Playing Solo

[davidy233]

I intended to have a round just hitting my 6 iron off the tee.

I do this a fair bit - and now do it on one of the holes in a normal round. I've found very little difference in score taking a six iron off the tee but it builds confidence in mid irons

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I do this a fair bit - and now do it on one of the holes in a normal round. I've found very little difference in score taking a six iron off the tee but it builds confidence in mid irons

Our 1st is 500yds. 3x6is works nicely...and if just a bit short of green then usually an easy chip with a putt for par. Simple game and, as you say, great for building confidence in irons ?

 

[ScienceBoy]

I'll caveat my previous post - we've allowed singles with the proviso that other people can put their name down in your slot to play alongside you - but in practice I don't think this has happened. Certainly hasn't to me.

Was common at the first club I was a member of, usually a 3 ball took the other 3 slots, had some great rounds and met some really nice people that way.

Our 1st is 500yds. 3x6is works nicely...and if just a bit short of green then usually an easy chip with a putt for par. Simple game and, as you say, great for building confidence in irons ?

No no no, that isn’t fun at all, you can’t recommend people take irons all the way down a par 5.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Our 1st is 500yds. 3x6is works nicely...and if just a bit short of green then usually an easy chip with a putt for par. Simple game and, as you say, great for building confidence in irons ?

See absolutely no point in that. What happens when that player comes to a hole with a longer carry and hasn't learned to play with a suitable club (3 or 5 wood or hybrid)? Golf is a game that you need to develop a level of playability in all aspects including driving and to a certain degree you can hit as many balls as you like at a range but you need to be able to do that in a one time manner which is a skill only learned on the course

 

[davidy233]

See absolutely no point in that. What happens when that player comes to a hole with a longer carry and hasn't learned to play with a suitable club (3 or 5 wood or hybrid)? Golf is a game that you need to develop a level of playability in all aspects including driving and to a certain degree you can hit as many balls as you like at a range but you need to be able to do that in a one time manner which is a skill only learned on the course

He's not said at all that this is aimed at someone who can't hit a longer club - the way i read it he's just pointed out a simple way of playing that hole.

 

[badgermat]

See absolutely no point in that. What happens when that player comes to a hole with a longer carry and hasn't learned to play with a suitable club (3 or 5 wood or hybrid)?

But how often is that really likely to happen?

I am in no way a big hitter, so my 6i generally only carries 145m (158y) off the tee which would easily get me over any forced carry I've come across in the last few years ("would" assuming I could actually hit consistently straight). I'm sure there are longer forced carries than this but they can't be all that common.

bm

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

He's not said at all that this is aimed at someone who can't hit a longer club - the way i read it he's just pointed out a simple way of playing that hole.

...indeed - especially if I need and wish to practice my mid iron play.

For example. I know I can blast a driver up the first...with usually no problems whatsoever. My choice for second shot will often be something like a 6i - to avoid problems I can get into by playing a longer club. And I want to be able to play that 6i - so if by myself I might well play it when in a normal round I would never do so. And it's not so much playing a specific mid-iron shot that I have to practice - it's playing mid-irons full stop. And so any opportunity when it doesn't matter...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

...indeed - especially if I need and wish to practice my mid iron play.

For example. I know I can blast a driver up the first...with usually no problems whatsoever. My choice for second shot will often be something like a 6i - to avoid problems I can get into by playing a longer club. And I want to be able to play that 6i - so if by myself I might well play it when in a normal round I would never do so. And it's not so much playing a specific mid-iron shot that I have to practice - it's playing mid-irons full stop. And so any opportunity when it doesn't matter...

But the point is this was aimed at the newbie. My point is that it is far better (Imo) if you have any degree of ability with a driver or woods is to work on it at the course and not shy away from them. I think that can only hold back development. Of course if the problem remains, then a lesson would be a sensible approach. This had nothing to do with an already competent player wanting to practice their mid irons.

We have a carry of 180 yards (165 off the yellow) and so a mid iron is by no means certain to make that distance especially into the prevailing head wind. It is one hole (we have a couple of others) where it is necessary to get some distance off a tee and so an ability to at worse hit hybrid but preferably a wood is a necessary

 

[NeilG]

But the point is this was aimed at the newbie. My point is that it is far better (Imo) if you have any degree of ability with a driver or woods is to work on it at the course and not shy away from them. I think that can only hold back development. Of course if the problem remains, then a lesson would be a sensible approach. This had nothing to do with an already competent player wanting to practice their mid irons.

