Safety golf

[RotherhamDale]

Having been very poor and consistently poop over the last 4-5 weeks (after a lesson, funnily enough) I today decided to leave the driver in the bag and play a 9 hole round using irons only. In the end I used my 3 hybrid once on a long par 3.

It turned out to be the best score i've had in ages! (41)

Anybody else done anything similar? Just concentrated on keeping the ball straight? Just thought i'd ask having not seen it before first hand. People can't resist trying to slog the ball as far as they can it seems!

 

[the hammer]

hi, where in rotherham are you playing?

 

[RotherhamDale]

A mix between Waterfront (New 9 holer) and Wath (Abdy).
Not currently a member anywhere due to work commitments etc so I just play when I can!

 

[Wayman]

I was once told fairways and greens will get you a good score

 

[RotherhamDale]

The hole is the ideal :smirk:

 

[sev112]

Tis why they call me "boring boring boring "
Don't go for par 5s in 2, lay up always on long par 4s, aim away from pin on sucker locations, never try a miracle recovery shot
Pretty much always gets me a good score

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have played with a half set and nothing longer than a 3 wood. Can't say I notice much of a difference in scores. I prefer to have the right tool for the job and the driver is key to making a good score at my place.

 

[Keeno]

The best way to play. Aim for middle of fairways, then middle of the green. Keep in simple

 

[ScienceBoy]

I recently played without hardly touching the long clubs, shot 88.

Went out tonight and decided to use the driver and 3 wood, was 2 under after 3 and shot under my handicap for 9 holes.

There needs to be a balance, the irons off the tee left me too far away and I was always tapping in for bogey. The odd 3 wood or driver got me close enough for a decent birdie chance and a tap in par.

Once you find that balance you can go quite low!

I use my 3 goals method (my game plan) to keep me in check, I also plan when and where to be aggressive and when to accept par as a best score.

 

[Ian_S]

Opposite seems to work for me. Playing safe seems to leave me in trouble as often as getting the driver out, only much further from the hole.

Plus, driver is one of my most used clubs now - so why wouldn't I use it?

 

[TheClaw]

I recently played without hardly touching the long clubs, shot 88.

Went out tonight and decided to use the driver and 3 wood, was 2 under after 3 and shot under my handicap for 9 holes.

So you went +7 for holes 4-9??

 

[malek988]

i currently play with a 4 hybrid as my longest club, ive been hitting more fairways in 2 round than i would have normally done in 6 months!!

 

[Fader]

I plan to try and play the most boring golf I can this weekend in our club championship by only taking on the shot in front of me.

I won't be aiming for any pins unless I've got a wedge in had and take whatever club from the tee that gets me in play whether it be driver or 4iron.

That's the plan need to see about the execution though!

 

[Foxholer]

i currently play with a 4 hybrid as my longest club, ive been hitting more fairways in 2 round than i would have normally done in 6 months!!

Possibly because you've been hitting it 2 or 3 times each hole?

There's a place for conservative play, but there's certainly a place for a Driver imo. Smashing it as far as possible isn't a great idea though! It's the second most used club in my bag and certainly rates highly in the confidence stakes too!

 

[sev112]

I may be boring as a strategy (who said person???)
But instill use my driver - used it 12 or 13 times, if not more at Woburn last week, shot 31 off 3/4 when the winning score out of 80 players was 35. That was due to safety golf, I don't try to lash my driver, and the rest of the round was picking sensible targets, including lay ups when needed.

 

[londonlewis]

Having been very poor and consistently poop over the last 4-5 weeks (after a lesson, funnily enough) I today decided to leave the driver in the bag and play a 9 hole round using irons only. In the end I used my 3 hybrid once on a long par 3.

It turned out to be the best score i've had in ages! (41)

Anybody else done anything similar? Just concentrated on keeping the ball straight? Just thought i'd ask having not seen it before first hand. People can't resist trying to slog the ball as far as they can it seems!

Great effort and great thread.
I have defintiely reined in my golf partly due to the same reason as everyone else and partly due to the fact that when you first play you really want to work out your distances so you typically go after everything.

I think there are a few things that make people try and hammer the ball and get to the green with the highest lofted club possible (i.e. taking a 9 instead of an 8); one is the belief that you are more manly if you can hit it far and two is the desire to be like to professionals.

We all see the professionals occasionally really go for a ball and more often than not it pays off, and we also hear the commentators say things like 'so here is dustin johnson on the par 3 15th. He has 195 yards and is going in with a wegde' ...

I could get there with a wedge too, as long as I was allowed to hit the ball twice!

 

[sev112]

Great effort and great thread.

We all see the professionals occasionally really go for a ball and more often than not it pays off, and we also hear the commentators say things like 'so here is dustin johnson on the par 3 15th. He has 195 yards and is going in with a wegde' ...

I could get there with a wedge too, as long as I was allowed to hit the ball twice!

Actually what we have seen is the few leaders (I.e.the ones on form that weekend ) going for shots and getting away with them.
All the rest of them that aren't contending and missed the cut also possibly went for the same shots and they didn't come off.
And they are 20 to 30 shots better than us