Course management.......

[gfd66]

Thanks guys. I haven't re-posted in a while since I have been taking in all of this great advice. The knowledge here is priceless. I have since bought myself a Bushnell rangefinder and use it on every hole I play to see the actual distance (carry) that my ball flies. I don't take the run-out into the equation since it will vary too much depending on course conditions, weather, time of day, etc. Taking your advice, anything longer than a par 3 I have been taking less off the tee and more club in the fairway, depending. Being that my short game also really needs work I have been trying to leave the ball short so that I can practice chipping up. (Only during practice rounds). It is amazing to see how far the ball actually flies vs. how far you "think" it flies. It's still tough to play "my game" when I'm playing with the boys. All in all, taking all of this in, my game has been improving quickly and overall scores have been dropping. AND, isn't it amazing how much straighter and farther that little white demon can go when you are playing relaxed vs. ticked off with the testosterone flowing? Next I have to learn to control myself when playing with the guys. Paired up with someone I don't know or out with the wife, low to mid 40's, out with the guys, all the smack being talked, trying to out drive your buddy, SLICE - O - RAMA time!!! Time to beat the mental game!!

Thanks again to all of you!!!

[BugDude]

Know your bail outs.  Some courses, knowing where not to hit it is more important than where you do hit it.  Take some elements out of the equation with your club selection.  Manage your way around the course in a strategic manner.  My old home course, I used to play occasional rounds with nothing but irons to work on ball striking...funny thing is I learned the best strategies for playing certain holes and never took a wood off the tee again.

One downhill par 4, I birdied the hole more from the 150 marker than I did the 100 marker.  I started playing my tee shots to 150.  One par 5, the perfect approach spot was between the 100 and 150 right side of fairway.  It was flat and the same level as the green (went down and back up to the green).  Any closer and you had an unflat lie and you couldn't see the surface.  My only goal was to play whatever I could to hit my 3rd shot from that quadrant.  Usually was a 3i tee shot (took the OB right out of play) and a 6i second shot (took the pond close to the green and the OB right out of play).

One par 3 I played was uphill with a very narrow green with bunkers on each side.  Left was a dropoff and right was a hill above the green.  Long meant chipping down a slope.  I hit a club that essentially if I missed it left me short and straight for an easy chip.   I'm a drawer, and left was dead.  I avoided left.

On days when my short irons were a little wild, I just started aiming at the center of the green.  That way, a little left or right, long or short you were still putting.  Most holes, I'd gladly take center of the green in regulation every time unless it was one of the numerous holes in which you absolutely could not leave yourself above the hole.

[DenisO]

Aim for the middle of the green always. Too many people try to go flag hunting. Play what your natural shot is and aim for the dead middle of the green, it'll shave off a number of strokes you would lose to short siding yourself, bunker troubles, tough chips etc. Sometimes you may have longer birdie putts then you would if you pulled off a flag hunting shot, but you'll have more of them.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by DenisO

Aim for the middle of the green always. Too many people try to go flag hunting. Play what your natural shot is and aim for the dead middle of the green, it'll shave off a number of strokes you would lose to short siding yourself, bunker troubles, tough chips etc. Sometimes you may have longer birdie putts then you would if you pulled off a flag hunting shot, but you'll have more of them.

It depends on the course, but this is typically correct. I'd rather be in the bunker than have a long downhill putt on very fast greens, but yes in general just being on the middle of the green is a good play.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I'd rather be in the bunker than have a long downhill putt on very fast greens, but yes in general just being on the middle of the green is a good play.

Surely you jest. 99 times out of 100 you'll leave the long downhill putt closer than your bunker shot.

For the average golfer, aiming for the centre of the green is a smart play but as your handicap tumbles you need to play more aggressively. I have read some research on this proving that playing aggressively (that doesn't mean crazy aggressive like trying to reach a par 5 in two from 280 yards over a lake when your average 3 wood is 225) produces lower scores over time.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I'd rather be in the bunker than have a long downhill putt on very fast greens, but yes in general just being on the middle of the green is a good play.

Surely you jest. 99 times out of 100 you'll leave the long downhill putt closer than your bunker shot.

