Single figure guys are better for a reason

[chrisd]

Reading Timgolfy's postings about crashing the ball huge differences and suggesting that's all you need to be a good, low handicap golfer, it got me thinking about Sundays competition and how it went

I played off 11 with a 4 and 6 handicapper. Both are big hitters by any standard, and the 4 h/cap has won almost every one of our main club comps over a long period.

Off the tee I was best placed on 7 of the tee shots and equally as well placed on 5 more as one or both of the other golfers. I did have some bad luck when a 2nd shot to the green on the 1st bounced 20 yards into deep cabbage off a sprinkler head.

I shot 87, the 6 h/cap 85 and the 4 h/cap 77 on what was a very windy round on bobbly greens.

I have to ask what part of the game is most important when, clearly, I was the most consistant off the tee, and plenty long enough to please Tim?



Chris

 

[Oddsocks]

the most important part of the game is obvioulsy to miss the sprinkler heads... come on chris thats a no brainer

 

[jammydodger]

All the parts are important but the closer you get to the hole the more precise you have to be.

 

[chrisd]

All the parts are important but the closer you get to the hole the more precise you have to be.

Exactly my conclusion as well as OS comment on sprinkler heads

They spent more time on putts and chips and were more precise on alignment etc. I had one tee shot where I didnt have the type of tee that I normally use for my driver and just used a wooden one, and proceeded to hit my worst drive. They would not have played until they had the right tee peg!

I do live and learn

Chris

 

[brendy]

If you spend your time worrying about driver distance, you will never make a good golfer, spend less energy and time thinking about that and more about the short game. Seve was a wild driver, the trees quaked when he was on the tee, the man was/is a genius from 150 in.

 

[Oddsocks]

I played with a 6 capper on sunday chris, and he was painfully slow, pre shot routine was long,

Step 1 would pick grass for wind direction,
step 2 pick a club
step 3, practice swing
step 4, pick grass to see if wind had changed,
step 5 check alignment
step 6 one last check for grass/wind direction
Step 7 after a very long winded check list at address would rip the ball miles.


It was painfully slow but in fairness he hit near on all greens in reg, and the ones he missed he was just off. if anything inbetween step 1-7 wasnt right he would check the lot again. he was worse with drivers as would adjust the tee height 2/3 times.

If he was a mid capper i would have had a pop at how slow he was, but as we "NEVER" looked for he's ball i suppose it wasnt any longer than a normal round. It does seem when they get to that level their pre shot routine becomes a life long mission, if i ever get there i will be the first man in history to hack and wack....

 

[chrisd]

if i ever get there i will be the first man in history to hack and wack....

My sentiments as well OS .... but will we ever get there without becoming more like them?

The guys I were with wern't painfully slow but they took much more care.



Chris

 

[Oddsocks]

The simple thing is chris i dont have the ammount of free time on my hands to be able to take that much care, Id have hated my 4 ball to me plus 3 players playing at that pace,

Theres taking care, and there is taking the piss.

 

[patricks148]

I regularly play with 3 and 4 handicappers and hit the ball as far as any of them. The big difference in our games is more consistent iron shots and the ability to get up and down from 100 yards and make the putts for birdie or par

 

[Swinger]

Lower Handicaps??

Single Figures is ok but Cat 1 is a different league.

Much the same with the difference between 2 and +2.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I played with a young guy off scratch on Sunday. The difference between his game and mine was simple - his scrambling was UNBELIEVEABLE!!! Anywhere around the green - from 50 yards in - he was down in 2.

He used an old wedge but he knew EXACTLY what he was doing with it. It was a joy to watch.

Oh, one other thing, he's at the club every day practicing and playing. I reckon that helps...

 

[timgolfy]

Reading Timgolfy's postings about crashing the ball huge differences and suggesting that's all you need to be a good, low handicap golfer, it got me thinking about Sundays competition and how it went......
I have to ask what part of the game is most important when, clearly, I was the most consistant off the tee, and plenty long enough to please Tim?

If their short games are so good, why aren't they on the European Tour?

 

[inthecup]

Just my tuppence worth. I play of 6 and get a game a max of twice a week. I reckon I could be much better if I played more which I'm sure is the same for everyone.

I played the game since I was 8 up until the age of 17 where I played of 5. I had 10 or 11 years out and came back and within 4 months had my handicap down to 6 and playing of it comfortably.

I think natural ability has a lot to do with it. I never really practice my driving or long irons the key is deffo in the short game. I'm always confident that if I can get the ball around the green my pitching and putting is good enough to save par or on the rare occasion roll it in for birdie.

 

[RGDave]

Many years ago I played most weekends with a guy off 4 who only hit it 10 yards past me.
Back in those days (I was off 8 or 9-ish) I wanted to be like him and have his game. 5 shots difference seemed like chalk and cheese in many ways t.b.h.
Getting up and down was the most obvious gap between us (he was a 66% er, I was a 33 %er) and also hitting greens <150 yards. He made playing 2 or 3 over look easy, but it was easy when he was putting for birdie so darn often!

 

[timgolfy]

Some AMAZING stats from the PGA.
Greens in Regulation from the Fairway

What percentage GIR for the top players? 87%. Who is top? Luke Donald? No, Bubba Watson. Luke is 16th on 80%.

Thus proving that distance off the tee (so long as accurate), is a key to scoring.

 

[G1BB0]

Bubba hit wedge 191 yards the other day grrrrr.

I havent played with anyone off single figures, my mate is off 11 although he was off 7 a few years back. his putting and wedge play is tres bien, he has a lot more birdie chances due to being 300+ off the tee with driver and knowing his distances for all clubs/shot types.

 

[Region3]

I played with a couple of guys off scratch and 2 a couple of weeks ago.

All parts of their game were better than mine, but the biggest difference imo was their driving. I don't think I'm a short hitter, but they were consistently 30-40yds past me, and it wasn't a case of hit the fairway, they were choosing which part of the fairway to finish on. It also helps to play safe with a 3 wood that goes as far (if not further) than my driver.

I honestly believe my game as it stands now with their driving I could play to 5 or 6 comfortably.

They both shot 71 (-1).

One with 15 pars, 2 birdies and a bogey. The other had 10 pars, 5 birdies, 2 bogeys and a double.

Neither have ever had a lesson.

 

[jammydodger]

There's single figures and there's single figures though. I wouldnt like to be compared to a 6-9 h/c as my game is obviously in a different league but then a scratch or better golfer is in a different league to me.

I play regularly with a couple of 9 cappers and I wouldnt say their games were anything special at all. Not long off the tee (maybe 220) but usually not in the cabbage and pretty ordinary iron players, very average round the greens with not much imagination but both have a technique that gets it up and onto the green and reasonably close. Steady putters but certainly not prodigious. They just seem to do ok every now and then in a comp to cancel out the bad rounds.

 

[Imurg]

Some AMAZING stats from the PGA.
Greens in Regulation from the Fairway

What percentage GIR for the top players? 87%. Who is top? Luke Donald? No, Bubba Watson. Luke is 16th on 80%.

Thus proving that distance off the tee (so long as accurate), is a key to scoring.

What you forgot to mention is Bubba only hits the fairway 63% of the time.......

 

[Leftie]

Beat me to it.

I would like to know what Bubba's GIR %age is from fairways missed.

Just as an aside, on the score card, a 350yd drive is the same as a 6" putt - 1 shot. It's not how far, it's how many.