Round planning

[Eeryck]

I am attempting to take a slightly different approach at course management this year and also game improvement. Previously I would go out to the course and just hit driver every hole and see what I had left. Of course on the par 5 holes I am always tempted to hit my longest club for my second shot and it typically does not work out well. So starting today I have a slightly different plan. I am planning each hole based on an low average drive at the one course I have started to play regularly this year then marking the club that I will plan to hit if the drive makes my expectation, so the course lays out as follows:

1 - 346y - DR-9I
2 - 471y - DR-8I-PW
3 - 410y - DR-5I (planning on up and down attempt)
4 - 132y - 8I
5 - 330y - DR-GW
6 - 530y - DR-5I-8I
7 - 394y - DR-5I
8 - 160y - 6I
9 - 365y - DR-7I
10 - 360y - DR-8I
11 - 480y - DR-8I-9I
12 - 400y - DR-5I (planning on up and down attempt)
13 - 182y - 3H
14 - 391y - DR-6I
15 - 485y - DR-8I-9I
16 - 340y - DR-PW
17 -135y - 8I
18 - 365y - DR-7I

I made the plan based on a 225 yard drive and the normal distance that I hit my irons. Now I realize that there will be mishits and good drives and wind and so on and so forth that will need to be taken into account. I am just wondering if this sort of plan will help me to swing easier at the ball knowing what kind of second shot I should have coming.

If I hit a shot and get in trouble I think I am going to try and play for a 1/2 GW (60y) layup or a full 9I (135y) layup and take my medicine from there.

There are no particularly tight driving holes here where I am more concerned about accuracy to use a 3W off the tee. I am just wondering if anyone else plans rounds in this sort of fashion in an attempt to swing easier on every shot. I know I can swing easy and drive the ball 225 yards. Also, all the iron shots are based on the lower end of my carry distance.

Feedback is appreciated.

Regards,
-E

[Leftygolfer]

I have never to that detail. I know what clubs I hit off the tees but that is about it. I have some idea of what clubs I will hit in but I am inconsistant so I might hit one 270 or 220.

[Eeryck]

I have never to that detail. I know what clubs I hit off the tees but that is about it. I have some idea of what clubs I will hit in but I am inconsistant so I might hit one 270 or 220.

In no way am I claiming consistancy to be able to deliver shot for shot on this type of plan.

I think I am trying to take the "hero" shots out of the mix and set some relistic ideas of what club could get me on the green. Too often I have tee'd off gotten to the ball and said "wow I still have 200 - 220 - 190 yards to go" grab a 5W-3W-3H and go for it. These have been low percentages for me so i am trying to change the focus with a plan both initial and bailout. 220 left is now a 6I with a 1/2 GW trying to make an up and down with the 60yard wedge shot. Playing for par if I make the up and down, bogey if I two putt and double if the three put comes into play. -E

[Leftygolfer]

I know exactly what you mean. A bogey on a tough hole is a good score. When I am standing on the tee of a big par 4 (450+), I have one thought. give me a 10 foot putt at par.

Having the feeling of knowing you don't have to hit your career best will help your confidence and lower your scores.

[becksfan2185]

I think if I made a really detailed plan for a round like that, I would just end up being mad at myself every time I deviated from it. Wouldn't work for me.

I do like the mental approach you're taking though - especially on the longer holes - so if writing it down helps take out the "hero" shot then that's great.

Lots of times, planning to lay up a bit farther from the green is advantageous, because you can get yourself to a comfortable distance that often doesn't have as much trouble than near the green. Whenever you watch golf on TV and a pro decides to lay up on a Par 5, he's not trying to get as close as possible with his 2nd shot. Rather, he is picking his most comfortable distance for his 3rd (70, 90, 110 yards, etc.). If you have a go-to club that you can nail down from a certain distance, then plan your approach to that spot.

[HSip]

In no way am I claiming consistancy to be able to deliver shot for shot on this type of plan.

Looks like a good solid plan. Fighting the urge to "go for it" on every shot will probably help your score. Of course you have to try to let yourself go for the hero shot every once in a while.

Good luck

[Eeryck]

I think if I made a really detailed plan for a round like that, I would just end up being mad at myself every time I deviated from it. Wouldn't work for me.

I understand what you are saying and while I am going to bring it with me, in no way am I dead set tied to it. Part of the reason I went with detail in this first go round is to see that there are a couple of par 4's that I just don't have the distance to really make a GIR in two with the clubs that I hit reasonably accurately. In other words this is helping me adjust my expectations of my game downward, instead of believing I am capable of more than I am.

Looks like a good solid plan. Fighting the urge to "go for it" on every shot will probably help your score. Of course you have to try to let yourself go for the hero shot every once in a while.

Definately will have some go for it moments again if the index starts to come down well. Can't play boring golf all the time, even if that is what makes pars.

