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Driving The Ball

JB

JB

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It is said that the average bogey golfer makes 2-4 really bad driving mistakes per round. Now these are not your typical fades in the rough, or missing the fairway slightly or catching a bunker, but 2-4 costly mistakes. I have been thinking back to my last 10 rounds and think that for me, that is fairly accurate. A couple of times a round, I am definitely in a spot off the tee that is penalizing me due to a bad shot. Some rounds, I can go free with no mistakes, others (like yesterday) I have quite a few.

Yesterday I had a chance to speak with someone that works with this kind of thing and we got to talking about the bad shots and why they come and how they can be avoided. However I do not want to get ahead of myself. So my question and purpose of this thread is really twofold.

1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?
2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?
 
1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?

No, I can hit the fairways on a regular basis when they are wide open but I need to start thinking a shot ahead and put the ball in a position to have a better approach shot. My home course has very narrow fairways and I will normally have the 2-4 drives where I need to punch out or have no way of getting the GIR.

2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?

Yes, 2-4 sounds right for an average.
 
JB said:
It is said that the average bogey golfer makes 2-4 really bad driving mistakes per round. Now these are not your typical fades in the rough, or missing the fairway slightly or catching a bunker, but 2-4 costly mistakes. I have been thinking back to my last 10 rounds and think that for me, that is fairly accurate. A couple of times a round, I am definitely in a spot off the tee that is penalizing me due to a bad shot. Some rounds, I can go free with no mistakes, others (like yesterday) I have quite a few.

Yesterday I had a chance to speak with someone that works with this kind of thing and we got to talking about the bad shots and why they come and how they can be avoided. However I do not want to get ahead of myself. So my question and purpose of this thread is really twofold.

1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?
2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?
Click to expand...

1. No I do not think I am a good driver of the ball. While my fairways hit have increased in the past few months, I still have aways to go. My 12 month fairways number is 40%, but just in 2013 alone im at 51% so Im heading in the right direction. Ideally gunning for 65%.
2. Those numbers are about spot on for me. The prior miss was the "power fade" a few times per round into bad bad places. Now it seems about 2 times per round with the driver I snap hook one left real bad. Usually still playable but miles and miles away from home. These usually end up as double bogey or worse unfortunately.
In years past Id go to the 3 wood off the tee to mitigate these mistakes, but now they are happening more spuratically whereas the power fade used to rear its head for a few consecutive holes. So its tough to pull the trigger on dropping down to 3W when the snap hook isnt quite as predictable.
 
I consider myself an excellent driver of the golf ball, it's pone of my most accurate clubs.

However that being said I usually have one really bad shot per round, usually when I come up and out of one and flare it high and right.
 
I'm an above average driver of the golf ball. Not great accuracy, but I have a consistent shot shape and I usually have a decent idea where the ball will land.

With that said, yes those numbers are about right. I would say 1 or 2 times a 9 I hit a stinker that guarantees a double bogey or worse.
 
1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?

No. I have good days and bad days, but I can miss both ways which narrows the fairway and trot out the horrific banana on occasion. An attempt at a draw's hit or miss at best.

2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?

Mmmm. Yeah, I'd accept those as typical. Truth may be closer to 3-5 per round. VERY rare to get through 18 without one driver-induced disaster.
 
1. I think I am a decent (for a ten hdcper) driver of the ball. I log my statistics and I average almost 60% of fairways hit over last 3 years.
2. I definitely put myself in a bad situation off the tee at least once or twice a round. Can be drive into a hazard or into rough where I don't have a shot at the green.

What's doubly tough for me is I hit few GIR even when in the fairway, and much less when out (around 30% GIR overall).
 
1. No, I am not a good driver of the ball. At least once a 9, and usually twice, I will throw one out there that is the opposite shape I was going for and it will put me in deep doo-doo. My Fwys hit over the last 40 rounds is about 50% which just isn't good enough.
2. Yes, those numbers are about right.
 
I think I am a great driver of the golf ball and I usually make one mistake per round that costs me a shot, or two.
 
JB said:
It is said that the average bogey golfer makes 2-4 really bad driving mistakes per round. Now these are not your typical fades in the rough, or missing the fairway slightly or catching a bunker, but 2-4 costly mistakes. I have been thinking back to my last 10 rounds and think that for me, that is fairly accurate. A couple of times a round, I am definitely in a spot off the tee that is penalizing me due to a bad shot. Some rounds, I can go free with no mistakes, others (like yesterday) I have quite a few.

Yesterday I had a chance to speak with someone that works with this kind of thing and we got to talking about the bad shots and why they come and how they can be avoided. However I do not want to get ahead of myself. So my question and purpose of this thread is really twofold.

1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?
2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?
Click to expand...

1. No, I am not a good driver of the ball. I am short and only hit about 50% of fairways.
2. Yes, if not more than what was described. Even when I drive it seemingly straight, I am usually in a bad spot (behind a fairway tree, on a severe slope, etc.)
 
1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?

Most days I am not a good driver of the ball. I only average about 30 to 40% hit fairways in a round.

2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?

These numbers seem right to me. 4 is probably my average per round. I either put myself in thick stuff, behind trees, a long way out or OB. Either way it messes my round up.
 