We have a carry of 180 yards (165 off the yellow) and so a mid iron is by no means certain to make that distance especially into the prevailing head wind. It is one hole (we have a couple of others) where it is necessary to get some distance off a tee and so an ability to at worse hit hybrid but preferably a wood is a necessary

There's a lot to think about when you play golf for the first time. Just getting round the course hitting the clubs you are comfortable with seems like a good plan.
If that's irons only I can't see a downside.

 

[Slab]

But the point is this was aimed at the newbie. My point is that it is far better (Imo) if you have any degree of ability with a driver or woods is to work on it at the course and not shy away from them. I think that can only hold back development. Of course if the problem remains, then a lesson would be a sensible approach. This had nothing to do with an already competent player wanting to practice their mid irons.

We have a carry of 180 yards (165 off the yellow) and so a mid iron is by no means certain to make that distance especially into the prevailing head wind. It is one hole (we have a couple of others) where it is necessary to get some distance off a tee and so an ability to at worse hit hybrid but preferably a wood is a necessary

I’m confused. So is it better;
As you say to be left to one’s own devices & find his own way to get round
or
follow your other advice a bit later & only hit long clubs/driver off the tee

 

[davidy233]

But the point is this was aimed at the newbie. My point is that it is far better (Imo) if you have any degree of ability with a driver or woods is to work on it at the course and not shy away from them. I think that can only hold back development. Of course if the problem remains, then a lesson would be a sensible approach. This had nothing to do with an already competent player wanting to practice their mid irons.

We have a carry of 180 yards (165 off the yellow) and so a mid iron is by no means certain to make that distance especially into the prevailing head wind. It is one hole (we have a couple of others) where it is necessary to get some distance off a tee and so an ability to at worse hit hybrid but preferably a wood is a necessary

You missed the point - SwingslikeHogan and I were discussing what we do - not giving a 'newbie' advice

 

[badgermat]

We have a carry of 180 yards (165 off the yellow) and so a mid iron is by no means certain to make that distance especially into the prevailing head wind.

That's going to be pretty brutal for a beginner regardless of the club they use.

bm

 

[HomerJSimpson]

That's going to be pretty brutal for a beginner regardless of the club they use.

bm

I agree (although the blue tees are the other side should they choose to use those). My point was purely based on the fact that a 6 iron into the wind isn't going to make the carry off the yellows and I simply think that hitting mid irons doesn't do a newbie any favours in the long term. Once you have been shown in a lesson (or worked it out at the range to a degree that is manageable) then use your time as a solo player with no pressure of a score to try and hit those shots

 

[ScienceBoy]

That's going to be pretty brutal for a beginner regardless of the club they use.

bm

Yes but they probably have a couple of shots, to improve is learning how to use those shots so you don’t use more.

 

[badgermat]

Yes but they probably have a couple of shots, to improve is learning how to use those shots so you don’t use more.

True, but how many novices are really accounting for handicap?

Most of the casuals and novices around these parts are tracking their total score (give or take a few strokes for mulligans, lost balls and excusable cock-ups). Giving themselves a few organised strokes for handicap isn't going to happen for some time to come.

That said, I prefer their version to the "official" version :-/

bm

 

[ScienceBoy]

True, but how many novices are really accounting for handicap?

Most of the casuals and novices around these parts are tracking their total score (give or take a few strokes for mulligans, lost balls and excusable cock-ups). Giving themselves a few organised strokes for handicap isn't going to happen for some time to come.

That said, I prefer their version to the "official" version :-/

bm

It’s one key thing I have told beginners, ignore par and look to score bogey, it’s counterintuitive but it results in better totals.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

But the point is this was aimed at the newbie. My point is that it is far better (Imo) if you have any degree of ability with a driver or woods is to work on it at the course and not shy away from them. I think that can only hold back development. Of course if the problem remains, then a lesson would be a sensible approach. This had nothing to do with an already competent player wanting to practice their mid irons.

We have a carry of 180 yards (165 off the yellow) and so a mid iron is by no means certain to make that distance especially into the prevailing head wind. It is one hole (we have a couple of others) where it is necessary to get some distance off a tee and so an ability to at worse hit hybrid but preferably a wood is a necessary

Agreed - when playing solo it is often useful and fun to use a specific club - or very small subset of clubs - much more often than you'd normally choose - even if that means you are not using the 'right' club and hence you might not score so well. When out myself my 'scoring' is irrelevant. As for my 6i practice when just off the green I very often choose to putt rather than chip as for me the putt is lower risk than the chip. But out by myself I might well decide that I am not going to let myself putt - I am going to chip - to work on my chipping.