Strategy, does anyone have one?

JT77

JT77

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Currently getting a mixed bag at the min, lack of practice time and game time, twice a week really, at a push.
Anyway, I'm playing ok considering just a few things
Does anyone have a plan when going out and stick with it?
I ask because my last few rounds I have struggled at holes 9/10 both par 5, these used to be a good birdie chance, but I am struggling with the tee shot. I am able to hit both in two with a good drive but 10 can be risky.
So should I change my plan and go for them as 3 shots? Maybe hitting an iron of the tea?
I could reach both with a 4i 6i and wedge with decent strikes, or do I keep plugging away hitting driver?
Cheers
 
JT77 said:
Currently getting a mixed bag at the min, lack of practice time and game time, twice a week really, at a push.
Anyway, I'm playing ok considering just a few things
Does anyone have a plan when going out and stick with it?
I ask because my last few rounds I have struggled at holes 9/10 both par 5, these used to be a good birdie chance, but I am struggling with the tee shot. I am able to hit both in two with a good drive but 10 can be risky.
So should I change my plan and go for them as 3 shots? Maybe hitting an iron of the tea?
I could reach both with a 4i 6i and wedge with decent strikes, or do I keep plugging away hitting driver?
Cheers
Click to expand...

Try it.... maybe a few times, lay up to your favorite yardage and all that good stuff and see if your getting close for a 1 putt birdie...

If you still cant get the tee shot away though you have gained nothing.
 
I have a strategy of considering hazards and my target on every hole I play.

If I keep reaching for a driver especially at this time of year, the course designer has messed up big time.
 
What sig sb?
I would Alex but I get to the hole and pull driver lol I need a way to not!!!
Dm I know what your saying I don't hit driver more than 6/7 times in a round but I pull in on these two, which is odd as I don't take it on 18 which is our longest par 5.
 
JT77 said:
What sig sb?
I would Alex but I get to the hole and pull driver lol I need a way to not!!!
Dm I know what your saying I don't hit driver more than 6/7 times in a round but I pull in on these two, which is odd as I don't take it on 18 which is our longest par 5.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are on the good track - the question then becomes why do you recognise risk on 10 but still go that route?

I have observed people taking driver at 5's for the bragging rights of "made it in 2" above the cold probability play for a 4 - but I'm sure that's not the case with you :)
 
I tend to take each hole as it comes on the day. I can see what the OP is saying and having a plan for a hole is good but if you are going to play the 9th and 10th holes more defensively as a three shotter and take an iron or fairway off the tee, my question is what happens if you don't necessarily make good conduct or put it where you want? If you can take nine on more than ten what's to stop you still being a little aggressive and then adopt your plan dependant on the tee shot
 
HomerJSimpson said:
I tend to take each hole as it comes on the day. I can see what the OP is saying and having a plan for a hole is good but if you are going to play the 9th and 10th holes more defensively as a three shotter and take an iron or fairway off the tee, my question is what happens if you don't necessarily make good conduct or put it where you want? If you can take nine on more than ten what's to stop you still being a little aggressive and then adopt your plan dependant on the tee shot
Click to expand...

Solid negative thinking there homer - excellent.
 
Actually the tee shot on 9 is worse as more trouble. Think 10 is mental.
I guess that I pull the big dog out of habit, as it's a par 5! And I can reach in 2, I know the risk I am just finding it very difficult to change.
 
I think for a medal... you have to be taking risks out of play. I have come to grief on our 11th a lot this season... A short dog leg par 4. The 2nd shot generally has a wooded area to hit over onto the green. I used to lay up all the time & make 5 or 6. Now I am confident in my ability of hitting the shot over the trees, but a miss & it is basically game over & im probably going to only make 4 with a good shot. So it's not a sensible risk to take this on if I have a reasonable score going.

I read the book, Every Shot Counts & foolishly took from it that you should try & bomb every shot. But in fact, the book says this is only for holes with no OB or hazards.

Basically if there is no serious trouble, then there's no point in say... Laying up to 120 to give yourself a full wedge. Just try n get it as far up as possible. But with game over levels of trouble... You have to take this out of play in medals.
 
Definitely need to have a strategy. Look at your recent performances on those holes - are you averaging under par? Making birdie more often then you make bogey? If not, the a change seems logical.

Needs to be adaptable though, I can reach all of my clubs par 5s with an iron, however on Saturday the 5th was straight into wind, so I hit 3 wood, 5iron, wedge.
 
JT77 said:
Actually the tee shot on 9 is worse as more trouble. Think 10 is mental.
I guess that I pull the big dog out of habit, as it's a par 5! And I can reach in 2, I know the risk I am just finding it very difficult to change.
Click to expand...

Not that strange I guess. If you can make it then human nature tells you to go at it. Laterally it saves you a shot so why not.

Maybe make the plan to hit fairway even if it costs a yard or two then hit a ripped second.

Miss and your close so up and down. Mental pressure off.... Better result over the season?
 
Last edited:
It depends where all the risk is.

We have 2 par 5's at our place where all of the risk (for a half decent player) is in going for the green with your second shot.
Consequently you can try to rip driver and if it comes off you then have the decision to make. If you hit a bad drive you can still put the ball in position to play the third to the green, so nothing lost unless you hit a real stinker of a tee shot.
 
golf is a game of strategy, a game that for the course you're playing that the course designer has laid hidden the best ways for folks to navigate, in that they'll be different routes for different 'levels' of golfers according to individuals skill.

no-one regardless of their skill levels will play real good golf round 18 & put the best score in they could make on the day without real sound course management. should there be a strategy, for sure, no doubt.

will there be occasions through 18 when folks have to think on their feet because their intended shot & route didn't come off, sure there will, but the next decision better be one made with real sound course management to put them back on a good route for the very next shot.

Hogan said at it's simplest golf was about putting the ball in the best possible position for the next shot, & for sure you won't achieve that by pulling a club from habit, no real course management going on there any.

rule of thumb could be, when faced with any shot, where there will be a small bunch of alternatives, when choosing the next shot can you be pretty sure you'd succeed a good 7 times out of 10 - if the answer is a 'true' yes then it's in the go park.
if the answer is 2 to 3,4 even 5 out of 10 then the answer is that's definitely not the route look at the alternatives. (maybe times in matchplay when the risk has to be taken up)

with the repeated problem holes check that it's not being approached by seeing & noting the negatives, as in 'must not' do not' - hit it in the lake, bunker, trees, sea, gulley, OB. won't go into why as would take to long but the brain doesn't recognize the negative instruction - it will react in the opposite & hit it often times to that negative thought.

so gotta approach it by picking a defined target area on the fairway, smaller the better, so the thought would better be there's the target area & I'm going to send the ball to the right of the bunker etc. whatever, & choosing the 'stick' that will put it there.
 
Thanks folks. Over my last 10 rounds I've made less pars and birdies than bogeys more at 10 than 9. The trouble on 9 is really off the tee, trees right and water left, if I hit ok and straight I'm passed the water but a pull or hook and it's gone, if laying up or playing as a 3 shot there is lake on the left that needs avoiding but nothing too bad. On 10 we have trees left and a lake to the right but both fairways have ample space. We have a challenge tour event next week so I'll not be playing until the 10th of August but going to try a different way I think.
 
Just play each hole as it comes. Thinking about the next or previous hole tends to mess up my mantra lol. Actually thinking about placing the ball now, off the tee and second into the green because I know the greens now and how they slope. Using that in conjunction with the GPS watch is giving good results. Oh and not using the Game Golf app at all during play has really helped the concentration levels.
 
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