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Changing my whole approach to a round of golf.

Rageshadow

Rageshadow

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After reading the Ego thread that Jman started today got me into serious ponder mode. My next few rounds I am going to try and go out with a whole new look at a round of golf. I will be shooting for bogey instead of birdie. After that read today I realized just how many shots I have left on the course because of trying for the green of a say par 4 in two shots. My game as it is now is limited to decent driver shots and decent short irons. Right now anything from say 170 out is majorly iffy at best for me to find the green. So I got to thinking, (yes which hurt lol) club down and go for a 100 yard shot or even 120 yard shot which will leave me a short wedge into the green giving me a much better chance of getting the ball close to the hole increasing my chance at par and most of the time at worse a bogey. This will also include leaving the driver in the bag and pulling the 3 wood on a lot of tee's. I know most of this has been said before, but putting it all together for a round will be something new. Bogey golf is not bad golf at all if you look at the scores. I am going to try to make the safe shots not the pretty shots if that makes sense.

The worst part of this is the ribbing I know I am going to get from my buddies at pulling my 6 Iron and laying up on a 185 to 195 yard par 3 (which by the way they never make less than par on) leaving me a very controllable chip onto the green. My short game while not the best is the best part of my game. I practice it almost as much as I do full swings. It saves me many strokes on the course.

I will try and keep this thread updated with how things go if there is interest in such. Thanks in advance for any comments that come of this that give me any ideas for improving my game.
 
Looking forward to following this. Years ago when I started out, I did something very similar.
 
Good luck! Keep us updated!


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Rage,

I think you're smart in your approach. I will say this though - don't let the strategy dictate the round. Let the round dictate the strategy.

That is to say, if you happen to catch a drive well and only have a 7-iron in, by all means go for it. Or, if you hit a poor tee shot and have 210 in, then you've turned it into a 3-shot hole, so lay up. But, if that 210 happens to be on a hole that has no trouble around and you feel good about where your miss might go, you might still go ahead and go for it. Do what the situation allows and what you have confidence in.

On a long par 3 with trouble all around, if the wind is with you and you're controlling the ball well that day, sure, go for it. But if the wind is against you or your swing is a bit off, by all means, layup to where it's safe.

Also important though is your targeting. Take pins out of your mind unless they're in the center. Aim for where your straight shot will put you on the green, and your miss hopefully will too. I definitely have benefited from realizing that bogies are just fine. Pars happen if I execute well. Birdies are just a gift.
 
I actually started thinking about playing golf in a more conservative way, I think that the 3 wood will enjoy the next couple of weeks
 
Last year I played almost half the year with a 5i off the tee after buying a new driver just because I was struggling with it. I found that playing that way actually gave me more enjoyment playing. And yes I took quite a beating from my playing partners for it but was still staying right around their scores just because I was constantly playing from the fairway.
 
I was talking to Jeff Reed Wednesday when we played about some of the holes I was changing my strategy on. It did somewhat work, but I feel if I get more comfortable laying up it will really help my game.
 
Good luck in your efforts. I too will be keeping an eye on your thread. It's a tough thing to maintain when you so badly want to do something different.
 
I tried this once. My course is very short, 2300 yards. We have a 255 yard par 4. With a different approach than my usual "drive right at it," I teed off with a 7 iron and then a wedge into the green. I also did this with longer par 3s, which we have many in the 190-225 range. It certainly helped my scoring with the par 3s, but my par 4 scoring dropped dramatically, probably b/c all of our par 4s are quite short.

~Rock
 
If you ever get a chance, you should try using just three or four clubs for the entire round. If you really want to see the course in a different way. I have done this before for the challenge as well as the factor of laying up and seeing shots from different spots/farther back. I used a 5 iron off the tee, PW and putter and that was it. You'd be surprised how well you play doing this.
 
This is defiantly something I am going to try on my next round. Instead of trying to smash a 3 wood or hybrid 150+ to hit a green on my second shot I am just going to hit a 7 iron maybe a 120 yards then give myself a nice short shot for my 3rd then try and hole out in two for a bogey. Getting a bit sick off trying to make that impossible shot and end up spraying it miles left or right or topping it nowhere. I need to have better course management on certain holes and not try to play to a level I am just not at yet. Dont mind trying to smash one when very little trouble about but its pretty daft when trouble lies both left and right

Need to get in a mindset where I play long par 4's as par 5's
 
wadesworld said:
Rage,

I think you're smart in your approach. I will say this though - don't let the strategy dictate the round. Let the round dictate the strategy.

That is to say, if you happen to catch a drive well and only have a 7-iron in, by all means go for it. Or, if you hit a poor tee shot and have 210 in, then you've turned it into a 3-shot hole, so lay up. But, if that 210 happens to be on a hole that has no trouble around and you feel good about where your miss might go, you might still go ahead and go for it. Do what the situation allows and what you have confidence in.

On a long par 3 with trouble all around, if the wind is with you and you're controlling the ball well that day, sure, go for it. But if the wind is against you or your swing is a bit off, by all means, layup to where it's safe.

