Bogey Golfers and "Working the Ball"

[kleraudio]

I think Im a little better than bogey golf and as far as working the ball, I dont really do it, except for high/low, which I do maybe 20% of my shots. Where I "work" the ball is 20 yards and in. I can check a ball when need be as well as get it to release and go to the pin..... All with a Sand wedge or 52* wedge....

I dunno, I just want to hit most of my shots at my target, sometimes its a fade, sometimes its a draw but greenside, Im very picky about making the ball do different things, which is why I play a "spinny" ball.....

You can be a mid capper and work the ball, and yea sometimes it doesnt go as planned, got an 8 on a par 3 yesterday because of it 15 yard draw turned into a 50 yard hook i blame the greenskeeper for hiding the flag on a "penninsula" green

Jim

[ControlJunkie]

The honest answer is none of them. Its just internet bragging. If they had enough control to work the ball, they wouldnt be bogey golfers.

I disagree. What reason do I have to brag? Believe me if you want, if not, it really doesn't bother me. I may be playing a little better than bogey now, but still, it doesn't mean I wasn't able to do it prior to shooting better scores.

your exactly right

No he's not.

[SSJLaletas]

Yea I wouldnt say the average bogey golfer rules out that because they are a bogey golfer means that cant work the ball. I can certainly work the ball, but sometimes I get myself in trouble with inconsistent hits, and a poor short game.

[microcrayfish]

Barely ever left and right, quite a bit keeping them low. Only on the odd occasion and If I feel that messing it up isn't going to risk putting up the big number will I try to intentionally draw or fade. I'm more inclined to take my medicine and hit out onto the fairway and give myself an easy shot onto the green than try work it. I guess it comes down to being more confident in my pitching than in my ability to work the ball out of trouble, gotta stick with what feels best.

[Zeph]

I don't work the ball much. Sometimes hit it higher, lower, or a fade or draw around an obstacle, but usually I aim to hit it straight. My swing is not good enough yet to experiment with working the ball. I need to get my swing plane, clubface and swing bottom in order before starting to work the ball more.

[the steam train]

After reading this thread I feel as though I'm part of an overwhelming minority. But didn't Hogan once famously say to Moe Norman "Every time you hit it dead straight its an accident"? A perfectly straight shot is much harder for me to execute than a fade or a draw, or depending on how badly I miss it, a slice or a hook. On every single full swing shot I try and work the ball either right or left. That way I can take the miss on which ever side is worse trouble out of play and increase my margin for error. As a slightly worse than bogey golfer I don't feel like I'm engaging in "internet bragging" either, its just how I go about attempting to conquer my own deficiency, which is what I think us bogey golfers are trying to do whenever we play. Regardless of wether we try and work the ball or not.

[Gioguy21]

I only 'work' the ball if i have to, but even then it's just in how i align myself and use the club and my swing to hit it, nothing entirely different. There's all but 2 holes on my home course that I work the ball, a dogleg par 5 and a long dogleg par 4, each going left/right. Both cases it's a mid/long iron. I believe that as a bogey golfer you can work the ball WITH TIME...but practice on the range, then bring it to the course...I know some say opposite but that's just the way I do it. Working the ball for a bogey golfer can without a doubt lead to even higher scores if not learned and practiced correctly before goin on the course, can spell disaster to the swing you've already worked hard on to get.

[tm22721]

Trying to work the ball is a pro level skill IMO. It is a major accomplishment just to learn to hit a ball straight. I play with nothing longer than a 7i and maintain a 10 handicap because with the shorter irons I can hit fairways and greens. Par the 3s and 5s. Bogey the 4s because they're too long for 7i. Now if I ever want to go single digit I need to learn to hit the long irons/woods/driver straight. But even for single digit I would never consider working the ball.

[luckyluke699]

After reading this thread I feel as though I'm part of an overwhelming minority. But didn't Hogan once famously say to Moe Norman "Every time you hit it dead straight its an accident"?.

"Jesus Christ can't hit a golf ball straight. It's virtually impossible—at best it's an accident. Besides, you give yourself much more margin for error by maneuvering your shots one way or the other. Much more control."

http://www.golf.com/golf/advertisers...es/b_hogan.htm

[Zeph]

I agree that a straight shot is hard, but an accurate curved shot is not a gimme. You need two factors to be right, that is the swing path and the club face angle. If you aim the ball off the left edge of the fairway, but fail to get the club face to the right angle, you could end up in the rough. If you swing too far across the ball, relative to the club face angle, it can spin too much, over the fairway. Of course you can hit a straight shot, I do it all the time. Ever heard the commentators on TV saying "This one is headed straight for the flag", while it was in the air. If the ball curved, you can't tell if it's headed for the flag.

