Beginner needing advice on play/strategy/shot selection

[hunterp12]

Hey all.. First post, but glad to be apart of the family.

I have been playing for about 7months now and the best I've shot is an 89, but I seem to be getting better and better and things are coming along nicely due to being pretty athletic. I just have some questions about approaching the green and shot selections. I've been watching a lot of golf on tv and they always say things like "He'll be going for a small cut/fade/draw onto the right side of the green." This brings up my first question. When do you want to exactly shape your shot? What are you trying to accomplish with this and why don't you always just try to go straight at the flag? I can sometimes manage a nice draw and fade on command if I'm striking the ball well, but only really do it to get around obstacles and never when I have a straight shot.

Another question is where exactly are you trying to position yourself on the green? I hear a lot about high side and other terms, but I don't really understand the meaning. I'd just like to know for what I should be strategically placing my shots to better improve my scores/make other shots easier. At my level, I am just happy to land on the green and looking at some kind of putt.

Next I have been trying to get my distances per club to better understand which club to use when I am whatever distance away, but should I be measuring all out swing distance, or just nice easy strokes that are more reliable? I have measured with pretty much full strength hits, but as I go higher up in clubs, it becomes less consistent distance whereas my 3 will go as far as say a 6 most of the time. I just attribute this to my lack of practice/skill yet in hitting the harder to hit/higher up clubs.

Last thing is there is a links course near me here and I was wondering if strategy changed any for links style courses than regular courses.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me. Sorry about the length and all the questions. Just trying to get a better feel for what I should be working on at the course and driving ranges.

- Hunter

[Mordan]

Originally Posted by hunterp12

Hey all.. First post, but glad to be apart of the family.

I have been playing for about 7months now and the best I've shot is an 89, but I seem to be getting better and better and things are coming along nicely due to being pretty athletic. I just have some questions about approaching the green and shot selections. I've been watching a lot of golf on tv and they always say things like "He'll be going for a small cut/fade/draw onto the right side of the green." This brings up my first question. When do you want to exactly shape your shot? What are you trying to accomplish with this and why don't you always just try to go straight at the flag? I can sometimes manage a nice draw and fade on command if I'm striking the ball well, but only really do it to get around obstacles and never when I have a straight shot.

Another question is where exactly are you trying to position yourself on the green? I hear a lot about high side and other terms, but I don't really understand the meaning. I'd just like to know for what I should be strategically placing my shots to better improve my scores/make other shots easier. At my level, I am just happy to land on the green and looking at some kind of putt.

Next I have been trying to get my distances per club to better understand which club to use when I am whatever distance away, but should I be measuring all out swing distance, or just nice easy strokes that are more reliable? I have measured with pretty much full strength hits, but as I go higher up in clubs, it becomes less consistent distance whereas my 3 will go as far as say a 6 most of the time. I just attribute this to my lack of practice/skill yet in hitting the harder to hit/higher up clubs.

Last thing is there is a links course near me here and I was wondering if strategy changed any for links style courses than regular courses.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me. Sorry about the length and all the questions. Just trying to get a better feel for what I should be working on at the course and driving ranges.

- Hunter

Hunter, breaking 100 within 7 months of taking the game up is good going, so breaking 90 is impressive.

There may be times where shaping your shots is beneficial, like playing in wind but at your level (and mine), you're almost always going to be better off aiming towards the middle of the green with whatever shape of shot you're hitting that day. While the flag is always a big temptation, if you work our your chance of getting down in 2 when you're on the green, versus your chance when you miss you'll almost certainly find that hitting the green is the key. If it isn't, then go work on your putting!

Regarding your club distances, be confident that in time and as you strike the ball more consistently you'll end up with numbers you can work with. But right now work with the distance you know you can hit comfortably. But be smart about it, if there's a hazard behind the green but a nice landing area in front, take a club less so that if you strike it sweetly you won't get into trouble but if you leave it short you've got an easy chip. Or if there's water front but a safe area behind take an extra club.

There have been many books written about how to score well playing golf but I'd say the best tip to work with right now would probably be "play safe shots but hit them aggressively". So you're always playing a shot you know you can make, but you're not doing it tentatively, as that often leads to mistakes.

[Blacksheep]

Holding shot into a side wind takes alot of practice and patience. Work on that on the range, and when you get a little better , then you can start using those types of shots. I would aggree with using a nice rythmic swing and not a hard all out swing. Find your carry distance and study that on each club. When hitting an approach shot on any green , I look at the angle of the green ( slope), and try to leave myself an uphill put, especially on faster greens. If your bunker play is needing work, then that would also factor into where your aiming spot. Work on using the same swing for all clubs. For some , the longer the club the harder the swing , and that's what creates problems in distance and accuracy. Check out the hybrids out there and consider replacing  your longer irons with them. Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck!

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by hunterp12

Hey all.. First post, but glad to be apart of the family.

I have been playing for about 7months now and the best I've shot is an 89, but I seem to be getting better and better and things are coming along nicely due to being pretty athletic. I just have some questions about approaching the green and shot selections. I've been watching a lot of golf on tv and they always say things like "He'll be going for a small cut/fade/draw onto the right side of the green." This brings up my first question. When do you want to exactly shape your shot? What are you trying to accomplish with this and why don't you always just try to go straight at the flag? I can sometimes manage a nice draw and fade on command if I'm striking the ball well, but only really do it to get around obstacles and never when I have a straight shot.

Another question is where exactly are you trying to position yourself on the green? I hear a lot about high side and other terms, but I don't really understand the meaning. I'd just like to know for what I should be strategically placing my shots to better improve my scores/make other shots easier. At my level, I am just happy to land on the green and looking at some kind of putt.

Next I have been trying to get my distances per club to better understand which club to use when I am whatever distance away, but should I be measuring all out swing distance, or just nice easy strokes that are more reliable? I have measured with pretty much full strength hits, but as I go higher up in clubs, it becomes less consistent distance whereas my 3 will go as far as say a 6 most of the time. I just attribute this to my lack of practice/skill yet in hitting the harder to hit/higher up clubs.

Last thing is there is a links course near me here and I was wondering if strategy changed any for links style courses than regular courses.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me. Sorry about the length and all the questions. Just trying to get a better feel for what I should be working on at the course and driving ranges.

- Hunter

1.)  You want to shape a shot when you need to hit around something or when the hole layout and distance forced you to curve your ballflight.

2.)  You typically want to aim for the center of the green.  Its the easiest target and is going to give yourself the best chance to hit the green.  It really depends upon the layout of the hole (where the rough, bunkers or water is) and what the topography of the green is.

3.) You want to base your distance off of what reliable is.  Lets say you hit your 7-iron 150 yards.  Granted, you might catch one flush every now and then and hit it 160 or 165 but you shouldnt hit a 165 yard shot with a 7-iron all the time because you will likely come up short most of the time.  Go with what a reliable distance with a nice, easy shot is.

4.) With links courses you typically want to play it safe and hit a lot of irons, hybrids and 3-woods.  Links courses generally have deep rough, so you want to keep the driver in the bag and stay in the short grass as much as you can.

[hunterp12]

Thanks guys!

I'm really excited to get back out and work some more on my game. Can't wait for the weekend. Hope the weather holds up here in Washington. Eventually I'm going to have to go play Chambers Bay where they will be holding the U.S. Open in 2014, then when its on TV maybe I'll be able to say I parred one of the holes or who knows.. maybe even birdie