Breaking 80 Thread

[billchao]

On 8/21/2019 at 8:45 PM, Cantankerish said:

I could write a book on screwing up monster tee shots.  Honestly, a 330 yard par 4 is a difficult hole for me as often as it is easy.  I can get the drive within 50 yards...and this is getting better...but I still often take four strokes from there.  It's pretty bad.

Sounds to me like a glaring weakness and an area you should work on if you want to improve.

18 minutes ago, Hoganman1 said:

Maybe you're right. I should possibly clarify that I include putting when I say the short game is the key to scoring. I'm certainly not going to argue that long drives are critically important in today's game.

Long game != long drives. Long game is your ballstriking. If you're hitting the ball solidly and towards the general direction you intend, without hitting many mis-hits and taking penalties, you have a pretty good long game.

People who are good at golf and stress the importance of short game and putting for scoring often overlook the fact that their long game is pretty good and 90% of the reason they score well. You can't scramble for par with your greenside short game if you're not near the green in two to begin with.

24 minutes ago, Hoganman1 said:

However, I played with a guy last Thursday that was 20 years younger and he out drove me by an average of 25 to 30 yards all day. We both shot the same score.

That doesn't really mean anything. I know lots of people I can out drive that play better golf than I do. Again, distance alone does not indicate the strength of one's long game.

28 minutes ago, Hoganman1 said:

As my grandfather once said "one can cover up a lot of bad shots with one good putt".

You can only cover up one bad shot with a good putt. Most likely it's less than that. If I'm 50% from 8', making an 8' putt only saves half of a stroke. That does almost nothing to make up for the drive I hit OB earlier that hole.

This is just one of those one-liners that sound good until you actually break it down. Harvey Penick's book is full of them.

[dennyjones]

46 minutes ago, Hoganman1 said:

I'm certainly not going to argue that long drives are critically important in today's game. However, I played with a guy last Thursday that was 20 years younger and he out drove me by an average of 25 to 30 yards all day. We both shot the same score. As my grandfather once said "one can cover up a lot of bad shots with one good putt".

Ask yourself.   If you were playing alternate shot with a pro, which tee shot would you rather have, the pro's that goes 300 on average or your tee shot that averages 240?  (I don't know your average, just throwing out a number).    The 60 yard difference is huge on the approach shot in percentages of GIR.    What would you rather hit into the green, 200 yards or 140?   The numbers here are definite for "everyone".   It's easier to hit the green from 140 than 200 from the weekend hack to Brooks Koepka.  

[pganapathy]

26 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

Ask yourself.   If you were playing alternate shot with a pro, which tee shot would you rather have, the pro's that goes 300 on average or your tee shot that averages 240?  (I don't know your average, just throwing out a number).    The 60 yard difference is huge on the approach shot in percentages of GIR.    What would you rather hit into the green, 200 yards or 140?   The numbers here are definite for "everyone".   It's easier to hit the green from 140 than 200 from the weekend hack to Brooks Koepka.  

I would rather hit the tee shot.  No doubt most pro's have a better percentage for greens hit and closer to the pin from 200 yards than most amateurs from 140

[inthehole]

All I can say is the golf gods DO NOT give up sub 80 rounds easy.     I was on a roll a few years ago & shot 79 twice (both stellar putting days).    Since that time I bet I've shot 80 or 81 at least a dozen times (probably closer to 15 times) - its really getting annoying.

 I think the golf gods hate me ...

Edited August 24, 2019 by inthehole

[dennyjones]

1 hour ago, pganapathy said:

I would rather hit the tee shot.  No doubt most pro's have a better percentage for greens hit and closer to the pin from 200 yards than most amateurs from 140

Patrick Reed only hits the green 45% of the time from 200 yards.    From 140 he's around 66%.   

You'd loose vs.  the Pro hitting the tee shot.  

You need to read Lowest Score Wins

[pganapathy]

3 hours ago, dennyjones said:

Patrick Reed only hits the green 45% of the time from 200 yards.    From 140 he's around 66%.   

You'd loose vs.  the Pro hitting the tee shot.  

You need to read Lowest Score Wins

That may be true, but the average amateur is unlikely to be better than 45% from a 140 yards.  And the pro can probably hit the same club or at worst one iron longer from the 200 yards in.  Most amateurs are hitting like an 8 iron or so from 140 and the pro can probably manage with a 7 iron from 200.  The pro is definitely better with a 7 iron than an amateur with an 8 iron.

The reason the pro is better from 140 than 200 is probably because they are hitting a PW rather than say a 7 iron

[amished]

15 hours ago, pganapathy said:

That may be true, but the average amateur is unlikely to be better than 45% from a 140 yards.  And the pro can probably hit the same club or at worst one iron longer from the 200 yards in.  Most amateurs are hitting like an 8 iron or so from 140 and the pro can probably manage with a 7 iron from 200.  The pro is definitely better with a 7 iron than an amateur with an 8 iron.

The reason the pro is better from 140 than 200 is probably because they are hitting a PW rather than say a 7 iron

The original premise is that the amateur is going to be hitting 240, they're probably less than 60% to hit that shot too.  So now it's 60% a pro from 200, 30% pro from 230, 10% pro from worse than that.  And to hit it 240, that's higher than your average amateur.

