Greetings Golfers,

Sunday is the Super Bowl. I actually remember Super Bowl I. And I especially remember Super IV … when the Vikings lost to the Chiefs. I won’t even talk about the Vikings’ other Super Bowls.

Back to the Chiefs. I like their Head Coach Andy Reid a lot more than their Super Bowl IV coach Hank Stram. Reid is a genius and Patrick Mahomes is crazy good. Sports are about strategy as much as physical skill. However, strategy isn’t just Xs and Os … that type of strategy only works if everyone is the same ability. Strategy is really about knowing your strengths and weaknesses … and knowing your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses … and then knowing how to capitalize on that knowledge.

I had a friend who was really good at strategy. He took up tennis after college and had terrible strokes. But, he was quick and had good hands. He knew that he couldn’t rally with good players, so he never gave them anything to hit or get into a rhythm … so he just lobbed and dinked the ball around the court. He beat some good players and a few club pros. This character also won the intramural wrestling championship at a big university. He wasn’t a good wrestler or in good shape. But he was a master staller and stayed away from the mat … he always got to his feet and avoided wrestling. Do you remember

Muhammed Ali’s rope-a-dope? That’s how this guy played sports.

Golf is all about strategy. Are you trying to hit shots like you’re Tiger Woods? Think about it … on a par 71 course like Deer Run … if you make 9 bogeys & 8 pars and 1 birdie … you shoot 79. That’s bogeying half the holes! Why are you trying to birdie every hole? You know you can par the par 5s … just par half of the par 4s, and par half of the par 3s. Just don’t be dumb on the hard par 4s and 3s. If you can drive the ball in play and chip pretty decently … you can break 80. I didn’t say bomb it off the tee and stuff your iron shots – that’s how you break 60.

Heard a great line the other day … this guy hit a mediocre shot, turned to me and said “I can do better … I just never do.”

It’s funny because we all get it. For too many of us, our golf strategy is based on hitting our best shot every time.

Sunday, these two football teams had better mix-it-up … maybe not rope-a-dope … but they need to be clever.

Maybe my Vikings lost 4 Super Bowls because they over-achieved just to get there. But at least they got there.

We all want to score well. We keep score when we play sports. We’re not practicing. I’m not saying to play every round like it’s the US Open … rather, just use your head and be honest with yourself … then you can strategize.

Let’s see who can strategize on Sunday.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
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