Good driver of the ball? No. Very inconsistent off the tee. Been better since I started leaving driver in the bag more often, but still need some work on putting the ball in the fairway.

Numbers hold true? No. There are probably 3-4 times per round where off the tee is costing me before I even hit my next shot.
 
I think that I am pretty good off of the tee. Even when my swing isn't that great, I still tend to hit fairways (or near them). I typically have at least one penalizing drive a round, meaning that I put myself in a bad position that costs me a stroke or two. Not necessarily OB or in a hazard, but in the trees or really thick rough where I am not able to play for the green on my next shot.
 
I am an average driver of the ball, I'd say I hit at least 50% of my FWs with my minor misses in the playable rough. Late last year I was deadly off the tee and my scores showed it. I had eliminated that high right hole killer.

2013 has seen that high right creep back into the shot scheme, maybe twice a round. More often than not it leads to a bogie or worse
 
Tadashi70 said:
I am an average driver of the ball, I'd say I hit at least 50% of my FWs with my minor misses in the playable rough. Late last year I was deadly off the tee and my scores showed it. I had eliminated that high right hole killer.

2013 has seen that high right creep back into the shot scheme, maybe twice a round. More often than not it leads to a bogie or worse
Click to expand...


Perspective is a funny thing. The only time that we've played was September last year, when you were really striping your driver. Based on that round, I presume that you're consistently an excellent driver (and even better iron player).
 
1. I previously would have said no, I am not a good driver of the ball, but after making a conscious effort to reduce the length of my backswing slightly, I have found that my driving has got much better, and my distance has actually improved now that I am not trying 'too hard' to hit the ball

2. Despite the driving getting better I would still say the numbers are about right, with the odd couple of shots where I still forget and try to hit the ball too hard and manage a bad hit that can cost me shots depending on the hole
 
1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?

Not no, but hell no :angry:! If I drove the ball even 60 percent of the time in the fairways, my game/handicap would be much better. I'm working on better consistency however my driver has always been a thorn in my side .



2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?

Yep at least that many and some days more. The good thing is, I'm a pretty good escape artist from the shat my driver puts me in. My iron game can be really good so I depend on it quite often.
 
1. I was going to say I'm not any good, but looking at my stats, I'm hitting fairways more than 50% of the time. I guess that makes me at least average. (Of course my problem is even when I hit them, I'm not long)

2. I definitely put myself in a bad situation 2-3 times per round because of a wayward tee shot.
 
1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?

Yes, I have confidence in my longer clubs.

2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?

Pretty accurate statement, I tend to play pretty aggressive which gets me in trouble a few times a round. The aggressive play also sets up birdie opportunities.
 
With the help of our club pro, I have gotten much longer and more accurate off the tee with the driver. I'm hitting it better now than I ever have. That being said, I do hit it bad every now and then. I don't know that I'm in the 2-4 range. I think it's more in the 1-2 range. My last 3 rounds of golf have been 78, 76, 77, and I can think of one or two bad tee shots that cost me a couple of strokes on each of those rounds.
 
1. As of now I'd say yes, 69% this year so far vs 59% for 2012. I feel it's a bit misleading though, because there's ways a couple heel or toe misses finding fairways each round.

2. This year I've all but eliminated penalty strokes off the tee, which has not been the case in the past. Now when I miss, it's a more forgiving miss, prior years if I missed I would miss big. I still have 1-2 a round that I either pull or flare high right that can cause a punch back into play.

Like everything else, my driving success/struggles go in cycles. There are times, like now, I feel more comfortable with driver in hand than any other club off the tee. In the valleys though, I feel like there is no way I can hit a good shot with driver in hand.
 
1. Do you think you are a good (forget about distance in this case) driver of the ball?

If i'm honest i'd consider myself a poor driver of the ball. I have a feeling the Razr Fit Xtreme is gonna change that. I've only had 2 rounds with it and am yet to get to the range for a proper chance to dial it in. When i'm having a good day i can really make the ball work in my favor


2. Do those numbers (in the 1st paragraph) hold true for you?

My mistakes will cost me 4-6 strokes per round. My mistakes aren't missing fairways they are usually slices or hooks
 
In the past, I struggled off the tee. The high right shot would kill me - a lot! Last year though, I made a couple small changes and hit over 60% of fairways, and even my misses were playable. The usual one per round O.B shot was gone. So now, I'd say for a 13 HC that can't practice much, I am a decent driver of the golf ball - though a couple physical issues have crept up this year and have hampered my driving of the golf ball.

But yea, it does seem like the 2-3 really bad drives I hit each round are scorecard wreckers, and that bad drive always seems to come on the hole where you can at least afford it!
 
1. I am not a good driver of the ball. It is not a strength of my game, but often times it is serviceable.

2. Those numbers definitely hold true to me. At least 4 times per round, I have a significant miss off the tee. Whether I lose the ball right or get a random pull to the left.
 
1. I do not consider myself a good driver off the tee, although have my moments.

2. Those numbers seem in line with what I typically see, where 2-3 drives will cost me while others I am able to recover from.
 
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