When novice golfers "man up," and how it kills their game...

[WalkTheCourse]

After watching a lot of poor golfers on the course, and reading a lot of threads on this forum, I've discovered a lot of things that we novice/intermediate golfers do to "improve" our game, which are actually hurting us. And many of them stem from the innate desire to "man up."

I've started the conversation with this list of common errors related to male chauvinism. I will gladly admit - at one time or another, I have been guilty of most of these crimes myself. But now that I've personally benefited from curbing my libido, none of this bothers me anymore.

-Swinging way, way too hard.

-Spending all your time on the range perfecting your big drive, and none perfecting your chipping and putting.

-Dropping $500 on the latest driver, which will likely perform no better than a basic model.

-Buying any driver with a loft that is way too low (I've seen a lot of novices with 9's in the bag)

-Using a Pro-V1 when what you probably need is a decent 2-piece distance ball.

-Buying stiff shafts when regulars are probably more appropriate for your swing speed.

-Not wanting to convert lower irons to hybrids, because "hybrids are for wussies."

I'm sure there's more. Please, add to this list with your own "Viagara" moments, or ones you've seen others commit.

[SloverUT]

The one that probably effects more peoples scores than anything is their unwillingness to lay up.  I see to many people who would rather try to hit a golf ball over a 10' tree as opposed to laying up and trying from the fairway on the next shot.

[chadou23]

Walkthecourse... Great point. I myself fall into a few of those categories. I use a 9 degree driver as well as swing a little too hard. I however know better than to purchase expensive drivers and balls when I just fear damaging the equipment and losing the balls. I still do not have a hybrid in my bag however I will be purchasing soon. My buddies who are scratch golfers all have a hybrid in their bag therefore I won't feel like too much of a wuss.

[newtogolf]

Originally Posted by SloverUT

The one that probably effects more peoples scores than anything is their unwillingness to lay up.  I see to many people who would rather try to hit a golf ball over a 10' tree as opposed to laying up and trying from the fairway on the next shot.

I hated laying up my first year because there was always that slight chance that you can get the ball between the two branches and put it on the green.  You almost never see the pro's lay up, but you're right, it's the smart play.  I think out of roughly 20 attempts to hit the perfect shot I pulled it off once, the other 19 times the ball hit the trees and left me with an even worse shot than I had.

This year I'm playing "smart" golf, trying to keep the unforced errors to a minimum, and it's resulting in lower scores.

[tstrike34]

Golf is a game where it will remove your testicles or ovaries...

"Man Up" players are the worst ehehe...

[SoundandFury]

After watching a lot of poor golfers on the course, and reading a lot of threads on this forum, I've discovered a lot of things that we novice/intermediate golfers do to "improve" our game, which are actually hurting us. And many of them stem from the innate desire to "man up." I've started the conversation with this list of common errors related to male chauvinism. I will gladly admit - at one time or another, I have been guilty of most of these crimes myself. But now that I've personally benefited from curbing my libido, none of this bothers me anymore.   -Swinging way, way too hard. -Spending all your time on the range perfecting your big drive, and none perfecting your chipping and putting. -Dropping $500 on the latest driver, which will likely perform no better than a basic model. -Buying any driver with a loft that is way too low (I've seen a lot of novices with 9's in the bag) -Using a Pro-V1 when what you probably need is a decent 2-piece distance ball. -Buying stiff shafts when regulars are probably more appropriate for your swing speed. -Not wanting to convert lower irons to hybrids, because "hybrids are for wussies."   I'm sure there's more. Please, add to this list with your own "Viagara" moments, or ones you've seen others commit.

For me it's a toss between stubbornly hanging onto my 4i when I hit a 21* hybrid quite well and need to get a 23*, or insisting on trying to shape shots out of the right or left rough instead of punching out and having an easy PW into the green.

[jimmyc]

when you're 240 yards from the green, and your 3 wood only carries 200 at best, you still go for it and end up in a bunker, trap or worse yet a hook or slice puts you in the woods. All because you tried to kill it.

An easy 5 or 6 iron would have kept you in the fairway, 80 or 90 yards away using a high pitching wedge to stick it.

No hero shots lowers scores.

[WalkTheCourse]

Quote:

I hated laying up my first year because there was always that slight chance that you can get the ball between the two branches and put it on the green.  You almost never see the pro's lay up, but you're right, it's the smart play.  I think out of roughly 20 attempts to hit the perfect shot I pulled it off once, the other 19 times the ball hit the trees and left me with an even worse shot than I had.

