Relative Importance of Driving/Approach Shots, Short Game, Putting, etc. (LSW, Mark Broadie, Strokes Gained, etc.)

[Anand]

Today I can conclude with 100% conviction that FOR ME , it's all about the short game. This morning I played in our club's monthly medal (stroke play)

- I hit 10/12 fairways (we have 6 par 3s)
- I used driver 10 times and hit the fairway 9/10
- my average drive today was 285 (I measured with SkyCaddie - it was dry and it was running). It was my best driving day for as long as I can remember
- I hit 10 greens (quite good for me)
- I parred 9 holes

All very good so far for a 12 handicap.

However, I had no touch around the greens and zero feel with my putter.
- I had 38 putts (averaging 33 this year)
- I went past the flag and over through the green twice on chips
- I never got up and down
- I had 3 3-putts
- I had zero 1-putts
- I was pin high, but off the green on 5 of 6 Par 5s (5 are 510+) - did not make birdie on any
- I duffed 2 chips

I've been playing for 20+ years and am now sure that the tens of thousands of rocks I've beaten on the range have honed a great full-swing and helped my long game. In those 20 years have spent 90% of my time on the long game and 10% on the rest.

This year it's been 50% long 50% short. From today onwards, it's 90% short, including putting, and 10% beating rocks.

That's what I have to say about what's more important for me

[RickPro]

short game is where its all at. whats the point if you can drive 300 yards, but cant put the ball near the pin for a 1 putt.

short game is where you should practice and spend most of your time.

[whip_it_out]

Well, today it was short game for me. It saved my score from being absolutely
horrible.
Had 5 shots of 60-70 yards, stuck them all within 4 feet, almost holed 3 chips, and mad a couple good putts.
with how bad I was driving the ball, and 84 was an achievement. I could not hit a straight shot today with the driver. It sucked.

Guess this fits with "the long game determines how high your score goes, your short game determines how low"

[pjsnyc]

...Guess this fits with "the long game determines how high your score goes, your short game determines how low"

BINGO! BANGO! BONGO!

(I really just wanted to say 'BINGO!' but it was too short for the forum)

[MrKadash]

Guess this fits with "the long game determines how high your score goes, your short game determines how low"

Without question. I find when I hit my driver on the screws and hitting fairways, but not chipping or putting well, my scores are higher compared to the other way around.

[bogeyhitter25]

They're both pretty important. If you can't put your ball in the fairway off the tee, your going to have trouble making par. If you can't stick an easy chip within 3 feet from the pin, your going to have trouble making par. So you have to be mixed.

[wolverine318]

I played in our local Cleveland Amateur this weekend, qualifying rounds.

77 with 34 putts, 77 with 35 putts. 149 and better this year qualified. It was a case of just not being able to figure out the greens. But it helps the argument about the important short game. Esp if you are looking to take your game to the next level.

[mruseless]

Bob Rotella says a good drive keeps your high scores low, but good wedges and putting keep you low score even lower

Another way of saying it: One good putt can make up for a lot of bad swings.

However, according to Titleist based on their Pro V ball ad; that the

Just curious, where can I find those stats?

I'm not trying to stir things up, I just like reading stats stuff. I looked around quick on the Titleist website, but couldn't find what you were referring to.

[$2 Nassau]

I agree - if we are talking about the average joe like the article says. I dropped approx 6 strokes from my handicap one year by learning to hit a draw. I'm still an average Joe golfer and most of my strokes are lost off the tee.

If you look at it stat-wise, the most important stat is GIR's, getting to the green in reg. This is set up by a solid tee shot and of course good iron play.

[DJYoshi]

They're both pretty important. If you can't put your ball in the fairway off the tee, your going to have trouble making par. If you can't stick an easy chip within 3 feet from the pin, your going to have trouble making par. So you have to be mixed.

I don't hit fairways a lot on some rounds, but I'll still find a way to get up and down for par. i have the mentality, just get it to 90 - 125 for full wedge shots to try to stick it close.

[$2 Nassau]

I played in our local Cleveland Amateur this weekend, qualifying rounds.

Exactly, you are looking to take your game to the next level, already being a good player. As a 5.5 index you probably hit a decent amount of fairways and greens.

The average joe is slicing their tee shots into the woods and chunking their wedges.

[CosmosMpower]

I think for a beginner/intermediate player long game is just as important. If you're in the woods/water/ob on tee shots and 2nd shots it's going to be a long day even if you get up and down when you eventually get to the green.

I've been fighting a big hook/pull lately and it wrecked havoc on my long game (anything more than 120 yards). I had a 1 putt, 14 2 putts and a 3 putt yesterday and shot 120 yesterday because I was in the woods all day. Only got 1 GIR on a par 3 and that was the 1 putt for birdie. UGH

[YogiTKE]

I've mad a lot of pars from the "other" fairway. Haven't made many pars from the "other" green. Know what I mean?

A great tee shot down the middle of the fairway is great, but if you blade your wedge over the green, chip short, and then 2 putt, your drive wasn't worth much.

[Chief Broom]

A great tee shot down the middle of the fairway is great, but if you blade your wedge over the green, chip short, and then 2 putt, your drive wasn't worth much.

The awful thing about golf is that you can manage to screw up any situation under any circumstances. The best lie can be duffed. Inversly the worst lie can be picked clean and produce an amazing shot. That's golf too. But what sets the tempo of your game? At what point does every hole begin? It's on the tee where you determin your initial odds of making or breaking par. Blow the tee shot and you're automatically scrambling trying to get yourself back to the point where you should have been in the first place. Obviously you can do miraculous things after a lousy (or even mediocre) tee shot, but it is that tee shot which dictates what you have to do on every subsequent shot. That long birdie putt is no doubt money in the bank, but after you reach in the hole and retrieve your ball you're right back to where you started. We can turn this proposition around and look at this backwards. The short game will make or break what you shoot on any given hole, but from a psychological standpoint you're more likely to make a strong finish after you've had a strong start.

This point can be argued successfully from either side. On average the short game represents more shots than the long game. That statistic points to the short game's prominance and importance for any given round.

[YogiTKE]

This point can be argued successfully from either side. On average the short game represents more shots than the long game. That statistic points to the short game's prominance and importance for any given round.

Your "scoring" shots are your wedges and in. Not many pars, birdies, or eagles are made from the tee. The excpetion: par 3's.

[Mithrandir]

but we all know that more important then the long game or the short game is the "mental" game

Given that, if you hit poor tee shots and keep your head about you, you can still have a decent round. But if you miss too many putts and keep your head about you, you probably will not have a decent round. So my vote goes to the short game being more important for most golfers on most courses on most days.

[Chief Broom]

Hypothetical question...

If you could have any pro golfer from any era (obviously at the height of their game) play either your long game or your short game and you would play the other which would it be: pro playing long or short?

My answer is long. I'd let Tiger get me up to the green so I could finish it off. But then again my long game is where I struggle the most at this stage in my game...

[YogiTKE]

Hypothetical question...

Pro playing short. I could hit a short or errant drive and the pro has the ability to hit long irons and work the ball left/right to save pars and make birdies from the rough. Their putting/chipping is so much more precise than any novice.