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Playing to a Number

JB said:
Test was completed and I will find the results on the forum.
Im still not sure how the pro numbers can really be a part of anything about playing to a number for amateurs, but if that makes people see something, then all the power to it. As has been said numerous times, you also do not see pros hitting FW woods or hybrids off the planet due to lack of consistency. But if someone feels as though banging the ball as close as possible with a long club is the best option for most amateurs, then it would go against what I was always taught, but oh well.
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Thanks JB. I know that the pros numbers have little relevance for a weekend golfer, but I think this is interesting. It's also the only available information that I could find. It is also entirely true that the consistency of the "hit it as far as you can" bit affects the overall results. That was what I meant when I said "everything else being equal". I suspect that the reality is different for each person, who will all have different skill sets. My only aim here is to convince people that it's worth testing it for yourself rather than basing it on "what they were always taught".
 
interesting strategy's discussed here - i definately need to work on my "course mgmt". I like to try and get my 2nd shot within 120 yards - so i can hit the cg-15's. I feel most comfortable attacking a green with my wedges. Think im more accurate with them. My short irons - i hit flush - but they seem to tail left on me - they are not as straight as my wedges.

The whole taking out anything above a 5 - i had never thought of that - but if i eliminated my "blow-up" holes - i could see some really good scores. Looking at my OOB scores to try and jog my memory from last year - I try to think what happened on those holes i carded 7's and 8's and it almost always had a penalty stroke on them. Which is usually driver off the tee put in trouble.

Any other course mgmt tips/ advice. (probably better suited elsewhere, but while we were on it i felt i need to ask!)
 
cg13 said:
interesting strategy's discussed here - i definately need to work on my "course mgmt". I like to try and get my 2nd shot within 120 yards - so i can hit the cg-15's. I feel most comfortable attacking a green with my wedges. Think im more accurate with them. My short irons - i hit flush - but they seem to tail left on me - they are not as straight as my wedges.

The whole taking out anything above a 5 - i had never thought of that - but if i eliminated my "blow-up" holes - i could see some really good scores. Looking at my OOB scores to try and jog my memory from last year - I try to think what happened on those holes i carded 7's and 8's and it almost always had a penalty stroke on them. Which is usually driver off the tee put in trouble.

Any other course mgmt tips/ advice. (probably better suited elsewhere, but while we were on it i felt i need to ask!)
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The one that I am working on has 2 parts.

1. Aim for the middle of the green. Don't be cute. Don't try to knock it stiff. Aim for the middle, make your 2 putts, go to the next hole. My GIR stat was awful last year, and for as many times as I got a birdie by going at the flag, I got a double because I put myself shortsided in a bunker.
2. Miss on the "good side". If there is trouble left, and the pin is left, don't be afraid to play to the safe side of the green. You'll have longer putts, but I am starting to think I'll risk a 3 putt bogey vs a nasty chip and a 2 putt to save bogey.
 
RxGus said:
The one that I am working on has 2 parts.

1. Aim for the middle of the green. Don't be cute. Don't try to knock it stiff. Aim for the middle, make your 2 putts, go to the next hole. My GIR stat was awful last year, and for as many times as I got a birdie by going at the flag, I got a double because I put myself shortsided in a bunker.
2. Miss on the "good side". If there is trouble left, and the pin is left, don't be afraid to play to the safe side of the green. You'll have longer putts, but I am starting to think I'll risk a 3 putt bogey vs a nasty chip and a 2 putt to save bogey.
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Thanks GUS! Yea i know i am guilty of aiming at pins. Maybe Ill try starting the year off ultra conservative - see how it goes!

Few putting tips i saw in the golf digest were: always read more break - better to miss it reading too much break (where you still have a shot at the putt) than not enough break (where it never had a chance)
and along those same lines ( miss it long - so the putt still has a chance) than short (where it never has a chance)

I think last year i focused on my long game too much - im going to work hard on my short game this year- man i wanna play so bad!
 
lindy72 said:
I am a short hitter...not like some of you guys who consider a 240 yard drive short LOL...If I really hit one, it goes about 195-200, so lay up on many par 4s is not an option, it's just the way I have to play ...That being said I try to play to 60-70 yards which is a nice, smooth gap wedge for me....This is to minimize double bogeys...Been playing golf a long time and have never been a big hitter so a lay up and chip/ pitch/putt is the way I have to play...Gotten used to it and constatntly practice my short game and putting....I will try to hit greens some of the time (come on, I'm only human) but if the FW game is a little off I go back to plan A.....If I could go back 40 years I would take lessons (and buy a few certain stocks). But to answer the OP's question, the majority of the time I play to a certain yardage on 4s and 5s....
And I like that theory of never having anything over a 5 on the card..
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I can get it out there a bit longer- but not much. It was only in the middle of last year that I started playing to a number rather than just pointing and shooting as far as I could. If I can get it around 90-110 and bring out the Niblicks my chances of getting a good put for par are excellent. Not only did my scores go down, but my puts per hole dropped significantly as well.

