Tom Lehman has played his fair share of recreational golfers over the years, so the five-time PGA Tour winner and 1996 Open Championship champion has a pretty good idea of how short they are.
His advice for amateurs? They need to better understand their limitations.
“I think we all think we’re super and can hit the ball farther than we can,” Lyman told GOLF.com. “So if I can say there’s anything that’s not too technical but in terms of expectations, it’s realistic about how far you can go.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve played in a pro match and I hit a 7-iron, and you know I’m a pro, and the guy with me hits a hard 8-iron and I go, ‘Why do you have an 8-iron? I’m better than you in a better way, hit it away from you, and I hit a 7-iron.”
Lehman was not alone in this criticism of amateurs, and numerous studies have shown that the majority of greens lost from recreational players are lacking greens. Part of it is that people who don’t play regularly don’t have a good understanding of how far they’ll get at the club. For example, just because they hit the 8-iron 160 yard once doesn’t mean it travels that far every time.
“Understanding how far I’ve come is probably the biggest mistake I consider,” Lyman said.
Bonus tip
We also asked Lehman how he would warm up if he only had 15 minutes to spare. That’s what he said.
“I’ll hit the wedges for five minutes,” he said, “and hit two, three, four, five, and then I’ll go to the golf course and hit the ball and chip until the last second before tee time.” “It’s a lunge for sure, but you have to be loose, at least to a certain degree, and you have to feel green.”