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To illustrate the impact of misses, envision standing in an open field, hitting 100 shots with each club in your bag. Although a few shots will be perfect, most will veer off target, creating a distribution of misses that can be visualized as an "ice cream cone." This cone represents a golfer's total range of misses at various distances. For professional golfers, the cone narrows at longer distances (approximately 70 yards wide for a 300-yard shot), while amateur golfers experience a wider margin of error.
Understanding this "ice cream cone of misses" is crucial for approaching each shot. For instance, on a hole like the 18th at TPC Sawgrass, analysis of miss patterns rather than merely seeking ideal shots can prevent disastrous outcomes, like balls landing in water hazards.