Weekly MGS Forum Survey

[JBones]

It's the age old question...........distance or accuracy?  I'm going to withhold my opinion and reasoning behind this, until I see some results and comments.

 

Fire away, gents.

[Severtheties]

When I was in highschool and college it would have been 300 anywhere. Now, I'd rather be in the fairway. Especially on a 7000 yard course that might mean some longer irons but I'd rather be able to hit towards the green and keep it in play than risk the obsticles. A 7000 yard course becomes much longer from rough and behind trees in my opinion.

[hckymeyer]

I voted the way I normally think, but in reality it really depends on where in the rough, and what the rough looks like.  I picked 300 in the rough on the 7000 and 250 in the fairway on the 6200.  If we are talking US open rough then that answer changes.  If we are talking local muni rough and still have a decent shot then I stand by my answers.

[markb]

300 yards and ONLY in the rough?   I'd take that every friggin time.   That would mean that I'm hitting a sand wedge at most greens that you 250 guys are hitting 8 irons at.   I can hit a SW a hundred yards onto a green from most anything.

 

The problem is when the 300 yard drive ends up in a worse spot than the rough, when it flares OB or finds the trees or the next hole.

[Hula Rock]

I too say depends on the rough, 1st cut, 2nd cut, etc.  For example: 400 yard par 4.  I like my chances with my 9 iron 150 yard out from the fairway better than an 8 iron from 3 inch Bermuda rough.  Ball flight, spin, and distance is far more predictable from the fairway compared to the rough......

[Aotearoa_Brad]

For me - 250 in the fairway for a 7000yd course, 300 in the rough for 6200yd course. Here is my reasoning:

• 7000yd course: I'm probably not reaching a lot of greens comfortably anyway on a 7000yd course. I'd much rather have a nice fairway lie so I have a few options (and at least one good stat for the day)
• 6200yd course: At 300yds I've probably cleared the majority of obstacles set up at standard driver length and, assuming I'm not in the trees or really thick rough, I do think it is an advantage to be able to use shorter clubs into greens (give me an 8/9/PW into the green any day, from most lies)

[GolfSpy Dave]

Oh to be 250 from the tee…

[JBones]

• 7000yd course: I'm probably not reaching a lot of greens comfortably anyway on a 7000yd course. I'd much rather have a nice fairway lie so I have a few options (and at least one good stat for the day)

 

 

Thats a good way to go about it.

[Tony Covey MGS]

Let me jack your thread to add another option of sort to the mix: What about consistency?

 

These are exactly the type of questions we face as we process data for Most Wanted Testing.

 

Take for example this sampling of the 3 clubs. These are what I believe are clearly the best 3 performing clubs (for a single tester, within a 6 club (5+control) group). 

 

What you're looking at is a 90% confidence ellipse. The triangles represent the average distance/offline value for each club. The offline portion is a bit misleading (more on that if anyone cares), so use the ellipse as your accuracy guide and think of the triangle as your distance average.

 

Which of these area plots would you prefer?

 

[JBones]

I'm going to test this theory as soon as the weather gets nice.  My +3 handicap cousin, my 12 handicap friend, and myself will go out and play multiple balls from the fairway and rough on a 400yd par 4.  We will measure proximity to the hole and also test the old saying "drive for show, putt for dough".

[JBones]

Let me jack your thread to add another option of sort to the mix: What about consistency?

 

These are exactly the type of questions we face as we process data for Most Wanted Testing.

 

Take for example this sampling of the 3 clubs. These are what I believe are clearly the best 3 performing clubs (for a single tester, within a 6 club (5+control) group). 

 

What you're looking at is a 90% confidence ellipse. The triangles represent the average distance/offline value for each club. The offline portion is a bit misleading (more on that if anyone cares), so use the ellipse as your accuracy guide and think of the triangle as your distance average.

 

Which of these area plots would you prefer?

 

plot-clean.PNG

 

I'd take the red, which is probably pretty accurate for me, offline wise.  I hit it long without being wildly inaccurate, 90%  of my missed FWs are in the first cut or within 3' of it.

