Course Management

[campilobaxter]

Be, aggressive. B-E Aggressive!

I'm a firm believer that more people need to just go for it more. Take that riskier line off the tee, go for the pin. There's a difference between playing aggressive and playing stupid, so don't be stupid about it (unless it's casual play, then go for it, cause otherwise you never know if you could have hit that ball out of the bush). I feel like too many play not to lose, rather than playing to win.

I've never known anyone whose wife divorced them, girlfriend left them, or dog ran away, because they got aggressive, missed, and ended up with a double bogey.

~Rock

hahahaha

 

[Agent Jay]

What determines "need." Is it a match you are in, or can need include going for a personal best?

~Rock

Bit of both. If I'm playing well, practice or not, I tend to be more conservative on my shots. If I'm just playing ok but not great, I might try and hit a shot that I might typically not try.

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[campilobaxter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f9-KLDVCtk
Use the wall, and then you'll know when to be aggressive, and when not to be. Used this philosophy for last 4 years or so. Works great!

That's a great video, thanks for sharing. I had never thought of it like that.

 

[GenErr]

Knowing the shots that you can consistently hit, and those that you can't. Each golfer knows his/her limits. Play smart and you'll probably get the most out of each round.

 

[TSauer]

Grip it and rip it isn't always the best option. But, it sure is fun.

 

[ntanygd760]

I am trying to get as close to the hole on every shot as I can after considering hazards. I am always going for a par 5 in 2 assuming there isn't a lake in front, I find it silly to lay up to 75 yards when I can get 25 yards away in the rough. If the rough isn't penal then I use driver off most tees. Generally speaking I play a fade so left pins I aim right for the pin with maybe a touch closed club face so it starts a bit left and fades back, if it ends up in the middle that is fine. Right pins are green lights.
This is for standard handicap rounds where a blow up hole doesn't matter with ESC. With a stroke play event I tend to be a little more conservative off the tee especially with ob, but I am still trying to get as close to the green as I can after that on every shot.

 

[Just_Brad]

Take the club that will get you there, and not the one you "think will get you there".

Play confidently, play the shot that will get you in the fairway, and get you on the green. It doesn't have to be pretty, you can skip it up there and get a similar result. Just for every shot you take, commit to it.

 

[LordByron]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f9-KLDVCtk
Use the wall, and then you'll know when to be aggressive, and when not to be. Used this philosophy for last 4 years or so. Works great!

I had the opportunity to play 2 rounds with Marquette's head coach on my bag. I was in a case study for a book he was helping with. This type of strategy is basically how he worked me around the course. Never bringing the trouble into my line. It really opened my eyes to course management. My spread between scores as become much tighter ever since.


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[Sox_Fan]

Play within yourself. I play aggreesive when I am very comfortable with a shot and back off and play a safe shot when I do not have a high level of confidence in hitting a certain shot.

 

[rollin]

Play within yourself. I play aggreesive when I am very comfortable with a shot and back off and play a safe shot when I do not have a high level of confidence in hitting a certain shot.

I don't like to think of it as safe, or conservative or backing off. I mean we refer to it that way but in reality its simply playing the "better shot". Its a positive thing imo, not a negative.

 

[theoverswinger]

I think it's about playing the sensible shot - the shot where I have good odds at success and makes my next shot easier. Sometimes the sensible shot is the aggressive one.

 

[ranger1989]

I think that "knowing when to be conservative and when to be aggressive" is the same as "smarter shot selection". Either way you have got to eliminate the big numbers.

 

[Borss]

Biggest shot saver for me is when I take my medicine, After a bad tee shot, if I don't have a really good chance to pull off the next shot I just put it back in the fairway and play for bogey. Eliminate the doubles and triples.

 

[McRock]

Ok, now I have another question. I don't even know an answer to it yet, but it has been bothering me.

