Single figure guys are better for a reason

[Imurg]

( just enough to match the tour pros who can drive 270 on average (including their bad shots), so I suppose an average fairway shot would be 285?

Average Pro Drive 270
Average fairway shot 285

Think your numbers need looking at.

 

[timgolfy]

(I meant an "average" drive onto the fairway).

 

[AuburnWarrior]

Tim, I agree with your summation and I wish you the best of luck with your quest.

I'm not sure that's allowed.



[/QUOTE]

It's not but it's just between you and me so don't tell anyone else, OK??

 

[Oddsocks]

Hit it as far as you can hit it straight.
When you stop hitting it straight, you're trying to hit it too far.
IMHPO

Bingo !!!!! Exactly what I have just found out. Trying to murder drives too long so the hookers come back! Crank it back one notch and it's straight again

 

[Swinger]

Bubba Watson must have seen a pro on Crack then. JB Homles and Dustin Johnson too. They are banging it out there with swings that a club golfer would be told to ditch.

Hit it long and then learn to hit it straight.

Best way to learn the game.

All the boring stuff comes later!

Granted a 350 yard shot counts the same as a 6 inch putt but it takes a lot more 6 inch putts to get to the green.

 

[Evesdad]

I hope it works for you tim, I sort of understand that having a good long game gives you more chance of the short game, if that makes sense? But as others have said the course can be a cruel mistress. The other day I hit what looked like the perfect 8i approach shot, greens not holding so aimed just short to roll up to the pin positioned at front of the green, landed well then the next bounce took off at 90 degrees into the bunker on the right. Gutted. Out in one, two putted. Resulted in bogey on the stroke index 1 par 5. I was still over the moon as the hole is one of NY worst. You just don't get this experience at the range. I wish you well, you have alot more dedication than me, I just love to play the game. I would recommend playing more and gaining more experience on the course, but I'm just a hacker, please do keep us informed of how it all goes.

 

[Region3]

The other day I hit what looked like the perfect 8i approach shot, greens not holding so aimed just short to roll up to the pin positioned at front of the green, landed well then the next bounce took off at 90 degrees into the bunker on the right.

I don't want to make myself part of the 'hit it hard' debate, but this is also affected.

I'd consider myself an average hitter distance-wise. On a 380yd hole if I hit a nice drive I might have 130 left, which ignoring wind and elevation would be a PW.
If a short hitter on the same hole hit a nice drive he might have 150 left, say a 7 iron.

Not only do I fancy my chances far more of being accurate with a PW over a 7 iron, but my PW will go higher, and because I hit it harder it will have way more spin on it, giving me a much better chance of hitting the green and staying on it.

 

[JustOne]

Hit it as far as you can hit it straight.
When you stop hitting it straight, you're trying to hit it too far.

Count me out then. I'm lucky if it goes straight for more than 3yrds!



..but at least that's a yard further than Smiffy!

 

[surefire]

Surely scrambling is a way to save otherwise-dropped shots? If we're not on the green putting for a birdie then the best we can ever realistically hope for is par. A tour pro would (on our amateur courses) hit 17 of the 18 greens and putt birdies on half of those without the need to scramble to score low 60s.

There are other uses for scrambling though.

If you can drive far enough to be able to reach shorter par 4s, it's quite unlikely that you'll have a high percentage of hitting greens with the driver. So, scrambling will get you eagles and birdies. If you can't scramble you might end up with a par after being greenside in 1 which would be a bit of a disappointment in my opinion.

Note in this scenario both long and short game are important, if either one is weak the chances of the eagle diminish.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

This is a very intereting thread (for the most part, at least).
I can't exactly say why I'm a single figure player but, when I compare my game now to when I was off 10 or more there are a few differences.

1 - I'm in play much more
2 - I rarely get penalties
3 - I hit longer
4 - My putting is a bit better
5 - My course management is better (thus points 1 + 2)
6 - I just hit fewer poor shots.

However, I don't practice much, I don't have a great short game & I certainly don't take alot of time and effort over each shot.

 

[RGDave]

I think consistancy will get you down to single figures , talent will take you a good bit lower , & practice a bit lower again .

Yes! That's it on the money.

I got down to single figures with nothing but consistency.
Sadly, neither talent (not) or practise got me any lower.

 

[gazzroberts]

I acheived single figures last summer and am now on a major push to drive even lower.

I stick by the phrase "Drive for show, putt for dough"

I have never heard a saying so fitting.

It's all very well smashing the ball in the 300yrd margine but that 6 foot putt you miss is worth just as much on the score card.

Last week i carded my first competetive 69 (gross) and i can assure you it had nothing to do with my prowess off the tee! The stand out statistic from that round wast that i made only 25 putts.

Short game is the place to cut shots off your handicap. If you can make up and down from within 50 yards regularly then your driving is mere speculation.

 

[chrisd]

Welcome to the forum Gazz

I know only too well the truth that a missed short putt counts the same as a long drive and need to work hard on my shortgame this season


Chris

 

[Region3]

I acheived single figures last summer and am now on a major push to drive even lower.

I stick by the phrase "Drive for show, putt for dough"

I have never heard a saying so fitting.

It's all very well smashing the ball in the 300yrd margine but that 6 foot putt you miss is worth just as much on the score card.

Last week i carded my first competetive 69 (gross) and i can assure you it had nothing to do with my prowess off the tee! The stand out statistic from that round wast that i made only 25 putts.

Short game is the place to cut shots off your handicap. If you can make up and down from within 50 yards regularly then your driving is mere speculation.

I agree with that for the most part, as long as you're straight off the tee. Chipping out sideways (or only advancing the ball a short way towards the green) costs as much as a missed 6' putt or not getting up and down from a yard off the green.

 

[EZprophet]

Tim,

I still think you are just here to wind people up, but I'm going to humour you anyway, just incase you arent.

You use a lot of good logic in coming to the conclusions that you have done about how best to learn/play the game of golf, but if theres one thing I've learnt in my 17 years of playing is that logic doesnt really have much of a place in this game...

Its definitely important to persue a repeatable, technically sound swing in the quest to become better, but I assure you, once you can hit the ball long and accurate enough to be somewhere near the green in regulation most of the time, the best way to knock shots off your handicap quickly is by improving your ability to get up and down.

The problem is your estimation that pros would average 17 out of 18 greens on courses set up for amateurs is waaaay off. (Having walked around my home course -setup how the members play it- with Furyk, Harrington, Cabrera and Zach Johnson I can confirm that!!) Some days they would, yeah, and those are the days when they shoot a 64, but most of the time theyll be hitting 12-14 greens but just getting up and down 90% of the time.

 

[Smiffy]

It's actually a good a cardio workout.

So is regularly having to get up and down for par from 100 yards