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Would you Rather Lead or Come from Behind?


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  1. 1. Do you prefer to Lead or Come from Behind?

    • Lead
      17
    • Come From Behind
      6


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The lead because it would allow me to play safer, smarter shots and would afford me being able to make a mistake or 2 and still win.

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  Pakoh said:
Originally Posted by Pakoh

another come from behind win on tour today....

So?

Rick

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Golf is a funny game.  Playing not to miss is a lot harder than flag-hunting, because you have to fully commit to your shots.  The "aggressive swings to conservative targets" stuff is harder to commit to mentally than it sounds.  The fact is when you draw up a shot primarily based on where the trouble is (at least for me), the "don't hit it here" part is what takes primacy in your mind.

I played in a stroke-play tournament this weekend.  At the start of the final round there were effectively 3 of us playing for second place:  I was in 2nd place, 7 shots behind the leader, and held a 1 and 2 shot lead over 3rd and 4th, respectively.  After six really crappy holes, I was in 4th place, 7 shots behind the guy in 2nd.  I played my next 12 holes at -4.  It seemed a lot easier to focus on a specific target (I need to pick up 8 shots on this guy) than a vague one (I need to not blow this 2-shot cushion).

Kevin

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There are some sports where being in second could actually be considered an advantage coming towards the end (auto racing, track cycling) but not golf.  You could say that it is easier to come from behind than lead, decision-making wise, because you don't have the pressure of trying to hold onto the lead.  You have "nothing to lose" as they say.

In football, teams can choke away a win specifically because they were playing not to lose, instead of playing to win.  But, again, it is doesn't mean you are better off from behind.

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  Golfingdad said:
Originally Posted by Golfingdad

You could say that it is easier to come from behind than lead, decision-making wise, because you don't have the pressure of trying to hold onto the lead.  You have "nothing to lose" as they say.

Yes I tend to agree, obviously depends on who's leading ;-)  Starting the final round 1 or 2 shots back has been worked out well for a lot of players this year.  Definitely a different mind set sleeping on the lead.

Mike McLoughlin

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The unpredictability of golf is one of the things I like about it. When there's just a few strokes separating the top of the leaderboard it's up for grabs. A mistake, a great shot, luck, anything can change the result.

Dave :-)

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I think it really shouldn't matter if you leading or behind.  The number one thing that most golfers do well, emphasis on most, is stay in the present moment, playing the game one shot at a time.  When Tiger was winner all the tournaments you could see the golfers playing against Tiger and not against the course.  So if your playing the course, focusing on your next shot and not score, your more apt to get into the flow of the game.  Where's my target is what the pros focus on.  Golf is different than any other sport, in running, runners set back and let other runners run in front of them, could you imagine if you let someone get a 5 stroke lead, just doesn't happen.


  • 2 weeks later...

I'd believe that I'd want every single shot of my lead.  Not having a lead is like spotting your playing partner a few strokes on the weekend, but both of you play off the same handicap.  Doesn't make any sense at all.

Further, the guy catching/surpassing a 54-hole leader is not necessarily the guy who's one or two shots behind...he could come from further down the pack e.g. 5 or 6-shots behind.  So then, does the question become - "do you want to be 2nd, or 3rd, or 4th, etc at the end of Day 3?"  When viewed this way, I think the answer is clearly to be in the lead.

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Someone with more time that I do can plot out your odds of winning as you drop strokes back. Being the leader means you win about 1/3 of the time.  Unless your Tiger. Then you win about 95% of the time when leading outright after 54.  Compare that to only ~30 wins in every other tournament (has to be something like 250-300) when he started the last round not leading.

  bobsuruncle said:
Originally Posted by bobsuruncle

When viewed this way, I think the answer is clearly to be in the lead.


Hmm, depends on the person. A person like Faldo had the tenacity to keep the pressure on, so he probably liked the lead or come back. But some people do better comming from behind. It might not be known to them, but it can give them a sense of urgency and allow them to swing looser and more aggressive. The reason tiger was so good was because he had one gear, Tiger's Gear, and it was so good he rarely lost a lead.

For me, i like back and forth matches, or really close matches. But i rather have a lead, because i like to poor it on. I like to be there on the last hole knowing that this putt will lock the other person out from winning. I love that satisfaction knowing there is no chance left for the other person.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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I would rather lead. With a lead, I feel like I'm playing with house money. I actually swing freer and looser with a lead. I feel like a player playing from behind has to play mistake free or they wii fall further behind. Give me a lead, and if someone beats me, it means he played great.


Note: This thread is 4537 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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