If you’re like most players, I’m sure you love watching golf on TV.
It’s great to see guys bomb 300+ yard drives, hit towering approach shots, get creative around the greens, and drain putts. All with millions of dollars on the line, week in and week out.
Not only is this great entertainment, it’s also a great way to improve your own game. Instead of just letting the best players in the world entertain you, learn from them! Don’t forget, these guys get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars (and millions of dollars) to play golf.
Needless to say, there’s a lot you can learn and apply to your own golf game. Here are 15 things you can learn from watching the pros compete at the highest levels.
15 PGA Tour Lessons – How to Play Like a Professional
1. Never Skip a Pre-Round Warm Up
If you’re like most golfers, I bet you get to the golf course 30-40 minutes ahead of your tee time (at most). While I’m sure you have some friends that pay for the round and run straight to the first tee box also.
But the pros warm up differently, often getting there 90-120 minutes before their tee time. They go through a long warm up on the range, chip, pitch, hit bunker shots, and make a lot of putts.
You should do something similar but in a shorter time frame as it’s more realistic. Make sure you get there at least 30 minutes before, preferably 45-60 minutes. Then, always hit the putting green, stretch, hit balls on the range, work on your wedges, and end on the putting green.
A proper warm up will help you avoid injuries and build confidence for the first few holes.
2. Don’t Judge Your Warm-Up Sessions
You might be thinking I’m totally contradicting myself based on the first point, but hear me out.
A pre-round warm up to get your body loose and find your swing is 100% necessary. But your warm-up doesn’t necessarily relate to how you will play during the round.
For example, I remember Justin Thomas saying he had a terrible warm-up one day but shot 65 on the golf course. Meanwhile, you can also have a great warm up session and play terribly. That’s just golf!
If you have a good warm up, think it will correlate to the golf course. If you can’t find the clubface on the range, think you are saving the good shots for the course. That’s the attitude you need to succeed!
3. Stick to Your Pre-Shot Routine
Every golfer on the PGA Tour has their own unique swing. Some have a crazy backswing like Matt Wolfe or Jim Furyk. While others have the definition of a perfect swing like Rory McIlroy or Adam Scott.
While they all swing differently, one thing they have in common is a pre-shot routine.
If there’s one thing you can take away from this post it’s the importance of developing your own pre-shot routine too. You do not need to replicate anyone else’s either – instead, develop one that works for you.
The number one goal of your pre-shot routine is to help you get focused for each shot and block out the noise. Create one on the range and practice it relentlessly on the range so it becomes automatic on the golf course.
4. Don’t Fight Your Swing
Has this ever happened to you?
Let’s say you normally play a draw, but you get to the range before the round and can’t hit a draw to save your life. Instead, you’re hitting it straight and maybe even cutting it left to right.
What do you do on the course? Do you play with what you hit on the range or try to force yourself to hit your standard draw?
If you’re like most golfers, you try to force it, instead of playing with what the Golf Gods gave you that day. But I’ve heard several Tour pros say they’ll play with what they had on their range.
Sometimes the Golf Gods have different plans for you during the round. Roll with the punches to avoid fighting your swing early on in the round.
5. Forget Bad Shots Quickly
Despite getting paid millions of dollars to play this crazy game, PGA Tour players still hit bad shots. In some cases, awful shots that make them look more like an everyday amateur vs. a PGA Tour pro.
No judgment, we’ve all been there.
But when they hit these big mishits, you don’t see much of a reaction from them. Sure, some of them get angry with a club slam, but it’s very short-lived. By the time they get ready to hit the next shot, they’re 100% focused on the task at hand.
They stay present, they do not dwell on their past mistakes. Never forget, the time to analyze your game is after the round, not while you’re grinding away.
The next time you hit a bad shot, do everything in your power to get over it quickly. The more you can turn your attention to the next shot, the sooner you’ll get the momentum back in your round.
Don’t let one bad shot spiral into a few bad shots or bad holes!
6. Always Pick a Number
I love listening in on players and caddies talking about a shot before picking a club. They talk about the lie, the pin, weather conditions, where they want the ball to land, and finally pick a club. The final thing they discuss is the number they want the ball to carry in the air.
You need a specific number for each shot too.
For example, let’s say you laser the flag and it’s 128 yards with 10mph wind behind you. In this case, you don’t want to hit it 128, you want to hit it 120, let the wind take it and it won’t spin as much as normal. Too many golfers laser the pin and then think that’s the number, when forgetting about slope, weather, and roll out.
