Drive for Show, Putt for Dough, A myth thats holding your game back

If you want to shoot lower scores, your long game deserves just as much attention as your short game.

Why Driving Matters More Than You Think

Hitting the ball further can give you a significant advantage on the golf course. A longer drive leaves you with a shorter approach shot, making it easier to hit the green and create birdie opportunities.

Compare a golfer hitting a 220-yard drive with one hitting it 280 yards. If both find a playable position, the longer hitter has a much shorter shot into the green.

That advantage adds up over 18 holes.

Research into golf performance, including strokes gained analysis, highlights the importance of driving and approach play in determining scores. Distance, accuracy and the quality of your next shot all contribute to scoring well.

Does Putting Still Matter?

Absolutely. Poor putting can cost you shots, and developing a reliable short game is essential.

However, putting isn’t always the best place to focus your practice. If you’re regularly missing greens, taking penalty shots or leaving yourself long approaches, improving your ball-striking could have a greater impact on your scores than spending hours on the putting green.

The key is understanding where you’re losing shots rather than following an outdated golfing cliché.

Where Should You Focus Your Practice?

To improve your scores, consider these priorities:

• Driving: Increase distance while keeping the ball in play.
• Approach play: Hit more greens and leave yourself shorter putts.
• Short game: Develop the skills to save par when you miss a green.
• Putting: Improve distance control and consistency on short putts.

The right balance depends on your game. The goal isn’t to ignore putting, but to invest your practice time where it will make the biggest difference.

The Verdict

“Drive for show, putt for dough” makes a catchy slogan, but it oversimplifies what it takes to play better golf.

Driving further, finding playable positions and hitting better approach shots can create easier scoring opportunities. Putting matters, but it can’t always compensate for weaknesses elsewhere in your game.

Stop following golfing clichés and start focusing on what will genuinely lower your scores.

At Alex Munro Golf, the aim is simple: understand your game, improve the areas that matter most and give yourself the best chance of playing better golf.