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

[Orikoru]

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

You can't compare the likes of us to what Tiger does though, if he doesn't want to hit driver he can hit a 3 iron further than we all hit our drivers. It's not the same game. I agree with Kellfire, at the level we're talking about that means having to hit second shots with long irons, fairway woods or hybrids which is at least as likely to go wrong as being in trouble off the tee with the driver.

 

[Dando]

What’s the point of the designers putting those lovely trees on the course if you’re not going to visit them

 

[r0wly86]

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.

perfect thanks, yes I agree, it doesn't mean never take your driver, but in my example if you have a hook and the hole has OOB all done the left side the risk is probably too high, where as if you slice the ball and it is completely open down the right hand side then hit driver.

It's just a way of thinking about your game and the where the problems lie on each hole you are playing, and sometimes saying to yourself that on this occasion it is better for me to be hitting a mid iron in from the fairway and risk getting on not in regulation than risking a monster score by hitting it somewhere I really shouldn't

 

[Coffey]

I think you need to take a little from each.

There are times I am guilty of hitting driver trying to draw it round a corner or fly a bunker which is on the very range of my distance when a simple lay up with a hybrid would be a lot more consistent and still give me a decent chance at the green.

You can take this far too far and hit a 6 iron off the tee and then need 3 wood to reach the green in reg which is completely pointless. This is where you will get stuck at a certain handicap and not be able to progress.

You need to make a choice as when is 'safe' to hit a longer club which may not be as consistent or when it is worth it. 500 yard par 5 with a massive fairway, blast the driver. 350 yard par 4 with trees all around it, yes you could hit driver and have 100 in. But you could hit hybrid and have 150 in.

It also boils down to where you strengths are. I am a decent driver of the ball and would say it is one of my stronger aspects of my game but would give away most of my shots around the green. So hitting driver and having a shorter club in should lower my scoring as my proximity to the hole should be better.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

And yet your handicap is stalled

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

Not technically true as handicap has gone from 15-13 in 2019. I just think there is more margin using a longer club (doesn't have to be a driver) and leave shorter irons which are easier to hit into the greens rather than leaving longer clubs in and as the OP says taking some par 4's out of trouble. I just don't see any merit in it for my game. I also think with 13 shots, I am better off using the longer clubs, in my case including the driver and then using my shots if the tee shot isn't good. Sometimes a double (net bogey) isn't the end of the world especially with shots to play with. Just a different mind set

 

[r0wly86]

You can't compare the likes of us to what Tiger does though, if he doesn't want to hit driver he can hit a 3 iron further than we all hit our drivers. It's not the same game. I agree with Kellfire, at the level we're talking about that means having to hit second shots with long irons, fairway woods or hybrids which is at least as likely to go wrong as being in trouble off the tee with the driver.

totally disagree, it is of course dependent on the player, what their bad shot it etc

for instance the 16 year old at my course, hit driver his a huge slice, and I mean huge slice he was 3 fairways over last time I saw it. But he hits his irons perfectly straight, for him it makes sense to not hit driver, even though he is way over 300 yards when he does get it right.

for you it doesn't apply if your driver is the safer club. But for a lot of handicap players the driver is often a double edge sword and for them it would absolutely be better to hit iron. Also just because you can't hit driver doesn't mean you cannot hit long irons, I have seen many people who can hit irons, but can't switch to the sweeping motion of a wood and come down on it and spin the hell out of the ball.

And as above thinking like this doesn't preclude someone from taking a driver but just encourages them to think about the risks of doing so on a particular hole. When I last played Royal North Devon, I was hitting my driver absolutely everywhere, but I could afford do that there and still find my ball so happy days. If I was playing a tight course with a lot of trouble everywhere it would be suicide to hit driver. Just need to think what shot is best for which occasion and not just think its a 400 yard par 4, had to be driver automatically

 

[r0wly86]

Not technically true as handicap has gone from 15-13 in 2019. I just think there is more margin using a longer club (doesn't have to be a driver) and leave shorter irons which are easier to hit into the greens rather than leaving longer clubs in and as the OP says taking some par 4's out of trouble. I just don't see any merit in it for my game. I also think with 13 shots, I am better off using the longer clubs, in my case including the driver and then using my shots if the tee shot isn't good. Sometimes a double (net bogey) isn't the end of the world especially with shots to play with. Just a different mind set

that's fair enough, I think you have to apply the situation to each persons individual game and course

 

[Grant85]

I think a lot of you are completely simplifying the whole point of the 'boring golf' strategy.

it is not just hitting irons off tees etc. It is playing to your strengths and taking the club that gives you the best margin for error. Sometimes it may well be hitting driver, rather than a fairway wood or iron.

No one is going to flush 40 swings in a round, so try and shoot the best score with the game you have on the day.

