I have a pretty easy time scoping out a great golfer. It’s not just the swing; it’s the little things they do before, during and after every shot that make them different. They’re intentional, adaptable, in control. These habits of the great players aren’t reserved for world-class players. With the right focus, you can start building them into your own game. Here are five habits that separate great golfers from the rest of us.
They control the clubface
At the moment of impact, nothing matters more than controlling the clubface. If the face is open, the ball is going right. If it’s closed, it will go left. Great players don’t need to overhaul their swing to shape shots; they rely on their awareness and feel of the clubface.
Great players can work the ball left or right by adjusting the face angle or the path. Sam Snead once said, “When I want a draw, I just think draw. When I want a fade, I just think fade.”
If you’re not practicing this, start now. On the range, set up to a ball and try to hit one that curves right. Then try to curve one left. What are you changing? Can you do it just by manipulating the face? This kind of intentional practice builds the awareness that makes shotmaking possible.
They don’t choose a club before they analyze a lie
You’ve got a 40-yard pitch shot into the green and you pull your sand wedge. Sound familiar?
Great players don’t do that. They consider their sand wedge, pitching wedge and maybe 8-iron. They assess the lie, the slope, the pin location, the carry distance and where they want the ball to roll out to. Only after that do they choose the shot and the club.
Predetermining the shot before understanding the situation is a sign of a golfer who still has skills to develop.
They control the trajectory on purpose
The last time you hit a line drive into the wind, did you tell yourself it was a “wind cheater”? Great players do that kind of thing, on command.
They hit the ball high when they need a soft landing. They hit it low when hitting into the wind. They flight a mid-trajectory spinner when they want to control the rollout. Great players know how to make these adjustments because they’ve learned how to control trajectory.
Great players learn to control trajectory with ball position, shaft lean, face angle, finish height and club selection. If you’re newer to the game, just getting the ball airborne is the first step. As your skills grow, trajectory control is one of the clearest signs you’re leveling up. Having the right equipment (loft, shaft, ball) matters, too.
They know how to handle a bad day
Every golfer has bad days. What separates the great golfers is how they manage them.
Sometimes it’s a swing tweak. Sometimes it means leaving a problem club (like a hybrid or long iron) in the bag. Sometimes it means deliberately missing greens to leave an easier pitch, instead of forcing a carry you aren’t confident in.
The great golfers have a damage control mode. They stabilize the round, take a safe bogey when needed and step on the next tee with a plan.
They practice feel, not just numbers
I love it when players learn and understand how to build a wedge matrix. Knowing how far a half, three-quarter or full-swing wedge shots travels is helpful. The great golfers also know to practice feel. They know how to play shots that don’t fit inside a chart. This process of working on feel helps to develop shot creativity.
One of the best ways to practice feel is to play a round without a rangefinder. Guess the yardage. Trust your eyes and your instincts. You’ll probably play better with exact distances, but you’ll learn a good bit about feel in this process.
Final thoughts
If you haven’t quite reached “great golfer” status yet, try working on one of these five habits. You don’t need to play professionally to play like a pro in how you think, prepare, and react.
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