For the average golfer, aiming for the centre of the green is a smart play but as your handicap tumbles you need to play more aggressively. I have read some research on this proving that playing aggressively (that doesn't mean crazy aggressive like trying to reach a par 5 in two from 280 yards over a lake when your average 3 wood is 225) produces lower scores over time.

Surely you have no idea which I prefer so maybe you can stuff the pseudo stats.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by DenisO

Aim for the middle of the green always. Too many people try to go flag hunting. Play what your natural shot is and aim for the dead middle of the green, it'll shave off a number of strokes you would lose to short siding yourself, bunker troubles, tough chips etc. Sometimes you may have longer birdie putts then you would if you pulled off a flag hunting shot, but you'll have more of them.

Totally agree.  That doesn't mean I always do it (cuz I'm a dummy) but I think it is smart.  Every once in a great while, you're waiting for the group ahead to get off the green and they forget to put the flag back in.  Everybody in your group gets pissed at their lack of courtesy and starts yelling up at them (even though they didn't do it on purpose) and that's when I always think we (as average amateurs) would do better if there was no flag up there to entice us.

[saevel25]

For me, i like to play a draw, so here is how i got at a hole.

Play away from trouble. For example, pin is left, water is left. I will play a draw off the right side to the center of the green. If there is little trouble left, and i know that i can have an easy chip or putt from the fringe, i will play the center and draw it to the hole. If the pin is center, then i will just play off the right to the center, or if there is trouble right i will play it slighly closer to center to the center left of the green. I just like to hedge my shots to give me a putt. If i am having a good day feeling fades and draws, i will really shape shots and go after pins, if not i try to play a stock shot. Its just how comfortable i feel like playing, i don't like to force shots.

Like saturday, 2nd shot into a part 5, i was near the tree line, and had to play a cut around to the green. But i knew if i hit it straight i would end up in a bunker i had a good shot to get up and down for birdie. So i errored more towards the side wtih the bunker. If i was on the left side of the fairway, i would have played a draw away from the tree line (which runs the right side of the hole), try to bend it slighly around that bunker to the pin. But i ended up topping my long iron to about 150, my strategic layups as i would call it.

[BugDude]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Surely you have no idea which I prefer so maybe you can stuff the pseudo stats.

76.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

[saevel25]

Quote:

76.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Someone listens to the Bob and Tom show..

[WWBDD]

Originally Posted by saevel25

Someone listens to the Bob and Tom show..

Bob and Tom read Dilbert.

[BugDude]

I actually listen to the John Boy and Billy Show 89.3% of the time.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by BugDude

76.4% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

I would just like to clarify that they are not my stats. The research was well thought out and well explained. I immediately put this new strategy into practice and it has helped me reduce my scores on par 5s.

You can lead a horse to water but a pencil must be lead.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

Surely you jest...

Surely you have no idea which I prefer so maybe you can stuff the pseudo stats.

"And stop calling me Shirley."

[Tomboys]

Originally Posted by gfd66

Thanks guys. I haven't re-posted in a while since I have been taking in all of this great advice. The knowledge here is priceless. I have since bought myself a Bushnell rangefinder and use it on every hole I play to see the actual distance (carry) that my ball flies. I don't take the run-out into the equation since it will vary too much depending on course conditions, weather, time of day, etc. Taking your advice, anything longer than a par 3 I have been taking less off the tee and more club in the fairway, depending. Being that my short game also really needs work I have been trying to leave the ball short so that I can practice chipping up. (Only during practice rounds). It is amazing to see how far the ball actually flies vs. how far you "think" it flies. It's still tough to play "my game" when I'm playing with the boys. All in all, taking all of this in, my game has been improving quickly and overall scores have been dropping. AND, isn't it amazing how much straighter and farther that little white demon can go when you are playing relaxed vs. ticked off with the testosterone flowing? Next I have to learn to control myself when playing with the guys. Paired up with someone I don't know or out with the wife, low to mid 40's, out with the guys, all the smack being talked, trying to out drive your buddy, SLICE - O - RAMA time!!! Time to beat the mental game!!

Thanks again to all of you!!!

Very astute.  I've had 250 (carry yard) drives that traveled 300.  And, I've had 250 (carry yard) drives that traveled 251.