One of the more common sayings in all of golf is "Drive for show, putt for dough." It is possible to have a great driving round and still wind up well over par because of the importance of putting. Par is set up to allow for two strokes on the green. If a course has the normal number of four par-3 holes, a golfer will hit his or her driver a maximum of 14 times in a round.

Smart golfers carefully think through every shot before they ever step up to hit it. They think through all the factors that will go into the shot, and then they will create a sure plan. In this manner they will be able to hit every shot with confidence, increasing their chances of success.