Scoring shots - which is easier?

[timgolfy]

Looking at the pro tours, most pros hit the green or around the green in regulation on most holes. Therefore, baring bad tee/fairway shots, the only way to gain on the field is to achieve the extraordinary. Is this a fair assessment?

Assuming the golfer has the power to reach the greens in regulation, the scoring shots are, therefore:
a. Long putts
b. Holed chips
c. Approach shots to within putting distance (8 feet).

What order would you place these in terms of difficulty?

 

[AuburnWarrior]

c, b, a.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Approach shots are clearly the hardest as they are coming from furthest distance away and so a bigger margin of error. Pros expect to hole their chips and although they invariably stiff most of them it is asking too much to keep holing out.

I'd go with AW and c,b,a

 

[percy_layer]

I'll got for b,a then c

I'm more likely to hit it within 8 feet than hole a long putt, and more likely to hole a long putt than chip in.

 

[timgolfy]

Personally I'd go with b, a, c. Holing the long putts seems to be more luck than judgement. For me, accuracy of the approach shot is the #1 most important shot (as an amateur observer).

 

[richart]

I'll got for b,a then c

I'm more likely to hit it within 8 feet than hole a long putt, and more likely to hole a long putt than chip in.

Seems a fair assessment to me.

 

[LIG]

Approach shots are clearly the hardest as they are coming from furthest distance away and so a bigger margin of error. Pros expect to hole their chips and although they invariably stiff most of them it is asking too much to keep holing out.

I'd go with AW and c,b,a

x3

 

[sawtooth]

c,b,a

Its hard to distinguish b from a , for example pros will fancy their chances holing chips if they are close enough(versus a long putt) therefore could be c,a then b.

 

[HickoryShaft]

Assuming the golfer has the power to reach the greens in regulation, the scoring shots are, therefore:
a. Long putts
b. Holed chips
c. Approach shots to within putting distance (8 feet).

What order would you place these in terms of difficulty?

C, A, B....

Getting it close from the start must mean they make a lot of the next putts

They also make a hell of a lot of long putts - certainly far more than the average golfer.

Accepted - There are a higher percentage of chips that go in but also a lot that they get within a few inches or inside 2 foot to knock in which I reckon is the greater amount and means an up and down for sure compared to a chip and 2 / 3 putt for us mortals

 

[Imurg]

A Pro might be looking to hole a chip but how often does it actually happen?
I reckon more 25-30 foot putts get sunk than chips.

 

[Whereditgo]

Assuming the golfer has the power to reach the greens in regulation, the scoring shots are, therefore:
a. Long putts
b. Holed chips
c. Approach shots to within putting distance (8 feet).

What order would you place these in terms of difficulty?

For my game: B, C, A

For Pro's I would say: B, A, C

Pro's get their chips close regularly for sure, not sure that they chip in that often though. Their lag putting is excellent generally speaking, so a number are going to drop. I would think they would expect to get close with theirirons a high percentage of the time.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

It depends how far away the approach shot it from. With a wedge in hand Pro's would consider outside 8 feet a miss but in general hitting an approach to 8 feet is harder. I'm not sure how to split long putts and chipping in but I think chipping in is slightly harder because it happens less often so I'd go c,b,a.

 

[cirrus]

C.B.A for me..

 

[toffeeboy70]

c'a'b for me

 

[SatchFan]

I'll go with c,b,a although personally I am b,a,d.

 

[Losttheplot]

C-B-A in my opinion. Easiest to putt than hole out a short chip and hardest to hot a long iron into the green within 8ft.

Then again if you can get your long iron onto the green then if you can 2 putt all the way around then level par is achievable.

BobMac's thread this week on the par 4 470 odd yards had a lot of people saying not to play it safe by laying up and to go for the green with your long irons/woods so if your long game is worked on for ACCURACY then you have a greater chance of hitting the greens in regulation and making birdies and pars instead of pars and bogeys.

 

[Region3]

Difficulty in relation to how often I achieve them would be B A C

I reckon I'd hole a chip once every 6 rounds, a long putt (over 25'?) once every 2 rounds, and I'd be disappointed not to put at least one iron shot to within 8' at least once per round.

 

[G_Mulligan]

I would say that the iron shot within 8 feet is not only the easiest or least difficult rather but it also the most important for scoring well. Chipping in and holing long putts are great and give you a buzz but they do not happen often enough to consistently lower your score.