Forgiveness overrated?

YetiLooper

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I have been wondering if forgiveness especially in a driver is overrated. One thing that really got me thinking about this is what forgiveness actually is. It doesn't make mishits straighter, it doesn't fix a slice or a hook, it just makes those poorly hit balls longer. Is it better to have 120 left from heavy rough or 150 from the 1st cut?

I know for me, I played MB irons until this year and the one thing I loved about them is the lack of forgiveness. A mishits iron shot with the MB still had the same characteristics of flight, but due to lack of forgiveness my ball would be shorter and usually in less trouble than had it carried the same distance as a pure strike.

Back to the driver, how often would 20-30 yards of less flight on a mishits be the difference between OB and being in play?

Ok Yeti's nonsensical ramble of the day out!
 
Don't overlook the gear effect and MOI that usually comes from more forgiving drivers.
 
I think every player needs to examine their game realistically to try and understand where and why they need more forgiving clubs.

Me? I need help launching my woods so the typical "better players drivers" have never worked for me even a little.
I can't hit a 4i with enough consistency, so I game a hybrid there.

Irons however are a different story. My ball striking has never really been my issue with irons, but direction and distance control are. Ive typically found that I shoot the same scores regardless of what type of irons I have in the bag.
 
Don't overlook the gear effect and MOI that usually comes from more forgiving drivers.
I'm not ignoring that aspect, mostly talking about hotter faces to the extreme portions of the face.
 
I'm not ignoring that aspect, mostly talking about hotter faces to the extreme portions of the face.
In general, most amateurs do better getting as close to the hole as possible on every swing
 
That's what we are told, but is it fact? Keep in mind I'm not stating this thread as fact just a thought that crossed my mind. Distance is great but is less important than staying out of trouble IMO.
 
Don't overlook the gear effect and MOI that usually comes from more forgiving drivers.

It's so often overlooked with this very topic. People use the debate that thinner faces are hotter and cause more distance offline. What is missed is that thinner faces also provide less spin in most instances. Then add the movement of CG location to provide what makes up for that and higher launch and the idea that the ball can only spin on one axis and it makes sense.

I think people should play exactly what they want to. There is no need to justify it.
 
I somewhat get this point, but sitting 147 out today I caught a 9 iron very low on the face, but was surprised to see the ball get up to a respectable height and land just short of the pin, rolling out 4 feet.

That is forgiveness, with some other irons I've played I would have either ended up short of the green or landed on the front edge and rolled off the back. And for me and my game, that is extremely appreciated.
 
Good stuff guys! Loving the answers. I have to admit my mind wanders and wonders a lot, it's awesome to be able to post these ideas and have relevant answers. Love this place!
 
Glad to help and always love conversation.
 
I somewhat get this point, but sitting 147 out today I caught a 9 iron very low on the face, but was surprised to see the ball get up to a respectable height and land just short of the pin, rolling out 4 feet.

That is forgiveness, with some other irons I've played I would have either ended up short of the green or landed on the front edge and rolled off the back. And for me and my game, that is extremely appreciated.
This. My current irons have made me look extremely foolish many times; I take my swing, hit it low or super toey or both and let out a groan - then the ball lands on the green and my playing partners ask me what I'm whining about. Oops Haha
 
There's a reason I don't play my blades anymore, my game isn't what it used to be. I do think there is a point in a person's game where less forgiving irons do help a person dial in the precision in their game, but that isn't until a person is in the lower single digit handicap range. Obviously at that point players want more control of spin and shaping shots. For a typical player yes forgiveness is very good.
 
This. My current irons have made me look extremely foolish many times; I take my swing, hit it low or super toey or both and let out a groan - then the ball lands on the green and my playing partners ask me what I'm whining about. Oops Haha
Haha the exact thing happened during the round, hitting my third shot with a PW. Hit it poorly, groaned and pudge looked at me and asked what was wrong with that?
 
All i know is that forgiveness is my friend and i like it hahaha
 
I know for me forgiveness comes with my driver when I hit it on the heal or toe and still end up in the fairway with a makable second shot.
 
