Longer or More Accurate?

[natureboy]

48 minutes ago, iacas said:

The math is the same.

tan(7.97°) = 35/250
tan(7.17°) = 31.5/250

Whoops that's a fair point.

[RFKFREAK]

3 hours ago, natureboy said:

This probably only true if you are already very long compared to 'typical' 25 HCP. Say a guy with tons of power starting out. PGA long, but super wild and erratic - worse than a 'typical' 25 HCP. He may benefit more from improved accuracy than distance.

The 'typical' 25 HCP does not have much distance, though so they benefit even more than the pros from extra distance.

How far does a typical 25 HCP usually drive the ball? 

I chose distance.  10% increase in all my clubs is going to be a lot more of an advantage than saving myself a few yards from going OB.  Most of my OB shots are very much of the "there's not doubt that's OB" variety anyway.

[natureboy]

48 minutes ago, RFKFREAK said:

How far does a typical 25 HCP usually drive the ball? 

I chose distance.  10% increase in all my clubs is going to be a lot more of an advantage than saving myself a few yards from going OB.  Most of my OB shots are very much of the "there's not doubt that's OB" variety anyway.

About 190 average tee shot distance (including flubs) per Broadie's 'typical course' simulation. If you have a lower number of OB + Lost + Recovery (+ Penalty with big distance loss) shots per round than 'typical' for your HCP, (~ 4.6 / Rnd for 25 HCP) then more distance (hit longer or use driver more) will definitely be more valuable (for a 'typical' course / hole anyway). If your distance is way better than the average for your HCP, but your dispersion isn't, then accuracy may become more valuable. I think an exception would only come in the extremes - where you have a glaring weakness relative to the baseline.

[DrvFrShow]

I thought about this... The tees we play from. The length of the courses we play even in tournaments at my age. I already have LPGA club distances. I carry my 8 iron 143 yds. My 6 iron 170 yds. My problem is accuracy.

However, if I could hit my 9 iron 143 yds instead of just 130 yds, that's a more accurate club by far. And my 8 iron 154 yds, that makes that 170 yd shot a 7 iron, and I'm pretty good with that. Most of my second shots are with my 8 iron at this time and they'd now be with my 9 iron.

The tricky thing here is the driver. 10% better angular accuracy with my driver isn't that much. My driver is my least accurate club. If I'm hitting it 10 degrees off line at times, a .1% improvement in angular accuracy is only going to reduce that to 9.9 degrees. Not a big help. I'd still have to learn how to hit my driver better. However, if things really got dicey on a hole, with greater distance, I could launch my 4 iron 220 yds. + roll out from the tee.

So I'll go with distance.

[Lihu]

29 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

I thought about this... The tees we play from. The length of the courses we play even in tournaments at my age. I already have LPGA club distances. I carry my 8 iron 143 yds. My 6 iron 170 yds. My problem is accuracy.

So I'll go with distance.

LPGA probably average the same distances as you, but more than likely with a more mechanically sound swing? Mechanically sound in the sense that they have the accuracy they need to score well.

[dsc123]

I voted accuracy, with a sneaking feeling that I knew better.  Then I read the posts and  quickly changed my vote. 

[DrvFrShow]

3 hours ago, Lihu said:

LPGA probably average the same distances as you, but more than likely with a more mechanically sound swing? Mechanically sound in the sense that they have the accuracy they need to score well.

yeah, well they also practice a heck of a lot more than I do.... and are a lot younger... by at least three decades for some of the older players.

I probably won't get out to practice at all for the next week as we're going to have a storm for the next five days with over 90% chance of rain and wind and cold.

I've been working on the stuff my pro gave me to work on. As soon as the rains and wind let up I'll be out at the range again. And take a lesson again. At my last lesson in late September, my pro had me shorten my backswing to 3/4, start setting my wrists earlier and this made me cup my left wrist at the top of the backswing. With the rest of the swing it looks almost like a stacked version of the A-swing now. I'm making solid contact. It's going to be getting consistent with it and getting some tune ups. I'll have him take a slow motion video at my next lesson which if all goes well will be in December.

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, DrvFrShow said:

yeah, well they also practice a heck of a lot more than I do.... and are a lot younger... by at least three decades for some of the older players.

I probably won't get out to practice at all for the next week as we're going to have a storm for the next five days with over 90% chance of rain and wind and cold.

