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


Mr Puddle
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10 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

If driving distance is so high on the "to get low scores list", how come none of these long drive guys that can hit it 380/400+ yards cant even earn a spot on the lower tours? 

Usable driving distance is high on the list.  Usable means in play, not in the trees, not in the water.  Those long drive guys get 8 tries to get one in play.  On the course, every one has to count.  And of course, driving distance is just one of the items on the list, its not the ONLY item on the list.

Dave

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There's a guy in my city who pitched for the local high school team, bulked up, then later was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching in their minor leagues for a couple of years.  He then competed in two national long-drive competitions.  Now he's just a regular golfer, long hitter, with a scratch handicap.  So if you reign yourself in, learn all the finesse shots, you can become a competent all-around golfer.

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11 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

If driving distance is so high on the "to get low scores list", how come none of these long drive guys that can hit it 380/400+ yards cant even earn a spot on the lower tours? 

You just discribed my oldest Grandson. Great football player, and wrestler. Just a big, naturally strong kid. 

He can hit a 10.5* driver consistently, 300+ yards. He can max out some driving ranges using range balls. He can also keep these long bombs in, or near the fairways.

Longer approach shots with a 3W, off the turf, same thing, but less yardage. 240-260 range

Once he gets into pitch, chip, or putt range of the hole, he can't grasp the concept of a shorter, abbreviated swing/stroke. He has no finesse game what so ever. 

Lord knows I have tried to teach him.....lol

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A whole bunch of Tour Edge golf stuff...... :beer:

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29 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

If driving distance is so high on the "to get low scores list", how come none of these long drive guys that can hit it 380/400+ yards cant even earn a spot on the lower tours? 

You are assuming that is "be-all end-all" proposition.  Your fallacy in logic is assuming that is the only factor.

Driving distance is ONE of the factors.  It is a relatively more important factor compared to, say, putting.

It's like saying, if a wide receiver is fast, he should be the best.  With that logic Usain Bolt should be the best wide receiver in football -  if he played.  But that is not the only factor that makes a wide receiver a good wide receiver.

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Don

:titleist: 910 D2, 8.5˚, Adila RIP 60 S-Flex
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1 hour ago, TRUCKER said:

If driving distance is so high on the "to get low scores list", how come none of these long drive guys that can hit it 380/400+ yards cant even earn a spot on the lower tours? 

not just that...  but, have you watched those long drive competitions?   They very infrequently hit what would be the fairway.   and some times they'll hook or slice one what would be 3 fairways over.  

A great driver does not just Drive the ball far.   It's how far can you drive it accurately.    I bet they lose 60+ years of distance if they have to remain accurate.   well, you take 60+ yards off of a 380 guy, you've got someone that tops out at 320.   or, nothing too special on the PGA tour.   Rory constantly hits the ball that long and also excels to a professional level at every other aspect of the game.   Even if they could be accurate enough at 350, PGA players make up so many more strokes on the other parts of the game that the extra 20-30 yards would not be close to enough to overcome.  

 

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Just like that guy who plays that hole on YouTube...trying to hit the green with his tee shot on that par 4 or 5? Yeah...he finally reached it but he would be lying like 8.

Edited by Vinsk

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On 6/27/2019 at 12:53 PM, mcanadiens said:

My typically vital approach shot after an unimportant yet awful drive.

Related image

I’m usually in that nook within the root too...

On 6/27/2019 at 12:55 PM, IowaGreg said:

@mcanadiens got room in your bag?

