160 yards to break 90?!

[onthehunt526]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

You can't agree with most of the other parts, but then wonder why I disagree with this one.

The Rule is the key to LSW GamePlanning. Bad golfers should still hit driver fairly often.

Let's say they plan to reach every green in GIR+1 and two-putt. What happens when they shank a 7I OB? Or chunk one 20 yards? Or 3-putt?

I can break 90 hitting a 5-iron all day. I can shoot 75 or so doing that, and have a few times. But a 20 handicapper is a 20 handicapper for a reason. They can't hit wedges solid, let alone something 160 solid and straight every time. They can't chip and putt very well.

That matters.

Fair enough.

Then how are they even breaking 100? (If your saying that their hitting shanks OB or chunking 20 yards.)

 

[iacas]

6 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

Fair enough.

Then how are they even breaking 100? (If your saying that their hitting shanks OB or chunking 20 yards.)

Because they’re hitting drivers. They’re getting nGIRs instead of laying back 240 on a 400 yard par 4. Etc.

Bill said it above: the Distance Gradient matters too.

[onthehunt526]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

Because they’re hitting drivers. They’re getting nGIRs instead of laying back 240 on a 400 yard par 4. Etc.

Bill said it above: the Distance Gradient matters too.

So less distance to cover on the rest of the hole, you score better from 2nd shot in? 

So what if you have tried everything, and can't hit a driver? Give up golf? (Just a joke, Erik)

Edited February 26, 2018 by onthehunt526

[NEhomer]

The key for high handicappers to break 90 is to identify the weakest parts of their game and work on those. Driver, irons and short game being different liabilities for different players. Reasonable course management and mopping up the deficit areas is the only true way for that player to move below the 90s.

[Marty2019]

1 hour ago, NEhomer said:

The key for high handicappers to break 90 is to identify the weakest parts of their game and work on those. Driver, irons and short game being different liabilities for different players. Reasonable course management and mopping up the deficit areas is the only true way for that player to move below the 90s.

 

I think in order to break 90, the very first thing one should learn is how to hit a driver.   Right off the bat, that will put you closer to breaking 90 than anything else.  You have to  put your tee shot out there with some distance and accuracy.  It's a must.  

 

Edited February 26, 2018 by Marty2019

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, NEhomer said:

The key for high handicappers to break 90 is to identify the weakest parts of their game and work on those. Driver, irons and short game being different liabilities for different players. Reasonable course management and mopping up the deficit areas is the only true way for that player to move below the 90s.

Agree and for the most part, the deficient area is good consistent contact with irons, hybrids,woods and wedges. If you are a 95+ golfer, work mostly on your swing to make good consistent contact. Work on your short game some of the time to help get pars for nGIR.  This is all in LSW and the thread below.

A 95+ golfer just doesn't hit their 160 iron consistent.

 

[Jerry in DC]

This strategy will not work. 

At any given level, you can break your holes into wins, losses, and draws.  For a 90s golfer, a bogey is a draw, better is a win, worse is a loss.  This strategy is likely to reduce losses.  You could argue with that, but I think it would be true - fewer doubles and worse.  Problem is that it kills your opportunities for wins.  It's impossible to make a 2-putt par on any of the Par 4/5 holes.  And it's impossible to make a birdie.  Your par opportunities are limited to Par 3's and getting up-down from 100 yards on other holes.  Unless you knock out all of your doubles+, (and you won't) you can't break 90.  A guy who is breaking 90 for the first time is still doubling holes - he's still making poor contact.  He's also hitting some good shots, and probably making a birdie or two in a round to get him over the hump.  

I could maybe see this strategy helping a very specific type of person break 110 or 105.  Basically, someone who's reasonably coordinated but doesn't have much golf experience.  Sometimes you see guys like that who can hit an OK 7-iron but almost never be able to hit a driver decently.  Note; I'm NOT saying this character hits a 7-iron good every time, just that he gets it in the air and straight-ish a decent amount of the time.  But really, this character should have higher aspirations than breaking 110 with a 7-iron.  

[onthehunt526]

19 minutes ago, Jerry in DC said:

This strategy will not work. 

At any given level, you can break your holes into wins, losses, and draws.  For a 90s golfer, a bogey is a draw, better is a win, worse is a loss.  This strategy is likely to reduce losses.  You could argue with that, but I think it would be true - fewer doubles and worse.  Problem is that it kills your opportunities for wins.  It's impossible to make a 2-putt par on any of the Par 4/5 holes.  And it's impossible to make a birdie.  Your par opportunities are limited to Par 3's and getting up-down from 100 yards on other holes.  Unless you knock out all of your doubles+, (and you won't) you can't break 90.  A guy who is breaking 90 for the first time is still doubling holes - he's still making poor contact.  He's also hitting some good shots, and probably making a birdie or two in a round to get him over the hump.  

I could maybe see this strategy helping a very specific type of person break 110 or 105.  Basically, someone who's reasonably coordinated but doesn't have much golf experience.  Sometimes you see guys like that who can hit an OK 7-iron but almost never be able to hit a driver decently.  Note; I'm NOT saying this character hits a 7-iron good every time, just that he gets it in the air and straight-ish a decent amount of the time.  But really, this character should have higher aspirations than breaking 110 with a 7-iron.  

Fair Enough.

