High Handicappers-The Tee Shot

[clearwaterms]

Id say that being decent with the mid to short irons is more important than being good with the driver or 3-wood off the tee.

I took my first lesson the other day. The guy asked me to take 10 swings with a mid iron (7 iron) and i was terrible. When he asked the worst part of my game, I said driving and inside 80 yards. He said great. lets fixing the driving, and I spent the rest of my hour lesson with a 9 iron in my hand.

[flanagan]

I think it's somewhat interesting that the higher the handicap the more convinced it seems one is to stand firm on the drive as "the" shot. I hate to miss fairways as much as anyone, and miss more than most anyone. But, I've had even par nines missing every fairway, and the difference between say, a 42 or a blow up 49 or 50, is generally not to be found in the driver, it's to be found in not getting up and down, whether poor chips or putts or both. When you are losing 30 or more shots to par (i.e., handicap of 28+), the short game is the reason most of the time.

For example, if you are short off the tee, and are not usually hitting greens in regulation even when in the fairway, which is probably the case if you are a 28 or 36, the wayward drive isn't very penalizing, ignoring the occasional O.B.

Someone above mentioned it was more fun to get one birdie by hitting to the fringe of a par 4, than getting more birdies by taking a presumably more conservative approach. I think more birdies = more fun. Can't speak for anyone else, but the more I work on 150 yards in, the more fun I have, as reflected on the scorecard.

[denver_nuggs_15]

If you don't hit the fairway off the tee you never get the chance to "put for dough", so from that standpoint the tee shot is the most important shot.

That's a bad reason. I have duffed drives, hit a beastly second shot to within 30 yards of the green, and then got up and down for par. I didn't hit the fairway off the tee.

I think the drive is probably the most underrated shot in terms of importance. For the vast majority of players, drives are hit with drivers and have the sole purpose of going far. How many players try to control their distance with a driver like they would with a 7 iron? That's what a drive is: hitting it far. Also, not many people try to work their drives, because most holes do not call for it. Many people tee the ball up and then swing away hoping to get another good drive...one that is far and relatively straight regardless of the ball flight. That's possibly 14 holes using the same exact shot with the same exact swing. There is no other club with which you do this. Putts go different distances. You can lag a putt to the hole to gimme range or ram one to the back of the cup depending on how far away you are. You always change your backswing, so it's not the same shot. Shots into the green cover a huge category of shots. From 175 to 115, I can choose from 7 clubs while using a full swing and without working the ball. (I could also choose a stronger club and cut it.) Let's face it, no one should hit a 5 iron like a wedge; the swings should be different. The short game is important, but there is no single shot that is repeated 14 times per round. Even if there were, the shot would have to travel different distances everytime...therefore, it's not the same shot. Whenever I play, the more fairways I hit, the better my score. If you hit the fairway, you can hit the green and get a par. If you hit the rough, your chances greatly diminish. If you hit OB, forget about par.

[TheLauncher]

For myself, no one shot more consistently elicits compliments from my playing partners than those off the driver. Waiting for you second shot as three other lower handicappers hit before you offers some confidence, but it belies the sad truth (for me :) ) that the magic happens from the approach on in. So the drive can be important for the confidence building of the higher handicapper, but longer shots do not always mean fewer strokes. Its a tough when the best 30% of your drives make you look like a hero, and the worst 30% cost you 10 strokes. It's really only the best of the best who can bomb drives consistently enough to leave scoring irons in, the rest of us should be trying not to lose it. But damn, that's hard.

[meenman]

I could almost take either side of this argument.

I currently drive the ball about 60-80 yards more than I did before.

With my longer drives I do have more penalty strokes added (1/2 on drives, the other half on my 2nd shots not knowing my distances as those have gone up too).

At this point I have dropped about 5 strokes over the last 2 months (basically when I started to hit cleaner shots overall)

[GaijinGolfer]

You could also make the arguement that if you want to score well, you need to have the total package: driving, irons, wedges and putter.

[Brakkus]

I'm not a high handicap because I take foolish risks,I'm a high handicap because I have been playing less than 2 years.I haven't put my whole game together yet.

Consider this on a 400 yard par 4 hole I decide on a hybrid 20 degree.I top the ball less than 50 yards.To start I'm looking to reach the green in two but know that likely I will be playing for 3 into the green with 2 putts for a 5.

