Limit Mistakes to Improve Your Game Instead of Chasing Perfection

Most players aim to be perfect with every shot, every line, and every putt.

It sounds like a solid plan: if you hit every shot perfectly, your score should be as low as possible.

But aiming for perfection often backfires.

In fact sometimes, the more you try to be perfect, the more likely you are to make a big mistake.

Surprisingly, instead of chasing perfection, focusing on limiting your biggest mistakes can improve your game and lower your score.

Why Chasing Perfection Can Hurt Your Game

Imagine you're staring down a long fairway on massive par 4 or par 5 type hole.

So naturally, you grab your favorite max distance driver and step up to the tee to rip the disc as hard as you can to hopefully get down the fairway as far as possible.

But how often are you able to have everything in this situation right and you end up where you want to be?

Often times when you (and most players) try to throw as hard and as far as possible to get down the fairway, you might miss your line altogether and end up far off target or even out of bounds.

Trying to throw the perfect upshot with extreme caution can often leave you short, forcing a difficult long putt had you not worried too much about overshooting the basket by a little.

Even running every putt outside your comfort zone often leads to misses and worse follow-up shots.

These things all happen because pushing for perfection increases pressure and subsequently risk.

When you focus on perfection and trying to do everything right, you also tend to choose riskier lines that are hard to control and attempt putts beyond your reliable range in order to create scoring opportunities.

Instead though, this pursuit of perfection causes mistakes to be made that frequently prevent opportunities that we would otherwise have.

These mistakes add strokes to your score and can make it harder to recover later in the round.

How Limiting Mistakes Can Lower Your Score

My advice to fix this is simple: instead of trying to be perfect on every shot, focus on avoiding your biggest mistakes.

Using our previous examples, this means to first, control your power.

Throw at an effort level you can consistently manage rather than maxing out every time.

I'd rather throw at 80% and have an excellent brace and power pocket rather than go for 100% and have neither.

Second, aim for safer landing zones.

Instead of always going directly for the basket, pick spots that reduce risk and keep you in play.

Sometimes the aggressive play often puts you out of position, and even if you do hit the line you wanted, it may not be much better than what you would have had if you played it safer.

Third is to know your putting limits.

Don’t run every putt out of pure principle.

Choose when to play aggressively and when to play safe based on your confidence and the score.

If you're ahead by a ton of strokes, then there is no need to make unnecessary mistakes and take unnecessary risks.

There is nothing wrong with laying up and taking the par if the alternative is to take an unwanted bogey.

Keep the pressure on the other players if at all possible and take your moments when you're confident in them.

If you need to make up ground or there are only a few holes left and no threat of dropping in position, then that is when you can be more risky and take those longer shots to steal a birdie.

By limiting mistakes, you reduce the chance of big errors that cost you strokes.

This approach helps you stay in control and take advantage of scoring chances when they come naturally.

It doesn’t mean playing too safe all the time.

It simply means balancing risk and reward by understanding when to push and when to protect your score.

Building a Mistake-Limiting Strategy

To build a strategy focused on limiting mistakes, start by:

1. Assessing your strengths and weaknesses: Know which shots you can control and which ones give you trouble.

2. Tracking your common mistakes: Identify patterns like missing drives left or short putts. Is there anything in your form that you could adjust to become more consistent?

3. Planning your shots: Before each throw, decide if the goal is to be aggressive or safe based on the hole layout and your current score.

4. Practicing controlled shots: Work on throwing consistent, reliable shots at less than max effort.

5. Improving mental focus: Stay calm and avoid overthinking each shot. Confidence in your controlled shots reduces errors. As per a previous article, have a Player B mentality.

When to Take More Risks

As mentioned above, there are times when playing safe isn’t the best choice.

Such as if...

.....you are behind in a match and need to catch up.

.....the hole layout favors aggressive shots with high reward.

.....you feel confident and have practiced a specific shot.

These are all reasons or times you should take make more risk rather than trying to limit any extra mistakes.

Knowing when to take risks is part of a balanced strategy.

But don't sacrifice too many costly mistakes for the sake of being aggressive.

Final Thoughts

Focusing on limiting your biggest mistakes instead of chasing perfection can transform your game.

All too often I see players trying so hard to be perfect, that they end up making crushing mistakes that can quickly ruining a round.

By controlling your effort, choosing safer targets, and understanding your limits, you reduce costly errors and improve your scoring chances, allowing them to come naturally rather than being forced.

Next time you play, try dialing back the pressure to be perfect and aim to play smarter, mistake-free golf.

This shift in mindset can lead to better scores and more enjoyment on the course, good luck!

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