[Aotearoa_Brad]

Let me jack your thread to add another option of sort to the mix: What about consistency?

 

These are exactly the type of questions we face as we process data for Most Wanted Testing.

 

Take for example this sampling of the 3 clubs. These are what I believe are clearly the best 3 performing clubs (for a single tester, within a 6 club (5+control) group). 

 

What you're looking at is a 90% confidence ellipse. The triangles represent the average distance/offline value for each club. The offline portion is a bit misleading (more on that if anyone cares), so use the ellipse as your accuracy guide and think of the triangle as your distance average.

 

Which of these area plots would you prefer?

 

plot-clean.PNG

 

Interesting - for me it'd be the brown(red?) plot. If I'm reading this correctly (and there is a chance that I'm wrong - it's happened once before ) this looks like a 12yd variation (roughly) in distance which is not really that big. I'd much rather have a tighter sideways dispersion and looser length dispersion (even at the sacrifice of a bit of total length.

[hckymeyer]

Let me jack your thread to add another option of sort to the mix: What about consistency?

 

These are exactly the type of questions we face as we process data for Most Wanted Testing.

 

Take for example this sampling of the 3 clubs. These are what I believe are clearly the best 3 performing clubs (for a single tester, within a 6 club (5+control) group). 

 

What you're looking at is a 90% confidence ellipse. The triangles represent the average distance/offline value for each club. The offline portion is a bit misleading (more on that if anyone cares), so use the ellipse as your accuracy guide and think of the triangle as your distance average.

 

Which of these area plots would you prefer?

 

plot-clean.PNG

5 yards longer isn't worth an addition 10yds of left/right variance, I'm going with the red/brown circle. 

 

Now the real question come into play if you take the red circle and move it back to say 245-260yds and then ask the same question.

[revkev]

This is all too complicated. I read in the rough not behind trees or traps or water or OB, in the rough means, in the rough. I can't even begin to read T's graph so I'm not going there.

 

I'm taking 50 extra yards from the rough, that's 4 clubs, 4, I can hit PW closer to the pin on average than 6 iron from almost any lie. How about 8 iron to 4 iron or hybrid?

 

I'll take 300 in the rough.

 

Now if we start saying that the rough may mean penalty shots or lots of steep lipped fairway traps or behind trees or it's an average that comes from being all over the place with no idea of what is going to happen next that's a different matter.

 

But that wasn't the question

[Kor.A.Door]

Unless the rough is ridiculously think I will take 300 all day, for either course, 50 yards is 50 yards, that's the difference between 5 iron and PW, I would rather hit pw out of the rough than have to rely on consistently striking the 5 iron all day.

[BK in TEXAS]

Like Kev said....everyday rough, no trees or bushes.....I'll take the 50 yards anyday

 

Regarding T's graph...the red circle is the driver I'd choose to game.

[wbealsd]

I'll never hit it 300 yards, so I'd be happy with either result.

[revkev]

Exactly! see above

[RoverRick]

Even on a 7400 yard course like Mirimichi, 250 yards in the fairway, will leave you less than 200 yards to the green on all but 3 holes. This does not count par 5's and 3's. But the deal is, on a course like Mirimichi, missing the fairway means you aren't going to likely hit the green on the next shot anyway. You very likely will not even find  the ball.

 

The longest par 4 is number 17 at 476 yards. No way, you will be going for that green from the 176 in the trees.

[Undershooter]

Like Rev and some of the others said earlier, give me the 300 any day as long as we aren't talking US open rough or trees, crazy bunkers, water, OB etc. This means I will have mostly pitch shots into greens on the 6200 yard course and rarely more than 8 or 9 iron on the 7k yard course. Not to mention that I will be getting to literally every par 5 green in 2. Hell some with mid and short irons on the 6200. That's preferable to me. Mostly because I bomb and gauge anyway unless the course was set up as I mentioned earlier.