 

[r0wly86]

I think a lot of you are completely simplifying the whole point of the 'boring golf' strategy.

it is not just hitting irons off tees etc. It is playing to your strengths and taking the club that gives you the best margin for error. Sometimes it may well be hitting driver, rather than a fairway wood or iron.

No one is going to flush 40 swings in a round, so try and shoot the best score with the game you have on the day.

thank you, for all my rambling those three sentences sums it up perfectly

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I think a lot of you are completely simplifying the whole point of the 'boring golf' strategy.

it is not just hitting irons off tees etc. It is playing to your strengths and taking the club that gives you the best margin for error. Sometimes it may well be hitting driver, rather than a fairway wood or iron.

No one is going to flush 40 swings in a round, so try and shoot the best score with the game you have on the day.

I agree, I have been doing the course management on risky shots, but its is still hit and miss.

For example:-

The 14th par 5(540 yard) at my course, it is a hole with danger all the way from tee to green and you could lose a ball on any shot. Before I was hitting driver then 3 wood then whatever. Now I am trying 9 wood then 9 wood/7 iron and then whatever comes after to get me to the green. That in theory reduces risk completely and for a good golfer who can hit the shot almost all the time it would, and they can still get to the green in three consistently. Last time I hit 9 wood really poorly but in play, then another 9 wood(topped about 100 yards), had 215 yards to the green and thought knickers to this risk strategy, hit 5 wood onto the green, to end up with par. Normally my 9 wood is goto club btw.

Another example the 11th(par 4 340yards) on the same day, hit a great 5 wood off the tee to middle of fairway, to remove a 3 off the tee situation that can happen fairly easily. Hit it perfect, had about 130 to the green, just had to hit a nice 9 iron to the middle. Pushed it into the bunker and walked away with a double.....

Risk management is hard in golf, as the problem with mid or higher handicap golfers like me(9.5), is that the chances of hitting a good shot is about 50% on a good day and (for me) almost irrelevant of the club I am hitting

But if it works for you, then great. Not so sure I will stick with it but going to keep playing with it over the next few week and time/experience will tell me.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

What’s the point of the designers putting those lovely trees on the course if you’re not going to visit them

I feel the same about water. It would be rude just to ignore it.

 

[Dando]

I feel the same about water. It would be rude just to ignore it.

But a visit to the water is a lost ball whereas I sometimes find mine in the trees (although it’s not always playable)

 

[Wolf]

Interesting read so far this thread, there are some taking boring golf so literally they'd never hit they're best score as bogey would be at best the score on each hole. Then there are others at the other end of scale saying no you have to hit your driver to get best scores and only 1 or 2 seeing the middle ground.

It's quite simple no need to play boring golf it's take each hole on its own merits for how your playing thay day. It's just sensible course management and playing to the best of your ability that day to get the lowest score you can.

Sometimes that means hitting as little as a mid iron off the tee others go with the driver. My own example take 2 of our Par 5's, our 7th hole if I hit my driver it brings in OOB all the way down right which is my bad shot, aiming left is a no go as its thick trees and rough chances of finding the ball are slimmed to none. 3 wood off tee brings fairway bunker into range. So I take a 5 iron off the tee up left side gives me a view up the rest of hole round the dog leg, another 5 iron up the fairway and 9iron to heart of the green gives me a shot of a birdie. Driver there could get me on in 2 and chance of Eagle but also brings in OOB and a potential 7 or 8!

Flip that our 15th hole par 5, I could take same approach as the 7th, but I'm hitting driver there all day because I have a good chance of getting on in 2 and playing it as a long par 4 even with a large pond just short of the green, however if I don't hit a good one and miss the fairway I can pitch out short of the pond and leave about 80yards to centre of the green and still have a chance at birde and make par at worst.

It's not about playing really boring golf, or playing every shot like your Tiger Woods, it's about making the most of what you got that day and minimising your misses and making

For me Ben Hogan summed it up best with his quote "This is a game of misses. The guy who misses the best is going to win."

 

[Grant85]

Risk management is hard in golf, as the problem with mid or higher handicap golfers like me(9.5), is that the chances of hitting a good shot is about 50% on a good day and (for me) almost irrelevant of the club I am hitting

I would make a further point that if you go and hit 14 shots with a driver and 14 shots with a 6 iron... analyse how many shots would hit the fairway or green, how many shots would just miss, how many shots would be off the planet.

I'd guess you will be far more accurate with the iron, even taking the relative distance of your shots into account. It is simply easier to hit a club with more loft more consistently.

Also, if you are putting yourself under less pressure by playing a shorter club, your 50% level will increase. Standing with a 5 wood, knowing you have to carry it 200 (or whatever) is putting yourself under extra pressure - which will almost certainly lead to poorer performance.