Now though I still have 360 in.Lets say I take a 5 iron leaving me a 7 iron into the green I could still make 5 but now I need to hit that green from 150-160 out.Because I'm a high handicap chances are I may miss just leaving an up and down for 5.

Unlikely so really when this happens you are looking at a 6 at best and probably a seven,and it's all well and good to say work on the short game,but really it's all about a consistent swing,because I can nail targets at the ran ge when I hit 60 SW constantly,but it's another thing when there's 5 mins between shots and you are changing clubs all the time.

That's why the tee shot i say is the most important for the high handicap regardless of his strategy,even if you are conservatively playing 3 shots to the green on long par4's or 5's you still need 3 clean contacts.That's hard if you are averaging 100.You lose strokes on all parts of the course not primarily the short game.

[flanagan]

The 6 probably 7 you are talking about isn't the result of a bad drive. You've already painted the scenario where 5 is still an option with a poor drive, which it normally will be. You are not making 6s and 7s or worse because of poor drives. If you are shooting 110, almost 90 percent of your strokes are attributable to something other than your drive.

I believe that you believe the drive is most important to you, and that's great, but I disagree it's the most important shot for a 28 handicap.

You are going to get most of your drives out there somewhere, and if it is as bleak as the picture you are painting, a good drive won't help that much, you'll be taking those additional 5 or 6 shots per hole and that is where you save strokes. Be positive. You say it is unlikely you will get up and down --- change that attitude. You can practice and get to where you can get up and down more often than not, and your scores will be much lower.

Obviously, you want to get solid fundamentals and a swing that works, but don't talk yourself out of working on your short game (5 mins between shots, what's that about?). Take a tip from your man Faldo, express the positive about what you are going to do.

[Fourputt]

It does absolutely no good to hit a great drive, then chunk a pitch, skull a chip, and tree jack once you hit the green. You may have felt wonderful walking up the fairway to your tee shot, but you are going to feel like crap heading to the next tee after that performance around the green. At the same time, having a dynamite short game wouldn't be of much help if you're lying 6 before you get to make use of it.

IMO, the key is to have a reasonably competent short game and still be able to keep the ball in play until you get to use it. Keeping in play doesn't not mean bombing a 280 yard drive 40 yard off the fairway. It may mean hitting a 190 yard hybrid that's just in the light rough, then hitting another hybrid to within 10 or 20 yards of the green. NOW you can use that reasonably competent (not necessarily perfect) short game and accomplish something with it.

A good short game combined with good course management is the real key to starting to bring your scores down.

[goblue107501]

Would anyone agree with me that the tee shot is probably the most important shot for those in the 20-28 range?

I completely agree with this. I think a few people misinterpreted the question. I don't think he means hitting a driver 275 down the middle on every hole. I take it as meaning just getting off the tee and advancing down the hole is very important for a below average player. Anytime a player hits a poor tee shot it makes that hole harder. That is why he deems it the most important.

Back when I first started playing I can remember wanting so badly to hit a good tee shot on each hole. It didn't matter if it was with a driver or 3-wood or 6-iron, I just wanted to get the ball down the hole. Not necessarily in the fairway even, I just wanted the ball in the air and advancing toward the green and not OB. Topping the ball or looking up and rolling it 60 yards meant for a long hole. A good tee shot can set up an iron to the green. If you miss the green with that shot you can chip on and still have a putt at par. Probably won't make it, but at least the chance was there. Hit the tee shot OB or in the water or to ladies tee box and you have no chance for a score. There are a ton of scenarios in which you could par with a bad tee shot by hitting great shots elsewhere, or making a triple from the fairway. Bad shots are out there for everyone. When I started out, I would rather my bad shots not be from the tee box. At least that way I started out having a chance. Personally, I think the short game (chipping and putting) is the most important for scoring. I am an above average player and I have learned how to recover from a bad tee shot and still score, so the tee shot isn't the most important shot for me. I could easily see how someone feels it is an important shot for them.

[Doctorfro]

Much is said about having a good short game but getting off the tee effectively is huge. Keeping it in play with decent distance helps getting around the course.

[mkrolewski]

As a high handicapper, I would still say there is a lot to say for a good tee shot. For me, 220-250 is great. At least for the newer course, that gives me a chance at par. If I drop back to 180-200 yd tee shot, I am basically adding another stroke on most holes as my long iron play is very sad. Really duff the tee shot, and well.

