More Fun To Hit It Perfectly Or Score Well?

[Big C]

17 minutes ago, Piz said:

I would rather score well if, as a few others have mentioned, it is possible to strike perfectly and not score well.  Nothing in golf bothers me quite so much as feeling like I blew it: frittering away an excellent opportunity due to poor putting.  

Not to get caught up in semantics but striking it perfectly ain't gonna happen for the pros, let alone guys that are posting about golf on a message board. That said, it is absolutely possible to strike it well above your average and score poorly. I recently shot an 84 with 39 putts (41 if you counted putts from the fringe). I hit the ball great, but it was a brutally disappointing round.

 

24 minutes ago, billchao said:

Me. I mentioned it before, but I've had lower scores where I'm fighting my swing but scramble well and those days are more frustrating than the days I hit the ball well but end up pitching and putting poorly. I go home from the course feeling pretty good about the latter and not such much with the former.

Fair enough. I feel completely opposite, but to each their own. Out of curiosity, is the majority of your golf casual rounds as opposed to competitive rounds? I think that may drive a big part of one's perspective.

[ncates00]

25 minutes ago, Big C said:

I hit the ball great, but it was a brutally disappointing round

I'm questioning this because the extra 3 putts (given a 2 putt per hole) doesn't seem to make up the difference.  You're still shooting 81.  how many GIR and FIR did you have?  You'll pick up more strokes with the long game than with the short game.

[Golfingdad]

I voted hit it perfectly.  Don't get me wrong, scrambling for a par or birdie is satisfying in it's own right, but when I visualize a shot and then actually execute it as I've visualized it, those are the most satisfying and memorable shots to me.

[mellison24]

Definitely scoring lower. Imagine striking it awesome and ending up with 100... how badly must you have to putt?

[Big C]

17 minutes ago, ncates00 said:

I'm questioning this because the extra 3 putts (given a 2 putt per hole) doesn't seem to make up the difference.  You're still shooting 81.  how many GIR and FIR did you have?  You'll pick up more strokes with the long game than with the short game.

I haven't used Game golf in awhile, but my average putts per round was somewhere around 31-32 when I was keeping stats. Most decent players are likely in a similar range. 36 putts is a bad putting round. 39 is just brutal. 

I don't remember my GIR that day, but it was enough to reasonably shoot somewhere in the 70's with average putting.

 

[benharris]

I wanted to choose hitting it perfectly just because that is, for me, more enjoyable during any given round BUT it depends on when you ask. I think I'd enjoy the lower scores afterwards more even if I was not enjoying the round itself. If you ask in the middle of a round where I'm grinding out pars and sweating bullets trying to shoot a decent score I'd probably say I hated it without hesitation. On the flip side, I'd probably not mind not scoring that well if I was striking it perfectly during the round but I might be a bit miffed afterwards counting the score.

Overall though, lower scores bring me back time and time again so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edited April 26, 2019 by benharris

[mchepp]

I have rounds where I want one more than another. I would say for casual rounds, like the average weekend, I would like to strike it better. As @Golfingdad mentioned a well struck shot is excellent. However, when playing in a tournament I would like to score better because what I will remember is where I finished more than how it hit it for a tournament.

So I need a "Both, but not in the same round" button. If I am forced to pick, because I play more casual rounds I would rather strike it better.

[JGus]

I voted scoring better, even though if you hit everything perfectly your score should be better. 

[Double Mocha Man]

I spend a lot of time at the range, trying to achieve the much sought-after but never accomplished "perfect swing".  So I'll take the perfect hit and let the scores follow.

[NJpatbee]

Hitting it perfectly for me is hitting it as well as I am capable of which is more satisfying to me than a lower score.  Keep in mind that an 84 is as low as I have ever gone but to stay in the 80's I have to hit most of shots well (for my level).  I will take a well struck 86 over a scrambling 84.

[billchao]

5 hours ago, Big C said:

Out of curiosity, is the majority of your golf casual rounds as opposed to competitive rounds?

Casual, I don't play competitive golf. That may change in the future but I don't see my opinion on this subject changing. I like my recreation to be fun, not work, and grinding out a good score on a bad ballstriking day is work. I get a lot of enjoyment from conceiving and executing a shot well.

[iacas]

I’d rather hit the ball well. I’ll score fine and it’s more satisfying.

[bkuehn1952]

11 hours ago, PerfectStriking said:

Would you take this over scoring your best score? Obviously, putting would be the swinger here with those stats.

Would you take those stats and just walk off every green without putting and feel great, or would you feel let down without scoring?

What drives you to come back again and again?

I like it when posters answer their own questions.

I prefer great ball striking versus fortunate scoring.  Yes, score is the one true measure but when one has great ball striking, scoring will follow eventually.

[Osnola]

I hit it well today and shot a 98.  Of course, I putted like a blind drunk man today.  Last week, I struggled hitting the ball and shot an 88.  Putted a lot better though...I would rather score well than admire a well struck ball...Actually, I guess I would prefer to hit the ball well and score well....just never happens for me...

[gbogey]

Clearly this topic cursed me today - pretty good ball striking day with 9 GIRs, terrible scoring day, not amused!

[David in FL]

If you hit it perfectly, you will score well.

[PerfectStriking]

5 minutes ago, David in FL said:

If you hit it perfectly, you will score well.

Don't tell gbogey that he just said in the post above yours... "Clearly this topic cursed me today - pretty good ball striking day with 9 GIRs, terrible scoring day, not amused!" 🤩 I'm learning a lot from the great answers in this thread, very helpful!

[Mr22putt]

14 hours ago, dennyjones said:

Give me better ball striking any time.   The score will take care of itself.   

 

this....