An interesting experiment

[Eracer]

I've been trying to figure out a way to snap myself out of the scoring funk I've been in lately. After really examining my latest scores, I've concluded two things:

1. My expectations are set too high for my talent.
2. All of my problems come from trying too hard to meet those expectations. Penalties off the tee. Errant long approach shots, etc.

So - I decided to try a little experiment today on the 5950 yard course we played. Rather than play for par, I decided to back off a little and play for par on the Par 5 and Par 3 holes only. On Par 4's I played for bogie.

Basically, the plan was to carry as few clubs as needed to accomplish the following:

On Par 3's, hit on in one and two-putt for par. None of the Par 3's were over 175 yards.

On Par 5's, hit on in three and two-putt for par.

On Par 4's, (and here's the key) hit on in three and two-putt for bogie.

For the Par 3's, I wouldn't need anything more than a 4-iron.

On the Par 5's, I wouldn't need anything more than a 4-iron, since none of the Par 5's were over 500 yards, and I could easily reach them in three.

On the Par 4's, I wouldn't need anything over a 4-iron, since the plan on a 400-yard Par 4 would be to hit a 4-iron 180-yards off the tee (which I did very well), then hit an 8-iron 150-yards, then wedge on for the third shot.

So I carried my 4-hybrid, a 6-iron, an 8-iron, a Gap Wedge, a Sand Wedge, and putter. Five clubs and a putter.

I shot 86. This is my best score in over a year. I felt totally in control of my game, and had plenty of par putts that didn't fall.

Five clubs. I had to manufacture a few shots on some of the Par 3 holes. For instance, I had to make a 3/4 swing with my 8-iron on a 125-yard Par 3, since my Gap Wedge would have left the ball in a water hazard fronting the green. I put it on the green and two-putted for par.

The best thing about this experiment was the recognition that if you hit on in three shots on a Par 4 hole, that the worst you will usually do is make bogie, and you'll make par more often as your wedge play improves. Even more importantly, it's much harder to make a big number, since you're hitting clubs that are easier to control.

I'm going to add my 7-iron and my Pitching Wedge the next time I play. And if the course in long, I will probably add a 5-iron. But I'm leaving the driver and the fairway woods home for a while.

BTW, I scored 10 points for the US, since I had 21 Stableford points (my best to date) against my quota of 11.

 

[Matthew_22]

Wow, that plan is great! I'm going to have to make one similar to that up for myself.

You see every single course or article about setting goals always says to set performance goals, not achievement goals, and it wasn't until I read your post Eracer that I really understood how to apply this to golf.

I think when you do decide to go back to using your driver and woods, just make sure you set a plan for each hole like you did recently, and I'm sure things will work out well.


P.S. You've just given me a great idea for an article to write for the next issue of my newsletter. Thanks.

 

[EnglishGolfer]

Eracer you're an inspiration! My best ever round was done withoput a wood in the bag yet I never learned from this, i was unable to resist spanking drives all over the place, but if it's good enough for you then i'm going to give it a go too. I will take my full 14 clubs but exercise some restraint on my next round in a weeks time

 

[Eracer]

If anyone wants to try the same thing, just remember: Par 4's have become Par 5's, play to set up a comfortable wedge for your third shot. Stick with the plan.

 

[EnglishGolfer]

If anyone wants to try the same thing, just remember: Par 4's have become Par 5's.

I can't say I'll go this far, but I will compromise by no longer trying to hole every single tee shot

 

[Schemy]

That is a good way to look at it. I will have to try that. However as I keep playing I always want to give that driver a try. I seem to hit is strait about 4 holes a round. Now if I could just figure out which holes those are going to be it would make things easier.

 

[Eracer]

What is "Par"?

It is a goal. The score that a scratch golfer should make if he hits every green in regulation and two putts every green.

It is the reason we hit driver, iron on Par 4 holes.

Is 72 a realistic goal for me?

No! I am not, nor will I ever be, a scratch golfer. I simply don't play enough, and it is debatable whether I have the talent to be a scratch golfer even if I could play every day.

So why should my goal be 72? Maybe it shouldn't.

Why shouldn't I set a more realistic goal of 82 for myself? 82 would be an adjusted "Par" score if all the Par 4 holes became Par 5 holes.

Would I be happy if I shot 82? You bet. Do I have a more realistic chance of shooting 82 if I leave my driver and fairway woods out of the bag? So far - yes.

 

[EnglishGolfer]

No! I am not, nor will I ever be, a scratch golfer.