There has been a sort of general thought that if one plays a fade, left pins you aim at pin, and if its a right pin, you have a green light. I had asked yesterday why people who play a fade don't just aim left of a left pin (assuming right handed) and fade it to the pin. Here's why it bothers me, even though I don't know why.

Right handed fade shot -
Left Pin
Aim at pin assuming a fade, but if you miss (no fade) you end up closer to the hole than if you had faded the ball as you expected to do.

Right Pin
Aim at middle of green assuming a fade. If you miss (no fade) you end up middle of the green, but if you hit the fade, you are close to the hole.

It just bugs me. I know that you should take into account your known miss, but at what point does it become a lack of confidence in what your shot is going to do?

Let's look at it another way. I'm going to try and basically write out a table. This first one is for a left pin. Left column is in some rough left of pin. Middle column is by the pin, right column is by the green.

Play the Fade, Aim at the Pin
X - Birdie - Par

In this situation, you took left completely out of play. If you 'miss' you get birdie, if you hit the shot you want, you got par. Assuming even a 50/50 split, you are netting -0.5.

Play the Fade, Aim Left of Pin

+1 - Birdie - X

So in this situation, if you hit the shot you expected to hit, you get birdie. If it doesn't fade for you, you get bogey. Assuming a 50/50 split in hits and misses, you net Even.

Am I the only one who thinks the person who plays a fade should fade the ball into a left pin? I mean, if that's what you expect, and assuming no hazard left of the pin, why not? If you miss, you could always get up and down for par, but if you hit it, you get birdie. If you play a fade and aim at the pin, your best birdie hope is to miss (not hit the fade) and stick it close that way.

~Rock

 

[kevin81002]

I think that's the key... don't compound mistakes. On the "knowing when to be aggressive" answer, it's very true.

If you shortside yourself, don't try and hit that miracle flop shot over the trap to the pin 10' on the green. Stroke control.

Don't fire at those sucker pin placements on the corners of the greens tucked behind a bunker. Sure if you hit it perfect you'll be rewarded with a tap in birdie. But what's the probability that you'll hit it the perfect distance and on the perfect line? Play to a fatter portion of the green and take your chances with a little longer putt. We are amateurs after all.

Reaching par 5's... If there is no trouble around the greens, by all means fire at it. But the majority of the time, the smarter play is to lay up to a position where you have an easy shot in to the green.

Once you make a mistake, don't compound the problem by making multiple bad decisions trying to hit that perfect shot from an impossible lie. THIS is a lesson I'm still learning I have to admit.

 

[ntanygd760]

Ok, now I have another question. I don't even know an answer to it yet, but it has been bothering me.

There has been a sort of general thought that if one plays a fade, left pins you aim at pin, and if its a right pin, you have a green light. I had asked yesterday why people who play a fade don't just aim left of a left pin (assuming right handed) and fade it to the pin. Here's why it bothers me, even though I don't know why.

Right handed fade shot -
Left Pin
Aim at pin assuming a fade, but if you miss (no fade) you end up closer to the hole than if you had faded the ball as you expected to do.

Right Pin
Aim at middle of green assuming a fade. If you miss (no fade) you end up middle of the green, but if you hit the fade, you are close to the hole.

It just bugs me. I know that you should take into account your known miss, but at what point does it become a lack of confidence in what your shot is going to do?

Let's look at it another way. I'm going to try and basically write out a table. This first one is for a left pin. Left column is in some rough left of pin. Middle column is by the pin, right column is by the green.

Play the Fade, Aim at the Pin
X - Birdie - Par

In this situation, you took left completely out of play. If you 'miss' you get birdie, if you hit the shot you want, you got par. Assuming even a 50/50 split, you are netting -0.5.

Play the Fade, Aim Left of Pin

+1 - Birdie - X

So in this situation, if you hit the shot you expected to hit, you get birdie. If it doesn't fade for you, you get bogey. Assuming a 50/50 split in hits and misses, you net Even.

