Dedication to Aiming Away from the Flag

[iacas]

Be honest… how many of you can actually look at away from the flag, at a spot near the middle of the green or away from trouble, and try to hit the ball there? As in not just aim there, but actually, actively try to put the ball there?

Some of my most rewarding shots finish 30 feet away from the hole, because they're exactly where I've aimed them.

Doing this takes a special kind of dedication. It delays the gratification, in a sense… we decrease our chances of sticking one close to increase our odds of a low 18-hole score.

Can you do it? Do you?

[saevel25]

I don’t actively try to hit the ball to a spot. Maybe I should start. I tend to pick a target line. Line up and then try to make a good swing. There really isn’t an intent to hit the ball to a spot.

[iacas]

17 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I don’t actively try to hit the ball to a spot. Maybe I should start. I tend to pick a target line. Line up and then try to make a good swing. There really isn’t an intent to hit the ball to a spot.

A line doesn't have a distance.

[saevel25]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

A line doesn't have a distance.

I don’t understand this comment. 

[NCGolfer]

8 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I don’t understand this comment. 

I think he's trying to say that you shouldn't just be thinking of a "line" when you aim away from the flag.  When I do aim away I think of exactly where I'm trying to land the ball on the green, which implies distance.  If the flag is tucked back right at 130, I may aim left of the flag on a "line" but hit it 125.  I want to land the ball roughly 10-15 feet short of the hole.

Don't just think of a line...think of distance as well.  If you don't have intent to hit a "spot" then you are not including fully half of what goes into your shot (line AND distance.)

[iacas]

11 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I don’t understand this comment. 

If you have a target line and not a spot, you don't have a distance in mind. Lines go on to infinity; they don't have a distance. A spot has a distance. It's precise in three dimensions. A line is precise in just two (and the first in any of these cases is resting on the ground).

[saevel25]

Ok that makes more sense now, Thanks!

[dennyjones]

I find it difficult to avoid trying to shoot for the pin.   If the pin is obviously tucked behind danger I avoid it but it seems like it's an internal flag that overtakes common sense sometimes. I realize I'd hit more GIR if I aimed for the center of the green but it's the risk and reward that get's difficult sometimes.

[iacas]

30 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

I find it difficult to avoid trying to shoot for the pin.   If the pin is obviously tucked behind danger I avoid it but it seems like it's an internal flag that overtakes common sense sometimes. I realize I'd hit more GIR if I aimed for the center of the green but it's the risk and reward that get's difficult sometimes.

Difficult, sure… but if you actually want to shoot lower scores, there's no time like the present to start learning to be determined here.

[Hardspoon]

14 hours ago, iacas said:

Be honest… how many of you can actually look at away from the flag, at a spot near the middle of the green or away from trouble, and try to hit the ball there?

I do.  I target the middle of the green (or the side away from the flag, even, if it's a tucked pin), aim on that line, and try to visualize where I want the ball to land to get there.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is more common for higher handicappers like me.  I KNOW I can't afford to flag-hunting - it'd kill my scores.

 

[billchao]

19 hours ago, saevel25 said:

I don’t actively try to hit the ball to a spot. Maybe I should start. I tend to pick a target line. Line up and then try to make a good swing. There really isn’t an intent to hit the ball to a spot.

I'm guilty of this, so I guess the answer is no? I pick a club for the distance I want to hit and then I aim based on what line I want my ball to start on.

[JonMA1]

I think I'm good at aiming away from it (even though there are occasions when the flag is the best target). That ability comes more from fear than it does dedication or concentration.

I'm not sure about this part of the question....

20 hours ago, iacas said:

As in not just aim there, but actually, actively try to put the ball there?

With a 9 iron and less, I  believe I can hit a spot on the green - a quadrant if you will (obviously, not always successful). At my skill level that's the most confidence I can or probably should muster.

With a mid iron (8, 7i), I'm aiming away from hazards and hoping to pull my putter on my next shot.

With long irons, a near green not in the bunker or surrounding brush is what I'm hoping for. If I stick the green, great. If chipping, I still consider it a successful approach shot with a  6, 5, or 4i.

[iacas]

1 minute ago, JonMA1 said:

I'm not sure about this part of the question....

That means that you can aim at the center of the green or wherever is the best play, but if you then try to pull or push the ball back toward the flag, you're not actively trying to HIT the ball to that spot.

[onthehunt526]

I am not per se "great" at it, but I do try it. For instance on the third hole at Newman... I usually have about 130 yards to the center of the green. With a tight front left pin. A 115 yard shot to the front right of the green is perfect so I try to purposely hit it there.

[JonMA1]

38 minutes ago, iacas said:

That means that you can aim at the center of the green or wherever is the best play, but if you then try to pull or push the ball back toward the flag, you're not actively trying to HIT the ball to that spot.

Got it.  Man, I don't think I do that but who knows. 

There are those times when I've gotten lucky with a "miss" and ended up closer to the flag, but those are happy accidents. My playing partner might be saying "nice shot" but I'm wondering why the hell my club face closed at impact and being grateful it cleared the bunker.  

As you said, there are times when I'm off the green and still feeling pretty good about executing the strategy.

[nevets88]

I actually do this most of the time. Cause that's what LSW says! Lotta green to work with better than short siding yourself or some hard shot.

[billchao]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

That means that you can aim at the center of the green or wherever is the best play, but if you then try to pull or push the ball back toward the flag, you're not actively trying to HIT the ball to that spot.

If I'm understanding this correctly, you're saying that if I'm aiming at a spot 10 yards right of the pin and hit a perfect shot, it ends up 10 yards right of the pin?

If that's the case then yea, I can say I do this. Just this morning I hit a ball perfectly into a bunker I was aiming for, figuring that I'd miss it and draw it onto the green. Yea I put it into a hazard, but I have to allow for a lot of curve (plus left on that hole is two bunkers and a lateral water hazard).

[dennyjones]

My issue going at the pin if it is in the front, I'm usually short which gives me a nGIR instead of a GIR.   I still miss others because of bad shots but my rangefinder may be part of my short coming instead of just going for the center of the green.