Mid-Round Fixes
Symptom-to-fix table for when a miss pattern shows up mid-round — simplest fix first, one swing thought at a time.
When a pattern emerges — not a single bad shot, a pattern — try the simplest fix first. Don't rebuild your swing on the 12th hole, and never run two swing thoughts at once.
| Symptom | First fix |
|---|---|
| Slice / block right | Strengthen the lead-hand grip |
| Hook / pull left | Weaken the grip; slow the tempo |
| Thin contact | Ball position 1 forward; stay in posture |
| Chunked shots | Ball 1 back; feel weight forward at impact |
| Shanks | Stand 1" farther from the ball; grip down ½" |
| Lost distance | Finish with belt buckle to target; smoother, not harder |
| Wedges coming up short | Commit to a fuller follow-through |
| Short putts pushed/pulled | Soften grip pressure; eyes over the ball |
Two of these aren't swing faults at all. "Lost distance" late in a round is usually fatigue — worth 2 to 5 yards, so take the club rather than the fix (see Yardage Adjustments). "Wedges coming up short" is normally a distance-control gap, not a follow-through problem; the durable fix is measured carry numbers in Wedge and Chip Distances.
While the pattern lasts, aim so both edges of the miss are playable and take the conservative target — a known miss you've planned for costs far less than the strokes a surprise one does.
Related pages
- Risk in StrokesExpected strokes to hole out from common positions — the math behind every go-versus-lay-up call.
- Wedge and Chip DistancesDistance control by backswing length across the wedges, plus carry-to-rollout ratios for chips on a firm green.
- Yardage AdjustmentsWhat wind, cold, altitude, slope, and rough do to your carry number — and how to stack the corrections before you pull a club.
- Know Your NumbersStat targets for a 10- and a 5-handicap, the order to fix leaks in, and how to split practice hours.