In this podcast excerpt, coach Henrik Jentsch introduces the idea of non-negotiables—mental performance rules designed to lower scores through discipline, decision-making, and strategy rather than swing mechanics. These rules act as a personal code of conduct on the course, helping golfers eliminate costly mistakes and perform more consistently under pressure.

The central rule discussed is clear: If you’re not hitting driver off the tee, hitting the fairway is non-negotiable.
The logic is simple. Choosing a shorter club such as a 3-wood, hybrid, or long iron means voluntarily giving up 30 to 50 yards of distance in exchange for control. If that club still misses the fairway, the strategy has failed. You lose both distance and position, which makes the decision worse than simply hitting driver and maximizing distance. A “safe” club is only safe if it actually delivers accuracy.

This rule improves scoring in several ways. First, it enforces strategic discipline by making conservative decisions meaningful. Second, it prevents wasted opportunities—missing the fairway with a layup club is considered poor strategy, not bad luck. Third, it forces honest self-assessment, ensuring players stop choosing clubs they believe are safe but cannot execute reliably.

To validate execution, the range is treated as a “test kitchen.” Golfers are encouraged to identify a true go-to club using the Three-Ball Fairway Challenge. Create an imaginary fairway with clear left and right boundaries. Select three non-driver options, such as a fairway wood, hybrid, and long iron. Each club must hit the target three times in a row. If a shot misses, the sequence restarts. As skill improves, the fairway is narrowed until it reaches a U.S. Open-style width of about 15 yards.

This process builds real confidence under pressure. When you know a club can repeatedly find a tight fairway, uncertainty disappears and decision-making becomes clear. If no non-driver club can pass this test, the logic is straightforward: the safer play no longer exists, and hitting driver becomes the smarter strategic choice.

In short, playing safe only works if you can execute. Otherwise, you are simply giving away distance for no benefit.

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