Driving for Show, Putting for Dough, or Is It?

[Rippy_72]

It took me probably 40 years of playing and a decade caddying to learn about 70% of what is in LSW book.  It is the best golf book I have ever read.  Period. The stats are all there.  Facts.

For those 15-20 Hcp players who really still disbelieve the importance of driving, I would like to share my personal perspective.  I was always a very, very long and straight driver of the ball and pretty mediocre elsewhere and generally played to a 2-4 Hcp.  I don't think I was ever in a scramble where we did not win or at least place.

Consider.   If on a 6250 yard course, your ball is placed no further than 100 yards and frequently inside 50 yards on all par 4 holes and well within 200 yards for the second shot on par 5 holes, what do you think you would shoot?   It is nearly impossible for a  15-20 Hcp not to break 80 with such a drive.  If I had to hit the tee balls of the average 20 Hcp, I would struggle to break a 100.

Some 20 years ago, I wanted to get better than a 3-4 Hcp.  I hired the best local golf teacher.  He worked on my swing all season.  My scores did not go down.  I was averaging 12.8 GIR when I went to him and 12.5 GIR when I left.  HcP the same.   A few years later I went down to Doral and spent six 10 hour days with Jim McLean, Bobby Cole, and other top teaching professionals.   They did not change my swing fundamentally, instead they tried to understand in Jim's words, "Why I was not a better golfer" to which I replied that I often shot par and he said, "No, I mean in the 60s all the time".  He told me I was one of the best drivers of the ball that he had seen.  They identified a few areas for me to work on and I did drop my Hcp around 1.5 shots over that season.  Lots of fun and well worth the trip.  I always remembered in Peltz class being told I putted like a 25 handicapper and I thought the instructor was full of crap because how could a 4 Hcp putt that bad, what I did not know then was how unimportant putting was to my score.  I decided to try using an online software tool where you enter a lot of data from your round along with your handicap and your desired handicap.  After many rounds, you get a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses.  And where to practice.   It told me my driving was +8 Hcp, my putting was horrific 22 Hcp and 50 yard approaches, I was like a 5 Hcp according to that software.   I worked only on the areas it told me to.  I worked hard. I dropped to a +2 almost overnight from a 2 Hcp or so.  I got my 50 yard pitches to a 1 Hcp and my putting to about a 5 Hcp.   Dropping my putting HcP from 22 to 5 was only worth about 3 shots on my scoring average, which is sort of counter intuitive if one believes the putting for dough saw.  All quite anecdotal but my personal experience shows that an absolutely miserable putter can shoot around par if they are a stellar driver of the ball.  In the past, if I had a 50 yard pitch, inside 15 feet would have been acceptable and I would rarely convert.  Now, I expect/hope to be inside 6 feet and convert fairly often because I get it closer and I putt better.   One of my buddies would always lay up to 100 yards on par 5 holes even though he could get it to 40-50 yards (he is not long).  If he just practiced that shot, he would have it 5-6 times per round and probably make birdie once and par all other times.  On the other hand, he probably makes a bogie once per round on the layups.

In my opinion, learning the lessons in LSW and learning your own weaknesses and improving upon them is the fastest way to improve.  I think too many golfers practice their strengths and not work on their weaknesses.  In my case, I simply did not know what to work on.

[Double Mocha Man]

9 minutes ago, Rippy_72 said:

It took me probably 40 years of playing and a decade caddying to learn about 70% of what is in LSW book.  It is the best golf book I have ever read.  Period. The stats are all there.  Facts.

For those 15-20 Hcp players who really still disbelieve the importance of driving, I would like to share my personal perspective.  I was always a very, very long and straight driver of the ball and pretty mediocre elsewhere and generally played to a 2-4 Hcp.  I don't think I was ever in a scramble where we did not win or at least place.

Consider.   If on a 6250 yard course, your ball is placed no further than 100 yards and frequently inside 50 yards on all par 4 holes and well within 200 yards for the second shot on par 5 holes, what do you think you would shoot?   It is nearly impossible for a  15-20 Hcp not to break 80 with such a drive.  If I had to hit the tee balls of the average 20 Hcp, I would struggle to break a 100.

Some 20 years ago, I wanted to get better than a 3-4 Hcp.  I hired the best local golf teacher.  He worked on my swing all season.  My scores did not go down.  I was averaging 12.8 GIR when I went to him and 12.5 GIR when I left.  HcP the same.   A few years later I went down to Doral and spent six 10 hour days with Jim McLean, Bobby Cole, and other top teaching professionals.   They did not change my swing fundamentally, instead they tried to understand in Jim's words, "Why I was not a better golfer" to which I replied that I often shot par and he said, "No, I mean in the 60s all the time".  He told me I was one of the best drivers of the ball that he had seen.  They identified a few areas for me to work on and I did drop my Hcp around 1.5 shots over that season.  Lots of fun and well worth the trip.  I always remembered in Peltz class being told I putted like a 25 handicapper and I thought the instructor was full of crap because how could a 4 Hcp putt that bad, what I did not know then was how unimportant putting was to my score.  I decided to try using an online software tool where you enter a lot of data from your round along with your handicap and your desired handicap.  After many rounds, you get a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses.  And where to practice.   It told me my driving was +8 Hcp, my putting was horrific 22 Hcp and 50 yard approaches, I was like a 5 Hcp according to that software.   I worked only on the areas it told me to.  I worked hard. I dropped to a +2 almost overnight from a 2 Hcp or so.  I got my 50 yard pitches to a 1 Hcp and my putting to about a 5 Hcp.   Dropping my putting HcP from 22 to 5 was only worth about 3 shots on my scoring average, which is sort of counter intuitive if one believes the putting for dough saw.  All quite anecdotal but my personal experience shows that an absolutely miserable putter can shoot around par if they are a stellar driver of the ball.  In the past, if I had a 50 yard pitch, inside 15 feet would have been acceptable and I would rarely convert.  Now, I expect/hope to be inside 6 feet and convert fairly often because I get it closer and I putt better.   One of my buddies would always lay up to 100 yards on par 5 holes even though he could get it to 40-50 yards (he is not long).  If he just practiced that shot, he would have it 5-6 times per round and probably make birdie once and par all other times.  On the other hand, he probably makes a bogie once per round on the layups.

