The “Stoplight” Strategy in Golf

When you strike an approach towards the green, roughly what proportion of the time do you aim away from the pin?

When exactly was it?

If you are like most amateur golfers, you most likely have not even paid this any thought.

Do you agree that the pin exists for a specific reason?

Is the target you are meant to aim for not what you are aiming for?

Reasons NOT worth trying to strike the pin

But Zach, the pros aim at the pin; why can’t I?”

Professionals really hardly ever aim for the pin.

Using 7, 6, 5, 4, and even three irons or hybrids, many times the men on tour can strike approach shots into the greens that span more than 200 yards in distance.

Assuming the pin has no trouble surrounding it, there is a fair chance the experts will not be shooting for the pin from that distance.

Clearly, this changes in attitude the moment you hand them a wedge. When they are at a distance of 100 yards, the pros usually aim at the pin practically always and often put it close.

What would you do instead if I were sitting here advising you not to aim at the pin on any of your approach shots?

Let us discuss the Strategic Stoplight.

What is the “Stoplight Strategy”?

The basic idea guiding the stoplight approach is as follows:

Each green has three quadrants.
The area falls in the green “Go Zone” and “Danger Zone” (yellow).
The red-labeled “No Zone” You should almost always try to shoot for the middle of the green, the “Go Zone”.
For clarifying this matter, examples are the most successful tools.

First example

Look over the par three below. Assume that this hole calls for you to strike a long iron or hybrid into the green. The yellow dot shows the pin’s location, so let us imagine ourselves in this situation.

Before you continue reading, you should ask yourself the following question: if the pin is located in the back left corner of this green, where do you believe the most secure spot to aim is? And what about the most dangerous?

Things to take into consideration

A photograph is not without flaws. Before sketching up our plan for the shot, there are a few elements that we need to take into consideration, including the following:

• In what direction does the green slope go?
• How deep are those bunkers, exactly?
• On the green, how thick is the rough that surrounds it?
• Which greens are the most tender?
• In the process of making these judgments, we are attempting to identify the areas around the green that are the absolute worst to overlook.

For the purpose of this illustration, we will suppose that the green itself is flat, has a modest pace, and is surrounded by bunkers.

So what’s the strategy?

My plan of action for this photo is as follows:

• Find a club that will allow you to get out of the left bunker.
  It’s fine to go long here.
  The reason for the short distance is NOT the bunkers, which are the most punishing features in the vicinity of this green.
• Aim for the back right corner of the green.
  If I pull it, I will still be on the green (since I took enough club to clear the bunker). If I push it, I will have a chip from the rough, but I will still have enough of green for the ball to roll on. If I pull it, I will be on the green.
  When it comes to this particular hole, my “Stoplight Strategy” consists of the green star serving as my aiming point and the yellow circle representing the pin.

How’d you do?

Let’s move on to the next example.

Example #2

Regarding the second illustration, we are looking at the exact same hole, but the pin is positioned in a different manner.

Take a moment to think about the “Go Zone,” “Danger Zone,” and “No Zone” that are associated with this hole.

Also, keep in mind that you are going to be hitting a hybrid or a long iron into this green!

Things to take into consideration

As was the case with the first illustration, we need to take into account a variety of factors, such as the depth of the rough and bunkers, the slope of the green, and so on.

Nevertheless, now that the pin is in the front, there are a few additional questions that need to be asked:

• Is the green broad enough to prevent a bunker shot from being made if I lose my shot in the bunkers to the left or right?
• Being hit from one bunker to the next is the very last thing that we want to happen!
• Would there be any possibility that I could hit my following shot close to the pin if I were to miss my long-left shot?

So what’s the strategy?

Taking all of these factors into account, the following is my strategy:

A club that will clear the appropriate bunker should be chosen.
Due to the fact that if we miss to the right, we will have a chip from the rough rather than the bunker, this provides us with a margin for error.

The “true center” of the green should be your goal, however you might even favor the right side of the green a little bit.
In the event that we fall short, it won’t be an issue because we are right adjacent to the pin!

Here’s my Stoplight Strategy for this pin location:

 

Would this tactic be effective for players with big handicaps?

Golf is a challenging hobby.

This tactic is simple enough for a professional golfer to implement, but what about the average golfer?

To that, I would want to offer some advice: play the way you would like to be played.

This stoplight method is still something I would recommend to you even if you are a twenty handicap and never seem to be able to reach the target even if your life depended on it.

How come?

Learning how to do the following is an important component of improving your golf game:

Improve your strategy.
Ensure that you maintain a consistent pre-shot routine.
Imagine how you would like to hit the shots.
By utilizing this Stoplight technique, you will be compelled to carry out these acts.

You can have a difficult time reaching your goal for a number of months or even years, but if you maintain a positive attitude about it for a sufficient amount of time, you will experience an improvement in your game.

Having said that, I will see you the next week!

Take them by the horns!