A dilemma - Finding Fairway V Distance V Enjoying the game V Improving

[njrose51]

here is my dilemma...

I played yesterday and averaged 212 yards over 14 holes (the rest were par 3s). I found 11 out of 14 fairways. (garmin S20)

I used my Ping Crossover 4 iron. I did not take my 3 wood out once as I don't have the confidence with it, yet.

So I know that I can do this every time - play it safe, 200 ish yards, find fairway. But it is leaving me such a long distance for my second shot. and on a long par 4 I'm having to hit the Ping again or a 5/6 iron. we know it is easier and we have a better chance of getting closer with a lower club. But this equates to a longer drive. yesterday, I only hit two greens in regulation.

But it is far easier to hit the ball from the fairway and not from the rough or starting 3 off the tee as you've just hooked it widely into the trees.

so what do I do? have a miserable game/s whilst trying to get confident with the woods? or stick with the Ping and suffer having to hit longer clubs for my second shot and lessen the risk of getting close or on the green, thereby using my handicap allowance?

on the plus side, my short game is getting really good!

I know that the better players don't hit every green. I go to the range where my woods are great. Im having lessons. I know there is no dire consequences if I don't play well.

its just a dilemma.

what do people think?

 

[guest100718]

practice your driving .

 

[BubbaP]

One shool of thought is:

On the course choose what you think will lead to your best score
Do your practice at the range

 

[Fish]

Dont try for the greens in regulation, play an iron your comfortable with which will leave you short of any greenside bunkers but more importantly not put you back in trouble, play to your strengths (short game) then chip to the pin and your putting for par and 2 putts secures your nett par, simple bogey golf which will bag you a good few pars.

Cut out the hero shots and stay in play.

 

[BubbaP]

Sorry just seen the part where you say hitting woods great on range.

Go out on your own when it is quiet and hit one ball with each on most holes.

 

[Fish]

Oh I forgot, practice a baby draw, girly fades are so 1990's 😜🏌️

 

[corrupthalo]

I play 3w off the tee for this exact reason. My 3w is normally straight or a gentle draw and doesn't lead to much trouble.
I prefer to be on the fairway 150+ yards away than in bushes 100 yards away

 

[Maninblack4612]

Dont try for the greens in regulation, play an iron your comfortable with which will leave you short of any greenside bunkers but more importantly not put you back in trouble, play to your strengths (short game) then chip to the pin and your putting for par and 2 putts secures your nett par, simple bogey golf which will bag you a good few pars.

Cut out the hero shots and stay in play.

Nooooo! Go for the greens & develop a good technique for playing bunker shots. The pros would rather be in a greenside bunker than a lot of other places & a short bunker shot shouldn't be a problem if you use the right technique & practice it a bit. I don't agree with anyone not attempting to play the game properly. All right, your scores may suffer a bit in the short term but it will benefit you in the end. Practice with the driver & use it when the fairway is fairly wide. The most fun you can have in the game is whacking a driver long & straight - nothing more satisfying.

 

[clubchamp98]

here is my dilemma...

I played yesterday and averaged 212 yards over 14 holes (the rest were par 3s). I found 11 out of 14 fairways. (garmin S20)

I used my Ping Crossover 4 iron. I did not take my 3 wood out once as I don't have the confidence with it, yet.

So I know that I can do this every time - play it safe, 200 ish yards, find fairway. But it is leaving me such a long distance for my second shot. and on a long par 4 I'm having to hit the Ping again or a 5/6 iron. we know it is easier and we have a better chance of getting closer with a lower club. But this equates to a longer drive. yesterday, I only hit two greens in regulation.

But it is far easier to hit the ball from the fairway and not from the rough or starting 3 off the tee as you've just hooked it widely into the trees.

so what do I do? have a miserable game/s whilst trying to get confident with the woods? or stick with the Ping and suffer having to hit longer clubs for my second shot and lessen the risk of getting close or on the green, thereby using my handicap allowance?

on the plus side, my short game is getting really good!

I know that the better players don't hit every green. I go to the range where my woods are great. Im having lessons. I know there is no dire consequences if I don't play well.

its just a dilemma.

what do people think?

I think you answered your own question.
you need to hit your woods better to score.
you can't play good golf from the trees.
we all have this dilemma.
play 9 holes with woods off every tee.
9 holes off irons off tee
This will tell you where to work on but I think you already know where.
Frustrating game good luck.

 

[User20205]

Nooooo! Go for the greens & develop a good technique for playing bunker shots. The pros would rather be in a greenside bunker than a lot of other places & a short bunker shot shouldn't be a problem if you use the right technique & practice it a bit. I don't agree with anyone not attempting to play the game properly. All right, your scores may suffer a bit in the short term but it will benefit you in the end. Practice with the driver & use it when the fairway is fairly wide. The most fun you can have in the game is whacking a driver long & straight - nothing more satisfying.

Define 'playing the game properly'?

I would bet most handicap golfers would get up & down more often from 20 yards short than in a green side bunker. Most fellas I play with don't get the spin from a bunker the pros do

 

[Tongo]

Personally i would say you need to work out what is the correct club for you on each hole. Its no good taking a driver or wood if you stand on the tee doubting the shot. Every hole is different and therefore requires a different line of thought. I play at Leckford a bit which is quite open and, in the past, would hit woods on most holes as the rough is minimal and most holes are quite wide. But i wouldnt play the same way on another course.

