Golf, like many sports, is primarily a game of skill, not brute strength. Sure physical strength has its place, but what good is a long drive with no accuracy? Or great ball striking when you three-putt every green?

Technique, finesse and strategy are the keys to mastering golf. Contrary to the attitudes of male golfers, female golfers can easily beat their male counterparts without relying on their natural upper-body strength. Your goal is to simply beat your opponent’s score, which is determined by how well you carry out the three key elements: the long game, short game and a game plan.

1. Accuracy is key

While it’s true that men have the natural advantage in physical strength, this in no way translates into a better golf swing. Ninety percent of women only hit the ball 140 to 180 yards off the tee. But women can make up for their shorter drives by placing a premium on accuracy.

Power from proper technique is far more useful than strength. To be consistently accurate, everything starts with correct alignment and steady swing tempo. Your approach to shots on the green relies on accuracy because your target is smaller, so club selection is extremely important.

As vital as accuracy may be, a few extra yards to a drive never hurt anybody. To increase power, everything starts with the stance. Women naturally have wider hips than men, which can easily play to their advantage with the proper stance. While men typically have a narrow stance, women should adopt a stance wider than their shoulders. Not only is this stance more comfortable, but also allows easier shifting of weight through the ball, giving women a few extra yards to each drive.

2. Short game and putting

Putting is one of the most important areas of the game to master. And the good news for women is that it’s pure technique and strategy, and any strength advantage is completely irrelevant on the green.

Nothing kills the spirit of a man who hit a 300-yard drive, a decent approach shot, three-putts and watches you get up and down for par. The importance of a good short game is very undervalued, and is usually lost on average male golfers. To make sure your short game is strong, keep it simple with your club selection and the type of shots you choose to hit. Unless you practice consistently, give yourself two options to choose from on the green. If you need loft, choose your sand wedge or lob wedge. If you need the ball to run a good portion on the green, choose a lower loft to assure it will run, such as a 8 or 9 iron.

Golfers should remember to always putt through the ball, rather than strike it. Good lag putting can be the difference between shooting 88 or 92. My favorite drill to get myself comfortable with the speed of the greens at any given course is the three-to-six putting drill. Take three balls to about 35 feet and putt them to a hole. Then, put at distances of 30, 25, 20 and 10 feet. Repeat this process at least once (one go through should take about 10 minutes). Feel your stroke to each distance, and you will feel confident once you’re faced with your first long putt on the course. After this routine, you can then hit a few shorter putts to work on your lines. Choose what kind of shot you need to hit and commit to your club selection.

3. Have a game plan

How you approach your game on every hole is really the glue that brings the pieces together. Think of your round mapped out. If you look at the hole from the sky, you can clearly see where all the obstacles are. From the tee box, hazards usually aren’t as visible so be mindful of where you aim.

Also, look at where each tee box has you aligned. Most tee markers are thrown down by the greens crew at 6 a.m., and 99 percent of the time they are not spending time lining up the tee markers to aim you in the right direction. Know the course and understand where the ball must go.

The approach shots are your chance to get close and take a high number out of the equation. If a hole is bunkered short and right, obviously you would tend to aim more left on the “fat side” of the green. Playing the percentages will usually keep you in the game much longer than going for every pin. So be smart and choose wisely when being aggressive.