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Want Lower Scores? Steal These 4 Tips from Rory McIlroy’s Playbook
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
You know that feeling when you walk off the 18th green after a rough round, and you cannot shake the memory of that triple bogey on 12? We've all been there.
It's exactly what's reminded me of Rory McIlroy these past few months. Here is a guy who won the Masters Tournament, then looked like he would rather be anywhere else than on a golf course. Something clicked, however, during the Genesis Scottish Open, and watching his turnaround gave me some ideas I think you will find helpful.
Speed Matters More Than Perfect Lines
McIlroy's putting turnaround was impressive. In the second round, he drained three birdie putts from outside 10 feet during his front nine alone, going from gaining 2.35 strokes to nearly three strokes putting.
Here is what caught my ear: McIlroy mentioned struggling with green speeds after spending six months playing in America. Sound familiar? I cannot tell you how many students say, "I was putting great at my home course, but when I played that new track across town, I could not buy a putt."
What Actually Works for Speed Control:
- Spend 10 minutes before your round rolling balls to get a feel for how they are rolling.
- Stop obsessing over perfect lines — if your speed is right, minor line mistakes will not kill you.
- Hit three different length putts during warm-up: short, medium and long.
- Pay attention to whether greens feel soft or firm under your feet.
Course Management: Playing the Percentages
Here is where McIlroy really impressed me. His scrambling went from 60 percent to 100 percent between rounds. That is not because he suddenly started hitting miraculous shots — it is because he made smarter decisions about where to miss and how to recover.
I watch golfers do this all the time: they hit it in the trees, and instead of punching out to the fairway, they try to thread a 7-iron through a gap the size of a dinner plate. McIlroy admitted struggling with crosswinds, especially left-to-right winds on approach shots. You know what he did? He did not try to overpower them. He just accepted slightly bigger landing areas and focused on solid contact.
Real-World Course Management:
- When struggling with a particular shot, aim for the middle of the green; pin location does not matter.
- In crosswinds, take one extra club and swing easier rather than trying to muscle your normal club.
- If you are in trouble, your first job is to get back in play, not to be a hero.
- Those "boring" pars you are embarrassed about? They separate good rounds from disasters.
Driving: Keep Your Power, Just Be Smarter
McIlroy's driving accuracy was all over the place — 30 percent one day, 46 percent the next. But here is what I loved: he never backed down from his natural swing. He averaged more than 340 yards and led the field in driving distance. The difference was that he did not let wayward drives ruin entire holes.
I see golfers go to extremes. Either they try to hit it 350 yards every time and end up in the parking lot, or they get so scared they start hitting 3-wood off every tee. McIlroy found that sweet spot: swing your swing, but have a plan for when it does not go perfectly.
Driving Strategy That Actually Works:
- Do not change your tempo when you want extra distance — just commit to the swing you have.
- Practice hitting shots from the rough, from behind trees, from weird lies.
- Accept that you are going to miss some fairways, and get really good at recovering.
The Practice Plan: How to Actually Get Better
Here is a routine that incorporates everything we just talked about:
- Speed Control Putting (15 minutes): Hit putts from 10, 20 and 30 feet, focusing entirely on getting the ball to stop within three feet of the hole. Do not worry about making them — just focus on consistent pace.
- Smart Course Management (nine holes): Play nine holes with one rule: aim for the center of every green. Choose clubs that guarantee you clear trouble rather than trying to attack pins.
- Recovery Shot Practice (20 minutes): Find different lies around the practice area and practice getting the ball back in play. Work on three go-to shots: low punch, high soft shot and medium trajectory runner.
McIlroy's turnaround did not happen because he found some magic secret. It happened because he addressed specific problems while trusting the fundamentals that made him great.
Golfers need to have the same honesty about what is actually costing strokes, then systematically work on those areas. Some days will be better than others — that is golf. But if you stick with this approach, you will start seeing improvement that actually sticks around.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent interview with Justin Thomas onRG.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
