The Critical Number Pros Use That Amateurs Don't l The Game Plan l Golf Digest

Cover Numbers. They're some of the most underrated and underused numbers in golf. What's the yardage to clear the hazard? What club should I hit? How do I avoid disaster on this hole? In this episode of The Game Plan, Golf Digest Senior Editor Luke Kerr-Dineen dives into the simple but often underutilized strategy of ignoring the pin and focusing on safety to discover whether or not those aggressive lines off the tee and into greens are actually worth the risk for pros and amateurs alike.
We want to know - have you tried focusing on cover numbers?
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[@thejmac69]

This clarified something I had wrong in my head but thought was right: the difference between “carry” and “cover”. Thank you!

[@ShotPattern]

These are so so good!! These videos are becoming a quality playlist of tutorials for the Shot Pattern app!

[@danik4308]

can you make a Video where you dive into the mentioned „runout number“?

[@lukekerrdineen]

It's in the docket!

[@tnuctaf]

Your run out number is where the ball lands to where the ball finishes. This number changes with each club. You can get this number by finding your ball mark and stepping off to where your ball finishes. A long iron like 4 or 5 iron might have 4 to 5 yards of runout depending on green speeds and hardness. While a wedge might have a negative roll out depending on your skill level.

[@kingpatrick2395]

I love these videos, they really help with my golfing game! Thank you

[@GolfDigest]

Glad you enjoy them. We love making them.

[@bkim01]

"... demolition of Sergio Garcia." Ouch haha.

[@HK-vv9kv]

These vids are great. Strategies like this can help so many golfers as opposed to swing tips

[@lukejuras8024]

My lesson learned at a new course this week: if you have to hit it past a creek that's just at the upper limit of your max carry distance, for goodness sake just club down and play it as a bogey hole. (Lesson learned as I was hitting my third ball off the tee, with a shorter club).

[@timchamberlain5858]

That was a great explanation of "playing the miss"

[@alohaguchis]

Course management is so under rated. Love this

[@mr.clutch987]

Love this video... I had a par 3 180 yards over water and i decided to hit my hybrid and landed a perfect pin high shot

[@alisonburgess345]

This is gold - thanks Luke 🎉

[@zeppelinstudiosllc3007]

this is awesome !!!! thank you !

[@kevinmcdonald1917]

Thank you, liked and subscribed.

[@Jordanericgolf1775]

Another great one by LKD

[@ScrewyDriverTheMan]

Well, they worry about that more than regular folks because most of the time they play on hard, firm surfaces where the ball would bounce hard first, then come to a stop, as opposed to when it's soft conditions where they could hit more at the pin or even behind it to suck it back. Depends on the distances and height and landing angle of the ball, of course, but you have to be able to cover first when it's so damned firm with that first bounce

[@braedenmoore1722]

Great video!

[@almccrann2286]

Reminds me of Scott Fawcett’s DECADE program. 😊

[@plusfour1]

The same idea. Was thinking that myself. Fine tunes it

[@patricioramos4275]

Top! Amazing content

[@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656]

Super video.

[@HyperbrandedGolf]

Love this series ❤

[@saufai74]

Thank you. Great video

[@GolfDigest]

So do we 😉

[@TheeNickyT]

Tremendous video!

[@krusher74]

So as a bogie golfer with a front-to-back dispersion of 30/40 yards stick to the number to the back of the green, because when you fat it 40yards short of the club flushed it might just creep on the front.

[@HuntsT]

Bryson is holding a compass, not a protractor. They are commonly confused.

[@petermcgill1315]

I always have the distance to the rear of the green. I’ve hit some shocking spots that still find themselves somewhere around the green. The one or 2 I hit pure, I can deal with.

[@user-wv5lh1xz4g]

what a vid

[@sa_maccas2266]

But what would the cover number be at a hole like the 6th at Humewood links, 2 deep bunkers on the left and right basically covering the length of the green

[@jordancalanchini3496]

The cover number would be whatever the yardage is to clear the bunkers lmao

[@oahujuniorgolfassociationc6656]

It’s whatever you need it to be based on your shot shape, where the flag is and so forth. I do think sometimes the carry number is simply the actual front of the green because otherwise it may roll back down or just stop too quickly. Sometimes the carry number is a ridge in the green. And sometimes there’s so much trouble everywhere you just gotta hit a shot.

[@sa_maccas2266]

@@jordancalanchini3496 they cover every part of the side of the green, if you carry the bunkers you've missed the green

[@jordancalanchini3496]

@@sa_maccas2266 if you carry the bunker and miss the green, that means the flag is not right behind the bunker. Therefore you should not be taking it over the bunker

[@sa_maccas2266]

@@jordancalanchini3496 yes, but if you miss pin high right or left, you'll be in the bunker

[@jaygatsby1]

What’s a sholt?

[@jamiekennedy6023]

Could have used this strategy better in my round yesterday 🤦‍♂

[@BenWaltonNYC]

No way. Not with that power fade.

[@tdye19]

the cover number

[@mikechar17]

sand traps are not the worst possible outcome, right?

[@reidjames2938]

Depends on the hole obviously

[@freddym6643]

They're much worse scoring wise than many realize in most situations.

[@mikechar17]

@@freddym6643 always hear its better to hit there than almost anywhere else unless it might be really short side but they are usually wizards anyway. For the normal guy its the worst nightmare.

[@rc07333]

Its hard to judge a cover # when you chunk one and then skinny the next 🤣🤣

[@Simeon-the-Magnificent]

Who is the narrator in this? What's his name?

[@MrBootleBoy1969]

His name is in the description.

[@MrRobd23]

1:04 look on the left side in the center of the screen. Also written in the video description. Also 2:27 you can his name and see him speak for himself.

[@MichealNolan-jc9hx]

Luke Kerr-Dineen

[@touristguy87]

Could you make a video that doesn't put me to sleep

[@bennettlewis5495]

I don't have a cover number, I have a "crap-shoot" number.

[@RbiTriples]

Doesnt hurt to be Rory MclIroy either lol

[@danielscofield4941]

That’s a compass, not a protractor.

[@jeffarmfield2346]

Thing bryson had was a protractor

[@atbear]

@@jeffarmfield2346 No, that's a compass.

[@maverick6369]

Still no clue what a cover number is

[@geoffcohen613]

So average players grab laser to flag and try to hit that number.

[@TheNifster]

good night isn't this just common sense?

[@fudhater8592]

The point of putting a bunker behind the green is to make it a harder shot than chipping 🤦‍♂

[@theduke7957]

Schauffle lost it. Rory didn’t win it

[@blobberyo54]

Bro went -7 through 8 holes and you don’t think he won it😂

[@tessp100d4]

Screw Rory