Granted, I really need work on my iron play. I have to get to the green. I am 2 putting right now -- but +2 on every hole on average. This really is the combination of bad iron and inadequate approaches.

But with a reasonable tee shot -- and driver is my best club , the hole looks a lot better to me. I have a belief, I might be able to do it.

[flanagan]

I understood the original post, and if you say your drive sets the tone for the round, I think you have overemphasized its importance. You can tell if this guy hits a bad drive the round is lost, or the hole is over. Just on the internet, he's talked himself into a 7. That mindset is a killer, especially when one is working to improve and needs to be positive about the game. Take some pressure off yourself.

[Chas]

It all depends on where you are with your game. My short game is definitely improving (long way to go though ....), my mid-irons are passable for now. Sometimes I pull off par after a not-so-pretty drive - I love doing that. But right now what's most limiting in my game is my erratic driving. When I miss it's often rather badly, resulting in at least one shot lost right there. Not good. So I've started using 3W off the tee and driver only when it's an open setup at about 250 yards, i.e. not too damaging if pushed or hooked.

230 yards with the 3W is just fine if I'm on the blasted fairway. That club feels so short and controllable compared to driver right now. 250 or more is no good if I'm up the creek without a paddle.

The effect on my scores of this simple change is quite dramatic, we'll see if it holds.

In short, it all depends on where you're at in your game's development ...........

[ryohazuki222]

So recently I've gotten the hang of driving with reasonable control for the far distance (previously I pretty much hit 3 woods off the tee 200-250... averaging maybe middle of that.) Now I'm driving 200-300 with decent control (240-260 being the most hit numbers I guess.)

Anyway... now I don't know how to play golf anymore! My goal is 5 on every hole and most holes go like: tee shot, long-mid iron shot, wedge shot, putt(s).

Now I'm at the mid-short irons (and in wedge range for a lot of people, but I just cant hit a full wedge...) and I don't know what to do with myself... haven't hit those clubs in ages!

As per the the topic. A bad drive costs me 0-2 strokes. A good drive costs me 0-1 strokes! Since I guess I get too hyped up thinking I'm awesome, I usually follows my most awesome drives with a flub.

It's definitely waaaaaayyy more mentally easy to play golf with a good tee shot though. Whether or not the score difference matters per hole.... over a round it really builds up the pressure... and costs later on in the round.

People keeps trying to say tee shot is most important, short game is most important, putting is most important.

I think they're all very important :) As I am now, I hit amazing shots almost every hole. But I almost NEVER hit a good shot every shot of a hole.

[RocktimusPryme]

I agree to a certain extent. The driver is the only club in my bag that can really sneak up and bite me most of the time. If I misshit a 7 iron chances are I just need to hit a recovery shot. The Driver is the only club that will really go out of wack, such as Ob shots, and those really hurt.

[Brakkus]

Well I think a lot of people didn't get the full gist of the OP.I did mean any club in your hand,because you are furthest away from the green and it really hurts the score on the hole.I can admit that the scenario I have painted smacks of defeat but I was debating the point to a full conclusion so we could have a rounded viewpoint on it.

At the end of the day I know I'm improving all the time and I really don't have a problem with my mindset,but then again I accept the truth that at my current handicap according to my stats I'm not the greatest golfer.That's not a problem for me.

It takes pressure off me because then I can go out and play without expectation.Funnily enough using a free handicap tracker was the best thing I could have done because it's all there in percentages.I've dropped over 15 strokes in a year.

For everyone of differing ability here then certain shots might cost them more than others,but when you're at my current level then getting the ball in a good position as someone else said makes the hole look a lot different.

[denver_nuggs_15]

I understood the original post, and if you say your drive sets the tone for the round, I think you have overemphasized its importance. You can tell if this guy hits a bad drive the round is lost, or the hole is over. Just on the internet, he's talked himself into a 7. That mindset is a killer, especially when one is working to improve and needs to be positive about the game. Take some pressure off yourself.

If it's the most important shot for him, then he's not overemphasizing the importance.

It's the only shot that a 20-28 handicap will repeat 12-14 times per round. Tee it up, aim, and swing. They won't hit a 7 iron 14 times, or have the same exact chip 14 times, etc. If you are going to do the same exact shot 14 times/round, why not practice it. While I don't agree that it is the most important part of the game, it is the most important single shot. Bad drives=bad scores for high hcpers. Good drives=not as bad for hhcpers.