I remember taking a personality test in high school, specifically the Myers-Briggs test, which uses a combination of 8 different subcategories where a questionnaire would narrow you into 4 of those categories. Once you are given that combination, you have a “realistic” view of your personality. There are definitely some problems with the idea of a test like this, but you cannot deny its popularity. The only reason I am reminiscing about the Myers-Briggs is because there might be a way to apply a similar type of test to golfers, except I need to only ask one question, What is the most important shot in golf?

I have stumbled upon this question time and again, witnessing arguments with varying answers. Typically, someone wise will end the conversation by saying the cliche “Your NEXT shot is the most important shot.” I don’t like that. I mean, I like that thought process, but I want to see people get upset and argue at one another over an impossible question. When you are playing a hole, then yes, your next shot is the most important, but that’s a cop-out answer which completely removes any sort of strategy, which there is. So, there is example no. 1 of my golf Myers-Briggs test (gotta come up with something, how about Golf Shot Value Test [GSVT]), someone who claims that answer is either content to just knock around a ball without regard to a true score, or a sandbagger.

I must stop and add that this is not the same question as What’s your favorite club to hit? because they do not necessarily have the same intrinsic value. Roy McAvoy is the only exception because he par’d out the back nine with only a 7 iron in a regional qualifier, and he is also a fictional character.

Believe it or not, the most popular answer to which shot is most important is “The Tee shot.” It’s a good answer, and there are plenty of good arguments towards its case. There is some Jack Nicklaus quote stating something like “There are only 18 perfect lies in a round of golf.” which has genuinely caused me to tee up on every par 3 for the rest of my life. The tee shot is extremely crucial as it sets the tone for how the hole is going to go. Hard to make par when you are walking back to the tee box after losing a ball. If someone answered this on my GSVT, I would deem them a normal human who probably has a job, or one of those yuppies who has an expensive driver and can bomb it, but can’t chip or putt.

The next claim is that “The Approach Shot.” would be king. It’s the shot that you take following the tee shot, coming into the green. On par 4’s it’s normally the second shot, par 5’s its normally the third shot. Before you take the shot, you have the first real look at the green, and can conceive a controlled shot attempt to put you into position to score. Tiger Woods’ unparalleled ability with his irons (thus, his approach shots) is the reason he dominated for so many years, so that alone is a solid argument. Anyone who answered this way on my test would be considered knowledgeable, but perhaps not bold enough to clear a hazard from 220 out.

Short game encompasses a wide variety of shots, which we will lump together for the sake of proximity to the hole. It is typically a shot taken within 50 yards of the pin, like pitching, chipping, even putting. These are all incredibly important, and each different one requires loads of practice at attaining a certain reliable skill level for play. On the surface they seem less valuable due to lower swing speeds and distance, but if they go unattended, your score will suffer, horribly. Duffed pitches, thinned chips, and 3 putts can absolutely destroy a round, no matter how well/far you drove the ball that day. According to the GSVT, if you chose this answer, you understand how to make money, you also understand that the white tees are there for a reason.

Let’s talk about “The Hero Shot.” There is an argument that this is the most important shot in golf, albeit not always the wisest choice regarding score. Imagine hitting a tee shot into a grove of trees on the right side of the fairway (should be easy to relive that experience), and you find your ball. However, you have two birch trees shaped like a “V” between you, and the green, which is about 200 yards away. Now, a computer that is programmed to hit with the same accuracy as you would 100% choose to hit the 20 yard shot back into the fairway for a better approach shot, and steal a chance at par. This exact situation is one of many that completely embodies the human condition, and separates us from our A.I. brothers. From my experience, most human golfers would try to split the “V”, and get a chance at birdie or eagle. There are many questions and many answers as to why we do this, but my favorite is simply because when we see a challenge, the thrill and excitement of accomplishing it outweighs the familiar feeling of failure. A golfer who would choose this shot to be more important than all others would be considered a philosopher, or at least a 25 handicap.

Inversely, I must mention “The Lay Up.” in regard to importance. If we were to take the same situation, with an added layer of it being only the 1st hole (no score yet), and the player were to follow the computers command of opting for the 20 yard lay-up, this would show that the player is conscious of percentages, and ego-less. Being able to take your medicine is something all golfers must learn at one point. You know that you have a high probability of hitting the fairway with a lay-up, and salvaging at least a bogey. You are also conscious of the probability of risk involved with hitting a 120mph white rock directly in-between two trees and the menagerie of disastrous outcomes that could happen. Roy McAvoy did not win the U.S. Open (please watch Tin Cup, it is a treasure of a golf film). Roy’s caddy in the film, Romeo, has an amazing quote: “Sometimes par is good enough to win.” If a GSVT taker would answer with this shot being the most important they would most likely be a safe driver (of clubs and vehicles), or a caddy.

There is no true right answer, just like there is no right answer in the Myers-Briggs test. Throughout a round I try my best to keep an objective mind over the shots I’m taking, but all too often my human emotions/intuition infect my game. Sometimes the only way to gain confidence in your game is by the attrition of learning from all of your shots, good and bad, over a long period of time. Whatever shot you deem the most important, understand that they are all equally important. So next time you find yourself in a bad situation, look at it as a learning opportunity, and value any outcome.