Husqvarna 120 Mark II 16 in. Gas Chainsaws, Orange/Gray

:-D

If it abided by USGA rules... 👀

 

Back to the topic, there’s no was putting is more important than driving. How can anyone actually think that!?!***

 

***Hey, this topic is obviously going to be greeted with a one sided answer on any golf forum! Might as well be controversial too 😂😂😁😂

On 6/25/2019 at 2:06 AM, Mr Puddle said:

A term I have heard over and over again, but is it actually true. I played a medal on Sunday, and whilst my short game was unusually good, my driving let me down. This is unusual, as my tee shots are traditionally the best part of game, and the following day when I played they were outstanding (I say it myself). I play on a very tight course, and if you don't get your tee shot right, nine out of ten times you will end up in trouble, and almost certainly have to sacrifice a shot. I would say that on the day in question I lost at least ten shots to bad drives and tee shots. Now, as bad as my putting has been on occasions, I don't think I have ever lost that many shots due to what happened on the green I don't think anybody with a handicap above single figures needs to be a big hitter, but if you can't hit the ball straight off of the tee, I would argue it can be worse than putting badly. Your opinion gentlemen !!

Yeah, putting more important than driving... That saying is really funny! 😂😂😂

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Maybe it is just me, but my lowest scores always come when I am driving the ball well and hitting fairways.  I am not long off the tee averaging  267 with my driver, but the days I hit fairways, I always hit a lot more greens in regulation.  Which means more pars.

I am not great at chipping, even though I will usually get it on the green, I am not good enough to get up and down from there more than 30% of the time.

Also have to say the game is a heck of a lot more fun when you aren't looking around the weeds for your ball.  

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Does anyone feel like it might matter where you play? For example, sometimes I play Palmetto, that's pretty open and the rough isn't very penal. There are few trees and a shot in the rough is often preferable to the fairway on a long hole where it takes me a hybrid or 3 wood to have any chance of getting to the green, even from forward tees.

On the other hand, Killian Greens, where I play most, runs through a subdivision of homes and forest land behind the homes. Off the fairway there is almost always going to make you play out with little chance to get on the green.

I'd say at Palmetto, I putt for dough and at Killain Greens, to putt for dough, I definitely need to drive for show first.

I've had a good day if I don't fall out of the cart...

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1 hour ago, DennisMiller said:

Does anyone feel like it might matter where you play? For example, sometimes I play Palmetto, that's pretty open and the rough isn't very penal. There are few trees and a shot in the rough is often preferable to the fairway on a long hole where it takes me a hybrid or 3 wood to have any chance of getting to the green, even from forward tees.

On the other hand, Killian Greens, where I play most, runs through a subdivision of homes and forest land behind the homes. Off the fairway there is almost always going to make you play out with little chance to get on the green.

I'd say at Palmetto, I putt for dough and at Killain Greens, to putt for dough, I definitely need to drive for show first.

Not me.

My best day ever putting, can’t make up for a poor day driving...

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I have always been a good putter. Probably why I was shooting 108 and not 126. After I got my driver longer and more consistent I can shoot in the eighties.  

LSW is right.  

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1 hour ago, DennisMiller said:

Does anyone feel like it might matter where you play? For example, sometimes I play Palmetto, that's pretty open and the rough isn't very penal. There are few trees and a shot in the rough is often preferable to the fairway on a long hole where it takes me a hybrid or 3 wood to have any chance of getting to the green, even from forward tees.

On the other hand, Killian Greens, where I play most, runs through a subdivision of homes and forest land behind the homes. Off the fairway there is almost always going to make you play out with little chance to get on the green.

I'd say at Palmetto, I putt for dough and at Killain Greens, to putt for dough, I definitely need to drive for show first.

I play a lot of different courses, never have played the 2 you mentioned they sound fun.  At first I thought where I played mattered as you mentioned.  But in time I have found not so much.  Granted a 141 slope course vs a 98 slope course tends to make golf more challenging but

Hitting greens in regulation is probably the item that indicates how I will or will not score.  

My example that really drove the point home for me.  Monday I played my first round of golf in 7+ weeks due to injury.  The front 9 I was very happy with how I was hitting the ball, in fact pleasantly surprised.  I had 16 putts but I did not hit  1 green in regulation.  I was 7 over par, 2 pars and 5 bogeys.

As I started the back nine I focused on hitting greens in regulation.  It paid off!  I actually had 17 putts but I was 3 over par for the back nine. I had 2 birdies, 3 pars, 3 bogeys and I double bogeyed 18!