In my opinion, learning the lessons in LSW and learning your own weaknesses and improving upon them is the fastest way to improve.  I think too many golfers practice their strengths and not work on their weaknesses.  In my case, I simply did not know what to work on.

Rippy... I read every word, but remember, paragraph breaks are your friend.

[Rippy_72]

Just now, Double Mocha Man said:

Rippy... I read every word, but remember, paragraph breaks are your friend.

Ok. Sorry.  

I will go back and edit

 

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, Rippy_72 said:

Ok. Sorry.  

I will go back and edit

 

You were on a roll!  I understand.

[Rippy_72]

The best round of golf that I saw someone play was a 65 on the Fazio course at Johns Island from the tips in 25-30 mph wind. I think it was rated at 75 and 145 slope.  I played lights out and shot 74 that I was very happy with.  Young fellow shot 65 and missed two eagle putts inside 10 feet.  One could say he putted poorly if they did not appreciate all his drives were 320-350 in perfect position and he hit all greens in regulation, drove one par 4 with a 3 wood and hit all par fives in two. 

A blind person would have broken 70 if given his approach shots.  He was inside 10 feet all day long.  It was a new course record.

[Double Mocha Man]

37 minutes ago, Rippy_72 said:

The best round of golf that I saw someone play was a 65 on the Fazio course at Johns Island from the tips in 25-30 mph wind. I think it was rated at 75 and 145 slope.  I played lights out and shot 74 that I was very happy with.  Young fellow shot 65 and missed two eagle putts inside 10 feet.  One could say he putted poorly if they did not appreciate all his drives were 320-350 in perfect position and he hit all greens in regulation, drove one par 4 with a 3 wood and hit all par fives in two. 

A blind person would have broken 70 if given his approach shots.  He was inside 10 feet all day long.  It was a new course record.

Did you catch his name?  Was it Tiger???

[Rippy_72]

2 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Did you catch his name?  Was it Tiger???

Tug was his first name.

I figure top players are 10-12 shots better than me.  I shot 74 at Portrush and being all proud, the caddy told me a 15 year old shot 61 the day before.  Some kid named Rory.  No tip for the caddy that day.

[Double Mocha Man]

1 minute ago, Rippy_72 said:

Tug was his first name.

I figure top players are 10-12 shots better than me.  I shot 74 at Portrush and being all proud, the caddy told me a 15 year old shot 61 the day before.  Some kid named Rory.  No tip for the caddy that day.

Rory needs to re-visit his former teen self...

[Rippy_72]

1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Rory needs to re-visit his former teen self...

I agree.

If you ever played Royal Portrush, thinking someone could shoot 61 as a 15 year old just blows your mind.  It seems his focus or energy isn't right.  I don't know what it is.

[iacas]

4 hours ago, Rippy_72 said:

It took me probably 40 years of playing and a decade caddying to learn about 70% of what is in LSW book.  It is the best golf book I have ever read.  Period. The stats are all there.  Facts.

Wow! Thanks. I just tweeted that out. Thank you!

4 hours ago, Rippy_72 said:

In my opinion, learning the lessons in LSW and learning your own weaknesses and improving upon them is the fastest way to improve.  I think too many golfers practice their strengths and not work on their weaknesses.  In my case, I simply did not know what to work on.

LOTS of golfers love to practice their strengths. See it all the time!

[Double Mocha Man]

If I didn't practice my strengths I wouldn't have anything to practice.  Hahahahaha... 😄

[saevel25]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

LOTS of golfers love to practice their strengths. See it all the time!

Practicing strengths is easy, because you're good at it. I also think that when golfers mess up a strength of their game that it leaves more of an impact than someone resigned to their weakness. Practicing a weakness is difficult and a struggle thought it may have the biggest gains in the long run. 

[trainsmokegolf]

[iacas]

11 minutes ago, trainsmokegolf said:

Do you have a comment?

[woodzie264]

35 minutes ago, trainsmokegolf said:

Please read through the first 11 pages before making a comment about SG putting correlating with wins. 

[iacas]

Still true:

Are Tour winners more likely to be elite ball-strikers or short-game wizards?

---

Are Tour winners likelier to be wizards around the green or wonder boys from tee to green? Our analytics editor breaks it down.

 

[woodzie264]

Just saw these stats and thought of this thread:

the conversation was how JR had 3 top 10’s in last 6 starts.  That’s obviously a small sample size, but the point stands that the guy is #1 in the world and it’s his driving and approaches that are where he’s making his money.
#Drivefordough

[DrvFrShow]

I can have rounds where it looks like I can putt the lights out and I still don't break 90. 

If you have 28 strokes on the green and 61 strokes on the rest of the course, you shot 89 - yes, I did this. 

If you have 38 strokes on the green and 38 strokes on the rest of the course you shot 76. 

It doesn't boil down to the putter. Now if you're 5 putting greens you might want to look at why.