I've been working on the stuff my pro gave me to work on. As soon as the rains and wind let up I'll be out at the range again. And take a lesson again. At my last lesson in late September, my pro had me shorten my backswing to 3/4, start setting my wrists earlier and this made me cup my left wrist at the top of the backswing. With the rest of the swing it looks almost like a stacked version of the A-swing now. I'm making solid contact. It's going to be getting consistent with it and getting some tune ups. I'll have him take a slow motion video at my next lesson which if all goes well will be in December.

I read this three times to make sure I got it right!

Well, you're pretty amazing for an older gal. . .

[DrvFrShow]

 

5 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I read this three times to make sure I got it right!

Well, you're pretty amazing for an older gal. . .

Stayed pretty athletic throughout my life. Played stuff like racquetball which has a swing motion for a number of years in the 80s, 90s, and still weight train, so there is that. I took up golf seriously at 60.

Edited November 12, 2015 by DrvFrShow

[Lihu]

Just now, DrvFrShow said:

Stayed pretty athletic throughout my life. Played stuff like racquetball which has a swing motion for a number of years in the 80s, 90s, so there is that.

When I was first married, I climbed lots of rocks and cliffs in Yosemite pretty much weekly. Then as I aged I did progressively less and less strenuous stuff. Now golf. Which I'm finding out is not all that lacking in the athleticism. . .

Had to re-stretch/work muscles that hadn't been used for decades.

[Silent]

More distance. When I hit a sh*t ball, it doesn't really matter if it's 10% more sh*t or not: it will still suck. With more distance off the tee the good balls I do hit will be even better, and will give me a bigger chance of a good score. Where can I sign up for more distance please?

[newtogolf]

I'll take the distance and work on the accuracy.  At 50, it will be easier to improve accuracy by 10% compared to adding 10% to distance.  Now does anyone know where I can find this genie?

[Club Rat]

27 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

 Now does anyone know where I can find this genie?

He's no longer in a bottle, he won a lottery and moved to a Cup, somewhere in Newport.

Last known address somewhere in Wing Heaven.

[bkuehn1952]

I voted 10% more distance.

I was looking at a few of my recent rounds.  When I am playing decently, my GIR for shots 150 yards and less is pretty good.  151 yards and longer is pathetic.  If I could hit my driver 10% longer (230 + 10% = 253) on average, I would have a lot more 150 yards and less approach shots, assuming I play the same length courses, etc...

For me GIR is key and getting closer to the green will help me more than the occasional better ability to thread a 5 wood between two greenside bunkers.

[Baog]

I voted for accuracy with the thought that greater accuracy would be a benefit on 100% of shots. 10% more distance is not a benefit on an 8' putt. 

Does it make a difference to the analysis that 10% greater accuracy would also help around the green? Maybe the distance advantage is so overwhelming that it's still the clearly correct choice.

[billchao]

25 minutes ago, Baog said:

I voted for accuracy with the thought that greater accuracy would be a benefit on 100% of shots. 10% more distance is not a benefit on an 8' putt. 

Does it make a difference to the analysis that 10% greater accuracy would also help around the green? Maybe the distance advantage is so overwhelming that it's still the clearly correct choice.

You should pick up a copy of Lowest Score Wins, but to answer your question, the closer you get to your target and the shorter the shot, the less you gain from what 10% accuracy gives you.

The distance advantage is huge. Not only are you hitting it longer off the tee, but you're closer to the green on your approach shot on top of being longer with your irons, so your typical 7i approach turns into a 9i or something. That alone will increase your accuracy.

Also, if you pushed your 8' putt 3.6° instead of 4°, you're still not making that putt.

[mvmac]

22 minutes ago, Baog said:

Does it make a difference to the analysis that 10% greater accuracy would also help around the green? Maybe the distance advantage is so overwhelming that it's still the clearly correct choice.

For most distance is the correct choice. 

You can't gain distance with your putting or chipping/pitching, so obviously the poll is asking about full swing/full shots, not about around the green.

[RFKFREAK]

On 11/12/2015, 12:26:46, natureboy said:

About 190 average tee shot distance (including flubs) per Broadie's 'typical course' simulation. If you have a lower number of OB + Lost + Recovery (+ Penalty with big distance loss) shots per round than 'typical' for your HCP, (~ 4.6 / Rnd for 25 HCP) then more distance (hit longer or use driver more) will definitely be more valuable (for a 'typical' course / hole anyway). If your distance is way better than the average for your HCP, but your dispersion isn't, then accuracy may become more valuable. I think an exception would only come in the extremes - where you have a glaring weakness relative to the baseline.

Hmm, I average way over 190 and have I'd say an average of 5 penalty strokes per round.  I'm leaving a lot out there, then.