Playing conservative V going for it

[Britishshooting]

I’ve always prioritised keeping the ball in play, most par 4’s are reachable with a long iron off tee and mid/short iron into the green.

If it’s drive able I’ll often have a go depending on danger. My miss is turning it over a touch too much and missing left.

Dependent on danger/hazards I’ll approach the hole accordingly as I do believe being aggresive is also key. There was an interesting stat regarding this the other day, that FIR is almost second fiddle to overall distance due to closer proximity to the green and better scoring opportunity.

I don’t like leaving myself 50-60 yards in where I can help it, so if aggresive play gets me in that region i’d Rather play 2 iron or 3 wood. And leave myself 80-100+ yards in unless I’m going to be within 20-30 yards.

Driver is one of my best clubs in the bag, in pressure situations I seem to pull out some of my best shots with the driver. To the point in a monthly medal the other day (hardly pressure of the century but I had a good score going) I happily put my driver in a 30 yard gap of a tight fairway between trees for a chip and putt birdie.

 

[User20204]

I heard a stat from the Masters that they were only 1% more accurate with their 3 woods than they were with the driver.

 

[Crow]

I heard a stat from the Masters that they were only 1% more accurate with their 3 woods than they were with the driver.

That's because hitting a modern driver is as easy as pissing up a wall.

 

[Imurg]

That's because hitting a modern driver is as easy as pissing up a wall.

When they've had 10 pints they probably miss that too...

Play the required shot that is within your capability.
Too many have the mindset that they've hit a 250 yard bullet straight drive 3 holes ago so they can do it again on a long par 5 with OB all the way right side - conveniently forgetting that 2 holes ago they carved one 40 yards right into the bundu....and that's their regular shot.
The majority on here are not going to reach a 500+ yard par 5 in 2 - so don't try.
We have a 520 yarder, dogleg right.
If I hit driver I stand the chance of going OB on the corner or running out of room going straight.
So I hit 3/4 wood. Leaves me 300 out. Hit it again, or a hybrid depending and I've got a shortish iron in.
No thoughts of a driver, normally, on the next either even though it's over 400. OB all the way right with trees encroaching on the left. Driver needs to be bullet to stay in play.

Don't think " what would Seve/Rory/Tiger/DJ etc do.....?"
We're not them.

 

[inc0gnito]

If you’re inconsistent like me then the decision is very hard and there can be no right answer if you’re duffing your 7 iron too!

If your having a practice round you can always take two off each tee. A driver and an iron. Just to give you an idea of how it would pan out over a full round. You don’t need to play both balls after that of course. It’s just to give you a comparison from the tee.

 

[Slab]

Off the same handicap as the OP the first thing to tell yourself is Par = SSS (pretty much) This means it’s how a scratch player should perform, so it follows that it is not the number of strokes you should target on any hole, which also means a GIR number based on Par or SSS is not your GIR number, so why worry about it, why even consider it as relevant

Once you accept this it’s easier to manage your play rather than thinking about ‘reaching in 2’ (unless it’s a short par4)

Everyone will be a bit different but for me (& maybe many amateurs) a good round score will be based more heavily on how well I play the par 3’s, while for tour guys it’s all about birdies/eagles on the par 5’s that most often determines the tournament winner (all other things being equal) but we play a very different game
Using Stableford to illustrate, if I can get a couple of par 3 three pointers added to 2pts on the other par 3’s it’s a great foundation to build a score on and has nothing to do with reaching a Par 4 in 2
Even when I play a par 4 that’s within iron range for 2nd shot I don’t necessarily go for the green because the hole design and other hazards may tell me it’s just not worth it. The 9th at the local course is perfect example, safe tee shot gets most players within iron range on a dogleg medium sized par4 hole but the water on the right tells me it’s just not worth the risk so I play well left and pitch on for three looking for 2 putts and occasionally getting it in 1 (or 3!) but the average score is walking off with my 2pts and targeting par 3’s for the extras.