[lastings]

Well, broke 80 yesterday.  Shot a 76, but I’m not sure it counts.  

Dwan Golf Club - Bloomington, MN

Par 68 - 5,485 yds - 66.1/119

short course.  Only 2 par 5s.

 

still..  played pretty well, though. 

[Shindig]

5 hours ago, lastings said:

Well, broke 80 yesterday.  Shot a 76, but I’m not sure it counts.  

Dwan Golf Club - Bloomington, MN

Par 68 - 5,485 yds - 66.1/119

short course.  Only 2 par 5s.

 

still..  played pretty well, though. 

Why wouldn't it count?  You were hitting the shots, weren't you?

[billchao]

10 hours ago, Shindig said:

Why wouldn't it count?  You were hitting the shots, weren't you?

I can see why @lastings might not think it counts because it's a 9.4 differential that ends up being at least an 80 on most other courses.

Still a good round, though.

[mcanadiens]

15 hours ago, lastings said:

Par 68 - 5,485 yds - 66.1/119

I need this one to count. My bunny course is easier and shorter than that.

Community Golf Course, Dales Course, 65.9/102, 4,932 yards.

 

[billchao]

25 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

I need this one to count. My bunny course is easier and shorter than that.

Community Golf Course, Dales Course, 65.9/102, 4,932 yards.

 

If you shoot 79 on that course it's a 14.5 differential.

And no, I wouldn't count that one personally.

[mcanadiens]

30 minutes ago, billchao said:

If you shoot 79 on that course it's a 14.5 differential.

And no, I wouldn't count that one personally.

I guess it depends on what is meant by "count".  No little "80" medal under my posts, I suppose.

Either way, I never have shot 80 on that course (or any other) and it seems like a good, possibly achievable goal for me.

[Nail]

My goal this year was to break 80 and i still haven't achieved it. The year is getting away from me too. My game is improving i think but my driver tee shots are letting me down big time. My irons are a lot better lately. When i have a good drive then a bogey is the worst I'll shoot on that hole but a bad drive could mean a big number on the card, often 2 penalty strokes.

Until I get a lot more consistent with my driver I won't be breaking 80

[klineka]

1 minute ago, Nail said:

My goal this year was to break 80 and i still haven't achieved it. The year is getting away from me too. My game is improving i think but my driver tee shots are letting me down big time. My irons are a lot better lately. When i have a good drive then a bogey is the worst I'll shoot on that hole but a bad drive could mean a big number on the card, often 2 penalty strokes.

Until I get a lot more consistent with my driver I won't be breaking 80

Have you thought about using a shorter club off the tee on tighter holes? Depending on how far you hit the ball and how long the courses are that you play it sounds like it might be possible for you to break 80 with just some different course strategy.

Obviously over the long term you're better off by improving your driver, but for scoring in the short term, don't be afraid to keep driver in the bag on some holes. 

FWIW my top 2 tournament rounds this season have come when I only hit driver 4 times in each round and hit 3 iron off the tee 10 times in each round. In those two rounds combined I had 0 lost balls or penalty strokes off the tee and they were both on narrow, tree-lined golf courses.

[Nail]

11 hours ago, klineka said:

Have you thought about using a shorter club off the tee on tighter holes? Depending on how far you hit the ball and how long the courses are that you play it sounds like it might be possible for you to break 80 with just some different course strategy.

Obviously over the long term you're better off by improving your driver, but for scoring in the short term, don't be afraid to keep driver in the bag on some holes. 

FWIW my top 2 tournament rounds this season have come when I only hit driver 4 times in each round and hit 3 iron off the tee 10 times in each round. In those two rounds combined I had 0 lost balls or penalty strokes off the tee and they were both on narrow, tree-lined golf courses.

You are not the first to suggest that, I just feel like I’m giving up when I don’t hit driver. It is improving I think but still not enough to break 80. 

Some of my mates have suggested leaving the driver at home to see how I go lol. 

I can hit my 5 wood off the tee 250 yards so I should probably start using it on more holes and see how I get on. 

[amished]

6 hours ago, Nail said:

You are not the first to suggest that, I just feel like I’m giving up when I don’t hit driver. It is improving I think but still not enough to break 80. 

Some of my mates have suggested leaving the driver at home to see how I go lol. 

I can hit my 5 wood off the tee 250 yards so I should probably start using it on more holes and see how I get on. 

If you can hit your 5 wood 250, that's more than enough to become a scratch player.  However, the idea remains that the closer you can get to the green and avoid hazards, the better you will score so definitely investigate what is wrong with your driver swing to allow that club back into your bag for the long term.

[Nail]

15 minutes ago, amished said:

If you can hit your 5 wood 250, that's more than enough to become a scratch player.  However, the idea remains that the closer you can get to the green and avoid hazards, the better you will score so definitely investigate what is wrong with your driver swing to allow that club back into your bag for the long term.

An open clubface has long been my problem with the driver. It sounds so easy to fix yet I don’t. The last few weeks though I have hit a few hooks so I think I am on the right path. Just need to find that happy medium. 

I came third in our club competition last weekend and that was scratching three holes. All of which were because of a tee shot lost or out of bounds.