How would you break golf down?

[Hardballs]

We have driving and putting, but how would you breakdown the rest of the game?? I'm thinking driving, long irons, approach, short game then putting? I'm just trying to categorise the different aspects so I know which part to work on and wondered how others might break it up? But the short game is very adverse, to me it's 60 yards in!

[PirateJim]

You'll probably get a number of ideas on this, and while I'm not sure where the question is supposed to lead here's my take.

Driving: i.e. tee shots, whether it be with a driver, three, or whatever.  These are really in a category by themselves.

Long Fairway/Approach: This is your fairways, hybrids, and down to about 7 iron for me and includes both just moving it between the drive and approach shot on the long holes and trying to hit the green on the longer par 4's. (I'm not long enough, or the courses I play don't have par 5's short enough for me to include shooting at them on the second shot, but that too if you can make it.)

Short Approach: For me this is the 8, 9, Pitching and Sand wedges, pretty much anything in to about 60 yards.

Greenside: Inside 60 I almost always use my lob wedge for every shot unless there is some special shot I'm trying to pull off.  For example, if I'm on a steep slope between a bunker and green I usually grab a club with less loft because of the radical angle of attack.

Putting:  er... with the putter.

Which are most important from my perspective? Putting, followed closely by both Driver and Greenside, then a bit farther back Short Approach, and finally trailing a good bit back for me is Long Fairway.  But that's just my game, or more accurately, my perception of my current game.

[Hardballs]

Nice insight! I was more thinking: Driving- all woods off the tee Long irons- 3-7 off tee or fairway Approach- 7-pw landing on green(hopefully) Short game- when they don't land on the green! Putting- putting that stupid ball inside that stupid hole!

[adam e]

I would break it down as:

1 -  Driving  (anything off the tee, except par 3s)

2 -  Layup shots  (anything where you have to pick a target other than the green)

3 -  Approach shots  (hitting to the green)

4 -  Anything under your most lofted club into the green (need to take something off or hit a 1/2, 3/4 shot)

5 -  pitching / chipping / bump-n-run

6 -  putting

One reason I don't like breaking down between long irons and short irons is that it gives a mental stigma that longer clubs are harder to hit.   There is technical merit to that, but it's best to think that any iron/hybrid in your bag is comfortable enough to hit and play the shot.

Lay-up shots are strategy because they are for where you cannot reach the green so you have to think about the shot after that.   Approach is all about where to miss and what to aim at to maximize your score.   And most people struggle with 1/2 and 3/4 shots.   It's where a lot of people can shave strokes if they are comfortable and execute well.

[TJBam]

I would say:

Teebox: Putting a ball into play to start playing the real game

Ball striking: Anything 8i and longer

Scoring: Anything 9i and shorter

Putting

[kw purp]

Golf is about controlling the ball. When I have my best rounds (130-140's) it's when I am playing to my game. Playing a controlled shank draw and trying not to 4 putt.

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by kw purp

Golf is about controlling the ball. When I have my best rounds (130-140's) it's when I am playing to my game. Playing a controlled shank draw and trying not to 4 putt.

I noticed you updated your HCP to 54.8.  Congrats on the downward trend, looking forward to see some of your progress.

Keep in mind the pull-hook might be of good use to your game.

[kw purp]

Originally Posted by TJBam

I noticed you updated your HCP to 54.8.  Congrats on the downward trend, looking forward to see some of your progress.

Keep in mind the pull-hook might be of good use to your game.

Im hot this month!

[bluecollar01]

Not much different than the other answers people have provided but I think course management has to be number one.  It's something that has to be considered on every hole prior to your tee shot as well as between every shot.

1. Course Management

2. Off-the-tee (woods/irons)

3. Approach (irons)

4. Wedge/short iron game (pitch/chip/bump-n-run)

5. Lag Putting

6. Putting

I also separated putting and lag putting.  As your approach shots get better (GIR) your proximity to the hole is likely going to increase.  Lag putting IMHO is a different skill or at least one that most bogey golfers aren't very good at but maybe that's just me .

[Hardballs]

Never heard of lag putting?? Care to elaborate??

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by bluecollar01

Not much different than the other answers people have provided but I think course management has to be number one.  It's something that has to be considered on every hole prior to your tee shot as well as between every shot.

1. Course Management

2. Off-the-tee (woods/irons)

3. Approach (irons)

4. Wedge/short iron game (pitch/chip/bump-n-run)

5. Lag Putting

6. Putting

I also separated putting and lag putting.  As your approach shots get better (GIR) your proximity to the hole is likely going to increase.  Lag putting IMHO is a different skill or at least one that most bogey golfers aren't very good at but maybe that's just me .