Also important though is your targeting. Take pins out of your mind unless they're in the center. Aim for where your straight shot will put you on the green, and your miss hopefully will too. I definitely have benefited from realizing that bogies are just fine. Pars happen if I execute well. Birdies are just a gift.
Click to expand...

I agree with ya, if I can get within 7 or 8 iron range I will go for the green. Also I couldn't agree more with aiming for the center of the green if I am outside of chipping range. I can't count the times I have blasted over the green or come up short of it trying to get close to a pin on the edge of the green.
 
Rageshadow said:
After reading the Ego thread that Jman started today got me into serious ponder mode. My next few rounds I am going to try and go out with a whole new look at a round of golf. I will be shooting for bogey instead of birdie. After that read today I realized just how many shots I have left on the course because of trying for the green of a say par 4 in two shots. My game as it is now is limited to decent driver shots and decent short irons. Right now anything from say 170 out is majorly iffy at best for me to find the green. So I got to thinking, (yes which hurt lol) club down and go for a 100 yard shot or even 120 yard shot which will leave me a short wedge into the green giving me a much better chance of getting the ball close to the hole increasing my chance at par and most of the time at worse a bogey. This will also include leaving the driver in the bag and pulling the 3 wood on a lot of tee's. I know most of this has been said before, but putting it all together for a round will be something new. Bogey golf is not bad golf at all if you look at the scores. I am going to try to make the safe shots not the pretty shots if that makes sense.

The worst part of this is the ribbing I know I am going to get from my buddies at pulling my 6 Iron and laying up on a 185 to 195 yard par 3 (which by the way they never make less than par on) leaving me a very controllable chip onto the green. My short game while not the best is the best part of my game. I practice it almost as much as I do full swings. It saves me many strokes on the course.

I will try and keep this thread updated with how things go if there is interest in such. Thanks in advance for any comments that come of this that give me any ideas for improving my game.
Click to expand...

Firstly I'll say whatever works and makes one happy too is what counts most. There has been discussion in other threads of (sort of) similar subject that seems to pop up now and again. Playing humble, playing to ones strengths and not weaknesses, playing smarter, playing within ones ability, better game management, whatever. I've learned after many years to finally do this and it does help a ton to obtain a much better all around experience and better scoring.

But imo their should also be some form of happy medium. There is a line imo between doing this successfully vs limiting oneself too much which can (to a degree) limit further development. If I have a "long shot in" and the risk for a miss is very high then I will often enough chose to lay it up to a desirable location and use what the course offers me and also what my ability offers me. That would work to my advantage. But If the risk is more on the forgiving side where as the miss is not going to hurt too bad then I'll go for it.

I think there are just enough scenarios that will pop up that will allow for both the smarter, more humble route as well as just enough times to attempt the shots that one is less likely to pull off so that they can satisfy the practice and/or repetition of taking them. Especially with a higher capper player (due to errant shots) who may be all over the golf course more often will find themselves faced with such decisions much more often. Just need to know imo the difference of when to play the harder shot and when not to. The opportunity for both ways as said will present itself enough times.

. If one never attempts a 200yrd p3 than how can one ever learn it? Again, there has to be a happy medium between playing smart vs keeping up practice and improvement.
 
I like the way you're thinking Rage, I've finally started doing this more (playing for bogey) and found that I'm getting more chances at par putts because of it. It still irks me when I miss a birdie putt but not nearly as bad as it used to. FWIW, my putting has been a struggle this year although it was one of my strong points before I quit playing for a couple of years. The speed has come back but I can't read a green to save my life right now.
 
Rageshadow said:
After reading the Ego thread that Jman started today got me into serious ponder mode. My next few rounds I am going to try and go out with a whole new look at a round of golf. I will be shooting for bogey instead of birdie. After that read today I realized just how many shots I have left on the course because of trying for the green of a say par 4 in two shots. My game as it is now is limited to decent driver shots and decent short irons. Right now anything from say 170 out is majorly iffy at best for me to find the green. So I got to thinking, (yes which hurt lol) club down and go for a 100 yard shot or even 120 yard shot which will leave me a short wedge into the green giving me a much better chance of getting the ball close to the hole increasing my chance at par and most of the time at worse a bogey. This will also include leaving the driver in the bag and pulling the 3 wood on a lot of tee's. I know most of this has been said before, but putting it all together for a round will be something new. Bogey golf is not bad golf at all if you look at the scores. I am going to try to make the safe shots not the pretty shots if that makes sense.
Click to expand...

I am a poor/novice golfer, but I did this very thing on a par 3 at my home course and bogied it (lipped out my par putt) for the first time in a long time...maybe ever. It's not long, but it's very tight, and has trouble all over the place. There is a creek that crosses the front about 20 yards short, woods 20 yards to the left, a marsh 10 yards right (but opens next to the green) and a pond 20 yards behind the green. The green itself is elevated about 5 feet with steep, tightly mowed approach all the way around it, and it's very undulating. It may be the most evil hole in greater Nashville :) . Anyway, the last time I played I stood on the tee box staring at the pin in the middle, making it about 150, and while I was wondering if it was going to be the creek or the marsh this time, it hit me!

