrids off the tee. However, data shows that hitting driver more often leads to lower scores by leaving shorter approach shots into greens. 

A well-struck driver also reduces the chance of trouble by carrying hazards that other clubs might not clear. Commit to practicing your driver and learning how to trust it, as confidence with this club is key to smarter golf. Remember, playing “safe” with shorter clubs often creates more problems than it solves.

Learn seven ways to hit driver longer so you can improve your game quickly. 

6. Avoiding Laying Up 

Laying up might seem like a conservative and smart play, but it’s often not the best strategy. Many golfers choose to lay up without truly evaluating the situation, which can lead to longer, more difficult approach shots. 

Instead, weigh the risks and rewards before making your decision. If there’s a chance to advance the ball closer to the green—without taking on excessive risk—it’s usually worth it. 

As noted in a Golf.com article, “There’s no range — for any skill level — where laying up to a favorite number, club or any other “favorite” makes mathematical sense if your other option is to send your next shot farther up the fairway (even if it ends up in light rough).”

Smart golf is about making calculated choices, not defaulting to defensive ones. Plus, it’s a lot more fun to go for the green in two shots. 

7. Dial in Your Distance

As mentioned in my first book, Wicked Smart Golf, you need to know how far you hit each club in the bag. Otherwise, you’re just getting on the golf course and will never hit as many greens in regulation as you should.

Spend time on the range or with a launch monitor to determine your carry and total yardages for every club in your bag. Knowing your distances eliminates guesswork and helps you choose the right club for every shot, reducing errors like coming up short (where most golfers miss). 

When you have confidence in your yardages, you’ll approach each shot with a clear plan, which leads to more consistent results.

8. Hit More Knockdown Shots

To play smart golf, you need to give yourself more birdie putts. The fastest way to do that? Hit more ¾ knockdown shots. 

These flighted shots are invaluable for controlling trajectory and spin, especially in windy conditions or when precision is needed. Learning to hit these low, controlled shots can help you avoid trouble and hit more greens. 

Focus on taking a shorter backswing, gripping down on the club, and finishing with a lower follow-through to keep the ball flight down. Knockdown shots are versatile and can save strokes by making it easier to hit more greens in regulation. 

9. Know Your Wedge Matrix 

A wedge matrix is a smart golfer’s secret weapon for dialing in short-game precision. By practicing different wedge swings (e.g., full, three-quarter, and half swings) with each wedge in your bag, you create a set of reliable distances for scoring opportunities. 

This allows you to approach shots from inside 125 yards with confidence, knowing you can execute them with precision. A strong wedge game will help you hit more greens, improve proximity, and make it a lot easier to score. 

Having multiple distances for each wedge will make the game so much easier! 

10. Avoid Hero Golf

Smart golfers know when to take risks and when to play it safe. Trying to hit a miracle shot from the trees or over a hazard might look impressive when it works, but it often leads to disaster. Instead, focus on minimizing damage by punching out or taking a safer route to the green. 

Saving strokes is about avoiding big numbers, and playing hero golf can quickly turn a tough hole into a scorecard-wrecking disaster. Play the high-percentage shot and trust that smart decisions will lower your score in the long run.

11. Always Analyze Your Rounds 

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. After every round, take time to review your performance—both strengths and weaknesses. Track stats using tools like Arccos, DECADE, or a simple notebook to record your findings. You can use the code "WICKEDSMART" to either program to save money on your investment too.

Reflecting on your round helps you spot patterns, adjust your practice sessions, and develop a smarter game plan for your next outing. Growth in golf requires learning from each round, not just moving on to the next one.

When you learn from them, you can improve your practice sessions and turn weaknesses into strengths. Learn more about the difference between Arccos Golf vs. DECADE Golf to see which one is best for you. 

Closing Thought to Playing Wicked Smart Golf 

These are some of the easiest strategies to play better golf fast. I teach all these lessons to my mental golf coaching students and elaborate fully in both my books. 

• Wicked Smart Golf: Best for players looking to break 90 (without swing changes), learn more about course management and improve mental game.
• Wicked Smart Golf II: An ultimate guide to help intermediate players break 80 consistently without overhauling your golf swing. 

Use these tips to start playing your best golf without changing your swing.