Well not with that attitude! LOL (I could just hear my Dad's voice saying that in my head

 

[Eracer]

Well not with that attitude! LOL (I could just hear my Dad's voice saying that in my head

I'm just trying to be realistic.

If you want me to dream, then I tell you what - you spot me $50K per year living expenses for the next five years. I'll play every day with a goal of getting on the Champion's Tour. I'll sign a contract giving you 30% of my future winnings.

Then I'll keep 72 as my intermediate goal...

 

[Davebud]

Eracer I kind of have to agree with EG here, I never thought I would be able to lead my high school league in batting average. I did, and actually had the second highest batting average in the state of Colorado my Junior year. It just sort of clicked, as a senior I ended up hitting almost 100 points lower, but had alot of walks and was swinging out of the strike zone because I put to much on myself. Long story short is I did not tell myself I couldn't do it, and it wasn't untill I was pressuring myself as a senior that I got to that point.
Everybody CAN get good at this game, I am sure of it or I would quit now. I have yet to break 100, but I will, then I will track down 90 and so on.

 

[JEFF4i]

Well, two things that I do and used to do;

Used to do: On par 4s, hit on in 3 and two putt, on 3s, hit on in 2 and two putt, and fives hit on in 4 and two putt. Now why did I adopt a 90 attitude? Brings me to my next point:

Now: They will sink every once in a while, and you'll face holes where par is do-able. I use this mentality when I face birdies now, occasionally they will fall in, and there will be holes where a birdie is a huge reality(bear in mind, now I average between 69-74 score, dependent on course).

 

[Augster]

I just wrote about this in another post.....

Par is nothing but a number. You hit shots that you feel will give you the highest percentage chance of shooting your lowest possible score.

Golf is NOT what your score is hitting driver 14 times. If your driver is inconsistent, go to your 3-wood. If that won't work, hit your 5-wood, if that doesn't work, hit your 3-hybrid. The point is is to PLAN this BEFORE your round as Eracer has said. Though, 5 clubs is a bit extreme.

If one of those par 4's are absolutely wide open and you have NO FEAR with the driver, then plan to hit the driver there before the round, and do it. Thus turning that hole back into a "par 4".

ANYONE can break 90. EVERYONE should be able to break 100 almost EVERY time. You took out 5 clubs and shot 86. It's that little thing that Nicklaus and Tiger are the best at, COURSE MANAGEMENT.

Folks pay $300+ for a driver and feel that in order to depreciate it, they need to hit it 14 times a round whether this means hazard balls, lost balls, OB balls, and rough balls. It is the price they will pay to justify the cost of the club.

Nonsense. NO PRO hits driver every hole. Granted they don't pay for clubs, so they don't feel it's wasted money. If they were playing a course that was WIDE OPEN, they WOULD hit driver every hole. But courses aren't wide open for them. There is rough, and fairway bunkers, and hard doglegs. So they have to THINK their way around the course.

Your average hack should THINK his way around also. Eracer is doing just that.

Rotella talks about never fearing a shot. If you are fearful, even in the least bit of a shot, the chances of you pulling off that shot are terribly, terribly worsened. He says to hit shots that your are totally comfortable with, regardless whether it is the "correct" shot or not.

How much FEAR did you feel hitting 4-iron off the tee on a par 4? None I bet. The fairway probably looked a million yards wide. When we are hitting 4-iron into a green, there is some fear. Bunkers, hitting long, hitting short, hazards and whatnot. You need to be ACCURATE. When hitting it off the tee to a FAIRWAY, rarely will there be any hazards to worry about. You can hit it LONG to infinity and never worry about being too long. You can also hit it short without penalty as you are planning another shot to a different part of the fairway anyway.

If the 4-iron is the longest club that you feel confidence in, in all situations, then that's how you should play. And your scores will drop because of it. But, if you can get your confidence up to a 5-wood, or a 3-hybrid or a 2-hybrid, or a 3-wood, then those par 4's get shorter and shorter.

Hit the shot off the tee that will give you the BEST CHANCE to hole out in the least amount of strokes.

I have a friend that plays about once a year now. He used to be a 36 when we played, and has never broken 100. 106 is his best on a WIDE-OPEN course. He couldn't hit his woods for shit and his swing was a bit messed.

But he COULD hit his 4-iron amazingly straight and consistently about 210. I asked him why he just doesn't hit that off each tee. He felt that wasn't "golf". I, of course, said that in golf it's not how, it's how many. Hit shots you can hit and the score will take care of itself.

This is what stunk about Mickelson at the US Open. He had game-planned all week to hit driver on 18. But when in a situation like that, where you only need BOGEY to force a playoff, your game-plan HAS TO CHANGE.

