I tried playing boring golf....it kind of worked

[Deleted member 18121]

I had a society day yesterday and it just so happened to be the course I grew up on, but hadn't played for years. It's the kind of course that historically I'd have just banged driver everywhere and been flicking in with wedges, but I decided to try something a bit different.

I've been watching some videos on youtube by a guy called "Just your average golfer". In one of those he spoke about hitting a club off the tee that you feeling comfortable hitting, rather than one that would get you to your desired distance for example....so yesterday I was teeing off from par 4s and 5s with 8i, 7i 5i etc just to make sure I shouldn't reach any danger (bunkers/water etc), but leaving myself with quite long shots in....which lead to me playing some of the par 4s as 3 shot holes, but I stuck with it.

I struck the ball quite badly all day if I'm honest, but I came in with a +15 (off a 14 hcp) and only hit driver twice and 3i once off the tee.........so have I learnt anything? Well possibly yes, I will give the theory another go and see how pans out.

 

[Mark_Aged_42]

Same philosophy as Golf Sidekick, also a very watchable channel.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not for me I'm afraid. I'm all for playing conservatively especially if not playing well but I'd want to hit longer off the tee and make the second shot easier. In my mind a 3 or 5 wood or even a 3H off the tee and a mid-iron in rather than other way around has to be easier and you'd have more accuracy and control with the approaches

 

[pendodave]

Interesting. I wonder how far most people would need to go down their bag to get a reliable, safe tee shot. For me, probably a 7 iron... Might be quite tricky to make a bogey from that far out.
The trouble is, ultimately you limit your upside to not much better than bogey golf. As you say, you played to 15, but I suspect that if you wanted to play to 8 you would need the extra length.

 

[r0wly86]

I have done much the same and recently played a round with just a 6 iron. Approach shots, pitching and all. Went round in handicap, but considering how hard it is to get close from 80 yards with a 6iron I thought that was damn good.

But even though my driver can cause me a lot of havoc there is such a draw to it, now the ground is getting a bit firmer (this week excluded) I'm regularly over 300 yards and so when it's going well the game becomes very easy

 

[r0wly86]

Interesting. I wonder how far most people would need to go down their bag to get a reliable, safe tee shot. For me, probably a 7 iron... Might be quite tricky to make a bogey from that far out.
The trouble is, ultimately you limit your upside to not much better than bogey golf. As you say, you played to 15, but I suspect that if you wanted to play to 8 you would need the extra length.

I hit my 7 iron 180, which would mean any par 4 360 or less and I can hit in 2, any par 5 540 or less I can hit in regulation. I dare say if you were laser accurate with your 7 iron and had a good chip and putting game you could play very low single figures around a normal course, obviously if you play a very long course it is out of the question.

It's not very fun though, I much prefer unleashing and hitting par 4s in 1 or par 5s in 2

 

[pendodave]

I hit my 7 iron 180, which would mean any par 4 360 or less and I can hit in 2, any par 5 540 or less I can hit in regulation. I dare say if you were laser accurate with your 7 iron and had a good chip and putting game you could play very low single figures around a normal course, obviously if you play a very long course it is out of the question.

It's not very fun though, I much prefer unleashing and hitting par 4s in 1 or par 5s in 2

Mine only goes 150.... Would need my 24 and 21 hybrid for 180. (depending on roll). My theory is that, whatever they think, most 10+ handicappers are pretty ropey with lower lofted hybrids and fairway woods, so that would not confer much advantage over driver.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Not for me I'm afraid. I'm all for playing conservatively especially if not playing well but I'd want to hit longer off the tee and make the second shot easier. In my mind a 3 or 5 wood or even a 3H off the tee and a mid-iron in rather than other way around has to be easier and you'd have more accuracy and control with the approaches

And yet your handicap is stalled

You’ve embraced methods others haven’t and you dismiss this approach.

 

[Orikoru]

This is not really an option for me. I'm more consistent and feel more confident with the driver than I am any other long or even mid iron. So by that logic me 'going for it' and 'playing safe' is the same thing.

 

[Grant85]

I had a society day yesterday and it just so happened to be the course I grew up on, but hadn't played for years. It's the kind of course that historically I'd have just banged driver everywhere and been flicking in with wedges, but I decided to try something a bit different.

I've been watching some videos on youtube by a guy called "Just your average golfer". In one of those he spoke about hitting a club off the tee that you feeling comfortable hitting, rather than one that would get you to your desired distance for example....so yesterday I was teeing off from par 4s and 5s with 8i, 7i 5i etc just to make sure I shouldn't reach any danger (bunkers/water etc), but leaving myself with quite long shots in....which lead to me playing some of the par 4s as 3 shot holes, but I stuck with it.

I struck the ball quite badly all day if I'm honest, but I came in with a +15 (off a 14 hcp) and only hit driver twice and 3i once off the tee.........so have I learnt anything? Well possibly yes, I will give the theory another go and see how pans out.

I haven't watched that channel yet, but I am very interested in the idea and strategy to try and get the best scores without absolutely flushing everything.

I also think it's not just a case of hitting less than driver off the tee - obviously depending on the hole you are on and where the margin for error is. It's working out the holes and scenarios when you should take it on, not just being ultra conservative everywhere.

We have a lot of raised greens, where a miss could result in being in a steep bunker or bouncing off a bank and going anywhere. If I'm out of position, or am a long way back - then a simple lay up to within 20 or 30 yards of the green is absolute gold. The chances of making the high risk shot are slim and you bring so much trouble into play. With a lay up, you take on almost no risk, you don't feel under pressure and the worst you should make is a 2 putt bogey.