Why is it be easier to control the club face angle and swing path when hitting a shaped shot, compared to a fade or draw? The way I see it, when hitting a fade or draw, you really don't want to miss right or left. If you aim a fade above water to the left, planning to curve it over to the right, and don't manage to get the club face angle right, the ball will go straight into the water. If you aim right at the green or fairway, you can err equally on both sides on the ideal club face angle. On a shaped shot, you can't err as much on one side.

One day in the 1950s, Moe and Ben Hogan were on the practice tee together at a pro tournament when a spectator asked Hogan to take a look at Moe. Hogan believed any ball hit dead straight was an accident. After each of the first six balls he watched Moe hit Hogan said, "Accident." After watching Moe hit several more Hogan said, "Just keep hitting those accidents, kid."

[juanrjackson]

I'm definitely a bogey golfer and I never try to work the ball. While I'm sure the ability to do this would save me strokes, I'm pretty sure chipping around the green and lag putts are a better use of my practice time than learning how to consistently work the ball at this point. Maybe once or twice a round I say to myself moving the ball horizontally in the air would save me a stroke, whereas I'm kicking myself all the time for poor chipping/putting.

I agree with you on the putting & chipping

[nevets88]

I think the risk vs reward is worth it if after a wayward drive, you're hitting out sideways and have a good lie. If you can hit a big hook or slice, you're alot closer to the hole.

[Meddle]

I think the risk vs reward is worth it if after a wayward drive, you're hitting out sideways and have a good lie. If you can hit a big hook or slice, you're alot closer to the hole.

Hm, I'm probably not understanding you correctly but are you saying it's better to be hitting out sideways on your second shot and be closer to the pin than farther away but with a shot at the green? Well, that's not right if that's what your saying.

Also, I've played with quite a few single digit handicappers and I think the big difference between them and us bogey golfers isn't the ability to work the ball, it's that they get up and down and never three putt.

[kfowler]

Probably once or twice a round but only with a driver. The hole really has to set up for it. I don't try to work the ball beyond that.

BTW, while I try to hit it straight, I always line up for my bias which is a slight cut with my irons.

[zeg]

As substantially worse than bogey, I don't usually bother. Sometimes I'll try it just for kicks, particularly one one par 3 hole on my usual course that has a tree squarely blocking the center of the green---I always miss anyway so there's no real harm in missing differently. Usually I can pull off one nice intentional fade drive in a round. I practice on the range a little bit just to work on the feeling, again mostly for fun. If I get a little burned out on the real practice, I'll hit the last few balls trying to alternate draws and slices just as a little game. I find it's helpful to lift the pressure, and by focusing on something other than the swing, I loosen up a bit and get a feel for how my natural swing is working. But mostly it's fun.

[nevets88]

Hm, I'm probably not understanding you correctly but are you saying it's better to be hitting out sideways on your second shot and be closer to the pin than farther away but with a shot at the green? Well, that's not right if that's what your saying.

If you hit a drive in the woods, and have to punch out, lets say you now have 150 yds to the pin, bogey or double bogey looks probable.

Instead of punching straight out, you hit a big slice or hook and lets say now you have 75 yds to the pin, you'll have a better chance at making bogey, assuming no trouble is in front of the green.

[sean_miller]

Some rounds I try to work the ball very slightly on a few approaches, but usually my shot preference is straight. I'm more likely to work the ball with a driver or 3-wood, but I think that's because I played persimmon woods so long (still do on occasion) and they're pretty hard to hit perfectly straight. Working the ball gives you a wider fairway (wider for a fade than a draw). Just try not to start the ball at the trouble, and take enough club - allow for more run on a draw and a shorter shot with less roll with a fade.

If I'm lucky enough to hit a few balls before a round, I can judge what my most confident shot shape will be. I'll still aim fairly straight down the middle, but probably just a smidge left or right of centre depending on the day. It's harder to work the ball with modern woods (a good thing) but at least you don't have to worry about overcooking it.

[pusher]

I pick a target and try to hit the ball to that target. If I have to cut it, I'll try and cut it. If I have to draw it, I'll try and draw it. If I do not have the confidence to try either I will determine a safe place to land the ball in order to set up an easier shot. I also work very hard on my chipping and putting because there are days I will not hit many greens.