Sure it is a great thing to be able to drive the ball 300 yards carrying over lakes and trees, but the truth is for most of us, 300 yards is a wet dream. In reality we average golfers cannot depend on the power game. This is very true in Japan where players rely heavily on very good golf clubs as well as the psychological aspects of the game. Golf is afterall, as psychological as it is physical, maybe even more brains than brawn. No matter how physically prepared one is, we can all easily be defeated mentally on a golf course.
While the power game exists more so in the West where driving the ball 300 yards on tour is common place, in Japan, players from recreational to professional hone their minds to play the game as smartly as possible. Twenty-two year old Tourstage pro Chie Arimura for example, is a 3rd year player on the JLPGA. She is a rather small 157cm or 5’1″ and while she has one of the most sound swings on tour, she is nowhere among the longer drivers or bigger hitters. Yet she is cruising along and contending at every tournament and already has two wins under her belt and is 5th on the money list this year. Chie excels not only because of her perfect swing but because of her mental preparation and because she knows how to use her swing to her advantage on each specific course.
Game preparation does not just include swing training and time at the range. Even for the recreational player like you and I, to know our course, like knowing your enemy in war, is winning half the battle. Chie prides herself on very extensive note taking and course studying before any tournament and this is something all of us can do. If its a course you play regularly, simply keep a pencil and notepad or small notebook in your bag and make notes as you play, where the rough is, bunker placement, how the green slopes, how far from the tee is that water hazard etc. This can improve your club selection and lower you score along the way.
If its a course you’re new to, no problem. In this day and age of the internet it is easy enough to get online to get the course layout. Study it and make notes ahead of time. Even if its a course I have never been to, I usually make notes ahead of time knowing which club I will tee off with and make the second shot with. Even if you are just playing for fun, a quick look over the course you will visit will make you enjoy your game so much more, especially when you decide to go with the 5 wood off the tee because your driver distance would put you in the lake.
