Chipping and Pitching
Five-time PGA champion Walter Hagen had the right approach. He stood on Ø the first tee knowing that he'd probably hit at least six terrible shots that day. So when he did hit terrible shots, he didn't get upset. Hagen simply relied on his superior short game (every shot within 80 yards of the hole) to get him out of trouble. That combination of attitude and dexterity made him a feared match player. His apparent nonchalance — "Always take time to smell the flowers," he used to say — and his ability to get up and down "from the garbage" put a lot of pressure on his opponents. Opponents became depressed or annoyed and eventually downhearted. More often than not, Hagen won his matches without having hit his full shots too solidly. He proved that golf is more than hitting the ball well — golf is a game of managing your misses.
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