Scottie Scheffler Dominated Golf Doing This | The Game Plan | Golf Digest
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Picking the right target. It's one of the most underrated strategies in the world of golf. Should I aim at that tree behind the green? Should I try and attack the pin or play away from it? What is the actual yardage I am trying to carry? In this episode of The Game Plan, Golf Digest Senior Editor Luke Kerr-Dineen dives into the often underutilized "Green Zone" strategy that Scottie Scheffler used to dominate golf in 2024 to discover whether or not those aggressive lines into greens are actually worth the risk for pros and amateurs alike.
We want to know - have you tried this "Green Zone" strategy?
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I never comment youtube vids, but make an exception with this one. This is the holy graal of better scoring in golf, strategy wise. We all remember tee offs, dog legs, etc… but never remember greens layout and short sides. I’m 55, play golf for 7 years and as a 6 hcp I have much to improve technically speaking, but this should be the most valuable lesson in terms of scoring. Very well done video and presentation, Luke.
It's great golf content. Period. The dude's voice is so unique, and he's precise, and the content both teaches and entertains.
I’m going to try to disregard the flag and just plant my own ideal flag that fits my shot shape and dispersion after watching this video. Nice analysis.
What’s most impressive about Scottie is his capability to follow high percentage plays and disregard ego. There are probably bucket loads of golfers who are more consistent than Scottie but his mental game is strongest. Easy and steady wins the game.
There's no ego involved when the shots that he takes are easy for him.
The ego is in even trying hard shots instead of easier shots.
But it is a question of which is the route of highest probability.
Shaping shots is a definite tradeoff.
Getting that cut or fade on demand is one thing.
Getting it on target is a different story.
The path may be clear for a draw and obstructed for a cut.
You still need to keep that draw out of the trees.
If that is easy for him, then where is the impressive shot.
And what other shot do you expect him to take.
One of the range finder manufacturers crunched amateur player data and found similar trends - most leave balls short, so best strategy was found to be to aim for back of green. Since amateurs mishit their clubs vast majority of the time, it means balls have a better chance of landing on the green. Scottie is essentially doing the same thing, albeit with pro accuracy.
just hit the green, why didnt i think of that.
Hit the green
???
Profit
Because you're probably firing at flag sticks
Said the 30+ hadicapper
What par
Just hit the center of the green.
Such a great video. Can’t believe I was always attacking pins before watching this.
Very nice video. Easy to play this way when nothing is on the line. Maybe why I shoot 65 the day before a qualifier and 75 the day of. 😂
Scottie does exactly as Tiger did. If the pin on the left, aims right/right center and draws the ball to the pin. On the right, aims left/left center and fades the ball to the pin. If its in the center, goes with his stock shot or whatever he feels....typcially the fade. They both take more club than needed for short or middle pins and rarely get aggressive to pins in the back.
For amateurs, just play whatever club will hit the middle of the green, not the one that will get there if you pure it. this is why i perfer GPS over a rangefinder. I just need to know front edge, center, and back edge. Play aggressive to the middle.
You dont even need to do the fade/draw thing, Bryson won all his events hitting exclusively a draw into all greens.
And yeh man I totally agree with the GPS>rangefinder thing, the rangefinder is a bait into going at every pin
There's a secret Italian word: Giotg. Translation: get it on the green. Outside of Italy, only certain golfers in Thailand are aware of this word.
Waddacommentor
@ Stinky winky
Don't forget you have to be confidential before you giotr
This is basically what Tiger has done for so many years, too. Incredibly patient and disciplined.
Thank you. I’ve known that each variable affects the shot, but have never known by how much. Runout has always been a guess largely because I rarely know exactly where the ball lands without a pitch mark. It also explains why my shots fly straight when I try to adjust for a 20 mph crosswind. Now get the course to myself to practice and get specific numbers for my swing and equipment.
Thank you.
Thanks great presentation...!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Luke the host has the best job
Thank you. I have become a better golfer in the last few years.Unknowingly saying where is a good miss? Then playing it accordingly. I will use this knowledge. Chasing the margin of error !
Love this trying it out tomorrow
Golfdigest videos have been on fire, it’s like a dirty little secret almost
everyone kinda knows to do but overcoming ego and greed is hard to do, the pin is like a light tower for us golfers 🤣
Just got the golf sim setup over the weekend and playing some wicked courses. Played Prairie Dunes today, a course many including myself had never heard of. The greens…OMG, approach shots ricochet away like Pinehurst #2. Anyway, I’m gonna play again tomorrow after a good warmup and see how this strategy works in my game.
