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Should I move back?


casonso
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Here's the issue. My home course is 5600 from the whites, which I play because that's what my group plays. The problem is that in today's round and the last couple weeks actually, I've hit nothing but driver, 56 and putter. It wasn't until hole 9 today that  I had to hit something other than those three clubs, and not again until 13. The real problem is that I'm left with some funky distances, at least for me. I'm anywhere from 30 to 60 yards out on most holes. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to move back to the blues at 6200 and leave myself some full shots into the greens? what do you guys think?

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Seems like a no-brainer. (With a caveat) Obviously you have the length to move back at least a set of tees, maybe two. But more importantly ... Do you enjoy playing this set of tees? Do you think you'd enjoy moving back more or less. Answer that question and you've got your answer. But if I were you, I'd back up. It's fun to use all the clubs in my bag! (Cept maybe my hybrid .., I'm still not a big fan if that club) ;)
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That's what I'm trying to figure out. I like playing with my group from the whites, but I'd like to hit all my clubs also. The real problem I have though is my handi cap. I don't feel I should move back because it's high, but I think I might do better with some full clubs into greens, rather than having to try and adjust for the shorter shots.

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What if you did not use a driver on all the par 4's? Nothing says you have to ... And if you still wanted to play from the same tees as your buddies you could.

Ken Proud member of the iSuk Golf Association ... Sponsored by roofing companies across the US, Canada, and the UK

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I cant imagine using a driver on every hole on a 5600 yard course - but since you are using it on every hole, i would suggest not moving back.

As said above, you can tee off with other clubs

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Chris, although my friends call me Mr.L

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What are you shooting? Hitting sand wedge into every green, you should be scoring awfully well, yet you're a 24 hcp? What am I missing?

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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I play from the women's tees probably about 30% of the time when my wife and I play no matter how short the course (and only hit irons when I do). When I play with my son we play from the tips about 95% of the time (unless it's bad weather where the tips are going to be a chore). When I play with most of my regular playing partners or in various choose up games I play from whatever they are playing from (which is normally the "men's tees"). I'm just there to have fun and I can do that from any of the tees. If my playing partner wants to play from further back than I think they should be playing from I suggest to them that we play up a set of tees. I might say it like "Lets play up here on this tee today so we can relax and not beat ourselves up." If I make it seem like it's my choice and in my best interest they don't feel slighted.
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I mean if you are ending up in that tricky 30-60 yard range after your first shot, then yeah I would say it would be good to move back. You would get some good use out of your irons if you did so. This makes for better practice and also having more fun with a larger variety of clubs on the course.

We must harness the crystiles.

:tmade: Nubbins B7 Putter

:tmade: r7 460 Graphite Driver

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Some courses are short but funky so I tend to look at the length of the par 5's and 3's. My former home course is somewhat short due to available land it was built on. But it's a mish-mash of really short par 4's that make it short. Moving back there makes the par 5's snd 3's pretty long. I initially moved back because the course rating was low enough from white tees I felt it was inflating my index. My scores playing those tees were the same as scores at longer courses with higher ratings so I moved back.

Dave :-)

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What are you shooting? Hitting sand wedge into every green, you should be scoring awfully well, yet you're a 24 hcp?

What am I missing?


+1

I can see 3 scenarios.

1.  You have a horrible, horrible short game.

2.  You can't putt, at all.

3.  More realistic probably, you hit that driver on every hole, and get yourself in bad situations, OB, hazards etc.  Maybe hit an iron/hybrid off of some of the tees, have 8/9 iron into the green.

Bettinardi Golf Kuchar #2 Cobra Bio Cell+ Callaway Razr Hawk 3W TaylorMade SLDR 19H Mizuno JPX 825-Pro 4-AW Scor 55 & 60 (Wedges)

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What if you did not use a driver on all the par 4's? Nothing says you have to ... And if you still wanted to play from the same tees as your buddies you could.

This is the obvious answer to me.

As you have noted with your handicap, there must be weaknesses in your game.  If you are hitting wedge into every green, you should be scoring much better- are all your shots being lost because of really bad wedge play, or are you losing some because of lost/OB/unplayable tee balls?

I have played some pretty short courses where I hit all or almost all the clubs in my bag.  While I might have a lot of wedges in on par 4s, I get variety from tee balls, 3 pars and 2nd shots into par 5s.  There has been discussion that being closer to the green leads to lower scores even if it is a partial wedge instead of a full wedge, but I have gone through phases where my partial wedge play sucked (but worked on it and improved last season).  Also, while I might be able to consistently get it closer from say 40 yards than 100 yards, trying to hit driver to within 40 yards can often be a riskier shot than hitting less than driver to 100 yards.  When deciding what to hit off the tee, I often pick the club that gives me the widest landing area rather than just going with driver.  Either your course is not well designed, or you are not thinking your way around the course very well.

