Avoiding Loss Before Seeking Victory

Sam is one of my most promising young students—talented, eager, and blessed with that fearless confidence that comes with youth. At sixteen, he's already shooting in the low 70s and has dreams of playing college golf. But last Saturday's round revealed something about his approach to the game that I knew we needed to address.

The Pattern Emerges

Sam started the round brilliantly. A confident drive down the middle on the 1st, followed by an aggressive approach shot that found the back of the green. Two putts for par, and he was off to a solid start.

But then came the 2nd hole—a tricky par 4 with water guarding the left side of the green. Sam had 135 yards to a pin tucked just over the water hazard. Without hesitation, he pulled his 9-iron and fired directly at the flag.

The ball found the water with a splash.

"Unlucky break," I said as we walked toward the drop zone.

"I had the right distance," Sam replied, already pulling another ball from his bag. "Just pulled it a touch."

He dropped, hit his fourth shot onto the green, and two-putted for a double bogey. But what concerned me wasn't the score—it was his complete lack of awareness about what had just happened.

Victory-Chasing in Action

Over the next several holes, I watched Sam play with the same aggressive mindset. On the 5th, a par 3 with bunkers guarding a narrow green, he aimed directly at a pin positioned just five yards past the sand trap. On the 7th, a tight dogleg with trees lining both sides of the fairway, he pulled driver and tried to cut the corner.

By the turn, Sam had made three double bogeys and was visibly frustrated.

"I'm hitting good shots, Coach, but they're just not going where I want them," he said as we sat down at the turn.

"Sam, let me ask you something," I began. "On that second hole, where the pin was guarded by the water—what were your options with that approach shot?"

"Hit it at the pin, obviously. That's what you're supposed to do with a short iron, right?"

"Is it?"

He looked at me with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what would have happened if you'd aimed for the center of the green instead of directly at the flag?"

"I don't know... probably would have been about twenty feet from the hole?"

"And what's wrong with twenty feet?"

"Nothing, I guess. But why not go for the pin if you can make the shot?"

This was the teachable moment I'd been waiting for.

The Conversation That Changed Everything

"Sam, I want to tell you something that might sound counterintuitive. The best players in the world—the guys you see on TV every Sunday—they're not always trying to make the perfect shot."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they understand something that most amateur golfers don't: while the rest of us are chasing victory, they know what they must avoid losing before they can win."

Sam's brow furrowed. "I don't get it."

"Think about it this way. On that second hole, you were chasing the perfect shot—trying to stick it close to a pin that was tucked behind water. But what were you risking?"

"Well... the water hazard."

"Exactly. You were risking a penalty stroke, maybe two, for the chance to have a fifteen-foot putt instead of a twenty-foot putt. Does that math make sense?"

I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"The best players ask themselves a different question," I continued. "They don't just ask 'What's the best possible outcome?' They ask 'What's the worst thing that can happen, and is it worth the risk?'"

Learning to Avoid Loss

On the 10th hole, I put this philosophy to the test. It was a par 4 with out-of-bounds stakes running down the right side and a huge bunker protecting the left portion of the green.

"Sam, where's the pin today?"

"Back right, maybe five yards from the edge."

"And if you aim directly at it, what are the potential outcomes?"

He studied the hole carefully. "Best case, I stick it close. Worst case..." He paused. "I go over the green and maybe out of bounds."

"And if you aim for the center of the green?"

"Best case, I'm about fifteen feet away. Worst case, maybe twenty-five feet on the far side."

"Which strategy gives you the better chance to make par or better?"

The light bulb went on. "The conservative play. Even if I'm farther from the hole, I'm guaranteed to avoid the big number."

"Exactly. Now you're thinking like a pro."

The Transformation

Sam aimed for the center of the green, hit a solid shot to eighteen feet, and made the putt for birdie.

"I can't believe I made that," he said, grinning.

"But here's the key," I told him. "Even if you'd missed that putt, you'd have walked away with par. No stress, no big number, just steady golf."

Over the back nine, I watched Sam apply this new mindset. He still played aggressively when the situation called for it, but he became much more strategic about when to take risks and when to play safe.

On the difficult 16th hole—a long par 3 over water—instead of firing at a pin tucked behind a bunker, Sam aimed for the fat part of the green. Twenty-five feet from the hole, but safely on the putting surface.

"Six months ago, I would have gone straight at that pin," he admitted as we walked to the green.

"And what would have been the likely result?"

"Probably in the bunker, maybe in the water if I really mishit it."

"And now?"

"Now I've got a legitimate chance at birdie and almost no chance of making worse than bogey."

The Wisdom of Avoiding Loss

As we finished the round—Sam shot his best score in weeks—I shared something important with him.

"Sam, what you learned today is something that separates good golfers from great ones. Great golfers understand that golf is as much about avoiding disasters as it is about making spectacular shots."

"It feels almost... conservative, though."

"It might feel conservative, but look at your scorecard. How many double bogeys did you make on the back nine?"

"None."

"And how many did you make on the front nine when you were chasing every pin?"

"Three."

"That's the difference. The pros call it 'playing within yourself.' It doesn't mean playing scared—it means being smart about when to be aggressive and when to be patient."

The Mental Shift

Here's what I've learned in my years of coaching: young, talented players like Sam often think golf is about making perfect shots. But golf isn't about perfection—it's about minimizing mistakes while capitalizing on opportunities.

The best players in the world understand this intuitively. They know that avoiding bogeys is often more important than making birdies. They know that playing to the fat part of the green usually leads to lower scores than firing at every pin.

This isn't about playing scared or being conservative. It's about being strategic. It's about understanding that every shot has both an upside and a downside, and the key is managing that risk-reward equation intelligently.

What This Means for Your Game

The next time you're on the course, ask yourself these questions before every shot:

1. What's the best possible outcome if I execute this shot perfectly?

2. What's the worst possible outcome if I miss?

3. Is the potential reward worth the potential risk?

4. Is there a safer play that still gives me a good chance at my target score?

Remember, golf rewards consistency more than heroics. The players who avoid big numbers tend to shoot lower scores than the players who make spectacular shots but also make spectacular mistakes.

The Paradox of Golf

Here's the paradox that Sam discovered: by trying a little less hard to make perfect shots, he actually played better golf. By accepting that some putts might be twenty-five feet instead of fifteen feet, he eliminated the disasters that were inflating his scores.

The best players understand this paradox. They know that sometimes the path to victory runs through avoiding defeat. They know that protecting against the worst-case scenario often leads to better outcomes than chasing the best-case scenario.

Golf isn't about making every shot perfect—it's about making every shot smart.

Think About This

What if the secret to shooting your best scores isn't found in taking more risks, but in taking smarter risks? If you spent one round focusing entirely on avoiding double bogeys instead of making birdies, what do you think would happen to your final score?

Until next time, less swing thoughts, more great shots!

Owen.