What's your SIM setup?
@ Carl’s Place enclosure…smaller one, a used “short throw” projector enclosed in a metal protective box, Fiberbuilt ??? mat. This was all back in 2020 BTW before the pandemic. I’ve just now got it set up in my own 600 SQFT man cave at the new place vs 264 in the old place. Using the original SkyTrak LM and E6 basic package with 15 courses…which is fine with me. Did my own ball fitting this afternoon using the sim.
Most players are trying to do this on tour as data is more available. Scottie is striking it better than anyone else at the moment so it is more evident what he is planning on
Woah. I've heard this guy's voice a ton on instagram. Wild to actually see what he looks like! And it's not what I imagined haha
Brilliant!
Ben Hogan’s true secret. I think it allowed Hogan and allows Scheffler to strike it so well. Minimal stress + Maximal self control = Command of the course qnd ball. Well done. Thank you for this profound video.
I love Golf Digest
Great video…….again 😉👍🏻
So, always aim for the middle of the green. That's what I'm hearing and seeing. Additionally, that is where I am always aiming. It's not my intention to send my ball screaming toward the houses off the right of the green.
Thats not what he said, Scheffler isnt aiming for the middle of the green
@marktheblake dude, look at the graphics. Those points are always the middle, which is THE point. Don't try to fire right at the pin, go for the safe play which is almost always the middle of the green. It's all right there on the video.
"When the pin is at the back of the green Scotty aims short."
"When the pin at the front, Scotty aims long."
Always the middle.
@@PawPawGreg no they are not
@@marktheblake not sure what video you're watching, but you aren't watching the same one everyone else has been.
@@PawPawGreg i guess you missed the bit where LKD explained it.
Something that definitely gave me more birdie putts was stop caring where the flag was. Just hit center green. It’s much safer to putt than to end up having to put the ball in the air once more
Awesome analysis
Glad you enjoyed it
My first rule to land it on the green is play my longest club that I cannot over shoot the green. My miss will definitely make it to the front.. usually 😆
Good advice 🏌🏿♂️ Good data 📊 👍
#DECADE The only thing I would add to this is it does matter how wide the green is and how long the shot is to pick the exact target. That’s what DECADE teaches you how to do.
Paint by colors....well done....
3:30 in and it looks like Scottie has a very upright swing plane (i never noticed if this is common knowledge 🤷🏼♂️)…i guess i can adapt my somewhat upright swing to less than 120 strokes after all 😂😂
Love the video. You do know you just described Scott Fawcett's DECADE system, right?
I always club up, always regret club down and short.
Very good video thanks - you of course know this is DECADE strategy.
Came here to say the very same thing...
This is really great. Thank you. Could someone please clarify. Is short siding not the front side, but whatever side of the green is closest to the pin?
Correct
@@UncleT0ny Gracias
Here is a point to consider. The courses we play are slow slow. There is no such thing as being short sided.
And that was Tigers greatest strength! His discipline & focus! Only he did it for at least a decade!
Until he completely lost his discipline and focus, fked up his marriage and his body and drove off a cliff!
Well maybe so but it is also so important to have an uphill putt if the greens run fast. and so better to play for a location on the green to give yourself an uphill putt
I know through data you can see where ball landed and where it rolled - but how can you affirm where he was aiming?
you can't. you are just assuming that the centre of the distributions are centred at his target (which is probably a fair assumption with one of the best iron players of all time on an all-time heater)
Best season ever- without a full field.
To let your next shot to be the best one.
Absolutely not. Aim like it will be your worst, and be OK with that result.
after this video all pros will do that and Scottie's career is over
😂
the strategy was among all golfers since all 20 handicaps,but it's the ego and birdies are so tempting
😂😂
Nice video on the data however i think all these pros follow that same general strategy. In my opinion scottie is just more accurate.
The first thing I recall learning was to aim small miss small … middle of greens is every amateur golfers green zone. Just zap the middle of the greens and not pins, you are welcome planet earth.
I’m not being funny but this is just common sense, it’s called course management.
Yeah. Ridiculous pretending that Scottie is the first since Hogan to do this. Jack mastered it, Trevino too. Tiger was the absolute best because he had every shot shape and insane distance control with his irons. He left uphill putts inside the “green zone” when he was on. Everyone tries to execute this. This is not revolutionary stuff. Just recency bias.
Last time I checked, common sense ain't common. 🙂
@@sobaze scottie is just only one able to control his shots like that after tiger. Scottie has every shape. That's why players like bryson are so unconsistent. They need favorible pins and courses to play good
All this is.... is DECADE
What’s DECADE?