Don’t get me wrong, picking a number will not guarantee (by any means) that you’ll actually hit it that far. But it gives your mind a clear idea of what the goal is and helps you focus.
Remember, specificity is key in golf. Pick a clear target and specific number for each approach shot to give yourself the best chance of succeeding.
7. Playing Par 3s
Statistically speaking, par 3’s are the hardest type of hole on the PGA Tour.
For most par 3s, if they make a par they’re happy with it and move on. Sure, they make birdies but a lot of times that’s not even the goal. Most times, especially on long par 3s of more than 200 yards, their goal is a par.
They want to hit on the green to 20-35 feet and if the birdie putt goes in, great. If not, they’ll take a 2-putt par and move on.
You should have the same attitude with par 3s. Take a par and run with it. If your birdie putt goes in, awesome, but don’t stress over a three on the scorecard.
Make it a rule that if a par 3 is over 150 yards, to only aim for the fat part of the green. Of course that doesn’t mean you’ll hit it every time but it gives you a better chance of three.
Plus, when you aim for the middle and miss the green, you’re less likely to short side yourself. Which should lead to less double bogeys which happen too frequently on par 3s for a lot of amateur golfers.
Remember, even though they are the shortest type of hole on the golf course, a par won’t hurt you.
8. Playing Par 4s
While par 3s are the most challenging, par 4s are a bit of a mixed bag for professional golfers. Some are driveable, others require a wedge into the green, and few are long enough to require a mid to long iron to the green.
How they play each type of par 4 is something you can adapt to your game too.
Short Par 4s
This is where the pros dominate and make a lot of their birdies. If a par 4 is reachable, they almost always hit driver or 3-wood to get as close to the green as possible.
Obviously, if they hit the green a birdie is likely and eagles can happen too. If they miss the green, it’s a short up and down for birdie. Par is the worst they usually make, unless there’s a ton of hazards around the green.
You should do the same by attacking short 4s by trying to get as close as possible to the green. Even if you’re in the light rough, a shot from close range is more likely to get closer than 100+ yards away.
Think about it, I’m sure you can get a 20 yard chip closer than a 100-yard shot after laying up off the tee. Unless there’s a ton of trouble by the green or it doesn’t suit your eye, take a driver on short par 4s.
Middle Length Par 4s
For middle-length par 4s, pros typically have a wedge or short iron into the green. But they don’t hit it as close as you might think.
Here are the proximity to the hole numbers for three different distances provided by the PGA Tour in the 2021 season:
- 100-125 yards: 20.1 feet
- 125-150 yards: 23.2 feet
- 150-175 yards: 27.8 feet
Needless to say, they don’t hit their approach shots into par 4s as close as you think.
You should adopt the same approach shot strategy with your game by not aiming at the flag so often. If you have a wedge or short iron, you can aim closer to the flag but no need to attack it every swing. Otherwise, aim for the middle part of the green and try to give yourself as many birdie putts as possible.
Long Par 4s
Finally, when you have a long par 4 where you need a long iron, hybrid, or fairway wood for your second shot, play it like a par 3. Take a par and run with it! Aim for the middle of the green and realize that a bogey isn’t the end of the world.
9. Attacking Par 5s
Let’s not forget about par 5s. In the 2021 PGA Tour season, these holes actually played under par scoring average.
The main reason is that they almost always attack par 5s in two shots. PGA Tour players try to get on or as close to the green as possible because they know their scoring average decreases from short range.
For you, that means less often laying back to 100 yards and instead, hitting it as close as you can. This will give you a shorter, easier approach shot that you can hit close and hopefully, make more birdies.
10. Play Forgiving Clubs
I think too many golfers let ego dictate what club they hit on certain shots and which ones they carry in their bag. When in reality, who cares what you use… as long as it gets the job done!
In high school, I used to carry a 7-wood and would get tons of grief from my teammates. But they quieted down when I used it on long par 3s and found the green more regularly than their long irons.
The same goes for the PGA Tour pros. These are the best ball strikers on the planet, yet, they use hybrids, high lofted fairway woods, and utility irons.
Always play the clubs that are right for your game. Who cares if they’re labeled as “game improvement” or extra forgiving.
