breaking 80.

[Ethan]

Re: braking 80.

The pros usually have a bit of a pop off the tee, but they have a 'go' distance for the second shot and if they are inside that distance, will have a pop in 2, otherwise lay up to a favourite yardage rather than risk leaving a fiddly 50 yard in between shot.

 

[steveh]

Re: braking 80.

Following this with interest, especially the stuff about course management, club selection and playing to comfortable yardages.

As a beginner, my approach so far has been to go for distance off the tee and then hit my 5 iron to anything between 50 - 100 yards out and then try to pitch on. Come the weekend I might try a shorter iron on some of the fairways and go for the green from further out with a 7i or 8i cos I can't judge my distances at all and invariably leave my pitches too short

 

[Oddsocks]

Steve, invest in a wedge lesson

 

[Toad]

The way I go is that if it would take a Sunday best shot to reach the green then why risk it, I'm very comfortable from 100y and would expect to be within 15ft 9 times out of ten, when playing well.

I will go for the green with anything inside 220y as it is a comfortable 3wood and I don't have to kill it to get it there, outside of this I will always lay up and try to leave as close to 100y as possible, seems to work well for me.

 

[Brookesy]

Everytime i broke 80 last year i got up and down at least half the time, makes a huge difference.

 

[chrisd]

Re: braking 80.

ok chris, although a valid point, would you be happier with your scrambled 5, or would you be more happy with he's text book 5. i bet the adrenalin of your 3 wood was miles more than hes lay up....

i think my above line proves why im around 12 sometimes i honestly dont know when to play that percentage shot., my 3w & 5w are go to clubs, take this as an example,.

The truth is OS that an absolutely buttoned 3 wood is a joy to play, but the reality is that he is a 6 h/capper because he doen't take on speculative 1 chance in 10 shots. He says that he never hits a shot that he doesn't feel that he has an 80% chance of pulling off, so, introuble, he takes his medicine and reduces the chance of compounding his mistakes.

The secret is to play a practice round or two playing simple shots, and not trying anything that you dont feel you will pull off. See how you play a par 5 by laying up and playing a wedge in, and see what the result is you may be suprised


Chris

 

[Oddsocks]

I'm playing Sunday and may try a different approach for each 9, or even odd then even holes

 

[Val]

I'm playing Sunday and may try a different approach for each 9, or even odd then even holes

On practice or social rounds try things out, 3/4 swings with longer clubs, driver instead of 3w or 3w instead of driver that type of thing. Doesn't do any harm and let's you play holes from a different mind set too.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I'm playing Sunday and may try a different approach for each 9, or even odd then even holes

I don't think it's that straight forward, you absolutely have to play each shot on it's merits. If I miss a fairway and the ball is sitting down in the rough I'd never take a par 5 on if I needed 3W to get there, I'd lay up. This is what I was saying about knowing your strengths and weaknesses and playing to them.

If you're not happy going for a green with a 3W, don't go for it. The best position to be in is to be equally comfortable with both options.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Interestingly enough since my FOA eureak moment and not going for any of the par 4's over 400 yards, I've adopted a far more cautionary approach. I'm not a strong driver of the ball in terms of distance accuracy but I get 13 shots so by opting to make 5 nett 4 I've taken the pressure off the drive immediately. Assuming I don't lose a ball/go OB etc I know that I can still lay up to a good distance.

I've worked very hard at my wedges from <100 yards now and so aim to lay up anywhere between 80 and 100 yards. It gives me a chance to knock it stiff and with a wedge in my hand, I shouldn't be missing the green so the original nett par is relatively safe.

Playing with a steady partner like Hawkeye, it does mean that in matchplay I can be that bit more cavalier and go for my shots a bit more but I rarely do. If its pretty clear the opposition are in a similar position to me and struggling to hit the long par 4's in two I'll stick to my guns, play for the 5 and let them do the work to beat me. If Hawkeye makes a par then we're not going to lose it anyway.

To be honest I'm not a fan of bashing two shots hard to get as close as you can. I think there is more mileage in swinging smoother and then finding an ideal distance. It's certainly my game plan home and away in 2012

 

[NWJocko]

I always equate this to moving through the levels playing football in that, the higher you go the less mistakes are made.

That means making better choices etc and not doing anything stupid.

Like Hawkeye says, in reality that means ensuring, where possible, that you know what the likely outcome is going to be of each shot by not trying to do something that is a very high risk or beyond your usual capability.

e.g. the way you describe your first hole it sounds like a lay up every time to me. Unless you can confidently hit a high fade with a 3w/5w with the ball above your feet then it is going to be difficult to hold the green. Overdo the fade and miss right you're struggling.

