Gary Player has a simple theory about approach shots, and he just proved his point with a shot that stopped two feet from the hole. The 90-year-old believes most golfers make the same mistake: they leave their shots short of the pin.
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Player shared the clip on X on October 13 with this message: “Trying to leave approach shots pin high is the goal. I notice that people are always short, and it’s my belief that the average golfer should try miss long in order to counteract being short. If you take a little more club, I think you’ll be surprised how often you end up close to pin high. GP”
The video shows him sending a long approach shot toward the green. Voices off camera follow the ball in flight. One calls out, “Go, baby!” Another adds, “Now go right.” As the ball nears the target, a voice says, “Oh yeah, that’s getting real good.” It stops two feet from the hole, and someone repeats, “Two feet. Two feet.”
Pin high means the ball stops level with the hole, not short or long, and the numbers suggest Gary Player has a point. According to Shot Scope data from 2026, amateur golfers miss the green short about 30% of the time from 100 to 150 yards. That number jumps to 40% from 150 to 200 yards and 65% from beyond 200 yards. That’s a lot of shots coming up short!
Only around 5% of approach shots go long, no matter the golfer’s handicap. Meanwhile, golfers with handicaps of 20 or higher come up short 48% of the time. Clearly, many amateurs worry too much about hitting the ball past the hole.
Gary Player’s advice is worth considering: take a little more club and give the ball a better chance of reaching the pin.
Fans Back the Tip, but Plenty Push Back
Replies on X split quickly. One fan said: “All-time great tip. It’s easier to take more club and dial-down. Also a confidence builder during the round to miss long than short. The player’s reaction between missing long vs missing short are day and knight.”
Another fan agreed and added a point about yardages: “I agree with your recommendation. I also find that we have yardages in our head for our clubs…but they are often total distance vs. carry… which also needs to be considered. Play on, Gary!”
A third fan raised the risk of the extra club: “The issue is many amateur players don’t hit consistent distances with any club. If they take 1 club more & flush it, could be 20 yards through the green. If you’re short probably hitting off the fairway. Long & you’re probably in the rough”
one said,“I think most people are afraid of overshooting the pin.”
Others said their home courses make pin high a poor target. One fan wrote: “Gary is one of the greatest, but on my course, pin high usually leads to lots of 3 putts. Our little greens are sloped pretty severe.”
Another added: “Too many blanket statements in golf. I play a D Ross course where even pin high can leave you a very fast breaker, leaving it under the pin is the only good option.”
One fan offered a lighter fix: “Try aiming at the flag on top of the pin, you may come up short but you’ll be closer than if you were aiming at the pin itself”
The replies show where the tip works best. It suits golfers who know their carry distances and strike the ball cleanly. On sloped greens, a ball above the hole can leave a fast putt, as two fans pointed out.
Why Gary Player’s Advice Still Carries Weight at 90
Gary Player turned 90 on November 1, 2025, but he still has plenty of golf wisdom to share. The South African legend has won nine major championships: three Masters, three Open Championships, two PGA Championships and one U.S. Open. His 1965 U.S. Open victory completed the career Grand Slam when he was just 29. He remains one of only six players to achieve that feat.
Player has also produced some unforgettable shots over the years. At the 1968 Open Championship at Carnoustie, he hit a three-wood into the par-5 14th, sending the ball over the Spectacles bunkers. That shot helped him finish two strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus and Bob Charles.
His latest golf tip came with the hashtag #PXGTroops and a tag for Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG), where he is an ambassador. Gary Player has shared plenty of advice for everyday golfers before. In a PXG video from 2020, he suggested putting from off the green or using an eight-iron to hit a low chip. Golf Monthly also noted after a PXG event at Dundonald in July 2024 that few, if any, golfers over 90 could drive the ball as far as Player.
Now, he’s making another simple point: stop leaving your approach shots short. And when a shot finishes just two feet from the hole, it’s hard not to pay attention. Of course, taking an extra club won’t work for every shot. Your contact and the conditions around the green still matter. But next time, if choosing a club, it might be worth asking yourself one thing: are you playing it safe and leaving the ball short, or giving it a real chance to reach the pin?