Over-Stating the Value of a Playing Lesson

[scotth]

Hmmm..... I don't know about 4x either, but the playing lessons that I had years ago helped my course management and shot selection/club selection tremendously.

Pro and I played nine holes and he basically gave me ideas on what might work better on different situations as we went around the back nine.  

For example instead of trying to get lucky and swing out of my shoes with a 3 wood, accept right now you can't reach this par 4 in 2 and use your second shot to setup the approach shot CLUB and distance you want to pull for your third shot.  

Also taught me to try and leave that approach shot where it was a full swing on a club and not try a half swing or chip from 40 or 50 yards, but say a full swing from 100 with Sand Wedge.

[Shindig]

25 minutes ago, scotth said:

Also taught me to try and leave that approach shot where it was a full swing on a club and not try a half swing or chip from 40 or 50 yards, but say a full swing from 100 with Sand Wedge.

This tells me you don't know how to hit a 40 or 50 yard shot.  If that's the case, I agree -- lay back to a distance you know.

But I bet that someone of your ability could, in an hour or so, figure out what distances you hit your wedges with 25% (back to A2 and forward about an equal amount) and 50% (A3 and forward about an equal amount) and maybe 75% (see the flight wedge thread).  After that, I bet you get it closer from 50 yards than from 100.

I was about a 20 handicap when I started learning these shots and they help quite a bit.

[scotth]

2 minutes ago, Shindig said:

This tells me you don't know how to hit a 40 or 50 yard shot.  If that's the case, I agree -- lay back to a distance you know.

But I bet that someone of your ability could, in an hour or so, figure out what distances you hit your wedges with 25% (back to A2 and forward about an equal amount) and 50% (A3 and forward about an equal amount) and maybe 75% (see the flight wedge thread).  After that, I bet you get it closer from 50 yards than from 100.

I was about a 20 handicap when I started learning these shots and they help quite a bit.

Actually until I was rear ended and had to lay out of golf for about 15 years I carried a 5 handicap. The 20 is where I am right now after playing about 10 early rounds this summer.  I have a feeling when new handicap is calculated from last 2 weeks will be around 10.

I don't care what your handicap is, I think it is much easier and smarter to leave yourself a distance where you can take a full swing rather than trying to finess a 50% swing or 25% swing.

For example right now I like to leave myself a nice 55- 60 yards and use my 60 degree wedge and take a full swing so I can concentrate on where I want shot to land on green not how hard to swing the club.

[Shindig]

4 hours ago, scotth said:

Actually until I was rear ended and had to lay out of golf for about 15 years I carried a 5 handicap. The 20 is where I am right now after playing about 10 early rounds this summer.  I have a feeling when new handicap is calculated from last 2 weeks will be around 10.

I don't care what your handicap is, I think it is much easier and smarter to leave yourself a distance where you can take a full swing rather than trying to finess a 50% swing or 25% swing.

For example right now I like to leave myself a nice 55- 60 yards and use my 60 degree wedge and take a full swing so I can concentrate on where I want shot to land on green not how hard to swing the club.

Genuinely sorry to hear about the accident and time away from the game we love.  Congratulations on your return.

I disagree about it being smarter to leave that distance -- at just about every level, players hit greens more often from shorter distances (including partial swing distances) and get the ball closer to the pin when they do.  

[iacas]

7 hours ago, scotth said:

I don't care what your handicap is, I think it is much easier and smarter to leave yourself a distance where you can take a full swing rather than trying to finess a 50% swing or 25% swing.

It's not.

In the vast, vast majority of situations, you're better off leaving yourself as close to the hole as possible (so long as it's not in a hazard or something).

At every level of the game, this is true.

7 hours ago, scotth said:

For example right now I like to leave myself a nice 55- 60 yards and use my 60 degree wedge and take a full swing so I can concentrate on where I want shot to land on green not how hard to swing the club.

Scott, go here and buy a copy of the book listed there.

It's good. I know both authors. They're smart guys.