With a lay up though, it isn't just a "bump it anywhere down there" that I often see. Think about the best place to be to hit the shot into the green. That may change depending on flag but left half of the fairway sounds best to me on your first!

 

[Billysboots]

As someone whose handicap has me shooting around 80 most of the time, I tend to find the best approach to scoring well is to try and play percentage golf and keep the doubles off my card. If you rack up doubles you are not going to score well - it really is as simple as that. Keep it to dropping the one shot and, if you are a decent player, the pars should take care of themselves.

Attacking golf is not the best way to score well unless you are comfortable attacking the course. Whilst that may sound blindingly obvious, the proof to me came in a 4-club comp a couple of years ago. I went out with a 19 degree rescue, 6 iron, PW and putter. That meant I simply could not attack, especially the par 5's and longer par 4's. I concentrated on keeping the ball in play, hitting greens and two putting, and knocked in round in 78 against a par of 72.

If it's that easy with four clubs, why oh why is it so difficult with a full bag?!

 

[Mungoscorner]

Golf is a game of numbers and percentages imo.The downfall of most high handicappers is taking on too much i.e Driver off every tee except the par 3's,trying to play high risk shots from woods,deep rough etc,and not taking enough club on approach shots,and lets be honest on most modern course's the trouble is always at the front of the green.
If we use the 480 yard par 5 as an example,i'm pretty certain that a high handicap golfer would make far more pars and possibly birdies by hitting 6 iron,6 iron,6 iron for instance.They have far more chance of making the green in regulation,keeping the ball in play,avoiding fairway bunkers etc.
My home course is relatively short,but its very very tight,and requires you to shape the ball both ways.Now i know on a good day i could drive a couple of the par 4's,could make one of the par 5's in 2,and could leave myself nothing more than a gap wedge on some of the longer par 4's,BUT the penalty for missing fairways is huge,which is why i have no woods in my bag,my longest clubs are my 2 iron and rescue club.
At my last club the course was longer,but the fairways were wider and weren't seperated by lines of mature tree's,there were less bunkers and there wasn't a river or OOB's on most of the holes.Because of this i used a completely different strategy,and i would use driver or 3 wood off the tee on every par 4 and par 5 in an attempt to hit the par 5's in 2,and hit short approach shots into the par 4's.
My advice.........know your yardages,be honest about your ability,take your medicine when you miss the fairway,and play the percentage shot.I like Homers take on playing long par 4's,he has 13 shots and makes use of them.He know's his limits/ability and plays to his strengths by laying up and hoping to chip and putt.

 

[connor]

like someone posted earlier this thread has been really usefull to me. I realise my whole course management is all wrong. Many times on a par 5 i reach for my 3 wood with the ball below my feet and dreading the out come before i even swing. ive only had green in 2 once although really 4 as i went 3 off the tee and was just swinging trying to make shots up.
Same for the par 4s i generally try and get it as far away from me as i possibly can off the tee, which id say 6/10 is fairway on a couple holes this works a treat but on some others has got me in alot of trouble. I think im just a fan of try and bomb it find it and try again.
Playing weekend with the old man and possibly a couple mates we r all high handicappers so will see how i get on with trying to apply the new mindset.

 

[Oddsocks]

I like Homers take on playing long par 4's,he has 13 shots and makes use of them.He know's his limits/ability and plays to his strengths by laying up and hoping to chip and putt.

I can see method in he's theory, but I do see a downside to it in regards to a slightly defeated approach. To me relying on an up and down save is risky, especially when in homers own words he has a below average short game. Now if he's mid irons were poor but he had a great short game I could see a certain aspect to that theory, but relying on the weakest point of your game seems crazy.

I definitely think in the right situation it's a plan, for example in a medal where a cut it out of the question so you just want to hit buffer, or in match play where hawkeye is out and you just want to half that hole, but surely just picking up shots on any lucky up and down saves isn't going to see and big hc cuts coming soon.

I've often sat on our tenth tee 2 over( effectively 4 under hc) and the. Blown it on the back 9, so maybe this approach on the back 9 to protect that score could also have some merits

 

[NWJocko]

. Blown it on the back 9, so maybe this approach on the back 9 to protect that score could also have some merits

OS, I would be very wary of playing to "protect" a score through bitter experience.

Generally I score much better on our back 9. A few times I've had a level par front 9, or close to it, and tried to "protect" myself round the back 9. Always, always I c**k it up because I'm playing the holes differently and with a negative mentality really.

