Most important aspect of the golf game?

drive4show said:
You hit the ball a long way but have a mid(ish) handicap......ever thought about working on your short game? ;)
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i hit the ball a longish way. enough for an errant tee shot to ruin my day. my handicap is inactive but have not shot more than 8 over for a long time. today was 3 over. all my dropped shots where due to wayward long irons and tee shots. i would have been 8 over if i couldn't get up and down and putt well
 
Liverpoolphil said:
I'm short of the tee , but keep it in the fairway and then use my short game to score well

For me a short game is crucial to scoring well but keeping the ball out of trouble can be just as important
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I'm not saying you don't need good short game skills. I'm saying that this culture of short game, short game, short game is wrong imo. butch harmon said for good golfers the most important clubs are your driver and putter. if you can do well in those two areas then its all down hill.

i saw some figures in a folder of one of the pga students saying that the winners of the majority pga tour events last year had one thing in common.... they all lead the field in accuracy from 180 to 220.
 
It's been proven that working on your approach play is more beneficial then off the tee or putting. If your short game is good, then your not hitting the greens in reg which means less birdie opportunities and more up and down for pars. I know which I'd prefer to have.
 
patricks148 said:
if you are getting a load of shots, then yes. but once you get better and the handicap is much lower, then unless you hit the ball a long way, you will prob need to learn to hit the driver.
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Luckily for me - I can hit my driver pretty well - long and straight - but still course management is a big thing in lowering your scores. Being off 9 I found course management is better - also being a single figure handicap - I'm more confident In being able to put the ball where I want to give myself the best shot and angle into the green.
 
MadAdey said:
All of the game is important, I really do not believe that one part is of more importance than another.

If you can't hit driver your going to loose a lot of balls or be too far from the greens to make scores.
If you can't hit irons your going to miss lots of greens.
If you can't chip your never going to get up and down.
If you can't putt you'll never get it in the hole.

The most important thing in golf is learning to enjoy it. I play a lot better when I have a smile on my face, irrespective of how well I am actually playing.
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totally spot on! can't agree more! enjoy it that's why we play!
 
lukeysafc100 said:
Luckily for me - I can hit my driver pretty well - long and straight - but still course management is a big thing in lowering your scores. Being off 9 I found course management is better - also being a single figure handicap - I'm more confident In being able to put the ball where I want to give myself the best shot and angle into the green.
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you have more shots to play with than i do if you are off 9, i find if i were to take a iron off all the holes i wouldn't be able to reach in two and then have to reply on my short game to get up and down on all but a few holes. much rather have a short iron or wedge into greens than a 3 wood;)
 
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All aspects of the game are important. But I think it is most important to develop your weaknesses to reduce your scores. When I first started the game again a few years a go, I was a terrible driver of the ball. It has taken me a few years but now I am happy with my driving and my overall long game has improved. My scores have tumbled as I am getting the ball in play more and not having to use extra shots to get out of trouble.

Now I need to work on my wedge game, I spend too many shots on missed approaches with wedges and the odd duffed chip. So for me at the moment that is the most important aspect.
 
I have a 5 wood and a hybrid which I will go to on the odd hole that may be a dog leg and you need it to be at a particular distance. I chuckle to myself as I take out my "fairway finders", and then have a wry smile as I make a mess of them. I can mess up off the tee with driver, 5 wood or rescue :angry:. How I envy the pro's and their fairway finder hybrids.

As someone who has occasional issues off the tee I would say the drive is the most important as that is the foundation of the hole. Without that you have nothing. I imagine if I was a great driver but poor elsewhere then no doubt I would say something else.
 
patricks148 said:
you have more shots to play with than i do if you are off 9, i find if i were to take a iron off all the holes i wouldn't be able to reach in two and then have to reply on my short game to get up and down on all but a few holes. much rather have a short iron or wedge into greens than a 3 wood;)
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Well then you're proving me right really - tee shot most important for you - because if you don't get it right off the tee - you can't reach! I think its a combination of both to be fair!

Biggest issues with most golfers isn't the swing, the drive or the putting! its the 6 inches between there ears!
 
lukeysafc100 said:
Well then you're proving me right really - tee shot most important for you - because if you don't get it right off the tee - you can't reach! I think its a combination of both to be fair!

Biggest issues with most golfers isn't the swing, the drive or the putting! its the 6 inches between there ears!
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how's that proved you right? i disagreed with you?? for my game off 5 i am limiting my chances of birdies by not hitting driver. may be the case if you are a high handicap but not a cat 1 unless they hit a 3 iron 250 yards, which i don't
 
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This question can be answered lots of different ways depending on a) handicap and b) current strengths and weaknesses.

For me, it's keeping the ball in play off the tee and not putting myself in horror situations with approach shots. If my bad tee shots still give me a shot at the green, and missed greens leave me a reasonable chip, then I'll score ok.
 
Dasit said:
long game is most important


If you could get Mcilroy to hit all your drives/irons/chips/putts which would you ask him to do?
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Exactly this.

who would win -

tour pro pro doing all long game stuff & 18 handicapper doing putting and chipping, or the opposite?

a) wins everytime
 
Understanding your own game is the most important thing in my eyes. However, anyone who doesn't think being closer to the green after your drive is better is kidding themselves.
 
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