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When is trying to be smart stupid?

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JMN57

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Played 9 today and on the first hole, I had 175 out. It's an easy 5h for me. Flag was on left behind a bunker so I'm hitting to the right side of the green and trying to draw it a little. Of course it went straight, pin high 30 feet to the right of the pin exactly where I was aiming. Two putt par.

This is probably the 5th or 6th hole over the last week where I aimed at a spot to avoid trouble and I hit the exact spot I was aiming for. Makes me really wonder if I would be smarter by being a little more stupid and just aim for the pin.
 
I overthink at times. Its rare, but it happens.
If I try to get cute like draw or fade a ball into a pin when a straight ball to the middle of the green makes more sense (more than 170 should always be middle of the green for me).
 
I guess I'd figure out what your doing to hit it straight. Because from I stand, you put 6 good moves on the ball and your usual shot is a miss hit.
 
I'd be pretty pumped to hit the green and two put from 175 yards. Nice shot.
 
In that exact scenario you describe, it sounds like the perfect setup for my ballflight. And I would've played it the same way you did, but I would've blocked it off the planet right.

I love two putt pars from 30 feet.
 
It all should be predicated on your short game. If you have confidence that you can get up and down from the short side of the green, then go for it. If your chipping is suspect, or there is too much danger on the short side, it might be best to play to the center of the green.
 
If you aimed at the flag, playing the straight shot, your draw would magically appear. #golfishard:angel:
 
pattyboy21 said:
It all should be predicated on your short game. If you have confidence that you can get up and down from the short side of the green, then go for it. If your chipping is suspect, or there is too much danger on the short side, it might be best to play to the center of the green.
Click to expand...

That's probably been the reason for avoiding taking on of pins. My project for this year is to get my short game to the point where, outside of penal risks, I'm willing to take a trap and or a short side outcome for the chance to shoot at the pin.

My hybrids have been money so far this year. With my 5H, I am pretty confident in hitting it within 15' of where I am aiming and getting the distance good. Couple of weeks ago hit one into a stiff wind from 178 to 18".

I guess I should give up on a mild draw with these though. I can definitely hit a hard/hooky shot with it and my natural ball flight has a slight fade. Trying to put a light draw on it seems to just lead to a straight as an arrow shot. To Tadashi's point, I should just try to do that all the time to just hit it straight.
 
a par from 175 is strong. you played the percentages and won. from 175, a birdie is a major bonus, par is a great score, and bogey (for most of us) is acceptable. next time, hit the "stupid" shot, catch it low on the face, have it nestle up against the lip of the bunker, card an 8, and tell us which play is better...
 
staticline said:
If you aimed at the flag, playing the straight shot, your draw would magically appear. #golfishard:angel:
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Seems to work that way for me lately. Aim right, stays right. Aim right at it, draws to the far left of the green, or off.
 
I think looking at that as a negative means you might be looking at it the wrong way. You played smart and it worked out. I think that should push you to continue to play smart, not drive you the other way. If you normally hit a draw (or at least are trying to hit a draw) and your miss ends up being center of the green for a long 2 putt, then I'd say keep doing it that way. With a bunker guarding it, going at the flag is almost out of the question and I would play it exactly like you did every time and just hope that sometimes I get that draw for a close birdie chance. I'd take center of the green every time in that instance.
 
Hawk said:
I'd be pretty pumped to hit the green and two put from 175 yards. Nice shot.
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^This

Next time you're faced with a sucker pin and are feeling froggy, go for it. If you play it equal to or better than the above you may conclude that, for you, it's dumb to play smart.
 
cbaker2882 said:
I think looking at that as a negative means you might be looking at it the wrong way. You played smart and it worked out. I think that should push you to continue to play smart, not drive you the other way. If you normally hit a draw (or at least are trying to hit a draw) and your miss ends up being center of the green for a long 2 putt, then I'd say keep doing it that way. With a bunker guarding it, going at the flag is almost out of the question and I would play it exactly like you did every time and just hope that sometimes I get that draw for a close birdie chance. I'd take center of the green every time in that instance.
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I've been playing smart for the last year or so and been comfortable doing so.

This year though birdies instead of coming once every couple of rounds are starting to show up 2-3 times per round. I even had an eagle 3 last week with the same scenario except I was 225 out and I used my 2H. Bunker fronting pin on left, hit to right side/middle of green and it went straight, pin high 54 feet right of the flag. It had about 6' of break and I got lucky and rolled it perfectly into the hole for an eagle.