But at 2 other longer holes, that don't have raised greens (5 & 18)- there is so much room to miss that taking on a 200 yard approach is generally worth it.

 

[r0wly86]

Mine only goes 150.... Would need my 24 and 21 hybrid for 180. (depending on roll). My theory is that, whatever they think, most 10+ handicappers are pretty ropey with lower lofted hybrids and fairway woods, so that would not confer much advantage over driver.

Presumably the theory is all about risk/reward and working out the ratio.

hitting a driver may mean you get a better shot at the green, but there may be a 1/8 chance of losing a ball, and 1/3 chance of being in the rough. Is the risk worth it, rather than going for a guaranteed 3 shots onto the green?

Everyone will be different in determining that ratio, and I totally understand you point that essentially you won't reach your potential lowest score my playing this method, but I would wager that 99% of handicap golfers would improve their general scores by playing this way

 

[Kellfire]

Why you ever want to have to hit your second shot to a par 4 further off a lesser lie than you’ve hit your first shot off a tee?

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Kind of playing at some of this at the moment on social rounds, and taking a club on some holes that hopefully removes the double or triple bogeys from the score, which previously would have been from a lost ball or trees. So I am trialling it on holes 11,14, 16 and 18 on my home course and would always have hit driver before.

What I am finding is :-
1. I can still double bogey the hole, due to poor shoots towards the green or around the green..Grr
2. On longer holes(so more than 340 yards) it removes the chance of getting a birdie
3. On the holes I try it, a bogey is more likely than before when it would the most likely may have been a par(11th and 16th would have been good examples of this)
1. You are right, It is boring and even more important, really annoying when you hit the tee shot into the trees still but further back from the green

I reckon it would work well if you are mid to high handicap.

Jury still out for me and still playing around with it

 

[r0wly86]

Why you ever want to have to hit your second shot to a par 4 further off a lesser lie than you’ve hit your first shot off a tee?

because you almost guarantee you will be in play on the fairway, rather than potentially 100 yards closer but in the trees, or even worse OOB

 

[Orikoru]

because you almost guarantee you will be in play on the fairway, rather than potentially 100 yards closer but in the trees, or even worse OOB

I think he's saying it's still not worth hitting only 160 yards off the tee to give yourself 190 to the green, fairway or not.

 

[Kellfire]

because you almost guarantee you will be in play on the fairway, rather than potentially 100 yards closer but in the trees, or even worse OOB

It’s an incredibly negative way to play the game and you’re basically guaranteeing you’ll never shoot low.

 

[Kellfire]

I think he's saying it's still not worth hitting only 160 yards off the tee to give yourself 190 to the green, fairway or not.

Exactly.

If someone isn’t great with a driver or a wood off the tee, they’ll rarely be accurate with a long iron from fairway or rough. Not if you’re in anyway serious about golf.

 

[r0wly86]

It’s an incredibly negative way to play the game and you’re basically guaranteeing you’ll never shoot low.

I don't say I do it, in fact above I say I love hitting my driver and smashing it up towards the green. However it is not negative so much as pragmatic, golf is about shooting the lowest score, not hitting the longest tee shot. Tiger I believe won the Open because he took irons off the tee as his driver was likely to put him in trouble, a 16 year old at my course plays off of 5 and hits nothing above 4 iron.

If, and it is only an if , your driver or woods are so hit and miss that you can put yourself in trouble very easily, including hitting OOB then it may make sense to be hitting mid irons to ensure you are in play. This approach won't work for everyone.

I will use myself as an example, if my driving is on fire then I will shoot the lowest scores I am possible of. I can over power my course, drive 6 par 4s and hit 4 par 5s in 2. However if my driving is off, it will lead to me losing a hell of a lot of balls, so my score will be ridiculous.

My 6 iron goes 200 yards, meaning I can still hit every par 4 in 2, albeit with a longer club than if it was driver, all the par 5 in 3, and will be hitting a pitch in. Strategically and on average I will shoot better scores playing irons of the tee, although by lowest rounds will be hitting driver, but only when driver is working.

The other thing to say, is to forget about what par a hole is, don't get hung up on the GIR stats of each hole, if there is a par 4 with OOB all done the left and you have an occasional hook, but driver is the only way to reach in 2, leave it alone, hit your iron, get on in 3, potentially close if you are pitching from 60 yards.

You may not make your birdy but you will pretty much be ruling out a card wrecker.

I honestly understand the point about wanting to shoot the lowest possible and get birdies, but perhaps for handicap golfers that will probably find their handicaps are high because of triple and quadruple bogeys would reduce their scores by being pragmatic over club choice, and selecting the club that will keep them in play, and not the one that may result in a birdie once in ever 100 attempts

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Just for a bit of clarity - this is the video that made me have a think about a different tact. There is a 2 minute chat at about 6:30 which I think is transferable to any shot you hit on the course. I dont think his idea is to NOT hit driver from the tee etc, its about taking calculated risk where the right scenario arrives.

What I may do is try this method a handful of times, but then try a handful of rounds being super aggressive and see what happens.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I’ve tried this approach when practising on my own, it’s certainly changed the way I play 3 or 4 holes at my place.
Had a rough start to this season so using it on a few more and the scores are definitely improving, once the confidence is returned, which club off the tee will change with format or score.