It’s just sitting there – waiting.  So what should you be thinking when the moment of truth is about to arrive – swing through the zone or flat out hit it?  Truth is, it depends – on a lot.  Your instinct, grip, posture, ball position, swing plane, flexibility, etc.  All great players had some degree of hit in their swings, as well as, the ability to smooth it out there with a fluid swinging motion.  Typically, a student will come to me with the tendency to do one or the other as their go-to move, especially under pressure.  It’s my job to increase the students awareness of the benefits and drawbacks of both methods and teach them how to recognize when they are perhaps overdoing it to one extreme.  Furthermore, the student should aware of conditions they are presented with and what might be the best option for them.  For example; if your approach shot to the green is from a short distance and your ball is in deep rough – it might be a good time to think about going after it with a bit more zest than your normally do – I said “a bit more.”

Know your strengths and weaknesses, practice both methods and gauge your results.  As in many things life presents us, knowledge and experience are invaluable when it comes to execution.