So now that I am getting a taste of scoring, I'm getting a little greedy and want more. I guess I should start taking on those pins and see what the reward/consequences are. In a Darwinian sense, taking on that higher risk and absorbing the consequences will put pressure on me to evolve my game and get better at scrambling. I guess that might be the "one step back" to get to the "two steps forward."
 
Hawk said:
I'd be pretty pumped to hit the green and two put from 175 yards. Nice shot.
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I agree. I'll take that the rest of my life.
 
I think you did very well.

This is from the 2013 PGA Tour
http://www.pgatour.com/news/2013/09/25/best-worst-pga-tour-2013.html

Approach Shots
StatLeaderMarkTOUR averageLastMark
Greens in RegulationHenrik Stenson71.96% 64.42%Brian Gay56.68%
Proximity to the holeJim Furyk31'-3" 35'-1"Aaron Baddeley39'-3"
Approaches 175-200Ryan Palmer26'-4" 33'-7"Luke List41'-0"
Approaches 150-175Tiger Woods22'-0" 27'-8"Aaron Baddeley33'-7"
 
The 2 putt from 30 feet is what I need to learn :)

O'Carroll said:
In that exact scenario you describe, it sounds like the perfect setup for my ballflight. And I would've played it the same way you did, but I would've blocked it off the planet right.

I love two putt pars from 30 feet.
Click to expand...
 
"Smart" is still probably the way to go...

Maybe we are associating "smart" with "low-risk" in which case it is different for everybody and every scenario.
 
staticline said:
I think you did very well.

This is from the 2013 PGA Tour
http://www.pgatour.com/news/2013/09/25/best-worst-pga-tour-2013.html

Approach Shots
StatLeaderMarkTOUR averageLastMark
Greens in RegulationHenrik Stenson71.96% 64.42%Brian Gay56.68%
Proximity to the holeJim Furyk31'-3" 35'-1"Aaron Baddeley39'-3"
Approaches 175-200Ryan Palmer26'-4" 33'-7"Luke List41'-0"
Approaches 150-175Tiger Woods22'-0" 27'-8"Aaron Baddeley33'-7"
Click to expand...

Thanks - that really does put things into perspective. I think it is easy to visualize the perfect shot and want to do it every time but golf in many ways is not about hitting perfect shots but learning to score with imperfect ones. Underscores my need to work on the short game.
 
sposey013168 said:
The 2 putt from 30 feet is what I need to learn :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is nice when it happens but I let more than I should get away. On this one I hit a crappy lag putt and left myself 8 feet or so for the par (no break and not hard enough). More work than I should have had.
 
JMN57 said:
Played 9 today and on the first hole, I had 175 out. It's an easy 5h for me. Flag was on left behind a bunker so I'm hitting to the right side of the green and trying to draw it a little. Of course it went straight, pin high 30 feet to the right of the pin exactly where I was aiming. Two putt par.

This is probably the 5th or 6th hole over the last week where I aimed at a spot to avoid trouble and I hit the exact spot I was aiming for. Makes me really wonder if I would be smarter by being a little more stupid and just aim for the pin.
Click to expand...
But playing rigth and trying (hoping) for the draw towards the flag? isn't that sort of pin hunting anyway. I mean your trying to come in from the right with the anticipation of drawing it close.
But anyway, its always very easy to second guess "after" the shot. Monday morning quarterbacking just doesn't hold any value imo. Go straight for that pin and who knows? I mean technically you tried to draw it and it went straight so it really didn't do what you wanted, so what makes you think if you tried to go straight the ball would have done what you wanted?
let it go and play smart. that's my .02
 
Nicklaus always suggested "If your shot from that distance is a 10 yard draw, and a miss is a straight shot. Aim 5 yards right. If it draws 10, you're 5 left of the hole. If it goes straight, you're 5 right of the hole. If it draws slightly, you're even closer to the hole."
 
Jackal said:
Nicklaus always suggested "If your shot from that distance is a 10 yard draw, and a miss is a straight shot. Aim 5 yards right. If it draws 10, you're 5 left of the hole. If it goes straight, you're 5 right of the hole. If it draws slightly, you're even closer to the hole."
Click to expand...

That's good advice. I think I have been leaving too much cushion in avoiding trouble. Next few rounds I am going to have to experiment with different approaches (at the pin, shading away from trouble but not with too much cushion) to see how I can comfortably be more aggressive.
 
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