Betterball strategy?

[Smiffy]

Playing in a Stableford betterball comp at Highwoods next weekend. My playing partner is off a slightly higher handicap than me (14). He is a really nice guy, great company, but hits everything at 150%. This is great when it all works out, because he can find himself miles down the fairway in a good position to capitalise. But more often than not, it goes wrong. He swings sooo fast that if he is a fraction out with his timing he can be away with the fairies. I, on the other hand whilst not being quite so long will tend to find more fairways than him.
Who would you have teeing off first? The big hitter or the more accurate?
My feelings are for me to go first and hopefully put myself nicely down the middle and allow him to have a crack at the "big one" but my mate reckons he should go first and if he cocks up rely on me to get us out of jail. I personally feel that there would be less "pressure" doing it my way.
How would you play it?

 

[grumpyjock]

It all depends unpon the local rules, our society only allows 4ball betterball limited drives each so that each player has 4 drives with the last 2 being wild cards, that makes 18.
Its the same for 2nd shots and so on means that long hitters and good chippers cannot take all of there favorite shots it must be spread around all 4 players.

 

[jammydodger]

We always let my partner go first who is the more consistent driver. I by no means am a bad driver but I feel i handle the pressure better and am not fazed if he hits a bad one. You go 2nd Smiffy and show him why you are the better driver

 

[Smiffy]

It all depends unpon the local rules, our society only allows 4ball betterball limited drives each so that each player has 4 drives with the last 2 being wild cards, that makes 18.
Its the same for 2nd shots and so on means that long hitters and good chippers cannot take all of there favorite shots it must be spread around all 4 players.

Are you sure you're not getting confused with a "Texas Scramble" Chris?
That would be the normal format for that type of competition. This is a Stableford competition, played in pairs where the best score of the two goes on the card so there are no restrictions on who tees off when or where. You each get to play your own ball anyway.

 

[tonto768]

Yep I agree with smiffy. At our club if its an alternate shots format it's also alternate drives

 

[Doh]

Best way to play it I always find is to make sure you get a ball in play first.

I think your tactic's are right Smiffy and as the higher handicaper your mate should listen to you.

 

[Ethan]

In 4BBB, the side chooses who plays first, and can change as often as they wish. You can also let the player closer to the hole play first providing it is your side's turn to play.

I think the strategy depends on the sensible player's attitude to pressure. If you let wild player have a tonk, and he hits it sideways, then sensible player has to get it in the fairway. If wild player hits a bomb down the middle, that takes some (but not all) pressure off sensible player. Wild player could still hit his second sideways.

Other approach is for sensible player to get one in play, then let wild player see if he can do better. If sensible player misses the fairway, perhaps should try to advise wild player to rein it back a bit.

 

[Up_Point_1]

We play a lot of 4BBB comps at our club and have to agree with the comments above.

Getting the first one "in play" is paramount. This then takes the pressure off of the next guy who can be a bit more aggressive.

 

[DMC]

We always make sure that the more accurate player goes first,get one in play then let the other player try and bomb one.

 

[Smiffy]

We always make sure that the more accurate player goes first,get one in play then let the other player try and bomb one.

That was my logic.
I don't really want the added pressure of having to hit the fairway with my mate 300 yards out in the cabbage or the next county.
As long as I am sitting pretty in the middle of the fairway and have a decent crack at making a score, he can bomb it into Essex if he wants!!

 

[DCB]

It's around the green and on the green that you should be able to make mnost use of teamwork.

Certainly on the green, even if you're out of it, have a putt 'cause it can help show the pace and loine of a putt.

Remember to communicate with each other.

Have fun

 

[RGDave]

I often play with a high h'cap who is inconsistent to say the least. When he plays with me, I drive first (always) and then we go from there.
I advise him to take a 4i on the holes where he only needs a 5 to match my 4.
The short game is where we are effective though.
If he "tries-too-hard" to get up and down, things often go wrong. The normal play is for us to simply agree that plan A is for him to not get greedy, chip/pitch on and (depending on the outcome of the first shot) get down with two putts. Quite often, I have secured the par and then we read his 1st putt to see if we can sneak a par nett birdie. I line him up for the putt and tell him if he's a tiny bit out, then he gets a free run. Works very well for us.
He also lines me up....and he's very good actually, so again, if I know he is good for a score and I have a free run for par or birdie, the same routine occurs. We do seem to make a lot of long putts I must say.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Smiffy

I'm playing with Hywel next week at our members/guest day. I was thinking about putting him up first with his 4 iron to keep us in play as I'm erratic at the best of times. The other side of the coin is if I go first and get one away he can unleash his driver and knock it 300 yards.

At least with greensome stableford in the afternoon we can choose the best drive and so there is equal pressure on both to get a drive away.

 

[USER1999]

Highest h/cap goes first. Always.

 

[Region3]

I've never understood using a strategy from the tee in a betterball comp. Just because I hit my first in the fairway what's to say I'm not going to hook my second in to the trees and make 7 or 8? On the green, yes, where you can try the shorter putt for par before the longer birdie chance goes, but not off the tee imo.

 

[Smiffy]

After the way I played yesterday afternoon, I reckon I'll let him play on his own!

Suffering a bit with the old "tennis elbow" and not getting through the ball at all. First drive, massive slice over the trees to the right of the first fairway, cleared the ninth and was under the trees to the right of that!
It didn't get any better either....