In summation I had 1 more putt the back nine then the front nine but I was 4 strokes better because I started hitting greens in regulation.

- Dean

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27 minutes ago, djake said:

Hitting greens in regulation is probably the item that indicates how I will or will not score.

That was exactly my point. Maybe i should have emphasized it more explicitly.

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I've had a good day if I don't fall out of the cart...

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If I am not warmed up, I will hit my 3 wood off the tee my first ball and play a fairway instead of slicing out into the rough. 

I find my 2nd shot to the green to be more important than my tee off being long. Fortunately, where I play I can hit my #3 wood off the tee and still make my 2nd shot to the green. 

I hate being on the far end of the green and 3 putting. 

However, if I can warm up a little, I can usually stay in the fairway. Where I play, the edge of the fairway has taller grass and is a little more difficult to hit. Staying in the fairway is critical if you want to shoot in the low 80's. (Welll, duh!) 😄 

What I am saying is it seems like most pros can recover from a bad shot easier than I can. I HAVE TO stay in the fairway to play well. I just don't have the skill and ability to make spectacular recovery shots. 

My short game has won me a lot of games. (Inside 100 yards) 

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3 hours ago, DennisMiller said:

Does anyone feel like it might matter where you play? For example, sometimes I play Palmetto, that's pretty open and the rough isn't very penal. There are few trees and a shot in the rough is often preferable to the fairway on a long hole where it takes me a hybrid or 3 wood to have any chance of getting to the green, even from forward tees.

On the other hand, Killian Greens, where I play most, runs through a subdivision of homes and forest land behind the homes. Off the fairway there is almost always going to make you play out with little chance to get on the green.

I'd say at Palmetto, I putt for dough and at Killain Greens, to putt for dough, I definitely need to drive for show first.

The style of the course can matter a little, but on the whole, the changes are pretty small. Good drivers are still able to separate themselves over poorer drivers on wide open courses. Their ball goes farther and gets closer to the hole and in better lies more often enough that there is still Separation Value® there.

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9 minutes ago, RetiredOldMan said:

 I find my 2nd shot to the green to be more important than my tee off being long.

The longer you hit off the tee the easier your 2nd shot to the green will be.

9 minutes ago, RetiredOldMan said:

I HAVE TO stay in the fairway to play well. I just don't have the skill and ability to make spectacular recovery shots. 

I know you are talking about your specific course and your specific abilities, but that is not true for the majority of golfers.

Most golfers will hit it closer to the hole on average from 120 yds in the rough than 160 yds in the fairway. 

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3 hours ago, DennisMiller said:

Does anyone feel like it might matter where you play? For example, sometimes I play Palmetto, that's pretty open and the rough isn't very penal. There are few trees and a shot in the rough is often preferable to the fairway on a long hole where it takes me a hybrid or 3 wood to have any chance of getting to the green, even from forward tees.

On the other hand, Killian Greens, where I play most, runs through a subdivision of homes and forest land behind the homes. Off the fairway there is almost always going to make you play out with little chance to get on the green.

I'd say at Palmetto, I putt for dough and at Killain Greens, to putt for dough, I definitely need to drive for show first.

 

1 hour ago, DennisMiller said:

That was exactly my point. Maybe i should have emphasized it more explicitly.

???  Sounds like you are sayin putting is more important, which is not true.

Given the same length putting can make the difference in score maybe +/- 5 at best.

Driving on the other hand can easily make the difference in score in double digits, if you figure penalties for OB's and hazards.

Don

:titleist: 910 D2, 8.5˚, Adila RIP 60 S-Flex
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:vokey:   Vokey wedges, 52˚; 56˚; and 60˚
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I still read/see the same misguided analyses: player takes 4 shots to reach the green then three putts and blames his putting on his poor scores.

Although possible it’s much more rare that a player is hitting high % GIR but three or four putting every hole. The OB drives, the chilly dips, skulls...( shanks of course) are all ‘mishaps’ and don’t matter as much as that 6’ putt they missed. SV is the greatest concept any golfer needs to learn.

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Note: This thread is 751 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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