Would You Rather…?

[HJJ003]

2 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

From a scoring perspective I think taking the straight drives should be my answer....but its not. I actually like how recovery shots are such a challenging and compelling part of the game so I would take making everything inside 10 feet on the putting green. Would have been nice this year as I have missed multiple putts inside 5 feet for birdie! 😑

[coachjimsc]

3 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

At first I was going to say hole every putt inside 10 feet. Then I decided to do the comparison with an actual round I played in August at Mid Pines in Southern Pines, NC.

---

View this round on GAME GOLF

I shot 79. Had 7 putts from 3-9 foot range. Made 3 and missed 4.

Based on that alone I would shoot 75.

My Game Golf longest drive for my last 160 rounds is:

Then I did a spreadsheet of 323 yard drive vs. Actual drives hit.

Looking at this I would be on three of the Par 5’s in two and a decent chance to be on all four. I was 3 over on those on my actual drives and would be at least 3 under on the 323 yd drives. That’s 6 strokes right there.

I was 1 over on the Par 4’s from my drives. On the 323 yd drives the farthest out I would be is 77 yds and be on the green twice. I wouldn’t make many if any bogies from those yardages. I gave myself a few birdies from the closer ones and the ones I drove the green. That would put me at 6 under for the Par 4’s.

12 strokes total. I know this is only one round but geezz, for me that’s not even close.

323 yard drives for the rest of my life. Woohoo

[iacas]

4 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

Statistically, this is a good question for a lot of people, because you're going to find better players that will correctly choose the putts, and poorer players that will correctly choose the driving as they lose a LOT of shots there and don't even have too many putts of 10' or less.

For me, I'm going with the putting. There are times when hitting a ball my max distance - even if it's dead straight - will actually take driver out of my hands, because it's through the end of a fairway and into a ravine or something. There are other times when it might not gain me anything at all - because the ball already runs down to the bottom of a hill and collects in a similar spot regardless. The accuracy would be nice, sure, but since it's only my driver it's a bit limited. And heck, sometimes I'm better off in the right rough than "the center of the fairway."

I'm a pretty damn good putter, but by making everything inside of 10', I could play more aggressively throughout my round. I could take on pins that I wouldn't otherwise take on because I'd have to be in a pretty damn tough spot not to get my short game shot to within 10' - a guaranteed par. So I'd make a few more birdies and almost eliminate all failed up-and-down attempts, too. I'd look at shaving five or six shots off my current game, while the driving might only take off two or three (largely dependent on the course being played). Maybe four.

But, even though I'm a great putter, the game's best putters still only make 60% from 8' pretty regularly, and 10' about 40-45% of the time. I could change my game to take advantage of that - I'd charge more longer putts knowing I couldn't even three-putt. I could be more aggressive on approach shots. Take easier pitches and chips that just get inside 10'. Etc.

[mcanadiens]

4 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

I can make putts occasionally.

Hitting a driver has never been anything more than a coincidence.

Hands down, the driver.

Edited October 24, 2019 by mcanadiens

[Vinsk]

4 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

I’ll take the putts under 10’ all day. My tee shots aren’t my nemesis. It’s my approach shots, my irons. Hell I might be one who neither one would always help me..lol. 

[NM Golf]

4 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

Good Question. I would rather make every putt. My driving is the strongest part of my game. I hit the ball a long way and do an overall decent job of keeping it in play. 

I have many rounds where giving me all my drives in the center of the fairway wouldn't even help my score, whereas I don't have many (if any) rounds where I hole everything from inside 10'. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

58 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

Good Question. I would rather make every putt. My driving is the strongest part of my game. I hit the ball a long way and do an overall decent job of keeping it in play. 

I have many rounds where giving me all my drives in the center of the fairway wouldn't even help my score, whereas I don't have many (if any) rounds where I hole everything from inside 10'. 

 

Make it 15 feet and I'm in!  😊

[Wally Fairway]

5 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

Taking the 10 footers as gimmies would be my choice, driver isn't that big of an issue & I'd hit it 14 times a round max, likely less than that. 
(Good question)

[David in FL]

2 hours ago, coachjimsc said:

At first I was going to say hole every putt inside 10 feet. Then I decided to do the comparison with an actual round I played in August at Mid Pines in Southern Pines, NC.

---

View this round on GAME GOLF

I shot 79. Had 7 putts from 3-9 foot range. Made 3 and missed 4.

Based on that alone I would shoot 75.

My Game Golf longest drive for my last 160 rounds is:

Then I did a spreadsheet of 323 yard drive vs. Actual drives hit.

Looking at this I would be on three of the Par 5’s in two and a decent chance to be on all four. I was 3 over on those on my actual drives and would be at least 3 under on the 323 yd drives. That’s 6 strokes right there.

I was 1 over on the Par 4’s from my drives. On the 323 yd drives the farthest out I would be is 77 yds and be on the green twice. I wouldn’t make many if any bogies from those yardages. I gave myself a few birdies from the closer ones and the ones I drove the green. That would put me at 6 under for the Par 4’s.

