Making a clear decision of the shot to play is as important as the shot itself. The biggest mistake an amateur player makes is that they do not have a clear understanding of which shot is the best to play. In order to choose your shot; relate the shot to something you have done in the past. Throwing a ball, throwing horseshoes, throwing rings on the pop bottles at the carnival. All those activities have one thing in common. Using your eyes for distance and trajectory. The eyes will take in the necessary information that tell you exactly how hard and what trajectory to throw the object.
Imagine that you are standing at your shot. Ask yourself “how would I throw this ball to the hole, high, medium or low?” Something about the situation will tell you which option to choose. Is the pin close to the bunker with little green to work with? Or is the pin toward the back with ample green to work with? Now that you have used your imagination and successfully chosen the right shot, simply step up and repeat the imagined shot with your wedge.
Next time you are at the practice facility, go to the short game area with two golf balls. Place yourself in different situations and throw the first ball, then duplicate the shot with your wedge. In time you will become more adept with your decision making.
Now that you have the decision-making ability of a touring professional, it is time to match your shot making abilities as well.