Pelz - Dave Pelzs damage control: how to save up to 5 shots per round using all-new, scientifically proven techniques for playing out of trouble lies

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Published by Gotham Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First printing, November 2009

Copyright 2009 by David T. Pelz

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Pelz, Dave.

Dave Pelzs damage control : how to save up to five shots per round using all-new, scientifically proven techniques for playing out of trouble lies / by Dave Pelz, with Eddie Pelz and Joel Mendelman.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-101-66510-7

1. Swing (Golf) I. Pelz, Eddie. II. Mendelman, Joel. III. Title.

GV979.S9P45 2009

796.3523dc22 2009026390

Designed by BTD NYC

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For our future golfers.

May their games be free from disaster scores.

G OLF IS IMPORTANT TO ME. Ive played it for more than fifty years, studied it for forty, conducted research on it for thirty-five, and taught it professionally for thirty-three. Just recently, however, Ive learned something newand very importantabout the game. In a research project (code named Disaster) at the Pelz Golf Institute that involved thousands of players, we uncovered several interesting facts about how golfers score:

Golfers play two to five strokes below their handicap for most of each round.

They play badly (above their handicap) on a few disaster holes, bringing their scores back up to handicap level.

There is an easy way to avoid these disaster scores, and thus lower a golfers handicap.

Working with the staff at the Institute, weve discovered a new and important way to eliminate disaster scores from your game. We call it Damage Control.

* * *

By way of an introduction to Damage Control, please consider the following six questions and answers:

Question 1: Whats the problem?

Answer 1: Golfers play well for most of the round, but then ruin their score with a few bad holes.

Think about your game. You play well most of the time, but consistently seem to mess up a few holes that ruin your score. This doesnt happen once or twice a year. You do it often, almost like its an unwritten law: You cant put together a complete 18-hole round without a disaster hole. Its just the way you play the game!

See if you recognize these circumstances. You:

Play well (below your handicap) for most of each round (fourteen to seventeen holes)

Have a few disaster holes, with seriously high scores

Are disappointed with your score and know youre capable of playing better

Blame your disaster holes on errant shots that got into trouble

Believe you must practice more, improve your swing, and learn to avoid trouble if you want to improve your game

Research into disaster scoring has shown us the following:

All amateurs hit multiple errant shots every round, but they manage to get away with most of them.

Errant shots usually dont cause disaster scoresthey present opportunities for them.