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Got a question . . . a strategy I've been pondering . . .


twisted5ltr
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First a little background before the question . . . .

I am fortune enough to have 5 acres of land. . . . 3 of which is exposed, that being said I have an strip on one side of the house thats about 100 yards. The reason I bring that up is because while working on my swing a while back I was using my 7 iron taking half swings and found I was able to pitch it about the full hundred yrds (before I hit my shed . . . which happens about 10 times per 100 balls) . . . anyway I found this a very comfortable swing. I have been working on trying to eliminate my slice (really bad slice). Through this site and a bunch of reading wacthing videos for the most part I have say 75% kept in under control I have begun using my driver again. But now I notice I sometimes go the other way now. I know (or my gut tells me that) this may go away with time and more practice using my new swing. I still am having issues off the tee box and my second shot seems to get me in trouble.

Ok so now to the grit of my question or strategy thoughts . . . . It seems like my round is just one big math problem. Maybe I can use my backyard technique in that I could (say playing on the local 6300 tees--par 5 / 450 yds) use my 5 iron with a comfortable 1/2 swing and knock it 140-155 yds. lets just say 150 for simple math. so on my (ex.) 450 I can do this (3x's) to get on the GIR par 5 (hopefully) or I should be close at this point and a simple chip and maybe save par or bogey . . . . and get myself into the 80's (currently in the mid to high 90's) . . . . that is until and (while) I'm still working on my driver/ FW/ long irons/ full swing on the range?

Does any of that make sense, or was it a hodge podge of thoughts? I apolgize in advance if it was confusing . .

or am I nuts or over-thinking myself into another bad habit or avoiding the issue . . . .

This may have been addressed elsewhere if so I am not against being redirected to that posting . . .  thanks guys . . .

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If im reading it correctly it makes perfect sense. your doing course management. i do that a lot but not to the extent you do. for example, on my home course there are 2-3 short par 4's. i could pull out driver and almost reach the green but i am not very consistent with it. So on those holes i hit 3h or 4h which will get me about 80-100 yards out and almost guarantee me to be in the fairway or avoiding bunkers. i will also hit 3w on one of my par 5's. I cant reach the green in 2 anyways and hitting a great drive usually means hitting it through the fairway. i see it causing a problem for you on par 4's if you are only hitting 150.
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I think you're right on. I read a Sam Snead quote somewhere (I believe it was Sam's quote) where he basically asserted that someone could legitimately play bogey golf or better by becoming proficient with a club to the 150 yard distance, and he mentioned a scenario just like yours with a 450 yard par 5.


I took on that mindset late this past year and began to see my score really improve. I stopped pulling the driver out on holes 325 or less and started hitting my 6 iron off the tee, followed by an 8 or so approach shot. And even if I didn't get there in two, I'd likely get there in 3 and have a 2 putt opportunity for bogey. Really helped control the urge to hit the long ball in my mind.

My only concern with what you're describing is hitting 100 yard approach shots with a 7 iron, which might not give you the loft or spin you need to stop on a tight green. But I'm guessing you're probably not that bad a slicer with your scoring clubs anyway, as the loft of those clubs typically causes more back spin than side spin.

IN MY BAG
Driver: Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver
3 Wood: Calloway RAZR Hawk
Hybrid: Ping 19*
Irons: Mizuno JPX 825
Wedges: 52, 56 Cleveland
Putter: Odyssey White Ice

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A couple times a year I'll walk 18 carrying only a 7i, PW and putter while playing from the senior tees. I find myself playing par/bogey golf because I'm never in trouble with these clubs. It's fun to mix it up that way a few times.
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I help coach a JV golf team, I can score as well carrying a 4 wood an 53 wedge and a putter  as I can with my full bag..some days, I shoot better with just the 3 clubs..there are holes where the wedge clearly isnt enough.....but I can find it..and usually can scramble in those situations.

Driver Wishon 919THI 4 Wood Pure Fit w Accuflex

Ping Rapture hybrid Irons Wishon 770 CFE with Apollo Humps regular Gripmaster rubber grips 4-aw Wedges Ping MB 56 Ping Eye 2 Lob &nbsp ;Mentor Quad putter gripmaster gator grip

Bantam chipper leather grip

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Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

If im reading it correctly it makes perfect sense. your doing course management. i do that a lot but not to the extent you do.

for example, on my home course there are 2-3 short par 4's. i could pull out driver and almost reach the green but i am not very consistent with it. So on those holes i hit 3h or 4h which will get me about 80-100 yards out and almost guarantee me to be in the fairway or avoiding bunkers.

i will also hit 3w on one of my par 5's. I cant reach the green in 2 anyways and hitting a great drive usually means hitting it through the fairway.

i see it causing a problem for you on par 4's if you are only hitting 150.

After consideration I do see the danger in your last sentence . . .  Since the long irons are some of the clubs I am having issues with getting myself into a 165-180+ yardage situation would probably get me in trouble. I do have a weird 7W I picked up last year for like $10 that has a really high loft and a short shaft that for some reason I hit real straight for about 175-180+ yards. So in making a plan for the course, I am planning on using this club off the tee on those pesky 4's which should get me a little closer while not getting me into trouble (too much anyway). Thanks

Originally Posted by divot dave

I think you're right on. I read a Sam Snead quote somewhere (I believe it was Sam's quote) where he basically asserted that someone could legitimately play bogey golf or better by becoming proficient with a club to the 150 yard distance, and he mentioned a scenario just like yours with a 450 yard par 5.

