THE GAME OF golf is a never ending battle. You’ve got to compete against yourself, against your playing mates, against the course, against the weather—every way you turn there’s another obstacle, be ...

Welcome to Play Smart, a game-improvement column that drops every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Game Improvement Editor Luke Kerr-Dineen to help raise your golf IQ and play smarter, better golf.

Typically, Augusta National has favored the long hitters and the greatest putters in the game, particularly if the conditions are wet and soft. The success of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods at the ...