brgolf

I think that's just the way it is. I have a similar issue with a lower handicap in the sense that last time out I was 7 over with 2 double bogeys. The day I shoot a really good round is that day I eradicate those doubles and from time to time it happens.

Ask yourself why the out of bounds shot happened. Was it just another example of poor driving that follows you round the course or was it an isolated poor shot amongst many good drives. I think you get better by isolating reasons why a bad shot happens. For example if I hit 1 bad drive out of 10 and on that particular drives I've stepped up to the ball with the intention of driving it 400 yards...well then it's pretty obvious what caused the poor shot.

You can lead a horse to water...

Yea I kind of figured you had missed that line. Still think you are missing a trick here. If there are 10 people in the pack and 1 shoots a 65 to win then being in the chase was of no advantage to 9 people. That is why I am asking how many people in 2nd stayed there or finished lower? 13:24 is an amazing conversion rate from the lead.

I've read the first post and can confirm it's 24 times.

I would be interested to know how many times a player in 2nd finished lower after the final round this year? 24+?

It doesn't matter if you are a 100 handicap. Statistics are essential. The last thing you want to do is hit a perfectly good shot but it ends up short or long because you didn't know your distance.

Everyone should want to be in the lead. Wanting to be in second, wanting other players to have played less shots than you or wishing that your score was higher. Well, that doesn't make sense to me. As for the psychology of leading that is a matter in itself. If you can't handle being in the lead, the solution is not to hope to be in the chasing pack but rather to work at controlling yourself when front running, to develop a superior strategy etc. And if you are playing the shots to put yourself in the lead in the first place then I don't see that anyone should have any problems. Of course it is just a fact of golf that being in the lead or being second for that matter doesn't particularly matter as the guy who lies 5th can shoot a 64/5 and usurp those ahead of him who may even card respectable 68/9s etc.

Context is important. The course I play at has been habitually wet this summer with no roll. I play with blades which are unforgiving and crush my yardage with off centre hits. The lofts are traditional so my 7 might be as lofted as a game improvement 8. Like Stewie and others seem to be saying, everyone has a stock distance which corresponds to the optimum shot. The lower your handicap the more often you pull off that shot. Once I pull the 5 iron out at 165 I more often than not hit a shot which is within 10 yards of that distance. I'd probably be overestimating if I am on the green 4 times out of 10. Yet, by hitting a consistent distance on the majority of shots, even the least pleasing shots can be pin high albeit chipping from the fringe.

Average maybe 165

I think luck in golf is negligible. You may hit a lucky shot, maybe even a hole in one. Well, that only accounts for one shot and there are maybe 68 more to go - that is, if you are good! Good luck being lucky for every shot in a round. For me personally, I've not had a hole in one in 13 years. Golf is a game spread over many shots. The reality of the game is you have a handicap and if it is accurate you play to that handicap over many rounds. The more you play the closer you get to that average. You cannot defy statistics and you cannot defy your ability on a consistent basis. Of course there has to come a crunch time in any walk of life whenever more than one person who is good at something have to compete for only one spot, one job, one trophy etc. This might involve tremendous good fortune or awful luck at the pivotal moment. But rest assured getting that far in the first place was never down to luck.

69 for level par. Not a short course but just 1 par 5. Can't be considered a landmark breaking 70 round as it was not on a par 72 course. In other words I need to shoot 66. Definitely possible.

Put a 30mph wind behind me and I'll give you a 300 yard drive. It is the people who claim that it is their average drive that I have trouble believing them and there is no doubt that this relates to handicap. A 20 handicap could very well hit 1 300 yard drive every 25 shots. He can't average it. In fact some of his drives will be 75 yards into thick rough way right of the tee box. That is what being a 20 handicap is.

How many players on the PGA Tour average 300 yard + drives this year? How many people on this thread manage it?

It would seem I am one of the few people who carry a 1 Iron. I tend to believe that irons offer more accuracy that woods so I'm happy to have it in the bag and I use it a few times per round depending on the wind. Of course it is going to be hard to hit if you already struggle with the low irons. Can't say I find the notion off putting myself.

It depends on a lot of things. I'm 6ft 4in and 13st and fairly athletic. I would like to hit the ball a lot further but there is often a big crosswind on the course I play. If the wind is behind I can drive as much as 330 and if it is against 185. It can be brutal. But always I am striking the ball really well and the rest is down to God! I am envious of folk who play in hot climates where fairways have dried out and there is 100 yards roll. Don't think I get any where I play. With the irons I play blades and maybe lose 15 yards due to traditional lofts, lack of forgiveness etc. I'm off 7 and there is one guy off 2 at my club and he can out drive me by 50 yards. I've played with a dozen players from 10-28hc who almost never out-drive me. I take that as a fair reflection on the fact that Handicap and Av Drive Distance are related. For all the contributors in this thread I'd venture that less than 10 can actually average the distances claimed. I'm not trying to take anyone down a peg or two. It's just whenever people are asked to put down their average- they put down their best.

HC 7 Driver 235 FT9 8.5* 3 Wood 215 1 Iron 205 3 Iron 190 MP 33 4 Iron 180 5 Iron 170 6 Iron 158 7 Iron 145 8 Iron 135 9 Iron 120 PW 105 52* 90 58* 75

74 on Par 68. Not enough GIR to post a lower score. Continually chipping to within 6 feet but missing a few putts- result= par/bogey golf. If irons game gets more consistent it's not inconceivable that I can go lower. It's clear to me that I need to change my mindset from a golfer who goes about trying to save par to one who is actually getting several birdie chances per round.

I can't look back with any satisfaction really. It's all about the next milestone for me. 75 or below.

I scored 20/100 though I am not from US so some of the questions were completely alien to me. I'm all for theory but the fact of someone being good or bad at reading greens is probably appropriately measure with statistics gathered during rounds of golf.

I'm just wondering do people find much of an advantage in employing a full swing with short-mid irons over and above taking an extra club and doing a 3/4 swing? In my experience I appear to be sacrificing the superior accuracy, timing and contact that I would be assured in a 3/4 swing by taking the more lofted club and performing a full swing. What is compounding this issue for me is that I seem to be able to generate the same power from 3/4 swings as full swings for low to medium irons. I can only conclude that the advantage of taking the club back further- at least where short irons are concerned- does not afford me the opportunity to generate extra club head speed- over an above what I can achieve with a 3/4 swing.

Only level par for the last round but he had shots in hard. He really mastered the conditions. I don't think he has the game to win in benign conditions but he has to rank as one of the best ball strikers around.

It has to do with the Good Friday Agreement and that I am legally entitled to have an Irish passport and therefore they are not 'entirely' different countries. By law my nationaility is what I consider it to be- British, Irish or Northern Irish or all three. That's just one example. The fact that many N Irish people including Unionists casually refer to the Island as a whole is another and therefore hardly requires correction.

Must say I am finding the remarks about Mickelson and DJ tiresome. DJ has been in contention a few times now in majors. He'll be there again and again. He's going to end up winning eventually. Everyone is a bottler until they win - see McIlroy.

My understanding from the commentary is that Rory has a high ball flight and I can see why that would not be suited to high winds. I actually find it refreshing that unlike Harrington, McIlroy is not going to get bogged down in over thinking the game.