Strategy, does anyone have one?

[ScienceBoy]

Im probably misunderstanding, but you're not trying to help an 8hc break 100 are you?

Sly edit there

Nope, just putting it out there. At that level its about managing risk right?

I do have 1 rule for tee shots. Assuming there is no big trouble I do this calculation:
I take my 3 wood driving distance (220, flat, no wind) from the hole length, if it leaves me with 150 or less I take 3 wood, if it leaves me with more than 150 I take a driver.

This rule isnt hard and fast as sometimes I choose the club to avoid trouble instead, hitting driver to clear it or hybrid (210) to come up short.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I had a game plan at the GM Centenary Final and stuck to it rigidly and came second. It was an unfamiliar course with plenty of 400+ yard par fours I got shots at and decided to lay up on regardless of the tee shot. I think the problem with playing a home course is that familiarity breeds contempt and you know what you "can do" so pull the driver on auto pilot. If you look at the holes you get shots on and see what your average score is on these I wonder if a fresh approach may actually make a difference. I'm as guilty as everyone else and play the holes the same way most of the time.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Personally I don't think you can have a strategy upfront and stick to it because you don't know how you will be playing day to day. I prefer to assess each hole as I go. If you're going to have a strategy, part of that has to be the option to change it if required. The point of golf is to score as low as you can and to do that you have to be flexible and sensible. Blindly sticking to a strategy when your swing is off is pointless.

 

[ForeRighty]

Nothing worse than playing safe and still messing it up, just saying :mmm:

 

[MashieNiblick]

I have a idea of what I am aiming to do on each hole, i.e what I want to play for my tee shot and where I want to be playing to the green from, and I generally stick with that. Also have an idea of which holes I am happy to be playing more conservatively and walk off with bogey. It's the doubles that'll ruin my score.

 

[GeneralStore]

I went through a similar experience at our course. We have a par 5 that can be reached in 2 with a decent'ish drive. Kept on pulling driver and wasnt getting many birdies and often getting bogeys with the odd double thrown in.

Tried taking fairway off the tee, also tried hybrid and funny enough hybrid was the best bet. Took all the trouble out of play on the first and out of the second, 2 x hybrids leaves me with 80 yards for my third shot and then its down to short game, but its usually par from that position, which I am fine with.

Many playing partners question the strategy off the tee, but they often end up walking off with bogey or double. I am playing to my level, as the coach says, can I execute the faded drive off the tee 7 out of 10 times? No! If I over fade it, it goes into the trees and if I pull it, it goes into the thick heather. Either option is bogey territory. I have played the hole with 2 & 3 handicaps who bomb driver and then have fairway or hybrid into the green, they often make birdie....good luck to them, I am not there and part of it is recognizing what are your strengths, what you are capable of and that it also changes under pressure.

I am analytical in nature, so I would suggest for your home course you play the same hole 9 times...3 times use driver, 3 times use fairway and 3 times driving iron/hybrid etc.... work out your best average score etc... Its not dynamic in anyway, but its a good starting point

 

[duncan mackie]

Nothing worse than playing safe and still messing it up, just saying :mmm:

IMO one of the biggest hangups that club golfers generally have is the concept that strategy involves 'playing it safe' - tends to go hand in hand with the concept that attacking a hole means driver off the tee

 

[Imurg]

Personally I don't think you can have a strategy upfront and stick to it because you don't know how you will be playing day to day. I prefer to assess each hole as I go. If you're going to have a strategy, part of that has to be the option to change it if required. The point of golf is to score as low as you can and to do that you have to be flexible and sensible. Blindly sticking to a strategy when your swing is off is pointless.

+1
We have a par 5 that I can hit in 2 shots as long as I get a good drive away. But if I push or pull the drive I'm either in deep rough or behind a copse of trees with no chance to get to the green. I can also reach the copse with a good long push!
So I've taken to using my 5 wood. After a really good one I may still be able to reach with another 5 or maybe a 3 wood burning I can't I know I'm going to be no more than 20 odd yards short. That leaves me a fairly straightforward chip and putt for a birdie.
I've started doing this on most par 5s, although I still use the driver on a couple, and its working.
Since the beginning of June my average gross score on our par 5s is 4.75.
I think most people on here would take that..

 

[Imurg]

Nothing worse than playing safe and still messing it up, just saying :mmm:

One of the biggest mistakes in golf is not fully concentrating on lay up shots.
They count the same as a drive and a putt.

