Driver vs Putter

nickjdavis

Head Pro
Joined
Jul 31, 2015
Messages
3,174
Visit site
If you three putt the first green for bogey, could that affect your mood on your next tee shot?
If you one putt the first green for bogey, could that affect your mood on your next tee shot?
If you one putt for birdie could that affect your mood on your next tee shot?

Take the point but we are always being told that golf is a game of "now" by coaches....and that we need to put what has just happened or what might happen in a hole or twos time, out of our minds.

...your mood could be affected in both ways....a great last shot could cause you to get overexcited for the next shot....a crap previous shot might make you more focused.....it works both ways.
 

jim8flog

Journeyman Pro
Joined
May 20, 2017
Messages
14,688
Location
Yeovil
Visit site
3 off the tee = a 3 putt
300 yard drive = a 1 putt

It is not how, it is how many.

I know I get more upset about a bad putt than I do a bad drive I expect the latter but used to reckon my short would make up for it.
 

G1z1

Active member
Joined
Jul 22, 2021
Messages
495
Visit site
I have noticed now if i score well it’s because my putting has been good not my driving. Had a game last week and must of hit the driver the best and most consistent I’ve ever hit it and scored the worst I’ve scored in about two months.
 

BiMGuy

LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
6,385
Visit site
I think people need to stop thinking in terms of driver and think in terms of driving.

Hit it further off the tee and your scores will improve even without your putting improving.

Hit it further off the tee and hit more fairways then your scores will drop significantly without any improvement in putting.

Better driving makes approach shots easier. Now this is where the real gains are made.
 

CountLippe

Active member
Joined
Jan 28, 2020
Messages
282
Visit site
What makes a good putting round? I'd say holing everything within 3 feet and not 3 putting.
What makes a good driving round? I'd say being able to play whatever shot you choose for your second shot.
I'd say the latter is harder than the former.
 

Blue in Munich

Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
14,090
Location
Worcester Park
Visit site
Define the parameters; this is a binary response answer to a question that is anything but binary.

Slightly missing a fairway on certain of our holes costs me nothing; I can actually think of one par five where a flyer from the first cut makes it easier to hit the green in two than being on the fairway.

My best scores have always come from from putting the lights out, not from splitting fairways. You can miss fairways and keep a round going with one putt pars; split every fairway and three putt every green and you’re winning nothing.
 

sweaty sock

Hacker
Joined
Mar 2, 2013
Messages
1,147
Visit site
My best rounds always come with a good putting round during a spell of good driving...

A spell of good driving always lowers my handicap faster than a spell of good putting...

However, Brodie et al take their conclusions from datasets of hundreds of thousands of shots, which makes them statistically significant. It doesnt make them immutable truths for every round...
 

bobmac

Major Champion
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
27,475
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
First player drives it down the middle of the first fairway, hits his second shot to 10 feet and 3 putts for a bogey 5.
His playing companion hits his drive out of bounds, hits his second ball down the middle, wedges it to 10 feet and holes the putt for a bogey 5. Who is happier 2 minutes later on the second tee?
 

sweaty sock

Hacker
Joined
Mar 2, 2013
Messages
1,147
Visit site
Whos more likely to bogey the second?

As i said... its a conclusion from hundreds if thousands of holes, not a rule for every hole ever played....
 

2blue

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Feb 4, 2012
Messages
4,186
Location
Leeds,
Visit site
On a 'bad driving day', the Driver can be swopped for a 3-wood/rescue/4-iron...... but the putter........ ????
 

SurreyGolfer

Active member
Joined
Jul 21, 2021
Messages
192
Visit site
For me, I take about 2 putts a hole on average.....but I'm often putting for 5, 6, 7, 8 because I struggle to keep the ball in play off the tee, hence my handicap is over 30. I'm starting to hit a hybrid consistently and keep it in play ~180-200yards off the tee. This I feel right now is making more of an impact (less balls lost, shorter irons for 2nd/3rd shots, etc) and will result in lower scores in the short term than improving my putting
 

BiMGuy

LIV Bot, (But Not As Big As Mel) ?
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
6,385
Visit site
First player drives it down the middle of the first fairway, hits his second shot to 10 feet and 3 putts for a bogey 5.
His playing companion hits his drive out of bounds, hits his second ball down the middle, wedges it to 10 feet and holes the putt for a bogey 5. Who is happier 2 minutes later on the second tee?

Player 1. Player 2 is now thinking about how not to hit the same massive miss on the second tee.
 

SteveW86

Head Pro
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
3,393
Location
Southampton
Visit site
This question has too many variables and will always go round in circles.

I'd say its harder to be a very good driver of the ball than it is to be very good at putting. I'd rather be average with the driver and very good at putting. Playing from the first cut of rough doesnt affect you too much if you can always 2 putt, or even make the odd long one. If you are always 3 putting, then that is a lot of extra shots.

My best rounds have always been when the putts have dropped, but our course is very forgiving off the tee.
 

timd77

Assistant Pro
Joined
Jun 17, 2013
Messages
1,307
Visit site
I think it depends what level you’re at. I’m off 18, my best rounds have been when I’ve putted well, zero 3 putts and a couple of nice 1 putts. I’m not wild off the tee usually, my bad shot will still be in play somewhere and just require a chip out or lay up, 2 putts for my bogey and I’m happy, and if I manage to 1 putt I’m over the moon.

Saying that, when things go wrong and everything’s off, not being able to keep my tee shot in play would probably affect my enjoyment more than not being able to putt.
 

SteveW86

Head Pro
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
3,393
Location
Southampton
Visit site
How many people have had a driver fitting and/or a lesson with the driver?

How many people have had a putter fitting and/or a lesson with the putter?
 

nickjdavis

Head Pro
Joined
Jul 31, 2015
Messages
3,174
Visit site
No. bad tee shots/drives are those that simply offer no sensible opportunity to hit green in reg.
This question has too many variables and will always go round in circles.

I'd say its harder to be a very good driver of the ball than it is to be very good at putting. I'd rather be average with the driver and very good at putting. Playing from the first cut of rough doesnt affect you too much if you can always 2 putt, or even make the odd long one. If you are always 3 putting, then that is a lot of extra shots.

My best rounds have always been when the putts have dropped, but our course is very forgiving off the tee.

I guess a lot depends on what your interpretation/definition of a bad "drive" is. For me a bad "drive" is a tee shot (whether played with driver or 3 wood or hybrid) that prevents me from making a reasonable attempt at hitting green in regulation....it is not about splitting the fairway...or even finding the fairway...a shot in the rough may offer a perfectly acceptable opportunity to find the green.
 

sweaty sock

Hacker
Joined
Mar 2, 2013
Messages
1,147
Visit site
On a 'bad driving day', the Driver can be swopped for a 3-wood/rescue/4-iron...... but the putter........ ????

Strictly , hitting 3 wood, rescue, 4 iron off the tee would always be a 'bad driving day' given how much yardage youd be giving up.

And before anyone says 'I hit my 4 iron the same distance as my driver" well maybe you should ask yourself that question

And "I hit the fairway all the time with my 3 wood/hybrid/ 4 iron". No you don’t.
 
Top