If its your home course you’ll know the % of time you walk off any hole with 2pts and if you’re not doing that way more often than not, then change how you play the hole, you’re there to build a score not reach Par 4’s in 2 (or any other false GIR stat)

 

[jusme]

Depends on your priority. If 'the score' is the primary purpose when you tee it up, then I have no doubt conservative (prefer to call it course management) golf will deliver that aim more often than not.

Score is irrelevant to me as my primary aims are fun and enjoyment. I go for everything, regardless of the risk/difficulty.

 

[Deleted member 25575]

Depends on your priority. If 'the score' is the primary purpose when you tee it up, then I have no doubt conservative (prefer to call it course management) golf will deliver that aim more often than not.

Score is irrelevant to me as my primary aims are fun and enjoyment. I go for everything, regardless of the risk/difficulty.

100% this

 

[Dan2501]

I play better golf when I play aggressive. Closer I get to the green, the better chance I've got of making a score. There are certain holes where I'll play back and not pull driver - the 9th and 16th at Lancaster for example, but if I'm middle of the fairway on a Par 5 I'm hitting FW and getting as close to the green as possible. Driver is also generally a strength for me, so I never stand over it fearing where the ball is going to go.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

Always sensible to protect your score, so play carefully, and it's great when a decent score has been assembled at the end of the round.

But if you never play Driver off the tee, take on the 1 in 100 shots, how will you improve, and the thrill when they work is terrific! So I try and do so when the consequence of the special shot is not too great, or when I'm feeling good, and perhaps more often in more social games.

 

[Scozzy]

Where's the fun in being in the rough or OoB off every tee @Scozzy ?

Much more satisfying to plot your way round and score well.

I'm not in the rough or oob every tee shot!,just don't sweat it if I make the occasional unscheduled trip sideways.. I love a good score like anyone else and want the thrill of making a great shot over the security of not trying something that may not work out to achieve it,it's supposed to be fun it's not my living

 

[Slab]

Always sensible to protect your score, so play carefully, and it's great when a decent score has been assembled at the end of the round.

But if you never play Driver off the tee, take on the 1 in 100 shots, how will you improve, and the thrill when they work is terrific! So I try and do so when the consequence of the special shot is not too great, or when I'm feeling good, and perhaps more often in more social games.

Even if its a 30 in 100 shot I'm not doing it during a round that effects my handicap (at least that's the plan) unless the .1 is already a forgone conclusion

As you say social games is another matter but the range is the place to try the 1 in a 100 shots and to practice them until its not such a special shot anymore

 

[Crazyface]

I'm a fan of the short grass so will stick to that - you should try it ;-)

There's short grass on a golf course???

 

[Beedee]

In general I'm not good enough to play safe. My driver is probably my most consistent club so I almost always hit that on longer holes and rarely hit total stinkers (apart from our 5th which has just gotten in to my head, but realistically still needs a drive!).

It's approaches that are my big problem and the outcome of the safe shot isn't that much more certain than the risky one. So unless the penalty for the miss is really penal, go for it. A long shot may work, or I might need another chip/pitch. A safe shot will need another chip/pitch and for me the safe shot isn't that safe.

Nothing worse than playing safe and making a mess of it.

 

[Slab]

In general I'm not good enough to play safe. My driver is probably my most consistent club so I almost always hit that on longer holes and rarely hit total stinkers (apart from our 5th which has just gotten in to my head, but realistically still needs a drive!).

It's approaches that are my big problem and the outcome of the safe shot isn't that much more certain than the risky one. So unless the penalty for the miss is really penal, go for it. A long shot may work, or I might need another chip/pitch. A safe shot will need another chip/pitch and for me the safe shot isn't that safe.

Nothing worse than playing safe and making a mess of it.

Oh god that's the truth, that's when it really hurts the most, lay up and drop in in the water anyway

As you say the difference between safe and a miss on the next shot is a key element too (but if a miss is still reasonably safe it means the shot can't really be described as risky/aggressive or 'going for it')

 

[Scozzy]

When they've had 10 pints they probably miss that too...