I need to find the fairway first
If Scottie has a 82 % GIR when the flag is short, and the tour average is 57 % GIR, he does not hit the green 25 % more. He hits the green 25 percent units more, which is close to 43 % more than the tour average in this case. Isn’t it?
Love this content, but what is being missed is that Scottie is the .01% of golfers who can consistently hit the ball to where he intends. Yes it's a great strategy but no matter how well I intend to execute this strategy I'm not skilled enough to have it make much of a difference through a round.
I see your point but the idea is that if you pick the right aim spots for the green and your patterns then even when you don't hit the spot you really wanted you have a better chance of making par or bogey instead of double or triple.
I use a similar strategy. I always aim at the pin but then either swing out to the right and push draw (for a left pin) or insure it hooks (for a right pin). I’ll do similar in my club choice for short and long. I developed it playing on simulators, but it works the same in real life IF you can align your body and clubface correctly. Really depends on the club though. The closer I get the more I’ll pin hunt as wedges are much easier to control and stick than irons. To implement this in real life you need both gps for front, back, and center green AND a laser rangefinder to lock in on the pin if you don’t have a caddy.
Instinctively- aka swing coach full time and lessons since he was born lol. But go on.
Was it not Walter Hagen who said that golf is a game of 3 bad shots and one good shot? In other words, a game of recovery.
Pros pick where to miss
It's a shame that I am comfortable in bed and CAN'T try this until tomorrow 😢
so Scheffler plays like how I play PGA2K video games 😉
I make the first mistake
Scottie looks for straight 15 feet putt. Not close to pin putt. That’s the secret.
Basically Scottie would aim center of the green
If we all landed the ball in the zone we wanted too, we'd all be on tour and the average handicap would be 4 or 5 (its currently 16.8). This video is not made for amateur golfers because we simply don't have the skill set.
11min of my life I won't get back!
It is missing the point a bit. Most of us will be missing well over half the greens. The trick is not trying to hit it the easy way, it's trying to miss it safely. If I have more than about 140m a lot of my mental dispersion circle is hanging off the green in comfy chip land. If I make 2 on just a few of those chips and 2 putt the 8 greens I do hit, I've picked up 11 or 12 on the bogey, and I am looking at low 80s with a couple of standard errors elsewhere.
Scheffler dominated tee to green in every tournament. Putting is still worse than average but it doesnt even matter
If you ask a pro, do you know who they say the best ball striker or tee to green? its ben hogan and nobody is close. even tiger study him so much
Check out our latest Ben Hogan video: ua-cam.com/video/8gGfoImIq4M/v-deo.html
Correct. Hogan is the greatest of all time. Real golf connoisseurs know this.
You're just saying hit the ball to the middle of the green.
decade is what he uses
Why didn’t you address the obvious question.
Why do pros risk going for the pin when it’s in the front more than when it’s in the back? I mean, wasn’t that an obvious confusing thing going on?
It is to me. There’s nothing magical about the front versus the back.
I wonder if it’s due to slope of the green and it being easier to chip uphill when short sided (and typically greens are flat or flight downhill towards the front )
This could have been shortened to like a 30s vid
Tiger played the same way. Clinically. This is not new news.
It is to some people
@@Mar88cus me. just became interested in golf this year
Scottie is no different and no better in any other way than any other top player.
To score low you have to hit shots. He hits shots. Plain and simple. You can name any other player and go look at their stats when they were on top of the game and you will see the same thing. Drives in play. Hits greens. Makes putts. In fact, putting is the shakiest part of his game. It's very nice that he can hit cuts and fades onto the green and have them roll towards the pin as opposed to past the pin. That is useless if they are not holding the green and he's not hitting up-and-downs. Either way, still have to make putts. He's doing all of that. Well. Consistently. Not hurting him that the best players in the game have gone to LIV. That the PGA had to bribe Tiger to stay back in order to give the PGA some semblance of competitiveness, even though Tiger has about a 10% chance of making a Tour cut.
So what do we have, Scottie is good enough to "dominate" the PGA but not good enough to make the jump to LIV.
He's a good player, plain and simple, and it is useless to get bogged-down in the details of his game. He's not a rocket-scientist, he's not doing anything new. Just doing what he does well.
Playing solid golf usually leads to good results.
And we'll see what happens to his consistency now that he has a child.
An interesting trend...he hits the green where he aims at it better than everyone else...it's called being the best shotmaker in the world
Scottie is better than Tiger prime.
All tour pros and high level amateurs do this. This is a pretty useless video, GD.