That includes playing the right shafts too. Don’t play heavy steel shafts just because your friends use them. Play the ones that have the right amount of weight and flex for your swing.
Remember, at the end of the day, it’s all about your score, not your clubs.
11. Hit More Knockdown Shots
Understand the difference in a wedge swing vs iron swing. Most amateur golfers try to hit full shots on almost every approach shot. Meanwhile, professionals tend to hit more punch shots or ¾ knockdown shots for their approach shots.
Why?
A few reasons…
- Punch shots are easier to hit. By choking up on a club an inch or two, it’s shorter and easier to hit consistently instead of a full swing at 100% speed.
- Punch shots don’t spin as much. While you might not need to worry about too much backspin as much as pros, knockdowns are great to use for wedges. Instead of hitting full wedges that spin too much, take an extra club and knock it down. It should hit once on the green, skip, and stop.
- Punch shots aren’t as affected by the wind. Finally, hitting less than full shots will result in a lower trajectory that isn’t as impacted by wind.
By choking up an inch and taking a shorter backswing, it’s easier to hit approach shots more consistently. Try it out and see how much your accuracy improves the next time you go out.
12. Hit Different Type of Wedge Shots
I love watching pros hit wedge shots. They have so much creativity inside 100 yards and probably the biggest area of their game you can learn from too.
One thing specifically is how often they hit different wedge trajectories. Dustin Johnson is a great example of this.
For a long time he was near the top of driving distance but didn’t win as many events as he should have. When he got his wedges under control, everything changed.
Specifically, he started hitting different trajectories to reduce spin and keep the ball out of the wind. As he said in a Golf.com article, “I’ve got three swings with each wedge: a half, a three-quarter and a stock swing, “I work on all three swings with all three wedges.”
To get started, make sure you have at least two wedge shots for each wedge in your bag. Have your normal full shot and then a choke up, knockdown shot. As you advance in your golf career, work on adding a third one too.
13. Keep It Low Around the Greens
Despite having the ability to hit high flop shots and cool pitches that spin a ton, most pros keep it low around the greens. Sure, they need to hit those high, sexy shots sometimes, but a lot of times they’ll bump a hybrid or putt from the fringe.
You should do the same because keeping it lower around the greens is a higher percentage play. Meanwhile, if you try to hit a high pitch and things go wrong, your chances of double bogey go up significantly.
Keep it low around the greens. Remember, putt if you can, then chip, then pitch as a last resort. The more you can have the ball on the green rolling like a putt, the more likely you are to get it up and down.
14. Reduce Technical Thoughts on the Course
While you can learn a lot from watching PGA Tour pros, you can learn a lot from listening to them as well. When players go on a heater on the back nine and walk into a press conference, I love hearing what they say.
They’re always talking about things like:
- “I was just saying in the moment.”
- “My goal was to hit one shot at the time.”
- “I just focused on my targets and committed to my number.”
You never hear them say anything about technical swing thoughts. You never hear them say things like,
- “I was just focused on taking the club outside on my takeaway so I could shallow it on the way down.”
- “I made sure to pause at the top so I could get my hips moving left on the downswing.”
The reason they never talk about technical swing thoughts after a great round is because they aren’t thinking of them while playing. Instead, they go through their routine, pick their targets, and let go. They trust their swing based on the extensive practice they’ve put in the past.
You can learn a lot from this too. When you go out and play golf… do just that, play golf. Do not play your golf swing!
15. Age Doesn’t Matter
Finally, stop letting age define your capabilities as a golfer!
Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship at 50 years old. Tiger Woods won his 5th green jacket at 43 years old!
Needless to say, don’t ever feel like age means you won’t play well anymore. In fact, if you keep your health in great shape with golf workouts, you can keep scoring low for years or decades to come.
Final Thoughts
The best players in the world do a lot of things you can replicate too. While you might not always swing as hard, fast, or repeatable as them, you can think like them on the golf course.
While it’s fun to admire their swing and great shots on TV, always try to learn something you can add to your game. But don’t think about swing thoughts, instead, think about course strategy, short game, and attitude.
Plus, the announcers usually give out tons of knowledge too. Make sure to listen and watch intently when the best players in the world make golf look easy.
So it is true that you can actually learn a little by simply watching golf on TV. So sit back and enjoy golf’s 4 majors or just a regular tour stop knowing you might pick up something that will help your game. And if you ever get a chance to play in a golf pro am, never pass up a front row seat.