When it comes to playing golf, the expression, "drive for show, putt for dough," is as meaningful today as it was the day it was coined. Overhitting conceivably causes more golf swing errors and inflated scores than any single mechanical cause or equipment problem. Tense muscles, rushed takebacks, wild forward swings, and mad chops at balls in the rough or sand add strokes and frustration to an otherwise successful round of golf. Learning to control the ball will lower your score--and your blood pressure.
Teeing Off
That extra 50 yards off the tee box you believe you'll get using a driver or a mighty swing won't help you control your next shot, the ensuing pitch or chip, and the putt you'll need to sink to make par. Trying to go for too much off your drive often adds two or three strokes as you end up in the water, woods or sand trap. Consider leaving your driver in the bag and using your 3 wood to get you into the fairway and in position to get onto or close to the green.
On long par threes, consider using a shorter club and rolling the ball onto the green, rather than trying to hit the green and make it stick. Even landing short of the green gives you a chance for a controlled chip and putt to make par. Don't risk a double bogey or, worse, try to be too fine with a long iron so you can hit the green and try for a birdie.
Second Shot
Trying to make the green from more than 200 yards out is a dilemma for most recreational golfers. In order to get that distance, you'll most likely need less loft, which will produce a lower trajectory and more forward roll when the ball lands. If you make it onto the green, your ball will likely roll off into water or sand. Consider your second shot as being similar to a long par three---lay up and give yourself a chance to get on with a controlled shot to the pin, and then hole out with a one-putt.
Approach Shots
The top golfers use a full swing from most lies on the course, even from the sand. If you are within 150 yards of the green, depending on your power, use a shorter iron which will allow you to use a full swing without launching your ball too far. Trying to abbreviate your swing or use "touch" or "feel" can cause a jerky takeback or forced forward swing, resulting in a disastrous loss of control. The more often you can use the same swing during your round, the more you'll be able to call on your stored motor memory (often mistakenly called "muscle memory") and let your brain, not your brawn, do the work.
Chipping
Once again, control is key to successful chipping. Rather than trying to chop or wrist the ball onto the green with an abbreviated swing, use a putting stroke to pop the ball up and onto the green. A lofted club, like a 7 iron, will do the trick, with any mistakes staying close to the green, not rolling past it.
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