How Many Pure Shots per Round?

[Lihu]

I answered 1-3 based, but should clarify that it’s only what I consider good based upon my skill. Better players would likely not think that if they had hit the same shot.

So, if I tee off with a 3W between 220 and 245 yards, I’m quite happy if it lands somewhat on the fairway. 😊

[shanksalot]

Todays clubs are so forgiving it is hard to tell if you "pure" a shot or not. If you had to play with persimmons and or 1960 circa blades you would find you probably don't hit more that a few at best. If Hogan could only hit a few pure each round not many of us could do that except for the elite players. When I was playing to a mid single digit handicap I hit a lot of really good shots with my irons, but today I can't really tell if I hit a short really well or not. I did not answer the question, but if I had I would say at best maybe one shot  every half dozen rounds. With my driver I hit usually all but a few fairways. Yet I can not say I hit one pure. The driver is so forgiving today every shot feels like it is pure. 

[Killa]

I voted in the 1-3 category and was surprised by the poll results. 

At the end of the day when I mentally go through my round I’m always negatively surprised of how little shots I’m really happy with. 

[dagolfer18]

I just hit a really good shot the other day. I was sitting about 110 out and I hit a gap wedge. It felt like a beauty and took off towards the green. It touched down about 10 or 12 feet to the left of the pin. Best shot of the round.

[DennisMiller]

I really object to being called a liar because I said I hit about 1/3rd of my full shots square. The fact is, I can hit a shot pure as hell and still miss a green, have a bad day with my short game and shoot a lousy score.

[Vinsk]

7 minutes ago, DennisMiller said:

I really object to being called a liar because I said I hit about 1/3rd of my full shots square.

That’s not the question. Square doesn’t always mean pure.

[DennisMiller]

Just now, Vinsk said:

That’s not the question. Square doesn’t always mean pure.

Then perfectly, clearly define "PURE" as opposed to playing games of semantics.

[Vinsk]

1 minute ago, DennisMiller said:

Then perfectly, clearly define "PURE" as opposed to playing games of semantics.

@iacas did that well enough in the OP. Square is just the position of the club face at impact. You can have a square club face and still hit towards the heel/toe which isn’t a pure shot.

[phillyk]

16 minutes ago, DennisMiller said:

The fact is, I can hit a shot pure as hell and still miss a green, have a bad day with my short game and shoot a lousy score.

Accuracy counts

On 9/19/2019 at 2:12 PM, iacas said:

Directionality counts. If you hit one absolutely flush but the face was 10° open and the ball sails 30 yards right… that's not a "pure shot".

So unless you are intentionally aiming off the green, those would not be pure shots.

[uitar9]

I voted 4 to 6. I play a relatively short par 68 with 7 par 3's, each with their own physical difficulty, (water, downhill elevation, uphill blind green) and the rest demanding a lot of iron shots. Its really improved my full swing iron play. Last couple of months been feeling much more confident with full swing 7 through 9 iron.

[DennisMiller]

Does "pure" demand the shot be in a specific part of the fairway on a tee shot or a specific part of the green on a shot from the fairway? Are we talking about hitting it up to pro tour standards within our own distance capabilities here?

You initially stated we didn't want to consider chips, etc., so I take that to mean we're only talking about full shots.

If I aim at the left or right edge of a fairway, intending to hit a fade or a draw, then hit what feels like the center of the face and the ball does what I intended, is that pure? Personally,, and again, forgive the semantics, I'd call that square.

If I hit a 5 iron from the fairway and it fades or draws as I intended, but it lands to the left or right of the pin instead of directly in line with the pin, is that square or pure?

I'm really not trying to argue... honestly, I'm not, but I think we are saying the same thing differently.

If you want to state the poll into the realm of the doubtful, I'd say someone who claims to hit 25 or so pure might be stretching things. I'm thinking about plenty of guys I know who are around 10 handicaps. I'd have no doubts saying they hit about 1/3rd of their shots as they intend to, on the center of the face and on the line they intend.

 

[David in FL]

Interestingly, my “best shot of the week” that I mentioned in that thread, wasn’t one of my 2 “pure” shots during the round...

[billchao]

46 minutes ago, DennisMiller said:

If I hit a 5 iron from the fairway and it fades or draws as I intended, but it lands to the left or right of the pin instead of directly in line with the pin, is that square or pure?

A pured shot IMO is one where you strike it on the sweetspot and it takes the trajectory and flight you envisioned and lands on your intended target.

If the flag is on the right side of the green and I'm aiming for the center and the shot ends up being tap-in distance away, that's not a pured shot, it's a slight miss. It's a good golf shot, just not pured.

26 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Interestingly, my “best shot of the week” that I mentioned in that thread, wasn’t one of my 2 “pure” shots during the round...

That happens to me often. There's a good chance sticking it close on my approach shot was completely by accident.

[David in FL]

26 minutes ago, billchao said:

That happens to me often. There's a good chance sticking it close on my approach shot was completely by accident.

True dat!

Still, it was a damn good shot, but not quite pure.  Just a touch toey.  Well struck and a great result don’t necessarily mean “pure”.

I’ve also hit plenty of “pure” shots with less than optimal results.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, David in FL said:

Interestingly, my “best shot of the week” that I mentioned in that thread, wasn’t one of my 2 “pure” shots during the round...

Same here. My drive that cut that corner wasn’t a pure strike it just happened to have the exact trajectory and curve that I wanted. 

1 minute ago, David in FL said:

I’ve also hit plenty of “pure” shots with less than optimal results.

That was @billchao‘s 8i on 18 at Celebration. What was that 185-190? Middle of the green was 165yd IIRC...in Bermuda...Bill absolutely flushed his 8i 20-30yds off the back of the green right online with the flag. Had that flag been 185-190yds away...I’d call that a tour quality pure strike. And no, it wasn’t thinned nor a stinger..it was way way high and just went forever.

[billchao]

49 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

That was @billchao‘s 8i on 18 at Celebration. What was that 185-190? Middle of the green was 165yd IIRC...in Bermuda...Bill absolutely flushed his 8i 20-30yds off the back of the green right online with the flag. Had that flag been 185-190yds away...I’d call that a tour quality pure strike. And no, it wasn’t thinned nor a stinger..it was way way high and just went forever.

Swing hard in case you hit the ball, right?

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, billchao said:

Swing hard in case you hit the ball, right?

Damn right! If ya gonna be a bear...be a grizzly...

[DeadMan]

I thought about this a bit, and I think I'm in the 4-6 range. And I have a lot of shots that are pretty close to solid but not quite there. I hit a lot of very not solid shots with my driver that end up pretty okay still.