Say Good-Bye to Doubles and Triples Forever Every aspect of golf, from the swing to the follow-through, is a means to one deceptively simple end: to get the ball into the hole in the fewest strokes possible. The Elements of Scoring explains how paying attention to the way you play -- regardless of your level of skill -- will guarantee you fewer strokes, a better overall game, and at the end of the day, more fun. With a practical and encouraging touch, Raymond Floyd shares his vision of what makes a scorer and shows how you can become this most dangerous of opponents. Discover the ten mistakes amateurs make that pros never do - Learn why the 6-foot putt is the most important shot in golf - Play to your strengths and hide your weaknesses - Banish first-tee jitters and focus on the rest of your game - Know when bogey can be a good score Golf is a game of mistakes: The secret to better golf lies in making fewer of them and making sure the ones you do make don?t prove too costly. With Raymond Floyd as your teacher, you are sure to shoot the lowest scores you can, day in and day out, playing the game like a true scorer. Jonathan Mayo New York Post Mr. Floyd takes you from the first tee to the final putt, giving tips on how to maximize your game to minimize your score every step of the way. Raymond Floyd has won 35 official gold tournaments (22 on the regular tour, 13 on the senior tour), including four majors. He made history in 1992 when he became the first player to win on both the PGA Tour and the Senior Tour in the same year. He lives in Palm Beach, Florida. Jamie Diaz is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated . He lives in Temecula, California. Arnold Palmer is one of the most storied and successful golfers to have ever played the game. He won the Masters Tournament four times, in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964 and the U.S. Open in spectacular fashion in 1960 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, coming back from seven strokes down in the final round. Palmer also won the British Open in 1961 and 1962. Among the majors, only the PGA Championship has eluded him -- he finished second three times. He was also Ryder Cup captain in 1963. Arnold Palmer divides his time between Latrobe, a small industrial town in Western Pennsylvania where he was born, and Florida. He is the author of a number of practical golf guides, as well as the bestselling autobiography, A GOLFER'S LIFE. Chapter 1: The Scorer's Game Golf is a seductive game because there are so many ways to enjoy it. You can get satisfaction from walking in the outdoors, from the exercise it provides, from the camaraderie of your playing partners, from the sheer distance you can hit the ball, from the fascination of the golf swing, from the challenge of competition, all the way to the opportunity to learn self-control and build character. All of the above are fine reasons to play. But if you want to be the best golfer you can be, the most important part of the game is measured by one thing and one thing only: Your score. The object of the game is to shoot the lowest score you can. Everything else is subordinate to that goal, at every level of the game. For all the spectacular shots they can hit, what pros do better than anything else is to get the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes possible. That was true of Bobby Jones, of Ben Hogan, of Arnold Palmer, of Jack Nicklaus, and of Tiger Woods. In my experience, for all the other undeniable benefits of the game, scoring well is also the most surefire way to really enjoy golf. That might sound obvious, but I've always been surprised by how little effort and focus most amateurs devote to understanding how to score lower. Right now, there are probably more people captivated and even obsessed by golf than ever before, yet most are consumed with swing mechanics, driving the ball farther, sports psychology, and having the latest high-tech equipment. All those are worthy subjects that can improve your game and increase your enjoyment, but I think most people miss the forest for the trees. The reason people don't shoot lower scores, to be blunt, is that most people don't know how to PLAY. Not how to swing, or how to hit the ball farther; how to play the game. Don't take that the wrong way. It's not an easy thing to know. In fact, when all is said and done, it's the hardest. Learning to play golf -- learning to score -- is a lifelong process. I know that, at age fifty-six, I'm still learning. But here is the hard truth: If somehow I was given your physical game, and we had a match, I would beat you 99 times out of 100 times because I know how to play the game better than you do. I want this book to teach you how to get the most out of what you have. I'm going to impart everything I know about playing the game. About attitude and visualization, about how to deal with pressure and anger and fear, about preparation and strategy. About what's most important in a round of golf to make the lowest scor