I took on that mindset late this past year and began to see my score really improve. I stopped pulling the driver out on holes 325 or less and started hitting my 6 iron off the tee, followed by an 8 or so approach shot. And even if I didn't get there in two, I'd likely get there in 3 and have a 2 putt opportunity for bogey. Really helped control the urge to hit the long ball in my mind.

My only concern with what you're describing is hitting 100 yard approach shots with a 7 iron, which might not give you the loft or spin you need to stop on a tight green. But I'm guessing you're probably not that bad a slicer with your scoring clubs anyway, as the loft of those clubs typically causes more back spin than side spin.

regarding your last paragraph, the 100 yd 1/2 swing shot, does get a little loft or pitch up in the air to it--though not alot, about half as high as my normal shots--that being said I know it will have more roll out than say my PW, but I have been having issues at just about that range with my wedges, (I tend to launch it over the green with my PW by about 10-20 yds. So Im a little shy with that now. and this may not be the right answer to my problem exactly, but at this point I feel safer rolling it up or leaving myself a long putt vs yet another 20-30 yd chip, especially at my local course there are about five or six holes that the side of the green drops off about 15 feet into a creek . . . . Stick a fork in me I'm done . . .  with that crap . . . lol

I gotta lot of work ahead I know but damn if it isnt fun . . .

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This is a pretty good post OP. Course management is one of things I going to work on next.

"Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.."

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I guess it all depends on the purpose of your round. If you want to score as low as possible in a given round then you should absolutely do the things you are talking about. But if you are looking to improve then I fear this might be a hindrance to that. I am not saying course mgmt isn't a sound goal as I work on that constantly but there is a difference between putting driver away and hitting 3W or lesser and hitting a 3/4 5 iron 3 times. Hitting balls on the range is not the same as hitting them on the course and you need to put your practice to the test sometimes and get comfortable with it.

Anyway, I guess my point is that mathematically you are on the right track although you are talking best case of course so just remember that there will always be mistakes. Just don't always make lowest score the goal (call it a practice round for example). Sometimes you have to hit shots you are not comfortable with to improve.

My 2cents

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Anything you can do to improve your game... Do it. If it means focusing on certain strengths before incorporating others... So be it. I haven't done it yet, but I often plan on hitting the local par 3 with only wedges and a putter.
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Course strategy is key......... keeping the ball in play is a must.    On the other hand pitching 5-irons 150yds might not be a long term solution.   At some point, you'll need to swing at 80% and play an aggressive shot with each club to get to the next level.   The key is to play the correct club for the shot......not necessarily hitting a chippy/pitch 5-iron.     You are thinking in the right direction when it comes to course strategy............

What's in Paul's Bag:
- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha Driver
- Big Bertha Alpha 815 3-wood
- Callaway Razr Fit 5-wood
- Callaway Big Bertha 4-5 Rescue Clubs
-- Mizuno Mx-25 six iron-gap wedge
- Mizuno Mp-T4 56degree SW
- Mizuno Mp-T11 60degree SW
- Putter- Ping Cadence Ketsch

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@Jason--I completely get what your saying. This is only a temporary plan. Not something I want to implement long term. I should add that I have been changing my swing according to the videos posted here on the 5SK and so far w/o watching the complete series, I have managed to get this swing and method and I only really got in one round of 9 holes yesterday and I went from high 90's--and even a 102 last Sunday to a 44 yesterday on 9. And I could tell it was no accident. It was very well thought out and I took my time with my shots--still managed to play 9 in about 50 minutes. Anyway. I hit my 3W a bunch and it is improving. I know situations in the course are different than the range. But when I feel comfortable enough that I can keep the ball in play I will resume and adjust club selections according. But I am loving all this advice. It has been so helpful it's like having my own personal golf instructor. And I will love to share the info with others and direct them here. I can't get enough. Thanks
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One of the things I have found extremely helpful by playing a course you know by heart, is that you can play it any way you like. Meaning, that if you wanted, you could take a 9-iron and play with it the entire round with only that club because you know where the put the ball on a given hole.  You might not score well, but it won't be as bad as if you've played a new course.  I have played a 6700yd course that I know very well without using my driver, 3-wood, and 4-hybrid, making my longest club a 4-iron (~220yds off the tee), and I ended up shooting 5 over.  It was great practice with my longer irons, but its not something I could use to score low.  But it did teach me a great lesson, which I use all the time at every course i play, which I feel you may get to.  Course management for me off the tee, is putting the ball 150yds out from the green every time off the tee.  Obviously, only for par-4s, but if its 460yds, I'll use a driver. If it's 350yds, I'll use a 6-iron, because it'll put me at around 150yds which I KNOW I can hit the green with the highest percentage in that yardage range.  What I'm getting at is that you can go ahead and play a whole round using 1 club off the tee to fix it and find different ways of playing a course. But to score low, you must find the balance between each of your longer clubs regardless of what the length of a hole is and use the shorter ones you trust to get you on the green with the best chance.  Sounds easy, but once you start hitting a particular club well off the tee, you'll want to keep using it, but may bring more danger into play and start missing greens if you end at a distance you're not as comfortable with.

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Philip Kohnken, PGA
Director of Instruction, Lake Padden GC, Bellingham, WA

Srixon/Cleveland Club Fitter; PGA Modern Coach; Certified in Dr Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Levels 1 & 2; Certified in SAM Putting; Certified in TPI
 
Team :srixon:!

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Note: This thread is 4069 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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