The secret to Scottie Scheffler’s historic season was actually quite simple – so simple that we could try to do it too. Even if you don’t execute it perfectly like Scottie did, just trying this strategy will likely help you get lower scores, without changing your swing.

You can dive into the details in our latest Game Plan video here:

During Scheffler’s incredible run of 1st, 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st, including wins at the Players and Masters, Analysis of his 1,353 shots revealed a fascinating pattern. It wasn’t just the fact that Scottie hit a lot of greens – it was how he hit those greens that separated him from everyone else.

The strategy is to target specific “green zones”, that is, areas on the green opposite to where the pin is located. These zones change depending on pin placement, with “yellow zones” being anywhere else on the green and “red zones” being those points on the green closest to the hole.

When the pin was in front of the green, Scheffler hit his ball away from the pin more than 60 percent of the time. This disciplined approach resulted in hitting 82% of greens with forward pins, 25% better than the PGA Tour average. Most golfers make the mistake of going for short pins and ending up short, leaving themselves in the dreaded “red zone.”

For Scheffler, the right front pins were his sweet spot. Whether the pin was front-middle, center-middle, or front-right, he aimed for the same safe zone between middle and front-middle of the green, using his original fade. This consistency has led to remarkable accuracy, with 60-72% of his shots landing in this preferred section.

With pins on the left side, which were slightly more awkward for his left-to-right shooting form, Scheffler adjusted by narrowing his target area. At longer range, he played more safely in his green areas. On closer shots, he aimed slightly more toward the left-center of his green zone, which helped him avoid the short side more than 85 percent of the time.

This strategy meant Scheffler was often faced with longer putts on uphill and downhill greens – but that was intentional. Instead of chasing short birdie putts, he prioritized more average opportunities and waited patiently for them to fall. His approach to putting performance ranked 8th and 3rd in the Tour in 2023 and 2024.

The strategy is not new: Ben Hogan used a similar approach and spoke about it openly. Even though we don’t execute it as well as Scheffler or Hogan, it’s a simple model that everyone can follow. As Scottie’s caddy Ted Scott says, let the next shot be the best.

Again, you can watch the full video here: