A game plan or just play each shot?

[njrose51]

Today and tomorrow I have two very important games at my home club. These are the next two rounds from Monthly League Order of Merit Tournament.

Initially, I have an advantage as I know my courses and there wont be many other players who do. But the majority of them are good players and we are used to playing different courses each month.

So ideally I want at least 2 top ten finishes from the two games - on average 34 points gets you there - which is within my game IF all goes to plan on the day. Or if outside of that, anywhere 15th-11th upwards will be okay.

I'm just curious as to what you all do in this situation. Do you (1) Go in with a game plan aiming for that points tally or (2) Play each hole/each shot as it comes or (3) See how it is going and just make it up as you go round?

Thanks,

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

At our level of golf 'game plans' are a waste of time as we are not a) good enough and b) consistent enough.

Just play every shot to allow you to complete the hole in the fewest number of shots. You are wasting your time if you think you can have a plan where you get a par here and a nett par there etc.

 

[Crazyface]

My usual plan is :-

Hit tee shot then plan how to get out of mess I'm now in.

 

[GreggerKBR]

It's a game - listen to your instincts. Play to your strengths.
Make a call on the shot then accept the consequences.
Be aggressive at conservative targets - don't take unnecessary risks
Focus on shot in front of you and what you can do, and stay patient.

Do that and you'll be just fine - no matter what anyone else does.

Game plans don't really work as you can't control outcomes.
Although you can convince yourself they work, especially if you can hit consecutive shots exactly to your targets.
But get wrapped up in that and you'll lose focus on the shot you have to play next.

Good luck for a great day, enjoy it!

 

[patricks148]

At our level of golf 'game plans' are a waste of time as we are not a) good enough and b) consistent enough.

Just play every shot to allow you to complete the hole in the fewest number of shots. You are wasting your time if you think you can have a plan where you get a par here and a nett par there etc.

This,

and play each shot as it comes

 

[Scoobiesnax]

My usual plan is :-

Hit tee shot then plan how to get out of mess I'm now in.

I'm not the only one then. Only game plan I have at the mo is hit my 3 hybrid off the tee instead of my driver...... and pray!

 

[Curls]

A couple of things and echoes of the above - a gameplan is often undone by a change in wind direction or strength, so unless you know the conditions beforehand its difficult. A strategy such as taking hybrid off a tee on certain holes is no harm to have, our fairways are running so fast you don't need driver - and the rough is so lush the penalty could be huge.

A different point, you're very result-focussed. Stop thinking about top 10, 34 points etc. Focus on the process and let the results take care of themselves, concentrating on how many more points you need is a recipe for disaster. You know the courses, play them and have fun, that's all you can do.

Good luck!!!

 

[Capella]

No plan, at least not for the overall round. I do have experience on my home course which goes into how I approach each individual hole. Like for example on our 5th hole, after a good tee shot I can theoretically get to the green with a wood or a well hit hybrid, but experience has shown me that the risk of ending up in one of the deep and nasty greenside bunkers is way too high if I try that. So the better play is laying up with a 6 or 7 iron. Or I know that while I can savely hit driver on the 6th in wet or cold conditions, but that at the moment there is a risk of it bouncing along the fairway and into the water at the end. So I better take 3 wood to put me into a safe position. But that's not a "plan" that's just accumulated course experience. My "plans" normally go out of the window the moment my tee shot ricochets off a tree.

 

[Orikoru]

I just plan each shot as it comes. If I had a gameplan for each hole or for the whole round, it would change so many times as to be completely worthless. I just assess what the best shot is to play each time I reach my ball, that simple really. And by the 'best shot' I'm weighing up the end result vs the chances of me actually pulling it off.

 

[Imurg]

Have a plan/strategy for each hole - which club, where you aim etc but be prepared to have to change it.....every hole..!

 

[Break90]

1. Hit it
2. Find it
3. Hit it again
4. Repeat until in the hole
5. Repeat 18 times
6. Add up score/points.
7. Have a beer

 

[turkish]

I semi agree with play each hole as it comes but you can have course management thoughts pre round.

For example when I'm hitting my driver well and confident with it I will hit it on every hole at ours bar the par 3's.... If I am overcutting it I generally only play it on the holes where there is not a lot of danger on the right. I usually decide this in pre round practice depending on how I am hitting it.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Have a plan/strategy for each hole - which club, where you aim etc but be prepared to have to change it.....every hole..!

This!

It's wrong to say we can't have game plans at our level, just that they might not be as sophisticated as the pros' game plans - You need to pitch it at your own level.

I have a plan for every hole on my own course and most holes on courses I play regularly. If I'm playing a practise round for a comp on a strange course I'm using it to work out a plan of attack for each hole.

Of course every plan can be rendered obsolete by difficult conditions or a bad shot!

 

[duncan mackie]

This!

It's wrong to say we can't have game plans at our level, just that they might not be as sophisticated as the pros' game plans - You need to pitch it at your own level.

I have a plan for every hole on my own course and most holes on courses I play regularly. If I'm playing a practise round for a comp on a strange course I'm using it to work out a plan of attack for each hole.

Of course every plan can be rendered obsolete by difficult conditions or a bad shot!

I think I'm I the same camp!

I plan on being flexible.

I definitely do not have any thoughts whatsoever about anything beyond the hole I'm playing at the time, and if I can keep it fornthe shot I'm playing (and the direct follow up) that's even better.

The concept of a target score is so counter productive it's almost funny; why put additional pressure on yourself when doing so has no positive contribution to performing.

Course management is also about the now; how the last few Swings have gone, the conditions you are facing and the immediate objective (the equations can vary for the same position in match play, medal and stableford!).

Play the percentages not the hero...

 

[Chisteve]

At our level of golf 'game plans' are a waste of time as we are not a) good enough and b) consistent enough.

Just play every shot to allow you to complete the hole in the fewest number of shots. You are wasting your time if you think you can have a plan where you get a par here and a nett par there etc.

Sums it up I think on a good or bad day

 

[FairwayDodger]

Course management is also about the now; how the last few Swings have gone, the conditions you are facing and the immediate objective (the equations can vary for the same position in match play, medal and stableford!).

Play the percentages not the hero...

Absolutely. We have a hole that needs roughly a 200 yard carry off the tee to clear a burn. My game plan is to take it on... IF... the tee is in the front half of the box... IF... it isn't into the wind and (crucially) ... IF... I've been driving it well in the previous holes.

If any of those don't apply the game plan switches to an iron off the tee.

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

I have a game plan on how I'm going to play my home course. It changes slightly depending on the wind conditions etc though. I take it one shot at a time from the 1st tee though because my game plan involves hitting FIR and GIR and that isn't what normally happens :rofl: :rofl:

 

[jim8flog]

Before I start to play any comp I try to say to myself "no expectations" and I then try to play every shot to the best of my ability and just take one shot at a time.

Where I play there really is only one risk and reward hole for my abilities.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to have a general plan for the round depending on conditions and try to break it down hole by hole once I'm on the course, especially one I've not played before or that often. From there, I try to put my tee shot where I want it and when that fails, consider plan B walking to my ball and seeing how the lie is. I'll usually try and take anything more than a double out of the equation and so will look at how to make a bogey and hope for a good pitch and putt.

 

[the_coach]

Today and tomorrow I have two very important games at my home club. These are the next two rounds from Monthly League Order of Merit Tournament.

Initially, I have an advantage as I know my courses and there wont be many other players who do. But the majority of them are good players and we are used to playing different courses each month.

So ideally I want at least 2 top ten finishes from the two games - on average 34 points gets you there - which is within my game IF all goes to plan on the day. Or if outside of that, anywhere 15th-11th upwards will be okay.

I'm just curious as to what you all do in this situation. Do you (1) Go in with a game plan aiming for that points tally or (2) Play each hole/each shot as it comes or (3) See how it is going and just make it up as you go round?

Thanks,

if you go in aiming at a 'number' gonna spend the whole round hole by hole comparing where you currently are to that end result - sure fire ways of putting real bunch too much pressure on - & it will all blow-up at some point/s

for sure have an overall game plan if you know the course well - but a realistic shot game plan tailored to the standard of play that on average previous play has shown is most likely to happen

e.g. could be 1st tee shot so is it a better choice to take a club to get into play in reasonable shape on the fairway - if hole is a medium length par 4 instead on thinking driver short iron/wedge think maybes more reasonable to think of reaching the green or apron in 3, chip n' putt for either 1over or par with a stroke - that thinking could even give you a gross par
the alternative could be a blast with driver & straight into trouble compound the trouble by lookin for the miracle escape n' rack up a big number

what makes a score at level you are (no disrespect meant) is keeping the doubles/trebles off of the card it isn't birds even a whole bunch of pars - it's the 1 overs with some pars maybes a bird that has you in the big house with a good score

e.g. par 3's do you take the club you hit the yardage with a sunday best only or take 1 more club but hit a nice full shot still - don't ease up any most folks doing that end short or crooked - at worst you might be on the back edge

so overall game plan that is realistic to the standard of play that's the norm not the few times you played well under index
but knowing if at any time you get in trouble take the easier route out - even if that's sideways 30 yard chip - take the medicine look to save with a pitch/chip n putt - or take the 1 over ...... instead of the 6/7/8 or worse

above all though through the game plan the focus always has to be in the present on the next shot up - pick a reasonable target - focus - execute ..... don't think about what's gone don't try to forecast the future - stay in the present make sound shot choices & just focus on rhythm/balance n' swinging the club through to a finish