How To Handle a Gambling Shot

by Dr. Richard C. Myers

WWW.THINKANDREACHPAR.COM

All golfers are faced with situations in which they feel a risky shot should be tried. Assuming that the need for the gambling shot is clear-the so-called "calculated risk"-what then can be done to give it the best chance of being pulled off?

First, the chances are much better than average if the shot is preceded by what might be called "the surge of confidence". With this, one experiences an almost overwhelming feeling that a given shot can be made. I have experienced this myself a number of times in various sports. It is followed by success that defies the law of averages and seems to approach the impossible.

A few weeks ago I was hitting eight iron shots on a practice fairway. To the left of the green there is a tall forked pine tree. I pulled the shot that went through the narrow fork. There were several people watching and one said "that won't happen again in a thousand years". Cocky as I am sometimes, I dropped another ball and said "Not in a thousand years?. I put it squarely through the fork again.

How this feeling develops, I am not sure, but one thing I know. Here isn't a trace of anxiety or fear in it. No extraneous muscles will jerk at the wrong time when this feeling exists, and the ball has the best possible chance of receiving a maximum effort. At these times, if the gamble is indicated, fire away. You'll probably make the shot if it is in your bag at all.

If the feeling is not there and the shot still has to be played, be deliberate and think the shot through. Even though you must gamble, try the shot which has the most chance of success. This eliminates experimental shots. W well-thought-out shot can inspire confidence, for if you settle down properly to the ball you will suddenly feel right; fight feelings accompany right action. This feeling right helps to insure a successful gamble.

There are major and minor gambling shots. One of the minor ones involves the decision of when you may permit yourself to aim for he flag and when you should aim for the green. As a general rule, it is best to aim precisely where you wish to go. Your ball has a better statistical chance of going where you are aiming than to any other spot.

In golf, if the problem is simply a question of win or lose there is no option. The pin must be shot for. However, there are many situations, when the question is strictly statistical. Often the problem can be solved by asking yourself, "Are my chances of gaining a stroke equally as good as my chances of losing one?

The great danger of the gambling shot is that it tends to set up a state of anxiety. Much depends on the result, and this preoccupation with the result will generally destroy the golfer's ability to execute the shot.

If you are using a putter in a trop, you are anxious to see if it will run up the bank and are apt to half-top it. If you must shoot through a narrow opening in trees, you will be tempted to pull your head up prematurely t see where the ball is going. On a delicate chip, you may not complete the swing. Hence, to insure a higher percentage of success, a marked effort at self-control is required. Deliberately complete the shot before you examine the results.