Old Man Yardages

[DeanoMK]

I honestly don't know what you mean, it's all common sense to me. When you talk of carrying water, I presume you mean to hit a green? So I hit a yardage to the back of the green and try and hit it well - if I do then obviously it carries the water. Unless the green is only like 15 yards long, but I don't play many courses with greens that small.

If there's a downslope then I take a club less, obviously?

If we're talking off the tee, then I do know roughly how far my driver carries, yes. If it's more than 200 carry to get over something I normally don't risk it.

But say there's a front pin, you're basically aiming to land it short and hope it rolls out the right amount?

I just don't get how you can go off total rather than carry, there's so many variables, you're a mad man.

 

[D-S]

There are enough variables in distance to start with for carry e.g. wind, elevation temperature, but to add in another when calculating cover distance by having to deduct roll seems strange to say the least.

 

[The Squirrel]

To be fair I get what @Orikoru is saying.....
The idea is to finish pin high, not for the ball to hit the ground pin high.
Therefore total is the one that actually matters 99% of the time - that number is the one that corresponds to what you're trying to achieve.

If you're all working purely off your known carry distance then you're having to add on roll out every approach shot - and as a variable based on current conditions.

Every single shot you're having to take your known carry distance, then adjusting that for lots of variables, then adding an estimated rollout distance - affected by and adjust for even more variables. You're certainly not dealing with any fewer variables doing it this way.

It's quicker and easier to take total distance and simply adjust that.

Not as precise but then we're not PGA tour standard and our dispersion is far far far larger than any 1-2 yd difference in calcuation accuracy caused by 1 step rather than 2.

Let's be honest; for the average handicapper (so we're not talking spinning balls backwards like tour players), with any mid/high iron, try ing to assess safety over a hazard, just assuming that your carry will be about 10 yards less than your total will be good enough; 20 yards for hybrids and high woods. Adjust these numbers if you hit the ball in a weird/unusual way. Job done.

 

[rulie]

Just know your own game and get on with it, please!

 

[garyinderry]

In ireland its that wet all the time our carry is our total.

 

[Orikoru]

But say there's a front pin, you're basically aiming to land it short and hope it rolls out the right amount?

I just don't get how you can go off total rather than carry, there's so many variables, you're a mad man.

No, I just aim for middle of green instead of back of green if it's a front pin. Or if there's a hazard short then I still aim for the back of the green and ignore the pin. I don't massively care to hit it close, the aim is just to hit the green.

 

[rulie]

No, I just aim for middle of green instead of back of green if it's a front pin. Or if there's a hazard short then I still aim for the back of the green and ignore the pin. I don't massively care to hit it close, the aim is just to hit the green.

I guess that's so you can get on with your putting?

 

[Orikoru]

I guess that's so you can get on with your putting?

Well that is usually what one does once one is on the green isn't it?

 

[rulie]

Is the roll that the simulators provide realistic? What are the simulators simulating wrt fairways and greens? Are they all set the same?

 

[nickjdavis]

Is the roll that the simulators provide realistic? What are the simulators simulating wrt fairways and greens? Are they all set the same?

The trackman system that I used, when I first used it to play a "round of golf" you could set the stimp of the putting green which no doubt affected roll out.....but when in range mode....i guess there is a standard setting but even across different systems that will give different results depending on the algorithms used by the software programmer.

Ii'm not interested in total yardage given by LM's and simulators for exactly this reason. You simply dont know the underlying calculation or assumptions that results in the numbers that are presented.

Carry distance however? There has been 600 years or so study of ballistics....so i have a lot more confidence in such numbers.