Play the required shot that is within your capability.
Too many have the mindset that they've hit a 250 yard bullet straight drive 3 holes ago so they can do it again on a long par 5 with OB all the way right side - conveniently forgetting that 2 holes ago they carved one 40 yards right into the bundu....and that's their regular shot.
The majority on here are not going to reach a 500+ yard par 5 in 2 - so don't try.
We have a 520 yarder, dogleg right.
If I hit driver I stand the chance of going OB on the corner or running out of room going straight.
So I hit 3/4 wood. Leaves me 300 out. Hit it again, or a hybrid depending and I've got a shortish iron in.
No thoughts of a driver, normally, on the next either even though it's over 400. OB all the way right with trees encroaching on the left. Driver needs to be bullet to stay in play.

Don't think " what would Seve/Rory/Tiger/DJ etc do.....?"
We're not them.

I often think and talk on course what would Seve,The shark etc etc do??....why wouldn't I/we?
It's why I (and I'm sure plenty others) fell in love with the game back in the day watching them go for it, mesmerized by it all as well as standing around as a kid watching my Dad and uncles hit balls further than I could imagine.The young,late 90's version of tiger changed the entire golfing landscape with his booming drives and outrageous shotmaking, inspiring millions.
If your personal goal is, let's say to break 80 and you've never done it,your ave score is 86 at your home course where you play most of your golf ,at some point you need to start taking on shots to get you closer because laying up isn't cutting it...you can hit that 250 shot, after all you just did 20 min ago

 

[Deleted member 16999]

If you’re lucky enough to be able to get to the course a few times a week, challenge yourself by only taking 6-7 Clubs out on the course or just leaving the Driver out or even just take what you consider your least favourite clubs and compare your scores.
Main thing is to enjoy it and if you’re already worrying before you’ve got to the first tee, you’re going to tense, nervous etc and that ain’t going to help either.

 

[Jay-Marie]

I would say play to your handicap and you will eventually come down. So on par 3's if you get a shot treat it as a par 4 - 2 onto the green and 2 putts if you get 1 shot. I feel that trying to get to a green in the 'official GIR' puts to much pressure on players. Many try to boom their shots which causes body to shift about and not make a great connection then being in trouble or puts to much spin on the ball. in the last few months i've given up trying to max out a club for distance, will take an extra club and swing easy, in those months i've come down from 13 to 10.5 seems to work for me but i'm sure it won't work for everyone

 

[duncan mackie]

I play better golf when I play aggressive. Closer I get to the green, the better chance I've got of making a score.... , but if I'm middle of the fairway on a Par 5 I'm hitting FW and getting as close to the green as possible.

With an 80 yrs wide fairway, pin in the centre of a level, un-bunkered green - most are going to do the same.

When any of those elements change they should contribute to a thought process (focused around the scoring outcome on the hole) that may suggest an alternative strategy will, on balance of probability, deliver a better outcome.

For example - you are 300 out and all of the above remain the same except that there's a lake all down the left from 100 out to just short of the green. It occupies the area from the natural fairway centre line all the way to the left course margin.

Surely this would influence even an aggressive player's choice of shot?

 

[patricks148]

for me there is the matter of how you want to play the game and get out of it.

sometimes ignorance is bliss from my own experience. when i started at a 24 handicap i didn't know any better or any low players to give me advice, so just went out and played and my handicap came down quickly. i didn't really appreciate course management until i was off 12 or so then had a light bulb moment. and TBh i probably couldn't hit the safe consistent shots until then really to make the most of it. But for some guidance could make all the difference

I did have a friend who has now sadly given up due to injury when i played at Tain who was off 18 and hadn't got any better after playing for years, he was terrible with driver and woods and would lose balls all over the place off the tee and would often just NR half way round. Hi was quite a good iron striker in reality, but just didn't realise it. one medal i took his driver out the bag, he just hit 4 or 5 iron off the tee, Tain isn't a long course 6300 off the white so some he couldn't reach in two, but that day he shot 4 under his handicap and lost no balls. got a decent cut.. but the next week the driver was back and the same old story, he just didn't want to play conservatively