If the goal is just fun and you don't really care about your score, it's fun to try the hero shots. I'm a lot bolder in a round where I'm just playing for fun with no intention of posting the score, or playing in a scramble. It's also a good way to experiment with different shots and figure out which ones are low and high percentage for you. But when the score matters (tournament or posting for handicap) and/or you're trying to work on your course management skills, I'm a lot more conservative and the hero shots stay in the bag.Conversely, the thought from my next door neighbor who got me into this: Don't be afraid to take the hero shots. You're in this for fun and there's nothing more fun than makin' 'em My addendum: Besides, you'll never know unless you try.
Now, my one spot of advice: Don't blame the club. It's almost never the club. (Spoken by a man who has done far too many club upgrades in his first six months of golf)