12 strokes total. I know this is only one round but geezz, for me that’s not even close.

323 yard drives for the rest of my life. Woohoo

Good info.  Now, in those last 160 rounds, how many 3-putts did you have?  By guaranteeing no misses under 10’, virtually all of them....ok, let’s  call it 95%...should be eliminated.

Not questioning your choice.  Just surprised.

Edited October 24, 2019 by David in FL

[ChetlovesMer]

2 hours ago, coachjimsc said:

I shot 79. Had 7 putts from 3-9 foot range. Made 3 and missed 4.

Based on that alone I would shoot 75.

3 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Good info.  Now, in those last 160 rounds, how many 3-putts did you have?  By guaranteeing no misses under 10’, virtually all of them....ok, let’s  call it 95%...should be eliminated.

I’m betting the difference is more than 12 strokes.   🙂 

 

David, the man said he had 7 putts under 10 feet. He missed 4

Therefore the difference is 4 not 12. 

Assuming he can 2 putt every time from inside 10 feet, then the difference is 4. 

[Bonvivant]

6 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

I am taking putts but the logic is different from everyone else so far I think, and I have 3 reasons.

1.) Making everything inside 10 ft means that I would basically never ever ever have to practice putting, leaving more time for practicing full swing. 

2.) This would turn lots of pars I have into birdies. Hell, it would turn lots of pars pros have into birdies.

3.) My current best drives are somewhere around the total distance of 250 yards, which isn't that impressive. I can always work on being longer and straighter off the tee, but you can only get so good at putting.

[Double Mocha Man]

3 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

I am taking putts but the logic is different from everyone else so far I think, and I have 3 reasons.

1.) Making everything inside 10 ft means that I would basically never ever ever have to practice putting, leaving more time for practicing full swing. 

2.) This would turn lots of pars I have into birdies. Hell, it would turn lots of pars pros have into birdies.

3.) My current best drives are somewhere around the total distance of 250 yards, which isn't that impressive. I can always work on being longer and straighter off the tee, but you can only get so good at putting.

And those "spike marks" always knock the putt off line.  There are no spike marks in the air on your drives.

[mcanadiens]

4 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

And those "spike marks" always knock the putt off line.  There are no spike marks in the air on your drives.

Wanna bet?

[Bonvivant]

3 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

And those "spike marks" always knock the putt off line.  There are no spike marks in the air on your drives.

I didn't even think of this in my reasoning, but definitely a valuable point. The air is relatively consistent (with the exception of wind which can be judged more than green and green quality variance), where the green is potentially fraught with danger depending on how well the course is kept + the groups in front of you that are not taking care of the green.

[David in FL]

8 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

David, the man said he had 7 putts under 10 feet. He missed 4

Therefore the difference is 4 not 12. 

Assuming he can 2 putt every time from inside 10 feet, then the difference is 4. 

I misspoke and corrected my comment.  You caught it before I did so.

I’m still surprised by any good player that wouldn’t take virtually eliminating 3-putts and improving up and downs considerably.  Again, not arguing their choice, just surprised.  I guess that’s why this one is a good question.

[ChetlovesMer]

5 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

1.) Making everything inside 10 ft means that I would basically never ever ever have to practice putting, leaving more time for practicing full swing. 

That's an interesting thought I didn't even consider. However, at this moment in time I practice the driver way more than I practice putting. By your rationale I wouldn't have to practice the driver any more. Taking it one step further. I have to go to a driving range to practice the driver. I can practice putting at home at least to some degree. And if I do go to the range to practice putting, it's free. Range balls cost money. So, being great at the driver would save me cash. 

[Bonvivant]

7 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

That's an interesting thought I didn't even consider. However, at this moment in time I practice the driver way more than I practice putting. By your rationale I wouldn't have to practice the driver any more. Taking it one step further. I have to go to a driving range to practice the driver. I can practice putting at home at least to some degree. And if I do go to the range to practice putting, it's free. Range balls cost money. So, being great at the driver would save me cash. 

I'm not trying to save money, just strokes. If I wanted a cheap hobby, I wouldn't have chose golf.

[ChetlovesMer]

2 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

I'm not trying to save money, just strokes. If I wanted a cheap hobby, I wouldn't have chose golf.

I think either way I'd have to pick the driver. My good drives are REALLY good, my bad drives can be REALLY bad. 

Would You Rather… #3: Would you rather hit your best drive (i.e. if your maximum drive is 250, then hit it 250, if your max is 300, then its 300, etc...) to the center of the fairway every time you tee off from now on. OR would you rather hole every putt from inside 10 feet from now on? 

I'm taking the drives. My driver has bad stretches and good stretches. During the bad stretches golf is really hard and not as much fun. 

Also, if I have a bad day with the putter, it doesn't "feel" like I played awful. When I have a bad day with the driver it feels like I played awful.