Am I the only one who thinks the person who plays a fade should fade the ball into a left pin? I mean, if that's what you expect, and assuming no hazard left of the pin, why not? If you miss, you could always get up and down for par, but if you hit it, you get birdie. If you play a fade and aim at the pin, your best birdie hope is to miss (not hit the fade) and stick it close that way.

~Rock

I aim at the left pin with a fade but start my club face a little closed so it is more of a pull fade

 

[SouthernShred]

This is a great thread. The Suttie advice and video are great.

 

[Asden105]

Ive always played very conservative, and never went for pins unless I was 85 yards out. I have a solid short game now that I've practiced it a bit so maybe I'll play aggressive every now and again and see if I get up and down if I miss.

I just took a playing lesson anyhow with a teaching professional and he said I'm way to conservative. He told me to go for pins, when they play for my fade. I shot 2 under for 3 holes. Interesting how he also said don't be afraid to make alot of birdies.

 

[OITW]

The points that Tahoebum put in his post pretty much hit the nail on the head


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[uitar99]

I see poor shot and club selection all the time from average golfers. Here are some of the more common ones.


Jim Suttie: Avoid golf's most common playing mistakes

By Jim Suttie
Published on: 1/15/2013
Many of our problems in shooting low scores are related to how we manage our games. The best swing in the world won't help if you can't manage the game you have.

Here are some of the most common mistakes that amateurs make:

(1) Underclubbing. Most amateurs think they hit it farther than they really do. Avoid this mistake by taking one more club.

(2) Using the wrong club when chipping. Most amateurs take a high-lofted club when chipping. My best advice here is to chip with the club that will get it on the green as soon as possible. Try your 7- or 8-iron once in a while.

(3) Using the driver on tight holes. Try the 3-wood as it is much easier to hit straight.

(4) Under-reading putts. Almost all amateurs have trouble playing enough break. The obvious answer ? play more break than you think you need.

(5) Teeing off on the wrong side of the tee. Avoid this mistake by teeing off on the trouble side of the tee and hitting away from trouble.

(6) Going for the pin instead of playing to the fat part of the green. All holes are designed to be played a certain way. Give yourself some room to make a mistake,

(7) Hitting all shots at 100 percent of your power. Fix this by taking one more club, choking down and taking a shorter swing. Watch your percentages go up.

(8) Fighting the wind. Instead of fighting the wind, use the wind to your advantage.

(9) Playing the 'hero' shot. Don't gamble! Hit the shot that you know you know how to hit.

(10) Short-siding yourself. When the pin is on the left side of the green and there is a bunker right next to the pin, make sure you don't hit it left as you will have little chance to get it up and down from there.

(11) Hitting over the green. My best advice here is to always try to keep the course in front of you. Once you go over the green, it is always a tough up and down.

(12) Coming up short on long putts. If you concentrate on solid contact and good distance control, you can avoid this one.

(13) Not playing your natural shot. If you are a fader, play that fade all the way around the course.

(14) Playing too fast or too slow and getting out of your natural rhythm. Stay in your natural rhythm and don't let distractions bother you.

Golf is a game of mistakes, but generally a lot of them can be avoided with a little awareness of these common course management mistakes.

Jim Suttie gives instruction to members and public at TwinEagles Country Club in Naples on Immokalee Road and Cog Hill Golf Club in Lemont, Ill., in summer.

These are great points.

My course management issue is not always following these sensible suggestions.

Spent the winter reading about short game. One of the common themes seems to be, hit the shot you can hit 75% of the time. I'm a 20 + HCP, I believe I'll lower my score from reducing doubles and triples, not making one birdie.

 

[e1iterate]

Paging Wadesworld. He is the best course manager I know.


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[JDax]

Paging Wadesworld. He is the best course manager I know.


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I totally agree, Wadesworld is the best course manager I know....

Last week he teed off on the 510 yard Par 5 1st Hole on my home course, with 3 Wood. Because it is a 3 shot hole for him anyway and he wanted to be in the fairway...


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