Going out to play in about an hour and a half so I should be able to see how this works for me later tonight. -E

[Brakkus]

I recently took my driver out of my bag altogether.I had been shooting 108,109,110 range for quite a few rounds.Now it's 103,102,104 since so I have saved half a dozen strokes.
This has had a knock on effect to the rest of my game.Last time out the longest club I hit was 20" hybrid.I plan a 3 shot strategy for every hole over 380.I can challenge a hole less than that yardage because it gives me a realistic approach that can hit the green.
All of a sudden lately swing consistency has improved,and contact is becoming expected rather than hoped for.Just need to be more accurate around the greens and I could be a regular 90's shooter.
I would be tempted just to put the driver away and take a club from the tee that you know won't put you in trouble.If you can hit 200 yards then you should have plenty of chances for par on most par 4's

[TN94z]

I have never made a plan like that. About the only thing I do before standing on the actual tee box is sometimes I will go ahead and plan on leaving the driver in the bag on most holes. Other than that, I basically just play it by ear. If that works for you then it isn't a bad idea. Just don't let it backfire on you as far as getting upset when your game ends up being totally different than your plan.

[osean79]

Let me share with you, the way I went from shooting mid-high 90's to breaking 90's in a very short amount of time. I just tweaked the way how I viewed the GIR.

On Par 4's, goal was to be on green in 3, and 2 putt.
On Par 3's, 2 on - 2 putt.
On par 5's, 3 on - 2 putt... second shot is either a 7 iron or 6, which leads to a wedge for 3rd shot.

If you calculate the above, i'm going for bogey on par 4's and par 3's, and going for par on par 5's. It takes a load of stress off yourself, since you now give yourself 1 more shot to get on the green in regulation. You also start making better club selection for your second shot, which is usually your confident iron.

With that in mind, a little practice on 30-50 yd pitch shots and some putting practice, you should be shooting 14 over-par if you follow the above equation to the letter.

It also made me a smarter golfer, though I'm still working on it. Try this out, and hopefully this little change in your course management should let you score better and have more fun!

[billm408]

Wow- way too much planning on things unknown. I think it's fine to have a plan off each tee (club, distance, L or R side for approach, etc...), but planning what club to hit on approach? Too many variables IMHO.

For me, course management and having a plan is all about playing the hole backwards (green/hole to tee). Where's the flag? Where's the troublle? What side of the fairway for the best angle in? What distance off the tee leaves me a full swing approach? What club do I want to hit into the green? What club off the tee leaves me with that distance?

About the only time I'll automatically pull driver is on par 5's- to give me the option of going at it in 2- or long par 4's. Last time I played, I hit my driver 6 times... 6-10 is about average.

[opie]

1 - 346y - DR-9I

Some of my thoughts are above. If you're like me driver is the most erratic club. I would assume you could hit a 3 or 5 wood or maybe a long iron. I LOVE my 2 iron and am very confident so I made comments above were I might not hit driver.

I've obviously never seen the course, if it's wide open and you can grip it and rip it that's different than tight tree lined fairways. My scores really went down when I decided to try and stay in the fairway more even if it meant longer second shots. I don't mind 170 and in, that's still at most a 7 iron

[Eeryck]

1 - 346y - DR-9I

Added the clubs I hit getting to the green in red, did not list chips or GIR but all pitch shots are listed. With the exceptions of 7 and 18 this worked way better than I anticipated. By swinging for a 225y drive I was consistantly well past that. With the exception of the 100y drive I hit on 18 the shortest drive that I measured back to the tee with the range finder was 230y.

Furthermore, having a plan based on clubs per hole before hand took a lot of the uncertainty out of what club do I hit next. It was nice to walk up to the drive and be able to club down from my original plan. Swing stayed nice and easy all round, with a couple noted issues. Short game and putting had a different type of pressure on them today, since my ball striking was much better than normal. Ended up scoring a 95, but if my scrambling had been where it normally is I could have easily broken 90 for the first time. Not to mention my 4 putt on a par 3 from 15 feet first attempt. I was not really paying attention to score, in fact had no idea, teeing off on 18 I thought a par might get me close to breaking 90, par would have been 91, guess I will have to wait another round or two.

I have never made a plan like that. About the only thing I do before standing on the actual tee box is sometimes I will go ahead and plan on leaving the driver in the bag on most holes. Other than that, I basically just play it by ear. If that works for you then it isn't a bad idea. Just don't let it backfire on you as far as getting upset when your game ends up being totally different than your plan.

I think moving forward my plans will be more ad hoc. This exercise was good because I think too often I was just trying to crush everything and make a lot of "hero" shots. Here I finally proved to myelf I can go with a 225y drive type swing and still have a chance and the green in two. Easing up the driver swing to 225y had the added bonus of more distance too.

Let me share with you, the way I went from shooting mid-high 90's to breaking 90's in a very short amount of time. I just tweaked the way how I viewed the GIR.

That was in the back of my mind in case I hit a bad drive or second shot to have a prepared layup distance. I like my 45y or 60y shot or a full 9I 135y. Playing for bogey, I agree is a good plan.

Some of my thoughts are above. If you're like me driver is the most erratic club. I would assume you could hit a 3 or 5 wood or maybe a long iron. I LOVE my 2 iron and am very confident so I made comments above were I might not hit driver.

Driver oddly has been a good club for me, it lit-up two rounds ago and was the only club I was striking well, I kept swinging it easier and it kept performing better. Today with a different mindset about my irons, I was able to swing them easier and easier and was getting closer to hitting more GIR.

4 out of the first 5 holes today went GIR. After that I did not hit another one all round, but instead of having a 30-75y pitch, I had mostly greenside chip shots that I was not converting. Well tomorrow morning is another short game lesson. So hopefully for Sunday mornings round, I can have another good ball striking day and perhaps apply some good thoughts to chipping after my lesson tomorrow. Regards, -E