We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Decision making does it affect your score?

Trout Bum

Trout Bum

Regional Rival
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
16,211
Reaction score
172
Handicap
15
I've been trying to think about my game and when better decision making came into play and my scores started coming down and I think it was about 7 years ago. I just started playing the fairways and greens game, sometimes I would hit irons off the tee and my goal was to hit every fairway in a round, once I did that it was to hit every green in regulation, then 2 putts every green and so on.

Does bad decision making contribute to your higher scores? If so, how come we don't change it? We can.
 
Without a doubt for me. The single biggest change in my golf game came when I started looking more closely at course management.
 
I think poor execution is what contributes to high scores. But this is a direct result of poor decision making. I don't try shots I can't hit. If it's not pulled of its do to a poorly executed swing.
 
I have always played the game aggressively.
220 to a green surrounded by water, no problem.
A 1'x2' gap between tree branches, I can do that.
High flop over a bunker(I won't mention the house with a glass wall straight in front of me), I can hit that better than Phil.

BUT in reality, 9/10 I fail those shots.

One of my big goals for next year is to get better at Course Management.
 
Trout Bum said:
I've been trying to think about my game and when better decision making came into play and my scores started coming down and I think it was about 7 years ago. I just started playing the fairways and greens game, sometimes I would hit irons off the tee and my goal was to hit every fairway in a round, once I did that it was to hit every green in regulation, then 2 putts every green and so on.

Does bad decision making contribute to your higher scores? If so, how come we don't change it? We can.
Click to expand...

Absolutely it does. You should hit the shot you feel the most comfortable doing. For example, I can't stand a sidehill lie with the ball above my feet. For an iron it's not as bad but a fairway wood? It's stupid. If I'm playing a par 5 with that situation, I'm likely to hit a block cut that just leaves me a harder shot than hitting from a full wedge number. Yes it's tempting to hit that par 5 in two and hopefully make birdie at worst but if it brings in more trouble, now I'm working hard for just a par. I can do that happier from the middle of the fairway 100yds out.
 
JB said:
Without a doubt for me. The single biggest change in my golf game came when I started looking more closely at course management.
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself. While my swing hasn't been what it used to be those strokes are offset by playing more Intelligently around the course
 
In the last few years as I am approaching 50 and my distance is dwindling, I have started thinking more about the best place to leave the ball on approach shots to greens for an easy two putt at worst as opposed to shooting for every flag and worrying about the next step when I miss and leave myself in a tough situation to get up and down for par. As JB stated, course management is critical and I feel like mine has improved playing smarter rather than just going all out for everything.
 
The more aggressive you are and go for low percentage shots the more often you create a miss. I see it as more of a percentage thing and playing aginst the odds costs you.
 
I think it makes a huge difference in the score.
When I decided to give up my ego and stop trying to pound the driver as far as I used to, the ball found the fairway more.
When I manage the course without always "going for it", I found more greens and birdies.
When I don't try the hero recovery shots, I have less secondary recovery shots.
The list goes on and on for me.
 
I think this is one of the things I learned most by being a member here. Course management, taking your medicine when risks are too high, etc. have changed my game. I spent more time sharpening my short game skills which make up for distance lost or mistakes made.
 
Absolutely it does, I've been known to make a few of them while on the course. I try my best to think my way around the course and not go for shots I shouldn't.
 
Oh my god yes it does.

It will kill your score in no time, conversely you can limit damage by making wise decisions.
 
I take the time before the round to look at wind direction for the day, pull up google maps and print out a course strategy for the day. I start with writing down the safe play off the tee box and then I follow that up with the best place to miss when going for the green. When I get to the course if the flag is near the safe miss I go at the pin. If it's in a danger zone I try to shape the ball from the safe miss to the flag.

I lowered my scores to low 80's before doing the safe tee box pre-decision. I'll tell you how it works out after a few rounds of actually following it =).
 
golfinFF said:
Absolutely it does, I've been known to make a few of them while on the course. I try my best to think my way around the course and not go for shots I shouldn't.
Click to expand...

Not me!

But that will change in 2014!
 
How could it not affect your score?

It always does. But changing peoples minds is always hard.

I always have people question me when I don't pull the driver out...
 
dustklose said:
I have always played the game aggressively.
220 to a green surrounded by water, no problem.
A 1'x2' gap between tree branches, I can do that.
High flop over a bunker(I won't mention the house with a glass wall straight in front of me), I can hit that better than Phil.

BUT in reality, 9/10 I fail those shots.

One of my big goals for next year is to get better at Course Management.
Click to expand...


I'm there with you. Up till the last couple months I went for everything.
 
Sure it does. You just gotta hope you make more good ones than bad ones.
 
oh yeah. no more going for every par 5 in two and playing for bogey when I hit a bad shot changed my really bad scores into reasonably bad scores..
 
I am still relatively (2.5 years) new to the sport and feel like my game is consistently evolving. I still give up up a fair amount of strokes due to poor decisions, but feel like in getting much better.
 
Absolutely. I'm working on trying to make better decisions, but it's a work in progress. I struggle at times when I hit a bad shot off the tee and try to do too much to make up for it. Trying to get myself to just take my medicine and try to limit the damage. It's tough sometimes.
 
Yea... I sometimes tend to be a little more aggressive and lose a couple of shots a round


KG

Just Tapping Away
 
I am wayy to aggressive on the course, in fact course management is an objective for 2014


Tapping from my IPhone
 
Smallville said:
Sure it does. You just gotta hope you make more good ones than bad ones.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with that. I make some bad choices which usually result in a higher score, what I try to do is not compound my error by making 2 consecutive bad decisions, it is still a work in progress.
 
Oregon Jack said:
oh yeah. no more going for every par 5 in two and playing for bogey when I hit a bad shot changed my really bad scores into reasonably bad scores..
Click to expand...

This is something that I started to do and it made a big difference to my scores as well - if I was playing a par 4 but hit a bad tee shot, I would instantly dismiss the shot and rather than try to recover to make a par, I would re-plan the hole and play for a 5

Course management is the one thing I have kept trying to improve on, now I just need to pair that with the execution of the shot that I want to play... :beat-up:
 
Still make bad ones here and there, but I list it as a strength and one reason I can score reasonably well with this swing at times. All thanks to JB and THP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top