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I've started a BLOG (bear with me)

This blog of yours....is it going to have a blow by blow account of every shot played on every hole?
We could do with another one of those
;)

Don't worry, It's not really a blog, it's a bogey log, it's on my laptop and won't be shared with anyone. Last thing the world needs is another golf blog :D
 
There's no future in double bogeys and risking one to make par is a bad mental mistake

I disagree. If the odds are in your favour then you should go for it. Suppose chipping out gives you a bogey and going for it gets par 60% of the time and double 40%, then you should be going for it. The issue in that case would be the tee shot that left you in such a predicament.

A few notes on that though. You have to be mentally strong enough to know you made the right decision even if you end with a double. If you let the result affect the rest of your round then don't take on the shot. And second, don't lie to yourself about the odds. The reason most golfers chip out safe is because that is, far more often than not, the best thing to do.
 
I disagree. If the odds are in your favour then you should go for it. Suppose chipping out gives you a bogey and going for it gets par 60% of the time and double 40%, then you should be going for it. The issue in that case would be the tee shot that left you in such a predicament.

If there's 40% chance of making double, it isn't worth the risk. If I can layup in the fairway out of the way of any trouble, I can still make par with practically no chance of making double, that has to be better odds.

Of course in all these situations, the tee shot is the first issue, but it doesn't matter how much you practice, you will hit bad tee shots. The key to scoring off low h'caps is not to compound the error with another one. More often than not double bogeys can be avoided by making better decisions, and risking a double bogey isn't a good decision.
 
If there's 40% chance of making double, it isn't worth the risk. .

I agree

When you have so few shots to play with, a score is compiled by keeping those doubles away.
Playing off 15,20 or more, the odd double doesn't hurt as much and then it may be worth going for it on such odds
I'd want the chance of double to be 10% or less....
 
To the blog extraordinaire Mr Hawkeye :D

Do you think it may be partly down to you taking on more difficult shots because your handicap has come down and something is telling you that you need to go for more shots?

Since I have dropped a bit I seem to be looking back on my last couple of rounds thinking "what the hell was you doing there" and stuff like that because ive made a stupid decision and tried to force the situation.
 
I disagree. If the odds are in your favour then you should go for it. Suppose chipping out gives you a bogey and going for it gets par 60% of the time and double 40%, then you should be going for it. The issue in that case would be the tee shot that left you in such a predicament.

A few notes on that though. You have to be mentally strong enough to know you made the right decision even if you end with a double. If you let the result affect the rest of your round then don't take on the shot. And second, don't lie to yourself about the odds. The reason most golfers chip out safe is because that is, far more often than not, the best thing to do.

Ian I think there's a reason you play off 20 and Mike plays off 7... #justsaying ;)
 
I believe for your h/cap you should be hitting 6 GIR's so without 3 putting (it happens!) you have 6 pars there

That leaves 12 greens you miss.... half of which you should make an up and down, so that's another 6 pars (50% isn't a great stat... the pros are closer to 75% I believe)

That only leaves 6 holes that you don't get up and down.... so that's 6 bogies. Total is 6 over par.

Of course there's the stray shot here and there which might cost you a shot or two... but you can also make some putts or chip in so if you TRY to hit 6 GIR's you should also be on/around your h/cap.
 
I believe for your h/cap you should be hitting 6 GIR's so without 3 putting (it happens!) you have 6 pars there

That leaves 12 greens you miss.... half of which you should make an up and down, so that's another 6 pars (50% isn't a great stat... the pros are closer to 75% I believe)

That only leaves 6 holes that you don't get up and down.... so that's 6 bogies. Total is 6 over par.

Of course there's the stray shot here and there which might cost you a shot or two... but you can also make some putts or chip in so if you TRY to hit 6 GIR's you should also be on/around your h/cap.


It kinda makes it sound easy.... How many green have I got to hit?
 
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