I know for me, I played MB irons until this year and the one thing I loved about them is the lack of forgiveness. A mishits iron shot with the MB still had the same characteristics of flight, but due to lack of forgiveness my ball would be shorter and usually in less trouble than had it carried the same distance as a pure strike.
I often said something similar to this when I was gaming the DPCs. But the numbers don't lie, I averaged 4 GIRs for a year with them. My GIR numbers jumped significantly when I switched to more forgiving irons.
 
Driver today had some shots that were not on center and the results were favorable. Caught some irons shots that were not solid and came out better than expected.

forgiveness is not overrated imo
 
I know for me forgiveness comes with my driver when I hit it on the heal or toe and still end up in the fairway with a makable second shot.

I second this remark!
 
I'm not smart but I know I have hit more fairways from the toe of my bio cell+ than I hit from the middle of my FT-9
 
I have been wondering if forgiveness especially in a driver is overrated. One thing that really got me thinking about this is what forgiveness actually is. It doesn't make mishits straighter, it doesn't fix a slice or a hook, it just makes those poorly hit balls longer. Is it better to have 120 left from heavy rough or 150 from the 1st cut?

I know for me, I played MB irons until this year and the one thing I loved about them is the lack of forgiveness. A mishits iron shot with the MB still had the same characteristics of flight, but due to lack of forgiveness my ball would be shorter and usually in less trouble than had it carried the same distance as a pure strike.

Back to the driver, how often would 20-30 yards of less flight on a mishits be the difference between OB and being in play?

Ok Yeti's nonsensical ramble of the day out!


Those are good points *quickly runs to look up pro drivers*
 
Forgiveness overrated?

I had a somewhat similar thought yesterday, but about stiffness in driver shaft. lemme splain. my buddy let me borrow his graphite design tour ad mj-6 x flex shaft yesterday. I'm not an x flex swinger. on flightscope yesterday with my 4w I was in the 92-94mph range, so maybe just a smidgey over 100 with driver. for gits and shiggles I put the x flex shaft in play yesterday, and hit the ball beautifully. why amazed me was how straight the flight was. and when I put more of an upward aoa on it, it just launched. so here I am, getting the same distance out of this x flex shaft (and on a couple swings even more distance) than my spinnier s flex gamer, and I started to wonder whether stiffer flex is better because it is so much straighter. so similarly to what you're asking above, I'd rather be 10 yards shorter and in the fairway than 10 yards longer and God knows where.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Some pros play cavity backs as opposed to blades. They play them because they're easier to hit. There's money on the line. Even they mishit.

What I've found is that the results of the mishits when I tried a blade are emphasized. And I don't hit the ball as far. I need those strategically placed tungsten weights. Plus I like the stronger lofts and thinner faces. I like being able to hit a 7 iron 150 yds instead of 125 yds with the same accuracy. Plus I like being able to play with graphite.

Driver - I'll take 30 yds further and in the rough than shorter and in the fairway. I'm not playing in US Open length rough or even PGA length rough. 30 yds on most par 4s is the difference between hitting an 8 iron or a 5 iron onto a green. I'd rather be hitting the 8 iron. Also the better contact I'm making with my driver the more likely it is to go straight. Duck hook? Yikes.

I love my Callaway Big Bertha 2014. It's extremely forgiving and light, although I did chop 1" off the shaft.
 
I don't know if it is classed as forgiveness, but I hit my 52 degree RTX blade wedge today and caught it thin so did not expect it to finish on the green but it took 2 hops and grabbed to stop quickly leaving me about 10ft past the hole. My previous set PW would never have stopped like that

Things like that certainly make the game a bit easier tocplay
 
I don't know if it is classed as forgiveness, but I hit my 52 degree RTX blade wedge today and caught it thin so did not expect it to finish on the green but it took 2 hops and grabbed to stop quickly leaving me about 10ft past the hole. My previous set PW would never have stopped like that

Things like that certainly make the game a bit easier tocplay
Not so much forgiveness there. You actually get more spin the lower on the face you make contact. There's a fine line between hitting the ball with the leading edge (skulling the ball) and catching it at the bottom of the face (resulting in a low shot with a ton of spin)
 
I'm not sure how a less forgiving driver is gonna keep you in the fairway. You're just gonna be in the rough with a longer 2nd shot.
 
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