Hitting the fairway is always a good option. Pros and low handicappers may play a different way but they have better and different skills to cope with playing difficult shots.

 

[Jimbop90]

It depends where your enjoyment comes from. If it solely comes from your performance and nothing else, then you have to treat it like a scale. Play safe, its a narrow scale, you won't have massive highs, but you shouldn't have horrible lows. Going for it, you'll have absolute shockers, but you'll also have the FA Cup Giant Killing super highs.

If you find it fun to 'play safe' by using your shots to get to every green in 'net regulation' and be close to 36 points give or take every comp, then go for it.

Me? I find that so boring, I've got 50 years left to play this game, and when I'm 70+ and can't reach some greens in gross regulation anymore, I'm sure I'll long for the days I could boom it.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Define 'playing the game properly'?

I would bet most handicap golfers would get up & down more often from 20 yards short than in a green side bunker. Most fellas I play with don't get the spin from a bunker the pros do

If the green is within reach & it's not a dangerous shot go for it. How many birdies are you going to get playing short then chipping / pitching on? I couldn't enjoy the game paying that way & someone who plays like that is unlikely to improve.

 

[Fish]

If the green is within reach & it's not a dangerous shot go for it. How many birdies are you going to get playing short then chipping / pitching on? I couldn't enjoy the game paying that way & someone who plays like that is unlikely to improve.

That's all well & good when the pros are playing out of lush bunkers that are all the same, but how many of our bunkers at our clubs are like what you see the pros play out of? He's a high handicapper, work on those long shots at the range or go for them in bounce rounds but in qualifiers use your shots wisely and stay in play, play short of the hazards of it's too far and pitch on the green, why demoralise yourself whilst learning the game, and what's this rubbish about playing the game properly! It's not in his armoury yet so why find the fairways off the tee only to put himself into trouble taking on a shot he'll get right 2 or 3 times of 10?

 

[Dasit]

212 yards average and 11/14 fairways sounds pretty damn good, especially from a 25 handicap

Maybe other parts of your game need working on, that sounds like your stronger part.

 

[Garush34]

I was in the same situation as you a few years ago. I decided to stick with the driver, got rid of the 3 wood and got a driving iron. Used driving iron on the hole i knew that driver was no good when it was hit well it would be out of position. Then used driver on the other holes where driver was needed. This forced me to work on the driver as i wasnt bailing out and leaving long approaches. Yes i was all over the place but again it made me work on the driver.

Along with this i have had lessons over the last couple of years working on the swing, slowly after each lesson my driving got better. I worked on it on the practice ground, worked on it in the garden without a ball and worked on it in random places without a club.

Im now at a place where my driving is the strength in my game instead of the weekness, its not perfect every time but its now rare for it to be a bad one and i usually know staright away why. Im not hitting every fairway but im only just missing fairways if i do and i am able to continue the hole instead of chipping out.

My advice is keep working on the driver, yes youll have bad days but once u get through them youll have more good days which makes it worth it. Put faith in your pro that he is changing what needs to be changed to make things better even if you think your still in the same place. It takes work but the journey is with it if the destination is what you want.

 

[User20205]

If the green is within reach & it's not a dangerous shot go for it. How many birdies are you going to get playing short then chipping / pitching on? I couldn't enjoy the game paying that way & someone who plays like that is unlikely to improve.

Yes they will. Probably the most important skill in golf is course management. Play cleverly and the only indicator that matters will improve, the score.

You also need to define 'in reach'. Anything under 220 for me may be in reach but I may not go for it. Does that mean I don't play proper golf according to your definition? Surely enjoyment comes from scoring well? Who says a par 4 has to be played in drive/iron/2 putts?

 

[merv79]

Averaging 212 with a 4 iron is good hitting!

You obviously have the swing to hit 3 woods as its working well on the range, I would suggest having a playing lesson with your pro, it could be that your set up (alignment etc) is slightly off on the course and that will affect your consistency with the woods.

 

[Maninblack4612]

That's all well & good when the pros are playing out of lush bunkers that are all the same, but how many of our bunkers at our clubs are like what you see the pros play out of? He's a high handicapper, work on those long shots at the range or go for them in bounce rounds but in qualifiers use your shots wisely and stay in play, play short of the hazards of it's too far and pitch on the green, why demoralise yourself whilst learning the game, and what's this rubbish about playing the game properly! It's not in his armoury yet so why find the fairways off the tee only to put himself into trouble taking on a shot he'll get right 2 or 3 times of 10?

Yes they will. Probably the most important skill in golf is course management. Play cleverly and the only indicator that matters will improve, the score.

You also need to define 'in reach'. Anything under 220 for me may be in reach but I may not go for it. Does that mean I don't play proper golf according to your definition? Surely enjoyment comes from scoring well? Who says a par 4 has to be played in drive/iron/2 putts?

I've played for 60 years & like everyone else started with a high handicap. I never played this way & have never met anyone else who did. If the green is within reach, try to hit it. Getting a birdie, especially if you're a high handicapper is a delight. Playing short every time makes this impossible.

 

[Fish]

I've played for 60 years & like everyone else started with a high handicap. I never played this way & have never met anyone else who did. If the green is within reach, try to hit it. Getting a birdie, especially if you're a high handicapper is a delight. Playing short every time makes this impossible.

He's a 25 handicapper ffs, getting a par is a delight.