 

[Dando]

I think I could comfortably play most courses not hitting anything longer than 5 iron off the tee but I like the excitement of unleashing the driver followed by the shouts of fore

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Not technically true as handicap has gone from 15-13 in 2019. I just think there is more margin using a longer club (doesn't have to be a driver) and leave shorter irons which are easier to hit into the greens rather than leaving longer clubs in and as the OP says taking some par 4's out of trouble. I just don't see any merit in it for my game. I also think with 13 shots, I am better off using the longer clubs, in my case including the driver and then using my shots if the tee shot isn't good. Sometimes a double (net bogey) isn't the end of the world especially with shots to play with. Just a different mind set

Seriously! You were cut from 15 to 12 as you posted on 19th Jan after a win, that win came out of the blue as your handicap went up to 15 last year, since then you have had 6 months of struggle and you’re using words/terms like “Carnage, lost swing, hit it as badly as imaginable, no confidence etc,“ even 3 weeks back you dismissed Science Boy trying to be helpful, so to simply dismiss something that could help is plain daft, you’re the first to offer advice and help others with their issues so it makes no sense, imo, that you’d dismiss advice or methods that could help you.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

But a visit to the water is a lost ball whereas I sometimes find mine in the trees (although it’s not always playable)

It could just be a case of getting your ball cleaned but I take your point. If you hit it well into a lake rather than it rolling in then it is a dead ball. Darn those course designers

 

[Dasit]

I hit my irons better than my driver.

But a good iron is still well behind a medium driver. I can't score well if I have 5 and 6 irons into par 4s and 5s, the green are firm and fast the ball will only hold if I can hit a wedge in.

Sure if I want to play bogey golf, irons off the tee are fine, but breaking 80, winning a comp and getting a handicap cut will be too tough

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I would make a further point that if you go and hit 14 shots with a driver and 14 shots with a 6 iron... analyse how many shots would hit the fairway or green, how many shots would just miss, how many shots would be off the planet.

I'd guess you will be far more accurate with the iron, even taking the relative distance of your shots into account. It is simply easier to hit a club with more loft more consistently.

Also, if you are putting yourself under less pressure by playing a shorter club, your 50% level will increase. Standing with a 5 wood, knowing you have to carry it 200 (or whatever) is putting yourself under extra pressure - which will almost certainly lead to poorer performance.

I think there lies a big difference, when you talk about extra pressure and poorer performance, I do not think like that. I understand what you say as I know people who are like that and if effects your shots, then you need to adapt according.

The 11th par 4 example above, if I had hit driver, I would probably only had 50-90 yards to the green and 80% of the time I would then hit the green from that distance and get a par. I didnt I hit 5 wood and then had to hit a 9 iron and the 9 iron meant I didn't hit the green, so whilst I removed the 10-20% chance of a lost ball off the tee/or in the trees by hitting 5 wood, I then bought in a 40% chance of missing the green with my 9 iron, which on that day lead to a double.

It is interesting and am learning from my experiences but am seeing a trend even this early on and think on some holes I will change the club I hit in comps(14th par 5 tee shot would be one, as there is about 75%-90% chance of a lost ball or in the trees, if I hit my driver, really tight hole and only the right hand side of the fairway opens up the hole), the other holes I will probably end up taking the much higher risk shot on and I would rather live with hitting a driver poorly than a 7 iron.

As in my first post, I have found I am making the most likely score on some holes a bogey by taking the least risky route and I do not like that, if I was taking on the riskier shot the most likely score before was a par.

 

[Orikoru]

I think a lot of you are completely simplifying the whole point of the 'boring golf' strategy.

it is not just hitting irons off tees etc. It is playing to your strengths and taking the club that gives you the best margin for error. Sometimes it may well be hitting driver, rather than a fairway wood or iron.

No one is going to flush 40 swings in a round, so try and shoot the best score with the game you have on the day.

That just sounds like common sense though. There's one short hole at ours where I've started hitting 3 iron to leave myself an 8 or 9 iron in, because driver was leaving me 70-80 yards and I hate shots of that distance.

One chap I played with last Sunday could probably use a bit more common sense. He'd shot 85 on the Saturday (off 15), but come Sunday his driver was going miles right every time. 2nd tee, he's over the trees on the next fairway, 3rd tee, over the trees on the next fairway, 4th tee, he's over the line of bushes onto the next fairway. Then comes the 6th with out of bounds down the right. You'd think he would have left the driver in the bag for that one - I would have in his position - but no, out it comes. First one out of bounds. Provisional, also looks like it could be out of bounds, so he hit a second provisional, aiming way over on the left to eventually find the fairway. His driving got progressively worse as he tried to correct the slice (presumably) and started throwing in a few duffs as well that went about 100 yards. On the 16th he barely hit the ball, hit the heel of the driver and shot low and left. He ended up shooting 105, 20 shots worse than the previous day!