Medal/strokeplay strategy

[HomerJSimpson]

I have a game plan on every hole. I stick to my routine and hit the tee shot and then see where the ball ends up. Depending on lie, conditions etc I decide on the best plan of attack. Do I accept par requires a miracle shot and so play for bogey or is the reward worth the risk. To be honest I treat stableford and stroke as the same imposter. It is about keeping the ball in play off the tee, find the centre of greens as often as possible and not being to cavalier with the flat stick, especially from distance

 

[richart]

I don't see the difference between s'ford and medal as far as your approach to the game goes. Take as few shots as you can and the points will look after themselves is my theory. I treat every round as if it were a medal and try to shoot the lowest score I can. I don't understand why you would take a risk in stableford that you wouldn't in medal and I don't understand the theory about being more aggressive with the "putt for a point" in stableford. I always try to hole every putt no matter what it is, why would you treat the same putt differently in a s'ford compared to a medal?

I dunno, maybe it's just me but surely it's better to have the same mentality on the course every time you go out? Changing the way you play because of the format just seems a bit daft to me.

I am always more aggresive in a stableford, and take more shots on. What is the worst you can do, blob the hole and lose two points ? In a medal you could run up a cricket score, and you are out of contention. A blob in a stableford is easier to recover from mentally than a ten in a medal. Just my opinion.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I am always more aggresive in a stableford, and take more shots on. What is the worst you can do, blob the hole and lose two points ? In a medal you could run up a cricket score, and you are out of contention. A blob in a stableford is easier to recover from mentally than a ten in a medal. Just my opinion.

Why would you risk a blob though? For me, or I guess anyone with an stable handicap (i.e. not rapidly improving) most of our cuts are going to come shooting 1 or 2 under handicap so 1 or 2 points can make the difference between buffer, cut or 0.1 increase. Points are precious and while in theory they are "easier" to make up, there are absolutely no guarantees. At our place I have shot holes where I expect to make par, but I also have no shot holes where I know par is a good score, and I also know that I am going to make mistakes somewhere along the line.

If I'm going to shoot under my handicap round our course, I have to play well and I have to look after every shot. That's not to say I am cautious or protective of my score, I just play within my ability - I can't afford not to.

 

[richart]

Take a hole where you need to get down in two for one point. In a medal I may well not take on a tight pin just over a bunker, play to the middle of the green, take two putts and walk off with a double bogey. In a stableford that is a blob, surely you would be aggressive and take on the pin? If you have a putt for a point from 40 feet, in a medal you would be looking to not three putt, in a stableford what is the point of lagging the putt? You need to be more aggressive, and at least give yourself a chance of a point. Three putts are irrrelevant as you would pick up as soon as the first putt missed.

I can think of lots of situations on the course, where I would play differently depending whether the comp was medal or stableford. I would also say that I have had a lot more cuts in stableford than in medal comps !

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Take a hole where you need to get down in two for one point. In a medal I may well not take on a tight pin just over a bunker, play to the middle of the green, take two putts and walk off with a double bogey. In a stableford that is a blob, surely you would be aggressive and take on the pin? If you have a putt for a point from 40 feet, in a medal you would be looking to not three putt, in a stableford what is the point of lagging the putt? You need to be more aggressive, and at least give yourself a chance of a point. Three putts are irrrelevant as you would pick up as soon as the first putt missed.

I can think of lots of situations on the course, where I would play differently depending whether the comp was medal or stableford. I would also say that I have had a lot more cuts in stableford than in medal comps !

It's interesting how people think differently isn't it. With your tight pin example, I'd most likely play to a position where I at least had a putt rather than risking not having a putt at all.

As far as the putting goes, I'm sure I've said this before but I always treat every single putt the same - I'm trying to hole it. I'm not going to hit it harder because it's for a point or a half or whatever it is, I'm going to hit the putt I think I need to hit to get it in the hole, if it misses it misses, where it misses is irrelevent to me. As long as I gave the putt my full attention and did everything in my power to hole it then I'm happy. I'm not going to change the way I putt or think about putting because the next putt is irrelevent. Sometimes I make bad putts and 3 putt but I never set out not to 3 putt, if you do that then you are putting with fear IMHO, fear leads to negativity & negativity leads to poor putting.

 

[Ethan]

Plot each hole back from the green to the tee using shots you are capable of playing.

Plan conservatively and execute aggressively.

Take one shot at a time. Forget the last one, you can't replay it.

 

[Region3]

I am always more aggresive in a stableford, and take more shots on. What is the worst you can do, blob the hole and lose two points ? In a medal you could run up a cricket score, and you are out of contention. A blob in a stableford is easier to recover from mentally than a ten in a medal. Just my opinion.

Rightly or wrongly, this is me too.

 

[duncan mackie]

Rightly or wrongly, this is me too.

and me - along the lines of #24

there are small, and sometimes subtle, changes in the risk reward ratios of any particular shot across the various formats - that's all. they don't exist on the 1st tee but come about as the game progresses, as Ethan highlights.

 

[garyinderry]

i am the same but as you handicap drops, stableford slowly morphs into stroke play. you are not allowed too many mistakes the lower you go.

 

[richart]

It's interesting how people think differently isn't it. With your tight pin example, I'd most likely play to a position where I at least had a putt rather than risking not having a putt at all.

As far as the putting goes, I'm sure I've said this before but I always treat every single putt the same - I'm trying to hole it. I'm not going to hit it harder because it's for a point or a half or whatever it is, I'm going to hit the putt I think I need to hit to get it in the hole, if it misses it misses, where it misses is irrelevent to me. As long as I gave the putt my full attention and did everything in my power to hole it then I'm happy. I'm not going to change the way I putt or think about putting because the next putt is irrelevent. Sometimes I make bad putts and 3 putt but I never set out not to 3 putt, if you do that then you are putting with fear IMHO, fear leads to negativity & negativity leads to poor putting.

Interesting points about putting. If I have a 50 foot putt I am more concerned about not three putting than holing it. If it is a big breaker I will be looking to get the ball under the hole to leave an easier uphill second putt. On our last green if I go past the hole, and am putting down the marble staircase I just want to get it close. If it drops in it is a bonus, but I see so many players try to hole the first one and end up three putting. Maybe why I don't hole a lot of 50 foot putts (but who does), but on the other hand I don't thee putt that much (Last Saturday aside !!)

I treat a putt for one stableford point, like a putt in matchplay when it is for a half. Hit it firmer and take out some of the break. Perhaps it is why I putt better in stablefords and matchplay as I am more aggressive, and not always worried about the return putt.:mmm:

 

[mikee247]

Some good v interesting points raised here chaps in terms of how people think differently when it comes to medal and strokeplay.

Im pushing myself to become a more aggressive putter in every form of the game and Ive bought a putter ( off Ethan )purely as because the ball comes off the face faster and gets rolling towards the hole. My theory is if the ball isnt getting past the hole it wont ever go in. If its long at least it had a chance.
I like the idea of treating every round the same however and developing a strategy from pin back to the tee for each hole which was mentioned on here also Im concerned that too much going on in my head might cloud judgement calls however I need to keep a clear head before I commit to the shot.

One thing I will be taking to the course this season in all forms is "acceptance" You cant change whats happened or whats going to happen. You can only effect the present. I used to carry bad shots/putts for a couple of holes in cloud of red mist which can destroy my rhythm and round!! Ive just got to have a mind trigger to loose the neg thoughts before I tee off..... I play a lot better when Im chilled as I expect most do.