Another advantage that I find with hitting less than driver is that it allows me to maintain my tempo better for the entire round.

:mizuno: MP-52 5-PW, :cobra: King Snake 4 i 
:tmade: R11 Driver, 3 W & 5 W, :vokey: 52, 56 & 60 wedges
:seemore: putter

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I'm thinking about doing the same thing at my home course but for a slighty different reason. It's a par 70, 5,900 yards (or so) course from the whites (67.1/124 rating) and I'll typically score in the mid 90s there. I'm perfectly content playing from the whites, it's a fairly challenging course (for me anyway) and most of the par 4's I can play with a 3W off the tee, followed by a short iron. The problem I'm finding is I struggle a ton when I play away from my home course on a course with any real length to it. This weekend was a good example, I played a longer course on Friday and shot a 108 (UGH!!!), played the home course on Monday and shot a 93. Certainly part of it is my familiarity with the home course, but I also think I need to spend a little more time with my driver and long irons in hand and the only way I can do that is to move back to the blues at the home course. I'll probably wait until I can break 90 on the home course before I do it, though, since it ain't like I'm tearing it up off the whites there now...haha!
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Here's the issue. My home course is 5600 from the whites, which I play because that's what my group plays. The problem is that in today's round and the last couple weeks actually, I've hit nothing but driver, 56 and putter. It wasn't until hole 9 today that  I had to hit something other than those three clubs, and not again until 13. The real problem is that I'm left with some funky distances, at least for me. I'm anywhere from 30 to 60 yards out on most holes. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to move back to the blues at 6200 and leave myself some full shots into the greens? what do you guys think?

Ever consider playing different clubs from the tee when you play with them?  There is no rule in golf that you have to play driver.  Maybe don't always play with those guys.  Go out as a single and get paired up with someone who plays the back tees.  Just be careful that your 24 handicap doesn't result in you being in a lot of trouble and slowing everyone down.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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What are you shooting? Hitting sand wedge into every green, you should be scoring awfully well, yet you're a 24 hcp?

What am I missing?

This!

I would like to know what you shoot if you're that close to the green after your drives.

As others have said, you could also tee off with other clubs. If it's less than 400, I'll typically tee off with hybrid of 3 wood.

Nike Covert 2.0 10.5* with Fujikura Motore F3 Stiff Flex
Nike Covert 2.0 3 Wood 15* Kuro Kage X-stiff 71g
Nike Covert 2.0 21* 3 hybrid Kuro Kage X-stiff 85g
Nike VR Pro Combo CB 4--PW
Nike VR Pro forged 50, 56, 58
Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5

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Thanks for the replies guys. The reason for my high handicap, more than anything is my putting and wedge play but also "Blow up" holes. I shot a 92 on Monday and had an 11 on a par 5. I don't loose many balls off the tee. I think my real problem is I don't hit many GIR and my putting is crappy. Anyway I think I'll try hitting some other clubs off the tee and see what changes. thanks again.

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What are you shooting? Hitting sand wedge into every green, you should be scoring awfully well, yet you're a 24 hcp? What am I missing?

This is pretty easy to answer. I play one course I should not play the fronts but my group plays. My SW is horrible sometimes on less than full swing if I am not in a bunker. I can hit it fat or blade it. Especially because I don't hinge and hold around the greens so I don't practice it much. I get frustrated most rounds there and end up trying to bump and run with a PW several times a round from 30 or 40 yards a couple of times a round. Sounds fun right. I run into this shot about 8 times a round on this course. Sure I could club down of the box but what fun is that when I hit my driver more consistently than any other club. I am paying to play golf not work on different clubs from the tee. I can do that on the range. To OP I say give it a shot and move back and see how you do. You can always move back up. Hopefully your playing partners don't take issue with it. I play with my family and they get upset whenever I bring it up. They are good people but I am starting to think it's just because of selfishness and jealously that I hit 30+ yards longer off the box. Hopefully you're group isn't like that.

James

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I play on an even shorter course sometimes. It's fun for me to hit a lot of different clubs from the tee, and I feel like I get good practice throughout my bag when I do so. There's no harm in giving moving back a shot, but if you want to keep up the pace and play with your group from the whites, try hitting a variety of irons off the tee. Focus on leaving yourself specific distances into the green by choosing the proper iron from the tee.

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5600yds is really short...............

At many courses, this is senior citizen/women (front tee yardages)........Part of me is screaming........."MOVE BACK", but if you still can't break 80 from short tees, maybe you shouldn't.   It's a tough call....

All I know is it would be awfully boring pitching into greens from short range all the way around a golf course.... Maybe learning to club down from the tee to keep the ball in play will do you some good?   Not sure....because I don't know where you play.

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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Note: This thread is 3593 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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