I went back to the bag, got my 8 iron, and took advantage of my very high pitching comfort level, hitting a nice 3/4 pitch swing about 105, leaving me right in the middle, and 35 to go to the front/middle of the green (the safe spot to land it). I chipped up and the ball released nicely, settling about 12 feet from the hole, and I 2-putted for bogie. This stood out in stark contrast to my typical approach, which is to hit my tee shot into the marsh, then hit another one into the creek bed, where I'm looking to get up and down from a terrible lie and a very difficult shot in its own right, for double. This typically ends up as 6...if I double I feel like I escaped.

Bogie is better!

EDIT: I'm talking about the 3rd at Champion's Run, if anyone cares...
 
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I have started to ask myself: "Do you have that shot in the bag?" By that, I mean is it a shot I know I can make 70+ percent of the time? If not, I try to find I shot I can make.

It is helping. A lot.
 
Thainer21 said:
Why not just play it forward?


TTing
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T, It's a great idea, but wouldn't likely change his approach on anything but the long par 3. And I'll be honest, I might suggest teeing it forward, but unless the group I'm with jumps at it, I wouldn't do it by myself.

Rage, I love the idea of playing for bogey, especially on the harder holes. I'm only a 7 cap, so don't do it often, but on my home course there are 4 holes where I'm happy with a bogey, though I don't exactly try for one. On the other hand, in the past 2 weeks I have been going out of my way to play conservative. I had 3 rounds in a row where I bogeyed or worse every hole I hit driver off the tee, and parred or birdied every other hole. So I've pulled my driver out of my bag until after club championships Labour Day Weekend (I'm just pull hooking it like crazy). There is only one hole on my course (430 from the back) where I can't hit the green in reg hitting my driving iron off the tee (195-200 consistently), and since it's one of the 4 aforementioned bogey holes, I don't mind at all. I no longer hit any greens in 2 on par 5s, but also haven't had a double or worse on any of the par 4/5s since I changed my approach.
Good Luck, look forward to seeing updates!
 
I'm curious to see how this works out for you. I have tried this approach to the game before and inevitably I end up shanking the second shot a time or two during the round and end up worse than if I had just gone after the green. Nothing upsets me more than playing it safe and screwing up the "safe" shot.
 
caribbeanknight said:
I'm curious to see how this works out for you. I have tried this approach to the game before and inevitably I end up shanking the second shot a time or two during the round and end up worse than if I had just gone after the green. Nothing upsets me more than playing it safe and screwing up the "safe" shot.
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Boy is this true too. I was in my 2nd or 3rd round not hitting any woods, and Had about 260 to a par 5 green. Easy lay up with pretty much any iron I'd like (could go 50° twice and get there). Instead I pull hook it and end up with double. Was bad b/c at the time, in our last tourney b4 club champs, I was 2 under. The one bad shot threw me off and I doubled 3 of the last 5 holes!
 
redandwhiterob said:
This is defiantly something I am going to try on my next round. Instead of trying to smash a 3 wood or hybrid 150+ to hit a green on my second shot I am just going to hit a 7 iron maybe a 120 yards then give myself a nice short shot for my 3rd then try and hole out in two for a bogey. Getting a bit sick off trying to make that impossible shot and end up spraying it miles left or right or topping it nowhere. I need to have better course management on certain holes and not try to play to a level I am just not at yet. Dont mind trying to smash one when very little trouble about but its pretty daft when trouble lies both left and right

Need to get in a mindset where I play long par 4's as par 5's
Click to expand...

I did this today with a few holes with some mixed results, couple of time it worked perfectly. 7 iron 120 yards then sand wedge on to the green followed but a two putt for a bogey. Then couple of times I layed up to PW distance then duffed that PW. Definitely going to stick with it for certain holes, just need to make sure when I do lay up I need to find the green with my third my often then not
 
oiler3535 said:
T, It's a great idea, but wouldn't likely change his approach on anything but the long par 3. And I'll be honest, I might suggest teeing it forward, but unless the group I'm with jumps at it, I wouldn't do it by myself.
Click to expand...
He wouldn't have to lay up on decent drives either



TTing
 
Good for you man. I used to try to play like this, but I eventually got bored and went back to being aggressive. My scoring is significantly worse now that I'm playing aggressively all the time, but I'm having a whole lot more fun.
 
As a high handicap and newer to golf I've really been telling myself to do this more often. I tend to talk myself into taking the high risk/high reward approach thinking theres a chance I can screw up the safe play anyways and I'd pretty much be in the same spot at worst..... really should leave the fairway woods at home one day and see how I score lol
 
Thainer21 said:
Why not just play it forward?


TTing
Click to expand...

That wouldn't really make a difference on the front nine on my course. There is only two par fours that do not have forced water carries and on both and Hitting the green in two is within my safety shot zone. One of the par 3's is out over 185 with ob to the right that if you go out you are hitting into houses lol. Two of the three par fives are the same with one again with a forced water carry that I have to learn to layup on. This test is more about learning to play smart for me than anything else. Playing for bogey with my skill level is playing smart. If this makes sense.
 
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