I don't buy into a separation between putting and lag putting.  Every putt I hit is going to go in the hole.  The moment I get a thought like "let's leave this one close for a tap-in" I'm going to lose my putting game.  Granted this doesn't mean I'm blasting the ball straight at the heart.  A good putt aimed to go in the hole will "lag" itself near the hole because it is intended to go in, so it ends up very very close.

OK I admit I might need to put down my new Bob Rotella book.

[Hardballs]

I would break it down as: 1 -  Driving  (anything off the tee, except par 3s) 2 -  Layup shots  (anything where you have to pick a target other than the green) 3 -  Approach shots  (hitting to the green) 4 -  Anything under your most lofted club into the green (need to take something off or hit a 1/2, 3/4 shot) 5 -  pitching / chipping / bump-n-run 6 -  putting One reason I don't like breaking down between long irons and short irons is that it gives a mental stigma that longer clubs are harder to hit.   There is technical merit to that, but it's best to think that any iron/hybrid in your bag is comfortable enough to hit and play the shot. Lay-up shots are strategy because they are for where you cannot reach the green so you have to think about the shot after that.   Approach is all about where to miss and what to aim at to maximize your score.   And most people struggle with 1/2 and 3/4 shots.   It's where a lot of people can shave strokes if they are comfortable and execute well.

Are 4 & 5 not the same??

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Hardballs

Are 4 & 5 not the same??

I think he's talking about like a 50-80 yard shot. Like a half wedge or something similar. Pitches I consider different...completely different technique, at least with my garbage style of play.

[Maddog10]

1. Driver

2. Fairway Woods

3. Long irons (4-6 irons)

4. Short irons/Approach (7-PW)

5. Greenside (chipping, pitching, bunker shots, etc.)

6. Putting

I don't differentiate between lag putting and putting itself, but I do agree that there is a difference. If I try to attack every putt like I'm trying to make it, I am usually disappointed in the results. On "lag putts" I focus more on the speed than the line. I obviously try to get the line as close as I can, but it's pretty difficult to get an accurate read on a 40 foot putt. At these ranges, I just try to protect myself from a 3-putt by getting a reasonable line and trying to focus on proper speed.

[bluecollar01]

Originally Posted by TJBam

I don't buy into a separation between putting and lag putting.  Every putt I hit is going to go in the hole.  The moment I get a thought like "let's leave this one close for a tap-in" I'm going to lose my putting game.  Granted this doesn't mean I'm blasting the ball straight at the heart.  A good putt aimed to go in the hole will "lag" itself near the hole because it is intended to go in, so it ends up very very close.

OK I admit I might need to put down my new Bob Rotella book.

I wish every putt I attempted was going in the hole. A few of the articles I've read were of the opinion that amateurs three-putt more often than pros because of their lack of putting skill beyond 20 feet.  And, that increasing their ability to lag putt from distance would improve their score quicker than other areas.  I'm not an expert so I don't know if it's true but I know that when I started hitting more GIR my number of putts went up.  And, getting into a 6 foot circle from 60 feet away is tougher than it looks (for someone of my limited ability :).

[bluecollar01]

Originally Posted by Maddog10

1. Driver

2. Fairway Woods

3. Long irons (4-6 irons)

4. Short irons/Approach (7-PW)

5. Greenside (chipping, pitching, bunker shots, etc.)

6. Putting

I don't differentiate between lag putting and putting itself, but I do agree that there is a difference. If I try to attack every putt like I'm trying to make it, I am usually disappointed in the results. On "lag putts" I focus more on the speed than the line. I obviously try to get the line as close as I can, but it's pretty difficult to get an accurate read on a 40 foot putt. At these ranges, I just try to protect myself from a 3-putt by getting a reasonable line and trying to focus on proper speed.

I agree that speed is the key but as I don't practice it enough, it's difficult for me to judge the proper speed on inclined/declined greens from that distance.  I try to protect against the three-putt as well.  I'm just saying that getting the ball close from that distance is a skill that I think most "average" golfers haven't developed enough.

[Maddog10]

Originally Posted by bluecollar01

I agree that speed is the key but as I don't practice it enough, it's difficult for me to judge the proper speed on inclined/declined greens from that distance.  I try to protect against the three-putt as well.  I'm just saying that getting the ball close from that distance is a skill that I think most "average" golfers haven't developed enough.

I absolutely agree. I like to think that I'm a pretty decent golfer on the local level, but just yesterday I had about a 40' putt downhill that broke left to right. About 10 seconds later, I had a 15' putt uphill that broke right to left.

[rkim291968]

Picking, driving to course to play.

Hacking, chopping, blading, skulling, ranting, swearing for 4+ hours.

Nursing my ego back to health with comfort food & beer afterward.

If I were to break down hacking part further, it would be ball striking, pitching/chipping, putting, and course management.