Now you can lower your score without rebuilding your swing. Short-game guru Dave Pelz isn’t out of bounds with his approach to shaving strokes. His new book, Damage Control: How to Save Up to 5 Shots Per Round Using All-New, Scientifically Proven Techniques for Playing Out of Trouble Lies teaches golfers how to recover from a bad shot or a terrible lie without sending their scores into the stratosphere.

The inspiration behind Damage Control stemmed from one glaring pattern Pelz has observed among amateur golfers. Regardless of their skill level, most generally play better than their handicap level; but one or two disaster holes per round often skyrocket their scores.

“It isn’t because you hit into trouble in the first place. It’s because you couldn’t get out of trouble,” Pelz says. “You don’t lose one shot. You lose several, and that’s what ruins your score. If you can get out of trouble with less than a one-shot penalty, then you will never have a disaster score.”

Drills for damage control skills can be practiced in your back yard. In fact, Pelz encourages homework. “We say learn it in your back yard, because these aren’t your normal golf skills,” he says. “Your normal golf swing doesn’t work when you get into trouble.”

The first damage control skill is called “Set-up-ology,” meaning positioning your body to swing the club while in a compromising stance. The book features nearly 30 drills that teach body position and how to make the swing that will get your ball back in the fairway or onto the green.

“These are things you’ve never practiced before,” Pelz says. “With just a little bit of practice, you will get a tremendously large return from it.”

Damage Control is available online pelzgolf.com and retails $30.