Incapable of playing conservatively

[fr0sty]

After playing some semi-competetive rounds in Florida this week (after playing exactly never since last September) I realized that I am not (currently, at least) capable of playing conservatively.

What I mean is this: If I stand over the ball and select an aggressive line I can execute with decent frequency but if I instead pick a 'safe' or 'high-percentage' shot I up making a sloppy swing and end up worse off than if I had been a tad more aggressive. In the interest of full disclosure, if I take too aggressive a line I end up in worse trouble than either other option as well. Yes, I know this is all in my head, but just because it's a mental problem doesn't mean it isn't real and isn't fixable.

So my question is this: Do I just need to always be "on the gas" a little bit to stay focused or is there a better way to approach conservative plays which doesn't let me lose focus?

[Lihu]

11 minutes ago, fr0sty said:

After playing some semi-competetive rounds in Florida this week (after playing exactly never since last September) I realized that I am not (currently, at least) capable of playing conservatively.

What I mean is this: If I stand over the ball and select an aggressive line I can execute with decent frequency but if I instead pick a 'safe' or 'high-percentage' shot I up making a sloppy swing and end up worse off than if I had been a tad more aggressive. In the interest of full disclosure, if I take too aggressive a line I end up in worse trouble than either other option as well. Yes, I know this is all in my head, but just because it's a mental problem doesn't mean it isn't real and isn't fixable.

So my question is this: Do I just need to always be "on the gas" a little bit to stay focused or is there a better way to approach conservative plays which doesn't let me lose focus?

What do you consider a conservative versus safe shot? Do you have a few examples?

[Patch]

Golfers have to play at what ever tempo, timing, rhythm, or mental applicaton that suits their own style of play. A golfer can't change the way they play in mid round. They can change shots to help with what ever predicament they are in, but only on a  per shot basis. 

Sometimes I will go out with the attitude to swing for the fences on every full shot. I could care less for what ever trouble I might hit into. Almost everytime, those are my worst scoring rounds. All I am looking for is the occassional great shot I might pull off. 

Edited April 29, 2016 by Patch

[DaveP043]

46 minutes ago, fr0sty said:

So my question is this: Do I just need to always be "on the gas" a little bit to stay focused or is there a better way to approach conservative plays which doesn't let me lose focus?

I've seen a lot of people (including myself) make horrible shots when they're simply trying to lay up.  When I've done it, I believe the issue has come from a lack of specific intent.  I'm just trying to get the ball "somewhere down there".  I don't aim well, I don't concentrate well, and I perform accordingly.   My solution has been to try to play an aggressive shot to a conservative location.  Even though the "problem spots" are further away from my target doesn't mean I don't need to take precise aim at that target.  I try to aim just as precisely as if I was aiming at a tight pin.  I try to visualize an exact distance to hit the shot.  Then I can take a good solid swing and try to hit the exact shot I'm planning.  The results are markedly better when I take this approach.

[fr0sty]

27 minutes ago, Lihu said:

What do you consider a conservative versus safe shot? Do you have a few examples?

Just making something up: Tee Shot. 350yd dogleg left, fairway bunker at the corner, trees left and right (but not overly 'tight'). 210 to fairway bunker, 225 to carry, 255 goes through fairway. Large landing area before bunker. Player's typical driver carry is 215-240.

• Over-Aggressive: Bomb driver left of the bunker to be closest to the green. Swing out of your shoes.
• Aggressive: Try to carry bunker, aim at right edge.
• Conservative: Driver/3w at right side of fairway to stay away from bunker.
• Safe: 6i to stay short of bunkers.

Taken in turn the four approaches seem to produce:

• Over-Aggressive: 7/10 lost ball, 1/10 Jordan Spieth
• Aggressive: 5/10 in fairway, 1/10 trap, 1/10 trees, 3/10 rough
• Conservative: 3/10 in fairway, 4/10 in trees, 3/10 rough
• Safe: 4/10 in fairway, 1/10 topped, 3/10 right, 3/10 left

[Lihu]

55 minutes ago, fr0sty said:

Just making something up: Tee Shot. 350yd dogleg left, fairway bunker at the corner, trees left and right (but not overly 'tight'). 210 to fairway bunker, 225 to carry, 255 goes through fairway. Large landing area before bunker. Player's typical driver carry is 215-240.

• Over-Aggressive: Bomb driver left of the bunker to be closest to the green. Swing out of your shoes.
• Aggressive: Try to carry bunker, aim at right edge.
• Conservative: Driver/3w at right side of fairway to stay away from bunker.
• Safe: 6i to stay short of bunkers.

Taken in turn the four approaches seem to produce:

• Over-Aggressive: 7/10 lost ball, 1/10 Jordan Spieth
• Aggressive: 5/10 in fairway, 1/10 trap, 1/10 trees, 3/10 rough
• Conservative: 3/10 in fairway, 4/10 in trees, 3/10 rough
• Safe: 4/10 in fairway, 1/10 topped, 3/10 right, 3/10 left

This seems like the obvious choice. I think most people would attempt this option. If you take the 6i approach you could end up either in the bunker or not far enough past the turn in the dogleg?

[saevel25]

Aggressive. If you pull it the tendency is to hit it farther. Everything your probably ok. 

