Lost Ball, What Are Your Options?

[Cantankerish]

2 hours ago, klineka said:

Off-topic, but wouldn't that be a 6? 

1. Tee shot

2. Penalty stroke/drop

3. hybrid to fairway

4. approach shot to back of green

5. putt

6. putt

Duffed gap wedge, 8 iron fat, 7 iron that was over the green are all examples of full swing shots that had nothing to do with your short game that still cost you strokes. You got out of the bunker in one stroke, and didn't seem like you had duffed chips, maybe only the bladed lob wedge, but depending on how far that shot was that might have been considered a full swing shot as well.

Well, it's not an absolute, of course.  It's just a tendency to fare well in the long game and crap out in the short game.  (BTW, the 7-iron over the green was pretty useful information for me.  It is the result of my fiddling with the swing.  Looks like I am getting about 20-30 yards extra off my irons with this hips-first swing.) Also, on the 7 you quoted, I hit a 2nd shot off the tee since the right shoreline is tree-lined and I did not think I could get a decent drop.  I should have put that part in there.  Naturally that faded some and ended under a tree anyway. pfft

Klineka, we are so far off the topic now that I have nearly forgot the point.

Actually, this thread has been off point for a long time anyway.

Edited March 18, 2019 by Cantankerish
Stupidity

[billchao]

4 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

Okay, sure. As an example, I played a typical nine yesterday evening.  Like I said, I can get the ball close to the green fairly well.  It just goes to pot from there.

par 5: Drive to left side 1st cut 260 or so off the tee, 3 wood into the front bunker off the green. Out in one, 2 putt. (5)

par 4: Best drive, 288 off the tee. Duffed my gap wedge.  Chip onto the fringe green, 3 putt. (6)

par 3: 5 Hybrid to left fringe, very far from the hole.  Chip on. 2 putt. (4)

par 4: Pwedge off the tee (major dogleg), 8 iron fat to 20 yards off the green.  Chip, 2 putt. (5)

par 4: Long drive just off the green, Chip on, 2 putt. (4)

par 5: Short, low drive, maybe 250 to center of fairway.  3 wood to fairway short of the green.  I blade my Lob wedge over the green. Chip on.  Long putt to finish. (5)

par 4: Tee shot goes banana slice into the water.  Punched 3 hybrid to the fairway.  Approach shot to back of green. 2 putt. (7)

par 3: 7 Iron off the tee goes over the green. Chip on, 2 putt. (4)

par 4: Long drive to right side rough.  Gap wedge over the trees onto the green.  2 putt. (4)

You're not a typical 20. Your driving is clearly a strength. To get this back on topic, you would definitely not shoot lower scores over time by always taking the local rule drop instead of hitting a provisional. The better you are at driving the ball, the less you stand to gain from the drop.

[Fourputt]

19 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

Well, it's not an absolute, of course.  It's just a tendency to fare well in the long game and crap out in the short game.  (BTW, the 7-iron over the green was pretty useful information for me.  It is the result of my fiddling with the swing.  Looks like I am getting about 20-30 yards extra off my irons with this hips-first swing.) Also, on the 7 you quoted, I hit a 2nd shot off the tee since the right shoreline is tree-lined and I did not think I could get a decent drop.  I should have put that part in there.  Naturally that faded some and ended under a tree anyway. pfft

Klineka, we are so far off the topic now that I have nearly forgot the point.

Actually, this thread has been off point for a long time anyway.

 

I would agree with @Klineka.  Where you game seems to stall out is with your full swing iron play.  You are missing greens, and all the short game practice won't change that.  It's great to be able to scramble well when you need to, but if you are missing greens and trying to get up and down all the time, then that isn't where your problems lie.  I know because I used to be you. 

I argued the same point with Erik (Iacas) and lost.  Short game (chipping, pitching and putting) is important, but it isn't a substitute for hitting greens with full shots.  Much of my life was spent with a very good short game, and it was enough to get my handicap below 10 a time or two, but never better than that.  I had a few what were for me spectacular rounds (personal best on a par 72 is one over par 73), but those rounds were the rare ones where I hit better than 50% GIR, then also played well when I missed a green.  My normal GIR was more in the 30-40% range, so that I was putting far too much pressure on my chipping.  It takes the whole package to really excel, but the full swing is the key to moving to the next level, and that's a key I never really found.

[Cantankerish]

2 hours ago, Fourputt said:

I would agree with @Klineka.  Where you game seems to stall out is with your full swing iron play.  You are missing greens, and all the short game practice won't change that.  It's great to be able to scramble well when you need to, but if you are missing greens and trying to get up and down all the time, then that isn't where your problems lie.  I know because I used to be you. 

I argued the same point with Erik (Iacas) and lost.  Short game (chipping, pitching and putting) is important, but it isn't a substitute for hitting greens with full shots.  Much of my life was spent with a very good short game, and it was enough to get my handicap below 10 a time or two, but never better than that.  I had a few what were for me spectacular rounds (personal best on a par 72 is one over par 73), but those rounds were the rare ones where I hit better than 50% GIR, then also played well when I missed a green.  My normal GIR was more in the 30-40% range, so that I was putting far too much pressure on my chipping.  It takes the whole package to really excel, but the full swing is the key to moving to the next level, and that's a key I never really found.

You know what, that makes a lot of sense.  I have not really looked at it quite that way before.  I will say this - I can take any number of practice swings with a wedge or short iron.  It does not matter.  But when I go for the actual contact, it is a crap shoot whether I go in with zero practice swings or several.  Thank you guys both for making this clear.