Mickelson complained that he HAD TO hit driver in order to be able to get to the green to make par. His 4-wood would have been too short off the tee. There are NO forced water carries on that hole. If he chops it up with an iron off the tee, then a layup in the fairway to whatever distance for a wedge that he feels gives him the best chance to get it close, what is the WORST he makes there. I would say 5.

And I've seen him hit wedge shots from the fairway that he could NAME HIS DISTANCE in. Most likely we are talking about a par putt for the Open WIN inside 10 feet. Inside 5 feet most likely. Taking iron off the tee on 18 would have given him the BEST CHANCE to make AT MOST a 5. And a lot of times he's going to make 4.

And in the off-chance he does make 5, he plays 18 HOLES on Monday in front of a loving NEW YORK CROWD that will most likely heckle a guy that has ZERO majors. All of this should have weighed in about his decision on the tee box on 18. I didn't even mention the fact that he hit ONE fairway with his driver that day up to that point.

Nicklaus wins that Open. Tiger wins that Open. Vijay wins that Open. Retief wins that Open. Ernie wins that Open. ONLY Phil doesn't win that Open. Phil and Van De Velde. Though, after Jean's Open collapse, I would guess he will have learned from his mistake. At least on that big a stage.

Congrats Eracer on taking the next step in your golfing evolution.

 

[Matthew_22]

I just used this method a few days ago and had pretty good results.

Now I am just happy to consistently break 100, so I decided to treat all bogeys as pars. (4 shots for par 3 etc)

I left the driver in the bag and only used the 3-wood from the tees, only swinging at about 60%. It turned out I hit it in the sweet spot almost every single time, and many of the shots went just as far as my drives.

I actually had 4 pars even though I was aiming for bogeys. I usually only ever get 2 or 3 pars in 9 holes.

There was just one hole though where everything went down the drain. It was a par 5, and I got a 12. I don't know what happened, I just zig-zagged from one side of the fairway to the other.

But I'm still pretty happy with a 52. I mean if it wasn't for that one hole I would have gotten a great score! Plus I felt like I was in more control, not just hoping that things turn out well.

 

[EnglishGolfer]

but if it's good enough for you then i'm going to give it a go too. I will take my full 14 clubs but exercise some restraint on my next round in a weeks time

Weel my round is due on Sun and I'm playing at the Nicklaus designed Carden Park so I really will need to think my way round (which is a shame coz it's really not my strong point, I'm regretting saying I'd do it now

)

 

[Eracer]

How much FEAR did you feel hitting 4-iron off the tee on a par 4? None I bet. The fairway probably looked a million yards wide. When we are hitting 4-iron into a green, there is some fear. Bunkers, hitting long, hitting short, hazards and whatnot. You need to be ACCURATE....

Congrats Eracer on taking the next step in your golfing evolution.

Augster, you said it better than I ever could. This is a step towards a more confident future. The confidence that comes from standing on the tee and not feeling compelled to hit a driver just because the hole is 440 yards long. The confidence from understanding that my odds of making a big number go up when I strive to make 4 on a long and narrow Par 4 hole. And my odds of making a big number on that same hole go down when I make that first shot off the tee an accurate and easy one; not worrying about whether I'll be able to get home in two, because I've already planned to get home in three.

It was a "shock" to hit the course that first time with only five clubs. I really had some doubts about whether I would be able to have an enjoyable round. The feeling of control that I had soon erased my doubts.

Of course I am going to put all 14 clubs back into my bag. Of course I'm going to hit driver off the tee. I'm actually pretty good with my driver. I'll just use it on fewer holes, and not feel like I'm cheating myself. And I will not worry about whether it's smart to play for five on some Par 4 holes.

Interestingly, I played last week with all my clubs from the 4-iron on down. I found myself hitting the second shot too far down the fairway, leaving 30-yard pitches instead of 70-yard pitches, and having problems getting on the green from 30 yards. Part of the reason was that I used my new 3-hybrid off the tee (about 200 yards - Cobra Baffler - awesome club) and had a hard time (mentally) hitting PW (130 yards) on my second shot, which would have left me in the 70-yard range. I'm going to focus on doing everything to put myself at 70-yards on the Par 4 holes. I'm very confident with my GW at that distance.

So on that 420-yard narrow Par 4 hole, I'll be confident with my 4-hybrid off the tee, confident with my 6-iron from the middle of the fairway, and confident with my GW from 70 yards out. On in three, putting for four.

As opposed to driver into a lateral hazard (penalty), 4-iron ( into thick greenside rough), SW (over the green), GW (chunked), on in six, two putts for an eight.

I like it.