[GolfLug]

I would hit a hybrid to stay short of bunker (6i would leave me a longer shot than my tee shot). Lately ANYTHING/ANYWHERE driver is over-aggressive automatically.

[pecos24]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

I've seen a lot of people (including myself) make horrible shots when they're simply trying to lay up.  When I've done it, I believe the issue has come from a lack of specific intent.  I'm just trying to get the ball "somewhere down there".  I don't aim well, I don't concentrate well, and I perform accordingly.   My solution has been to try to play an aggressive shot to a conservative location.  Even though the "problem spots" are further away from my target doesn't mean I don't need to take precise aim at that target.  I try to aim just as precisely as if I was aiming at a tight pin.  I try to visualize an exact distance to hit the shot.  Then I can take a good solid swing and try to hit the exact shot I'm planning.  The results are markedly better when I take this approach.

I like this approach Dave.  I will try to keep this in mind out on the course.  I believe you are right, when you are laying up a lot of the time you don't have a specific target in mind.  I got my self in trouble trying to lay up after a poor tee shot, I had plenty of room for a safe shot and ended up pulling my ball into a pond.  

[Club Rat]

2 hours ago, fr0sty said:

conservative plays

I usually do not have many situations during rounds when I'll need a conservative shot, but I'll elect to play a safer shot opposed to a risky play which there's the possibility of stroke and distant loss.

[mchepp]

You should play golf in the fashion that makes it the most enjoyable for you. To many guys I play with that means hitting as far as then can. They accept bad holes as a "rest hole" and then try to drive the green on the next one. 

They would act like Matt Kucher in his shoe commercial if I ever suggest laying up. "Drop and give me 20".

I say stay aggressive and enjoy the birdies that come from it and ignore the bogies (or others) as well.

[fr0sty]

1 minute ago, mchepp said:

You should play golf in the fashion that makes it the most enjoyable for you.

To me this means "shooting the lowest score possible", hence my dilemma: To play aggressive enough to not lose focus is to play so aggressive that I get myself into more trouble than I should. I feel like my game is a little on the knife's edge; Too aggressive and I'm hosed, too conservative and I'm likewise hosed and the middle ground is not that big.

To play the best that I can I feel like I need to find a way to play conservative shots "aggressively" or as @DaveP043 said "with specific intent" but I don't know how to internalize that mentally.

[WUTiger]

2 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I've seen a lot of people (including myself) make horrible shots when they're simply trying to lay up.  When I've done it, I believe the issue has come from a lack of specific intent. ... 

Plan your lay-up shots is a very common golf magazine tip. And, a tip that actually has value.

[70sSanO]

2 hours ago, fr0sty said:

Just making something up: Tee Shot. 350yd dogleg left, fairway bunker at the corner, trees left and right (but not overly 'tight'). 210 to fairway bunker, 225 to carry, 255 goes through fairway. Large landing area before bunker. Player's typical driver carry is 215-240.

• Over-Aggressive: Bomb driver left of the bunker to be closest to the green. Swing out of your shoes.
• Aggressive: Try to carry bunker, aim at right edge.
• Conservative: Driver/3w at right side of fairway to stay away from bunker.
• Safe: 6i to stay short of bunkers.

Taken in turn the four approaches seem to produce:

• Over-Aggressive: 7/10 lost ball, 1/10 Jordan Spieth
• Aggressive: 5/10 in fairway, 1/10 trap, 1/10 trees, 3/10 rough
• Conservative: 3/10 in fairway, 4/10 in trees, 3/10 rough
• Safe: 4/10 in fairway, 1/10 topped, 3/10 right, 3/10 left

Are you sure it is just not rust from not playing and you had a bad week?  If those are typical results and you are playing to a 7, none of those results get you there.  You're a good golfer.  I'm willing to bet you are just thinking too much about what happened this last week.

John

Edited April 29, 2016 by 70sSanO

[Dave2512]

I just play whatever shot the situation calls for. I don't see it as aggressive or conservative but I won't take unnecessary chances. I play the same courses all the time and my shot choices change with weather and the quality of the previous shot.

[iacas]

46 minutes ago, WUTiger said:

Plan your lay-up shots is a very common golf magazine tip. And, a tip that actually has value.

In what sense? I don't find much value in that.

The very idea of "laying up" implies that you could have made a different choice, and quite often the "not laying up" choice is going to lead to lower scores, on average.

[Jim Bloodworth]

In golf you have to be open to new ideas and change. Playing with your heart in a aggressive mode may be good for you sometimes, but often it will get you in trouble. Take a look at options where playing conservative in certain situations may help you.

[DrvFrShow]

Laying up can be a sensible choice depending upon what you have after. 

You hit a drive. You have 250 yds to the green. Now there's a water hazard in the middle of the fairway that's 30 yds across and is from 100 to 80 yds from the green. Now you can carry this easily, but the green is elevated on a steep grade and the lie you'll get on the other side of the hazard is usually not good unless you land within the first 20 yds.

Your best shot is to lay up to the hazard and drop and easy PW shot onto the green.... unless you're name is Jordan. Good luck with that big green side bunker.

There are other times where taking an aggressive line can work. But honestly, it all boils down to how good your game is from 140 yds and in. If that approach shot is accurate it can make up for a bundle of sins. Just keep the tee shot playable.