When I did that I dropped nearly 10 strokes in the space of a week. Going from rarely breaking 100 to shooting mid 90's for the rest of the season. Just keeping the ball in play and avoiding trouble really pays dividends in all areas of the game.
 
If I know there's no chance that I can reach, I play to to a number. I like to try to give myself a nice 120 to the pin
 
I use to just go for as close as possible on all par 5's, but I hate being in the 30-60 yd range, so now I lay up unless I have a real chance to reach the green. Since doing this I have been able to break into the 80's about 1/3 rounds last year, with a low of 82. I never really used the same thought on par fours and need to start looking at this. My goal this year is to become consistent and get my handicap down to 18.
 
If I am under 250 to the pin I almost always go for it. I am very comfy with my 3+wood, (13 degree), and feel I have a better shot at getting up and down from greenside than hitting a wedge stiff from 100-125. Of course, if there is a hazard or water in front, that changes things. Also, if it is a very narrow at the green, I may lay up. My biggest strength is my length, and I have to take advantage of it when I can. I usually punish par 5's, and struggle on par 3's. Needless to say, if I can improve my iron play, I may change my tactics, but for now they are working.
 
JB said:
On most holes do you find yourself playing for a number or going with what will get you the closest?
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Depends completely on how my short game/pitching/wedge play/yardages feels, as well as what the stuff around the green is like. If it's a nice, forgiving area then just bomb it. Pin position etc also plays in, of course.
 
These days I try to get as close as possible. My chips and half wedges are my b&b and my consistency with full shots is not what it used to be. That said, the terrain can play a big part in the decision.
 
When laying up on par-5's, I'll always play to a yardage (100 yds being my soft spot).

But for shorter par-4's, if I'm driving the ball particularly well, more often than not I'll look to keep that rhythm going and bang driver. 50 yds and out, I'm very comfortable but when I get to 30-40 yard pitches, I'll struggle at times gauging distance.

But I tend to throw more strokes away from the tee than I do around the greens. Hence my reason for sticking with a hot driver if that were the case.
 
When Do You Layup?

When Do You Layup?

You are sitting in the fairway, with short grass extending right up to the front of the green. No bunkers or trouble in front of the green either.
How far would the green have to be before you choose to lay up?
 
When to lay up???? NEVER!!!! :D Just kidding but in this case I would hit the ball as close as I possibly could, because then even if you are short you should still have a relatively simple chip/putt to the hole.
 
Without a hazard I'll always go for it. Because my 75-100yd layup shot isn't guaranteed either.
 
If I'm 255 and up I layup. I hardly ever go for it because it usually never ends up with a good result.
 
Go for it. Play mickelson golf.
 
If you're telling me that there is no trouble anywhere around the green, I'd say 250. 3-wood off the deck for me is 220-230, so a 20 or 30 yard shot into the green wouldn't be the worst thing. The 30-60 yard range is what I don't like.
 
I rarely hit the ball more than 215 either way. That said, I usually try to get the ball as close to the green as I can so I can use my short game.
 
Most par 3's and all par 5's.

I'm really trying to play smarter, playing rounds with biggsy and AHA has taught me a lot lately about golf in general but taking trouble out is the best lesson yet.

insert witty sig line here. Tapatalk
 
We've got numerous threads on laying up to a number and course management.

As soon as I get in front of a cpu I will merge this one with one of those.

tapatalk: even available for lefties!
 
As long as the target area isn't super tight, and there are no forced carries, I'm hitting the ball as far as I can so as to have a shorter following shot.
 
If there is a hazard or something I'll lay up. However if there is nothing bad that can come from going for it you have nothing to lose than to go for it. The only reason to not go for it is if you trust your say 30-60 yard game more than your <30 yard game.
 
I like to put the ball as close to possible to the green. If there are no hazards I'm going for it.
 
TC said:
We've got numerous threads on laying up to a number and course management.

As soon as I get in front of a cpu I will merge this one with one of those.

tapatalk: even available for lefties!
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merged......pretty interesting stuff in this thread.
 
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