That is a good analysis of it.

Bogeys are draws, better wins, worse losses. 

Erik, hit the nail on the head, this guy is definitely a better ball striker than a 90s shooter.

GolfSidekick's premise is you need to hit it at least 160 yards. So if you drive it reasonably well, by all means use a driver. 

I would definitely have to argue that you won't have opportunities for "wins". Every course I don't care if it's 5800 or 7800 yards has some "shorter" holes. The premise of LSW is GamePlanning, and advancing the ball safely with the most club you can.

So this strategy, would be against LSW in every way.

[Lihu]

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 9:33 PM, onthehunt526 said:

It does go away from LSW in the fact that you're not getting it as close to the hole as you can. 

I think the base premise is a polar opposite to LSW.

The thread is pretty much just play a round with only your 7i and never shoot in the 70s.

 

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 9:56 PM, iacas said:

Bad golfers should still hit driver fairly often.

I would certainly not object to them teeing up on the fairway too to speed PoP.

 

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 10:04 PM, gregsandiego said:

Here's another one. Just hit every shot very straight and far. LOL

Of course, I knew golf was easy!

 

[NM Golf]

First off the guy in that video is a decent player. Sure does look like he can make consistent contact so right there he differs from someone who shoots between 90 and 100 or worse. I play some with guys in the 90-100 category and they don't hit ANY club consistently. Its not like they "Never miss with the 7 iron"

I could pull off his little strategy for the mere fact I can hit a ball consistently 160 yards and straight. BUT because I can do that with one club means I can probably do it with more than one club, so why would I chose that method? 

[Lihu]

"Ever shoot par with a 7i?"

"Hell, Roy, it never even occurred to me to try."

[onthehunt526]

1 hour ago, Lihu said:

"Ever shoot par with a 7i?"

"Hell, Roy, it never even occurred to me to try."

I love that movie.

What about your 70-year-old senior men who play from 6200 yards and shoot in the 80s. Most of these guys (I play with) barely hit the ball 180 yards, but they can score.

[Lihu]

9 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

I love that movie.

What about your 70-year-old senior men who play from 6200 yards and shoot in the 80s. Most of these guys (I play with) barely hit the ball 180 yards, but they can score.

That's quite true actually, but somewhat isolated to seniors who've been playing a long time. Hit straight and true and have a near perfect short game is their mantra. I tried it and ended up having to make up for a shorter tee shot with a long iron because I can't hit my 3W as straight and consistent distances as good as them.

I decided that following LSW by driving as possible and out of trouble is the best thing for me to do. I've even been in some pretty nasty second shot situations that recovered pretty well because I was so close to the green I didn't need to hit a perfect shot to get on or near.

I have played with only a 7i, recently, and shot okay but I'd really like to be closer to the green on 400+ yard par 4s than a 7i allows.

Edited February 27, 2018 by Lihu

[billchao]

1 minute ago, onthehunt526 said:

What about your 70-year-old senior men who play from 6200 yards and shoot in the 80s. Most of these guys (I play with) barely hit the ball 180 yards, but they can score.

I've been waiting for someone to bring this up. Don't mistake lack of distance for lack of skill.

Older golfers don't hit the ball far because they're physically incapable of generating the clubhead speed. The ones that shoot in the 80s don't have the poor swing of the average 90s shooter.

---

You're not really proving anything by coming up with examples of people who can break 90 using this strategy. Nobody is saying that you can't break 90 hitting nothing longer than 160.

The problem we have is with the claim that anybody can break 90 by following this strategy.

[iacas]

18 minutes ago, billchao said:

You're not really proving anything by coming up with examples of people who can break 90 using this strategy. Nobody is saying that you can't break 90 hitting nothing longer than 160.

The problem we have is with the claim that anybody can break 90 by following this strategy.

I could go break 90 tomorrow doing this. Easily.

But a guy who can't break 90 isn't likely going to break 90 trying to do this, either.

Well said @billchao.

[onthehunt526]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

I could go break 90 tomorrow doing this. Easily.

But a guy who can't break 90 isn't likely going to break 90 trying to do this, either.

Well said @billchao.

I could, too.

Is it going to make me a better golfer? No.

1 hour ago, billchao said:

 

---

You're not really proving anything by coming up with examples of people who can break 90 using this strategy. Nobody is saying that you can't break 90 hitting nothing longer than 160.

The problem we have is with the claim that anybody can break 90 by following this strategy.

He doesn't say you can't hit anything longer than 160 yards. He says take a club you can hit at least 160 yards and reasonably straight 6 or 7 times out of 10.

---

I don't understand how this got misinterpreted to you must play 160 yard club or less. At the end of the video, he says at least 160 yards. So what he's saying is, if your 3-hybrid is reasonably straight and you hit it say 200 yards, use that.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

I don't understand how this got misinterpreted to you must play 160 yard club or less. At the end of the video, he says at least 160 yards. So what he's saying is, if your 3-hybrid is reasonably straight and you hit it say 200 yards, use that.

I don’t think it was misinterpreted.

I think if you can hit something reasonably straight and 160+ yards reliably you can already break 90.

[onthehunt526]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

I don’t think it was misinterpreted.

I think if you can hit something reasonably straight and 160+ yards reliably you can already break 90.

Yes, I agree.

So I'm getting the consensus that this guy is full of it?