Whats the most important part of the game?

[The Turlock Kid]

I like short game over Course Mgmt. If you can stick it close anytime, you're likely to recover form any lack of course mgmt you have. Also, I don't think course mgmt is possible on new courses or courses you've never played with blind shots. But, a good short game will get you home...

[Rico College]

Putting is the most important part of your game.

[jrbechthold]

If I knew, I wouldn't be an 18... that said,
The aspect I am working most on is solid consistent ball striking and my short game.

Working on your short game in golf is like doing layups in basketball - you do it because the last thing you want is to have a break away with 10 seconds left, down by 1 or tied and you miss the lay up.

I think that for an 18 handicapper like myself, the most important aspect of the game is consistant ball striking. With that comes confidence, and as a result, the ability to manage a course. If you aren't hitting the ball consistantly, your distance control obviously will waiver, and with that your confidence and mental game...

So until I break 80, I will be working on my swing and ball striking.

[RX Phoenix]

Putting is the most important part of your game.

Until you get older and can't putt anymore . . . then it's ball striking. There is no amount of putting/short game practice that is going to help me out because my eyes are so bad that I can't read the greens anymore, just can't see the depth perception and subtle breaks etc.

I said ball strking because at least this way you enjoy the round even if you know you can't putt like you used to.

[John Boy]

A great short game can fix a lot of other problems...

Imagine if you could get up and down from anywhere with 50 yards of the green....

Let's make it more reaslistic...

Within 10 yards - 100%
Within 20 yards - 95%
Within 30 yards - 90%
Within 40 yards - 85%
Within 50 yards - 80%

I would woop Tiger if I had the above statistics. I am not that good either. In fact, my handicap is only as low as it is because I have a decent short game. Use the above figures in your game and figure out how well you would shoot if you knew the above was fact. Would you hit the same clubs off the tee? In fact, play a round thinking the same way and see how you score. This especially goes for the higher handicappers. Just try it. It is good to do it, just to help your short game.

[RyanR]

I would say that ball striking and course management are the two most important things, because they set you up for a good short game and put you in position for a good round every time out.

Ryan

[Pete Beau]

Mental. If your head is messed up everything goes with it.

My $.02

[waynem80]

First off, I think hitting the ball down the Fairway. Then making it to the green without knocking the ball outta play, then getting lucky on a putt to go 1 over par :)

wayne

[CusePhil]

Obviously you are going to need a little bit of everything to be a good golfer. If I had to choose one that I was excellent at, and average at all the rest, it would be my short game. If you miss a green, but can get up and down or make a long putt for par, you can a pretty darn good golfer.

[NM Golf]

I believe your long game breaks 100, 90, and 80 and your short game breaks par.

Basically that means no matter how good you can chip or putt you're not gonna be a good player until you can advance the ball consistantly in the general direction you want it to go.

And then you will never be great player until you master the short game and learn to get the ball in the hole even when your long game lets you down.

Like I have said before nothing gets you in trouble and adds strokes faster than a bad tee shot. I don't know anybody that ever hit a putt out of bounds. I mean really I don't think I have ever received a penalty stroke with a putter in my hand.

[golfchief]

Isn't three putting from ten feet like a penalty? I'd vote for never having more than two putts per hole.

[NM Golf]

Isn't three putting from ten feet like a penalty? I'd vote for never having more than two putts per hole.

Three putting from ten feet is more like hitting a three wood off the tee into the trees and having to pitch out. When your putting from 10 feet and hit such a bad putt that you have to hit your third putt from the exact same place as the first now that is a penalty.

[Indaruff]

A very good short game and good mental stabilty on the course for me.

[ipark1303]

A very good short game and good mental stabilty on the course for me.

Yes, I agree.

Short game is very important as I can lower my scores so easily just chipping/pitching better.

[vkosek]

I went with ball striking. Since it wasn't its own category, I'm including driving as ball striking too. If you can hit your irons close, you don't need a perfect short game.

[golfchief]

I went with ball striking. Since it wasn't its own category, I'm including driving as ball striking too. If you can hit your irons close, you don't need a perfect short game.

You must have quite an iron game to never miss the green or be so close not to have a difficult chip. Any tips?

[Naruto]

duhhh....the score....hahahahahah

[vkosek]

You must have quite an iron game to never miss the green or be so close not to have a difficult chip. Any tips?

Maybe my post wasn't written so well. I didn't intend it to mean that I never miss a green or run into difficult chipping situations, but if someone could be that good of a ball striker on a consistent basis, they'd be awful hard to beat. Remember when Toms won the Accenture Match Play in '05? His play in the final stands out as one of the best ball striking performances I can remember. The guy was unconscious, and basically unbeatable.