This year I'm playing "smart" golf, trying to keep the unforced errors to a minimum, and it's resulting in lower scores.

Originally Posted by jimmyc

when you're 240 yards from the green, and your 3 wood only carries 200 at best, you still go for it and end up in a bunker, trap or worse yet a hook or slice puts you in the woods. All because you tried to kill it.

An easy 5 or 6 iron would have kept you in the fairway, 80 or 90 yards away using a high pitching wedge to stick it.

No hero shots lowers scores.

Ah yes, the nefarious "go-for-it" attitude. That's a big one...

I think proper management of the go-for-it attitude is most important. I still find it appropriate to whip out the big clubs if...

-The area I'm hitting into is very wide.

-There are no bunkers at the front of the green.

-There are no creeks or other obstacles to hit over.

-My lie is good.

But heck, I even lay up when I see a narrow 200+ yard par 3, which every course seems to feature at least one of. I just grab a 6 iron, punch it through, and hope for some roll... Bogey ain't bad on a hole like that.

[JonMA1]

Can someone please give me some insight.

First, some background: I am not a big hitter and am more concerned with getting better at controlling distances and accuracy of each club - at least for now. The courses I play have some 400 plus yd par 4's and 5's (middle tees). I'm also working on improving course strategy.

Here's my problem, I can hit my 3 wood off the tee about as far as my driver and with a bit more accuracy - somewhere in the 200 - 220 yd range (going by the course markers not, gps). While that distance might get me to within a 3 or 5 wood of the green, I still use my driver because I want to improve my entire game as much as I do my score. My logic is that if I can at some point learn how to hit the driver correctly, the extra yards would allow me to use a shorter club for my second shot. So it's worth putting in the effort (along the penalty strokes from the errant drives) now. I don't really care about impressing anyone with the long ball, but there is bit of a battle between ego and common sense going on.

At what point do you play it safe as opposed to improving a weakness? Any advice would be appreciated.

[dave s]

the WORST 'man-up' issue out there is playing from the tips when you can't break 100 from the FORWARD tees!  For goodness sake, play tees that FIT your game.  Nothing worse than staring down another 430 yard par-4 knowing it's driver, 5-hybrid, wedge ... and three of your BEST shots to even have a prayer at par or bogey.

dave

[jimmyc]

Originally Posted by JonMA1

Can someone please give me some insight.

First, some background: I am not a big hitter and am more concerned with getting better at controlling distances and accuracy of each club - at least for now. The courses I play have some 400 plus yd par 4's and 5's (middle tees). I'm also working on improving course strategy.

Here's my problem, I can hit my 3 wood off the tee about as far as my driver and with a bit more accuracy - somewhere in the 200 - 220 yd range (going by the course markers not, gps). While that distance might get me to within a 3 or 5 wood of the green, I still use my driver because I want to improve my entire game as much as I do my score. My logic is that if I can at some point learn how to hit the driver correctly, the extra yards would allow me to use a shorter club for my second shot. So it's worth putting in the effort (along the penalty strokes from the errant drives) now. I don't really care about impressing anyone with the long ball, but there is bit of a battle between ego and common sense going on.

At what point do you play it safe as opposed to improving a weakness? Any advice would be appreciated.

Look, I'm a 21 handicap due to stupid playing last year. This year (May) I've already dropped 5 shots per round in 2 outings by reading and practicing 2 books called "zen golf" by Joseph Parent and "unconscious scoring" by Dave Stockton.

I have a temper, but these books and techniques, (Stockton on technique) (Parent on mental) have made a BIG difference in my approach and mental well being when I approach the next shot.

I'm calm, composed and am having the most fun........and dropping strokes.

[Greg55]

Originally Posted by WalkTheCourse

After watching a lot of poor golfers on the course, and reading a lot of threads on this forum, I've discovered a lot of things that we novice/intermediate golfers do to "improve" our game, which are actually hurting us. And many of them stem from the innate desire to "man up."

I've started the conversation with this list of common errors related to male chauvinism. I will gladly admit - at one time or another, I have been guilty of most of these crimes myself. But now that I've personally benefited from curbing my libido, none of this bothers me anymore.

-Swinging way, way too hard.

-Spending all your time on the range perfecting your big drive, and none perfecting your chipping and putting.

-Dropping $500 on the latest driver, which will likely perform no better than a basic model.

-Buying any driver with a loft that is way too low (I've seen a lot of novices with 9's in the bag)

-Using a Pro-V1 when what you probably need is a decent 2-piece distance ball.

-Buying stiff shafts when regulars are probably more appropriate for your swing speed.