 

[duncan mackie]

Personally I don't think you can have a strategy upfront and stick to it because you don't know how you will be playing day to day. I prefer to assess each hole as I go. If you're going to have a strategy, part of that has to be the option to change it if required. The point of golf is to score as low as you can and to do that you have to be flexible and sensible. Blindly sticking to a strategy when your swing is off is pointless.

missed these pearls of wisdom on last reading - I would simply add/reinforce that things can change significantly on the same day both when including earlier experience in the equation and for conditions!

ultimately there are only 2 base line strategies available - stand on every tee with your 'tee shot club' and deal with whatever the course designer throws at you or stand on the tee and consider the various options and how best to use the tools at your disposal to take on the course designers work.

as said earlier, if the answer to the second approach is always the same the designer has failed badly

 

[ScienceBoy]

Personally I don't think you can have a strategy upfront and stick to it because you don't know how you will be playing day to day. I prefer to assess each hole as I go. If you're going to have a strategy, part of that has to be the option to change it if required. The point of golf is to score as low as you can and to do that you have to be flexible and sensible. Blindly sticking to a strategy when your swing is off is pointless.

A lot here to agree with!

A strategy can be utterly irrelivent if not applicable to what is actually in front of a player.

My game plan is for the shot I have and where I want to play the next one from. That is it...

 

[pokerjoke]

I had a game plan at the GM Centenary Final and stuck to it rigidly and came second. It was an unfamiliar course with plenty of 400+ yard par fours I got shots at and decided to lay up on regardless of the tee shot. I think the problem with playing a home course is that familiarity breeds contempt and you know what you "can do" so pull the driver on auto pilot. If you look at the holes you get shots on and see what your average score is on these I wonder if a fresh approach may actually make a difference. I'm as guilty as everyone else and play the holes the same way most of the time.

So your saying that wherever you drove on the par4s you layed up because that was your game plan before hand on holes where you got shots.

So you drove the ball 200 to 250 and on the 150 yards left to the hole you layed up.

Did you?

If the answer is yes because that's what you are saying my question would be why.

Its alright having a game plan but it has to be realistic and sensible imo.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Nothing worse than playing safe and still messing it up, just saying :mmm:

There is no such thing as playing safe for your average club golfer. If you think you're playing safe you're actually worrying about the result which is never good.

 

[duncan mackie]

Sorry, simple question. Fail to see how that's negative. All I'm asking is what happens if the OP takes a more defensive approach and the tee shot doesn't come off? Of course, feel free to carry on having a dig.

it wasn't a dig it was a simple straightforward observation that I would make to anyone

what happens if the OP takes a more defensive approach and the tee shot doesn't come off?

I simply cannot comprehend a more negative view

The questioning of an aggressive play might be considered prudent, constructive etc, although the player himself should obviously draw a solid line on such thinking when concluding that the play is appropriate, because questioning any decision is destructive to implementation.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

My strategy is quite simple

Play each shot on its on merit and don't think of the next shot

The less thinking the better - saves having the mid full of clutter

 

[HomerJSimpson]

it wasn't a dig it was a simple straightforward observation that I would make to anyone



I simply cannot comprehend a more negative view

The questioning of an aggressive play might be considered prudent, constructive etc, although the player himself should obviously draw a solid line on such thinking when concluding that the play is appropriate, because questioning any decision is destructive to implementation.

So a player decides to play defensively, with say a tight drive with OB left or right and a narrow landing area. In theory a prudent move, and we'll assume he has a shot, so in theory this fictional 430 yard, is now a par five. My original point is what happens if despite looking for the safest route, he makes a rank bad swing and still goes OB or puts the tee shot in trouble? Similarly, if he wants to be brave and take it on and it doesn't come off, what does that do to confidence and thinking.

 

[bluewolf]

Walk up, be awesome, walk back to bag.. Simple strategy, perfectly executed..

 

[Qwerty]

Walk up, be awesome, walk back to bag.. Simple strategy, perfectly executed..

Have you started early tonight? :cheers:

Well I suppose it is Friday

 

[Birchy]

Walk up, be awesome, walk back to bag.. Simple strategy, perfectly executed..

Close thread

 

[bluewolf]

Have you started early tonight? :cheers:

Well I suppose it is Friday

I have mate. It's been a very long working week and the family are still on holiday until tomorrow!! Got the new puppy arriving tomorrow as well, so the weekend is gonna be a bit busy, so I've hit the bottles of Brewdog

Close thread

It's obviously a North West thing