Most Underrated Part of Golf?

**tws1098** · August 7, 2010

I have to say the short game. It seems to be the biggest difference between my game and that of a scratch player I play with on occasion.

Would you guys agree, or do you think something else is more underrated?

**Chris223** · August 7, 2010

Probably, though I don't know if it's so much that it's underrated I think it's just something that for the average player is difficult to practice. Poor technique will lead to bad pitches and chip shots no matter how much you practice. I also find it difficult just to find a place to practice it at all. Most courses I think the average person plays at have extremely small putting greens with hardly any rough around them to practice chipping. I know the only course in my area with a large putting green with an ample surrounding area to chip onto the green from is the one course that used to host a PGA Tour event and now holds a Champions Tour event.

All other courses I've played at in my area, if the green is larger than a tee box you're lucky. They're also almost always completely flat... as if the builders of the course purposely leveled it when constructing it like a tee box, and few have more than a foot of rough around them where you can chip from.

It's certainly the part of my game that needs the most help, getting up and down around the greens. Even the longest course in my area doesn't have a par 4 that I can't take a 3 wood off the tee of and leave myself at the very most a 6 iron into the green if I hit it in the fairway, I have no trouble getting to the green distance wise but I throw a lot of shots away every round by chunking and blading chips and pitches all over.

**Tomboys** · August 7, 2010

I have to say the short game. It seems to be the biggest difference between my game and that of a scratch player I play with on occasion.

Ballstriking.

Not saying that this applies to you, but too many people (usually mid to high handicappers) feel that their lack of short game or putting prevents them from being scratch. They rationalize that if they could chip/pitch the ball closer to the hole and drain that putt, they'd be scratch or, at least, close to it. Unfortunately, that's a red-herring. Not saying that the short-game or putting isn't important because they certainly are. However, the real question is; why are you missing the green on your approach shots? If the answer is; I was in the rough or I had to hit out of the hazard, then the next question would be; why are you in the rough or hazard? Ballstriking is not just hitting the ball near or at the center of the clubface, that's contact. There's two other parts, direction and distance. And you need to be proficient and consistent with all three attributes in order to be a considered a good ballstriker.

**Blades4me** · August 7, 2010

As important as short game and ball striking are I believe that course management is the most under rated, over looked and rarely used item that has the potential to make the biggest difference. But of course that is just my opinion.

**Shripe** · August 7, 2010

As important as short game and ball striking are I believe that course management is the most under rated, over looked and rarely used item that has the potential to make the biggest difference. But of course that is just my opinion.

Underrated, this has to be the case. When everyone else jumps on the short game/ballstriking first bandwagon, those can't exactly be considered underrated. Course management is definitely considered "beneath" those, though I could see that the foundation for those have to come a bit before course management can really be figured out within the individual player's game.

**HazardMagnet** · August 7, 2010

I would suggest that it is a trully honest self evaluation of one's individual game. The "average golfer's" game sucks, and I will admit I'm up on that list. In the four years I've been playing, I've managed to straighten out my drives and long iron shots (on average), but can I reasonably expect to add another 100+ yards consitantly off the tee box in my lifetime? Probably not. After all, this average golfer will be 51 and not 49 on the next birthday.

My core bunch of regular parteners know that I will have the shortest drive on that monster par 5. So I don't get on the tee box expecting to be Tiger W. But why do other "average" golfers? I occasonally play with a guy who can drive a ball off the tee like a Pro, but give him a short iron or a putter and he's still hitting like off a tee box.

Trully understanding your limits, and using them for the best result, is what matters. Trying to impress the rest of the foursome, or one's ego only gets you on the green of the 15th, instead of the hole you are currently playing, and you haven't made the turn yet. I am lucky that I have several places I can practice short irons, from the PW in my office, the PW & 9 I carry in my work truck, to the field down the street and my back yard where I use my clubs out of my bag to hit some balls.

My #1 buddy who asked me to take up the game for years, gave me the best advice when I broke down and bought clubs to play for the first time: "Remember every time you play, you only have to beat yourself, The #'s on the score card is to be dealt with at the end."

**Uncle Peter** · August 7, 2010

I have to say the short game. It seems to be the biggest difference between my game and that of a scratch player I play with on occasion.

I guess it would depend on who you ask? Some people will say short game, while others will say ballstriking.

