Course
Play the fat side.
Playing the fat side means choosing a target with room for ordinary misses. Use the whole landing area and the location of trouble, rather than aiming at every flag.
By Dwain Kinghorn · Updated
Understanding the idea.
A tucked flag can make an otherwise reasonable approach needlessly demanding. If the usual miss finishes beside a bunker, water, or a short-sided chip, aiming directly at the pin may expose the shot pattern to more trouble than necessary.
The fat side is the part of the landing area that offers useful space. That is often nearer the center of the green and away from the nearest edge or hazard, but the choice depends on the hole. Front-to-back room matters as much as left-to-right width. A safe-looking line that requires a perfect carry over water may not be the safest target.
Think of the likely shots as a group, not a single perfect ball. Choose an aim point that places more of that group in acceptable places. This does not guarantee the miss stays on the green; it improves the decision by giving normal variation somewhere less costly to finish.
How to use this idea.
Playing safely does not mean aiming at the same geometric center on every hole. Wind, lie, distance, slopes, and the golfer's usual shape can change the sensible target. Sometimes the widest area leaves a difficult long putt, while a nearby alternative offers a better balance of room and consequence.
Nor must every approach be conservative. A short shot from a good lie can justify a different choice from a long iron over water. The point is to make that choice deliberately. A confident swing belongs with a sensible target, not necessarily with an aggressive flag.
A practice cue.
Choose a landing area that gives the usual miss room.
Try the exercise.
Target-and-miss rehearsal
Use a practice green diagram, a hole you know, or a range target with identifiable boundaries. Name the flag position and the trouble. Then choose a landing area large enough for a normal shot rather than the best shot you have ever hit with that club.
Before each attempt, say the intended landing area and the less costly miss. Hit the shot and record where it actually finished. Do not move the imagined safe area after seeing the result. This makes the decision review honest: a poor shot can follow a good plan, and a lucky shot can rescue a poor one.
Change the scenario for the next few attempts. Put the imagined trouble short, then on one side, then behind. Notice how the preferred club or landing area changes. If the chosen club cannot reliably clear the front boundary, select a different club or a layup. The exercise is choosing where to play, not adding a new swing mechanic.
Practice set: Plan and play 10 practice approaches, naming the landing area and acceptable miss before each shot.
Keep in mind: Picture the whole landing area rather than the flagstick alone.
Review the result.
Evaluate the decision against the information available before the shot. Did the target allow for the normal shot pattern? Was the carry over trouble realistic? Did the plan account for rollout or a difficult lie? Those questions matter even when the ball happens to finish close.
Over several rounds, note whether the choices reduce short-sided misses, penalty trouble, or awkward recovery shots. Do not expect every sensible target to produce a putt. If discussing an approach with a coach, include the hole situation and intended miss; a swing video cannot reveal the hazard that made aiming away from the flag the better choice.
Watch these clips.
These demonstrations offer another way to understand the idea. Each video opens at the selected starting point and continues playing; use the note below it to focus your viewing.
The strategy discussion considers the consequences of the miss. Use it to choose a safer landing area without assuming a particular shot shape is required.