40% with one club and thirteen for the other 60%

Last I looked there was no minimum number of clubs required.  If you can play at a level that makes you happy with just a 5 iron, or whatever your favorite club is, have at it.  Sounds kind of nice actually.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortOffTheTee 

Having taken part in another similar post, the fact that we play 40% of the game with the putter and we feel we need 13 for the other 60% just seems wrong. If we can apply feel to the use of the putter then why can't we be more versatile with the other clubs in the bag instead of trying to emulate the pros who dedicate much more time to finessing distance and tragectory etc???

The putter is not very versatile it is just that 40% of our shots take place on the green. The other 13 clubs are there as a result of the diversity of shots that make up the other 60% which require various lofts and lengths to accommodate the variability of the shots that a golfer will face before they reach the green. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by David in FL 


I think you have it backwards.

Top players, including the pros are capable of manufacturing different shots with the same club. They can hit a 9 iron 140 yds or 75. They can flight it high with a cut, or low with a draw.

Less skilled players would be much better served spending LESS time trying to hit shots that they don't have the skill or experience to play, and just learn to hit a simple, repeatable, stock shot with the right club for the job. Get that down pat, and then learn to get creative.

Simplicity and consistency are the keys.....especially for newer or less accomplished players who want to improve their scores. Even if they don't look like a tour pro doing it.....

Exactly.  The sentence "If we can apply feel to the use of the putter then why can't we be more versatile with the other clubs in the bag instead of trying to emulate the pros who dedicate much more time to finessing distance and tragectory etc???" boggles my mind.

"Why can't we be more versatile" INSTEAD of "trying to emulate pros who finesse distance and trajectory."  What exactly do you think you are doing if you try to hit one club over 20 or 30 yards worth of distances?  You are trying to finesse distance and trajectory!

This reminded me of another very similar thread with an OP who shall remain nameless (unless you want to click on the link ) who had a similar thought process.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/56318/should-rule-4-4-maximum-of-14-clubs-be-altered/0_30

I think the short answer is that hitting greens drops your score like crazy.

Being able to hit a 5 iron 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, or 200 yards on command is very difficult. If we had to do this we would miss greens. So, we put in a club for each one of these yardages, and hit more greens. It's as simple as that.

If I overhit a putt by 20% (let's say a 10 footer), it goes 12 foot. That leaves me a 2 footer coming back, I'd consider that a decent putt.

If I overhit a 100 yard wedge by 20% I've hit a 120 yard shot and am probably over the back somewhere in trouble, I'd consider that a bad shot.

Different objectives, different ways of achieving them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad 

Exactly.  The sentence "If we can apply feel to the use of the putter then why can't we be more versatile with the other clubs in the bag instead of trying to emulate the pros who dedicate much more time to finessing distance and tragectory etc???" boggles my mind.

"Why can't we be more versatile" INSTEAD of "trying to emulate pros who finesse distance and trajectory."  What exactly do you think you are doing if you try to hit one club over 20 or 30 yards worth of distances?  You are trying to finesse distance and trajectory!

This reminded me of another very similar thread with an OP who shall remain nameless (unless you want to click on the link ) who had a similar thought process.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/56318/should-rule-4-4-maximum-of-14-clubs-be-altered/0_30

For the love of all that is Holy, don't click the link and DON'T say that name!

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!!!!!!

I gotta go get my Holy Water just in case.

Too late, I clicked it and got sucked into the netherworld and popped out on the other side of the universe and have spent the last 5 billion years trying to get back home...

Quote:

Originally Posted by dak4n6 

Too late, I clicked it and got sucked into the netherworld and popped out on the other side of the universe and have spent the last 5 billion years trying to get back home...

Click your heels together 3 times repeatiing "There's no place like TST, there's no place like TST, there's no place like TST......"

The Oz references seem particularly appropriate here, as I think the premise of this thread is about as grounded in reality as flying monkeys, talking scarecrows, and houses landing on witches.   

Quite simply, the putter is asked to make only one type of shot, from a perfect lie every time and for a pretty short distance with no hazards or obstacles - simply roll the ball.  And that "40%" of shots with the putter is kind of a misnomer, because roughly only half of them are shots of any length and the others could be tapped in the last few inches with a shovel.    

But somehow, we only have 13 other clubs to have to deal with distances from 5-300 yards, from short grass, short rough, medium rough, deep rough, different types of grasses, hardpan, mud, sand, gravel, behind rocks, under trees, over trees, between trees, downhill, uphill, into the wind, with the wind, sideways in the wind,  high shots, low shots, bending left, bending right, over water, out of water.    And all those shots are just my yesterday's round!     

The fact is that little creativity of feel is really needed with the putter, and the everyday golfer is already challenged extremely with having to apply finesse and creativity with only 13 other clubs in the bag.   

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad 

This reminded me of another very similar thread with an OP who shall remain nameless (unless you want to click on the link ) who had a similar thought process.

Same OP, actually.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShortOffTheTee 

So why is it then, that it's the player who can putt well, who will always sort the men out from the boys?

That's not even close to true. The best putters on the PGA Tour miss cuts just like everyone else, and don't win every tournament. Sorry Patrick, that's a BIG reach.

Why do we get sucked in??

Quote:

Originally Posted by Th3R00st3r 

Why do we get sucked in??

That is a fantastic question, said the dummy who just spent 10 minutes posting in the other Patrick related thread for no apparent reason.

I have no idea why.

Argh!

Patrick picked a better avatar this time.  No matter how good his new avatar and user name are, the old Patrick always shows himself. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Th3R00st3r 

Why do we get sucked in??