What's more important, the drive or the short game?

[BoadieBroadus]

When addressing this issue my stock response was that I had never taken an 8 purely from bad chipping, if you can chip it close, great, but how often can you really chip it stone dead rather than leave you a tricky 5/6 footer which is oly 50/50 at amateur level.

But, last medal on our 16 (short par4 dogleg) hit splendid tee shot to about 40 yards short of pin. Shanked wedge OB, dropped and shanked again into a hole but in bounds. Penalty drop, chip and 2 putts. 8 exclusively from bad short game. But will maintain that up to say 12 H/c more shots are lost from OOB tee shots / lost balls, than bad wedges.

 

[viscount17]

neither and both;
brilliant of the tee, then lose three or four putting
or
hacking the way to the green to one putt

either way it adds up to several more than you want

 

[Leftie]

Just think how good Seve would have been if he could have hit the fairway now and again.

 

[Evesdad]

I have recently put the driver on the naughty cupboard, I've taken hybrid off the tee as not much better with the 3w. The results are quite scary, without putting myself into trouble my scores are alot better, still fighting my irons but from the fairway. Yes I miss distance on the odd hole but overall I'm better off. I recently read a book with a good tip that got me thinking, I want to get to a hcp of 18ish so say 90 shots a round, 2 putts a hole gives me 54 shots to get round in, divide the distance of my course by the shots gives me about 115 yds per shot! Now I know this is not how it would play out exactly but makes you think how easy it can be!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Both are important but the answer to the question is its the sum of all the parts. There are so many different facets (driving, irons, approach shots, bunker play, chipping, putting and the mental side) and it rally needs all of them to be functional together to produce consistent scores. It is no fluke that the best scores come when the mind is free of chatter and the swing just flows. No need to worry about technique and the feel around and on the green is there. Contrast that to the normal fgihting the demons, three putss, duffed shots and bad drives.

 

[Region3]

If I had just played my second shot to within 60 yards of the green ( an 8I or 9I or so ) I could have then just played a nice, safe 56* wedge somewhere onto the green and walked away with a 5 nett 4, at worst

That's all very well if you never miss a green from 60yds and never 3 putt. Either of those and you're looking at double.

That's where you have to weigh up the options before automatically playing ultra cautious imo.

And to answer the OP, if I could choose to improve just one of them, it's driving all day long. I'd be dangerous if I could hit fairways with my driver.

 

[timgolfy]

Is it fair to say that the Driver is the most difficult to hit consistently, and the Wedge is the most difficult to judge?

 

[CrapHacker]

If I had just played my second shot to within 60 yards of the green ( an 8I or 9I or so ) I could have then just played a nice, safe 56* wedge somewhere onto the green and walked away with a 5 nett 4, at worst

That's all very well if you never miss a green from 60yds and never 3 putt. Either of those and you're looking at double.

Either way, I'm still thinking that 6 is a tad better than 7.

 

[EZprophet]

I believe that once you have the length/consistency to just be within 30 yards of the hole the majority of the time, the best way to take strokes of your handicap is to improve your short game.

All part of the game are obviousy important but I believe that you cannot be a low handicapper without a great short game, but you definitely can be one without a great long game.

I think the reason why a lot of people think that the long game is more important is due to their perception of how good they should be at both the long game and the short game.

People will have a 20 yard chip to the hole, hit it to 10 feet and two putt and walk off the green thinking theyve done okay, but those same players will berate themselves for missing the green from 100 yards... If the best players in the world are only hitting 65% of greens in regulation then what percentage should a 12 handicapper be hitting?

Give the best players in the world a 20 yard chip though and they are getting up and down 90%+ of the time... but what percentage of the time do you reckon 12 handicappers are getting up and down from there?

 

[Tommo21]

After taking up the game way too late I soon found out I was never going to hit the ball any distance. So, I just practiced more on my short game, a short game that I can depend on…..most of the time. However, if I’m driving badly it puts more pressure on my second shot never mind my short game.

 

[jammydodger]

I'm with EZProphet on this one. It all depends on what your h/c or expectations are in golf. I have reached the stage where I have a pretty consistent long game , not usually in too much trouble off the tee and can get my second shots pretty much where they need to be. The only thing that really is the difference between an average round or a good one or great one is how I perform around the greens.

I'm pretty sure a 20 capper would say his driving and long game needs to be spot on cos they can get themselves in all sorts of bother off the tee or going over hazards that I wouldnt even notice which costs them many many shots.

I know if chip and putt well I will score well as the rest of my game will not cost me too many shots.

tbh i'm a little anxious about Beau because looking at it the course doesnt look like it needs too many drivers off the tee which is my main strength.

 

[Robobum]

If I'm playing okay then I will miss about 6 greens per round, a couple of the misses will be in the fringe so I will need to get up & down about 3 or 4 times per round to save par and keep a score going.

If I could walk my ball out off the tee @ 250yds in play (not necessarily fairway) then I would reduce the up & downs number and have a better chance of scoring better.

Don't get me wrong, the short game is vital but to put in consistently good scores you need to be on play and in range off the tee.

 

[gregbwfc]

If I'm playing okay then I will miss about 6 greens per round, a couple of the misses will be in the fringe so I will need to get up & down about 3 or 4 times per round to save par and keep a score going.

If I could walk my ball out off the tee @ 250yds in play (not necessarily fairway) then I would reduce the up & downs number and have a better chance of scoring better.
Don't get me wrong, the short game is vital but to put in consistently good scores you need to be on play and in range off the tee.

This.
Drive for show,putt for dough only applies to pros,for who getting off the tee is a given,and low handicap amateurs.
At the moment,short game is the best it's ever been
But my long game has gone to pot.
Consequently tossing away 6-8 shots a round.
(Bloody good job I'm chipping/putting well!!!)