**jamo** · August 7, 2010

A good swing.

Learning how to get up and down, how to manage the course, and how to prevent 3 putts can all help you save a round and slice a few strokes off the handicap, but if you want to really become a better golfer (and lower you handicap the most and the fastest) the best way is to improve your swing. The better swing you have the more fairways you hit and the longer you hit, which both lead to hitting more greens and giving you more - and shorter - birdie putts.

**steelernation** · August 7, 2010

walking a hilly course in 98 degree heat while not losing your muscle memory and focus

**Fourputt** · August 7, 2010

I have to say the short game. It seems to be the biggest difference between my game and that of a scratch player I play with on occasion.

Under practiced and under emphasized by most casual players, but I've never thought of this as underrated. It's one of the first things mentioned any time that this sort of a topic comes up, so I'd say that it's actually highly rated... just too often ignored when it comes to practicing.

As important as short game and ball striking are I believe that course management is the most under rated, over looked and rarely used item that has the potential to make the biggest difference. But of course that is just my opinion.

This is the one I'd go with. I see a lot of golfers pay lip service to course and game management, yet I see very little of it put into practice on the course. You even see it here on the forum. The topic of go for it or lay up... most players here vote for the go for it mentality, and many even admit that it's not the best idea, but they can't stop themselves. All they can think of is the one time in ten that it works as planned, with no memory of the 5 times out of 10 that it cost them a bogey or worse. I'd call that seriously underrating the idea of course management, or at least overrating their own abilities, which amounts to the same thing.

It's very true that the most difficult distance to negotiate in golf is the 5 inches between your ears.

**pixel5** · August 7, 2010

The most underrated part of golf is playing with old guys from your church every saturday and having more fun than you ever did playing for your high school team.

**GolfBear** · August 7, 2010

Course management. It can often mean the difference between a birdie opportunity and a bogey or worse.

**kpaulhus** · August 7, 2010

Putting...

How many of us go out there and avg less than 27 putts? I sure dont. My avg is 32.7...thats 5.7 less birdies than the pro's lol

**jhut03** · August 7, 2010

I say course management. I used to try to hit the miracle shot to get to long par 5s in two, or if i hit a bad drive hit a 3w or hybrid to hope for a gir. but lately I will just take a 6 iron and flush it all day to about 210ish. It leaves me with a nice lie in the fairway and a small pitch to the green where i hope to get up and down. If not I bogey and say you know I shouldnt have hit that bad drive. if i tried getting there with the hybrid or 3w God only knows where it would end up and then I would be hope bogey.

The other day I did this, I hit a nice drive on a 560 yd par 5. It goes straight then dog legs around the pond. The pond goes from the edge of the fairway all the way to the green so hitting left is no good. The drive ended up on the slope to the water so it was about a foot above my stance. i was 225 out, so i choked down on my 6 iron and because of the dog leg I hit it to what would be about pin high but aimed for the end of the fairway. I was left with 130 yd uphill to the green into the wind. I took a nice swing with my PW and stuck it to about a foot and tapped in for birdie. Playing like this even if I hit my drive down the pipe is a more consistent way to make birdies and prevent those dreaded doubles or worse. So that is how I play my game and my handicap has dropped from a 18ish to around a 13 right now in less than two months.

**ks8829** · August 7, 2010

putting, chipping and pitching within 100 yards.

If we putted less than 30 per 18 holes, Stuart Appleby had 23 putts when he shot 59, complimented with a great short game getting up and down more than 60% of the time our scores would be lower for most golfers that are up to 18 handicap golfers.

**tws1098** · August 7, 2010

To some of you that question short game as being underrated:

I was speaking from my own game. I notice that I will rush chips and putts, especially if I am not having the best hole.

**Fourputt** · August 7, 2010

Again I state again that clearly from this thread that short game is NOT underrated. The fact that so many cite its importance tells us that they actually rate it quite highly. It IS under practiced, but that doesn't mean that its importance is not acknowledged. But.... whatever.

**Pat007** · August 7, 2010

putting. no questions asked. Here's a scenario: a par 4, 400 yards. You can miss the fairway and still make par. If you miss the green in regulation, you can still make par. You can chip up onto the green and still make par. If you miss that putt, you no longer have a chance to make par. Sound putting leads to birdies. You can miss all the fairways and greens you want if you can putt. It opens up a lot more possibilities.

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