-Not wanting to convert lower irons to hybrids, because "hybrids are for wussies."

I'm sure there's more. Please, add to this list with your own "Viagara" moments, or ones you've seen others commit.

I am less than a year into the sport of golf and love it. I am almost 58 years young but am in pretty good shape.  When I first started I found out in a hurry that golf will humble the strongest person in a hurry, so I studied and researched a lot of things out there, got some excellent advice from a good friend of mine who has played all his life. I now have collected a set of clubs (Ping G20's) which are GI clubs also got rid of the ideal of a 9.5* driver, have a G20 12* which is easy for me to hit and have the 4 and iron in the closet, which I replace them with an Adams A12os 3 and 4 hybrids. It just makes the game so much more fun for me, I may not have the longest hits out there but I would rather be 200 yds down the middle of the fairway than 300 in the woods! Just my thoughts.

[inthehole]

to the op ... I find long irons to be far more accurate than hybrids.     Sure they may not be as long as a representative hybrid, might not launch as high, and may not be as forgiving .... but you're not gonna get that OB flyer that I see from hybrids.    Can't beat a 3 iron off the tee for narrow fairways when even thinking driver would make you pucker up .... or for long par 3's when you HAVE to hit a green ...

[Golfizit]

The idea that because we saw a pro donut we should try it AND have not even practiced it.

[SloverUT]

Originally Posted by Golfizit

The idea that because we saw a pro donut we should try it AND have not even practiced it.

I really want to try a pro donut.  Bet it tastes yummy!

[jimmyc]

Spelling Beeeeeeeeeeeee required

[badfish74]

Originally Posted by JonMA1

Can someone please give me some insight.

First, some background: I am not a big hitter and am more concerned with getting better at controlling distances and accuracy of each club - at least for now. The courses I play have some 400 plus yd par 4's and 5's (middle tees). I'm also working on improving course strategy.

Here's my problem, I can hit my 3 wood off the tee about as far as my driver and with a bit more accuracy - somewhere in the 200 - 220 yd range (going by the course markers not, gps). While that distance might get me to within a 3 or 5 wood of the green, I still use my driver because I want to improve my entire game as much as I do my score. My logic is that if I can at some point learn how to hit the driver correctly, the extra yards would allow me to use a shorter club for my second shot. So it's worth putting in the effort (along the penalty strokes from the errant drives) now. I don't really care about impressing anyone with the long ball, but there is bit of a battle between ego and common sense going on.

At what point do you play it safe as opposed to improving a weakness? Any advice would be appreciated.

I did the exact same thing.  I pulled my 3 wood on the tee for almost a whole season because I knew I could hit it accurately and about the same distance.  After awhile though I hit with my driver exclusively because I felt I needed to be able to learn to utilize the club.  I am glad I did because the last couple of rounds and range sessions something has clicked for me with the driver.  I am hitting it better than I ever have and with better consistency as well. It's nice to be able to have the extra distance yet still have that confidence in the 3 wood for tight fairways where you need a nice accurate shot.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by WalkTheCourse

After watching a lot of poor golfers on the course, and reading a lot of threads on this forum, I've discovered a lot of things that we novice/intermediate golfers do to "improve" our game, which are actually hurting us. And many of them stem from the innate desire to "man up."

I've started the conversation with this list of common errors related to male chauvinism. I will gladly admit - at one time or another, I have been guilty of most of these crimes myself. But now that I've personally benefited from curbing my libido, none of this bothers me anymore.

-Swinging way, way too hard.

-Spending all your time on the range perfecting your big drive, and none perfecting your chipping and putting.

-Dropping $500 on the latest driver, which will likely perform no better than a basic model.

-Buying any driver with a loft that is way too low (I've seen a lot of novices with 9's in the bag)

-Using a Pro-V1 when what you probably need is a decent 2-piece distance ball.

-Buying stiff shafts when regulars are probably more appropriate for your swing speed.

-Not wanting to convert lower irons to hybrids, because "hybrids are for wussies."

I'm sure there's more. Please, add to this list with your own "Viagara" moments, or ones you've seen others commit.

I'll add

- Determining their yardages off their best shots and not off their average shot.

- Looking for a quick tip that will solve all the ball striking issues.

- Saying they'll "try it" in regards to good golf instruction and then move on to something else when it "stops working".  It's not the feel or motion that's not working, it's that you're not doing it enough.

- Implementing a feel in their swing (even if it has nothing to do with their issues) because they saw it recommended in someone else's lesson or in an instruction video.