You may be different to me and able to play to protect a score, if you are able to could you let me know how please?

 

[Oddsocks]

jocko,

like you i seem melt under the pressure of holding a decent card in my hand, 3 rounds on the bounce i was stood on the tenth with a strong card all atleast 3under hc for the turn, but i didnt find it was playing carefully, just that my swing had turned to jelly... swing thoughts, card thoughts etc all running through my head.

Now im putting this down to getting to the turn consistently beating previous personal best. the first week was +4 (3 less than hc at the time), following week after a cut was +3 (3 less than hc again) and the final week was +2 (4 less than hc) and this was due to two lipped putts, it was close to a level par front 9. It was simply put a position i had never been in, and in the effort of chasing good cards melted like a snowman on a sunbed on 3 occasions.

Im going to master this if it bloody kills me, theres a single figure player hiding in there, or at worst a 10 capper, and my target for this year is to let him see daylight.

 

[NWJocko]

jocko,

like you i seem melt under the pressure of holding a decent card in my hand, 3 rounds on the bounce i was stood on the tenth with a strong card all atleast 3under hc for the turn, but i didnt find it was playing carefully, just that my swing had turned to jelly... swing thoughts, card thoughts etc all running through my head.

Now im putting this down to getting to the turn consistently beating previous personal best. the first week was +4 (3 less than hc at the time), following week after a cut was +3 (3 less than hc again) and the final week was +2 (4 less than hc) and this was due to two lipped putts, it was close to a level par front 9. It was simply put a position i had never been in, and in the effort of chasing good cards melted like a snowman on a sunbed on 3 occasions.

Im going to master this if it bloody kills me, theres a single figure player hiding in there, or at worst a 10 capper, and my target for this year is to let him see daylight.

I got over it by just playing the back 9 as I would usually rather than take a 3w or 3i off the tee I would hit driver if that's the best way to play the hole.

e.g. Last week, playing off 4 in the swindle I was +1 for the front 9 and then +2 for the back 9 because I just carried on playing my usual game rather than trying to nudge it round for a score.

Are you someone that likes to know your score? I would suggest just not counting it up at halfway but know some people like to. If you do like to track it why not do it in 6's, therefore you won't count until you are off the 12th to get over the front/back 9 barrier?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I can see method in he's theory, but I do see a downside to it in regards to a slightly defeated approach. To me relying on an up and down save is risky, especially when in homers own words he has a below average short game. Now if he's mid irons were poor but he had a great short game I could see a certain aspect to that theory, but relying on the weakest point of your game seems crazy.

The thing is my wedge play from 100 yards and in is pretty good. It's when I go for a green and miss and rely on chipping rather than a full or pitch shot that I come unstuck. Play myself to between 80 and 100 yards and I'd back myself to hit 9/10 greens and put 5/10 within 10 feet and I'm trying hard to get that percentage up higher.

I've found that taking this approach immediately takes all the pressure off my inconsistent driving game and I know if I hit it well and find the fairway and its gone a respectable distance the shot is on if I'm swinging well. Miss the fairway and I can plan to lay up. The point is I'm not reliant on an up and down save as I am usually getting a shot so a five is a nett par anyway. If I can pitch close and make a par then its a Brucie bonus. It's basically my way of trying to play the precentages given that I can blow hot and cold

 

[chrisd]

jocko,

like you i seem melt under the pressure of holding a decent card in my hand, 3 rounds on the bounce i was stood on the tenth with a strong card all atleast 3under hc for the turn, but i didnt find it was playing carefully, just that my swing had turned to jelly... swing thoughts, card thoughts etc all running through my head.

In a way I dont see that standing on the 10th it is "a strong card" in relation to the overall aim. At that point your thinking is just to carry on as you have been. You have played well and on good form there is no reason to mentally change as you're barely past half way. I have been 2 from home with a good card going and considered a safer option off the tee, but then said to myself that I have hit the driver well all the round and have no reason to think that I will not hit a good one this time - and stonked one down the middle, and shot a winning score.

The mental side of golf is difficult, but you need to learn to win by having a good pre shot routine, breathing well when tension creeps in and, I believe, having and maintaining a positive game when playing well.


The last major club competition I won, I had a 42 on the front 9 and was thinking that another 42 would probably keep me in the buffer off the handicap I was on that day and how lucky, that a good day with the putter, had rescued some awful shots. I turned the back 9 and shot 1 over gross and won. I played my normal game on every hole and where I hit a bad shot I recovered without compounding the error. The old cliche of one shot at a time and dont get ahead of yourself and enjoy it, was never truer.



Chris