[JBones]

Even on a 7400 yard course like Mirimichi, 250 yards in the fairway, will leave you less than 200 yards to the green on all but 3 holes. This does not count par 5's and 3's. But the deal is, on a course like Mirimichi, missing the fairway means you aren't going to likely hit the green on the next shot anyway. You very likely will not even find  the ball.

 

The longest par 4 is number 17 at 476 yards. No way, you will be going for that green from the 176 in the trees.

 

I would have taken 250 in the fairway all day there, sadly I had a s*** swing, after the first 9 we played.  At the same time, remember #1 on the last round; I hit one about 310 into the right rough, then hacked out a 9i to 15', not sure I would have done that from 60yds back in the fairway.  

 

I would have been fine there, if I was just missing into the rough, but I was hitting it 50yds offline out into the deep sh!t.

[mr_divots]

Figuring 10 yards per different iron increment, I'll take 5 clubs less all day, every day.

My answer like others may have been different had we more info on the type of rough and how deep it is.

I find the 6200 yard course often has a LOT of trees planted to protect it, so it depends if I have a shot or not at the green too. Tight tree lined course, you take the fairway all day long given the choice.

[RoverRick]

Figuring 10 yards per different iron increment, I'll take 5 clubs less all day, every day.

My answer like others may have been different had we more info on the type of rough and how deep it is.

I find the 6200 yard course often has a LOT of trees planted to protect it, so it depends if I have a shot or not at the green too. Tight tree lined course, you take the fairway all day long given the choice.

 

However, realistically, where would your time be better spent? Practicing long irons, or hybrids, or fm's so that you are just as likely to hit the green from say 180 as our are 130? Or trying to hit 300 yard drives?

 

While if wind and slope and ground conditions are right, I have occasionally reached 300 yards, I am not likely to achieve that on a regular basis. But I can practice long approaches.

[Undershooter]

However, realistically, where would your time be better spent? Practicing long irons, or hybrids, or fm's so that you are just as likely to hit the green from say 180 as our are 130? Or trying to hit 300 yard drives?

 

While if wind and slope and ground conditions are right, I have occasionally reached 300 yards, I am not likely to achieve that on a regular basis. But I can practice long approaches.

For the players who can consistently hit the ball 300 I don't think it requires much time to practice hitting it 300. I generally hit more mid irons and wedges on the range than anything. Not work on my driver. Unless I'm having a problem with it of course.

[RoverRick]

For the players who can consistently hit the ball 300 I don't think it requires much time to practice hitting it 300. I generally hit more mid irons and wedges on the range than anything. Not work on my driver. Unless I'm having a problem with it of course.

 

Of course you are right, I misspoke. Or typed.

 

What I meant that the longer clubs can be scoring clubs, and should be practiced with on the range. They are not just distance clubs.

[Undershooter]

Of course you are right, I misspoke. Or typed.

 

What I meant that the longer clubs can be scoring clubs, and should be practiced with on the range. They are not just distance clubs.

Ah... I gotcha. Totally agree. You must always aim to a spot no matter the club. Otherwise you Will be great at hitting fairways and terrible at hitting greens.

[revkev]

Even on a 7400 yard course like Mirimichi, 250 yards in the fairway, will leave you less than 200 yards to the green on all but 3 holes. This does not count par 5's and 3's. But the deal is, on a course like Mirimichi, missing the fairway means you aren't going to likely hit the green on the next shot anyway. You very likely will not even find  the ball.

 

The longest par 4 is number 17 at 476 yards. No way, you will be going for that green from the 176 in the trees.

The question says nothing about trees. It says, fairway or rough. It's a no brainer. I totally agree that once trees, hazards and ob are introduced the formula changes.

[HighFade]

Watching the LPGA proves that distance is not important. I can out drive every one of them. But they'll beat me by 20 strokes every time.

[Blade]

On an open course like one I'm thinking of in Abq., the "rough" is not all that rough. It's not a huge penalty on that course most of the time. However, most places I've played that's not the case. The answer is too dependant on the course to be definite across the board.

 

Tony's graph is interesting. The blue one is slightly wider offline. But more consistent length would give you a better chance to avoid hazards than one drive going 50 yards longer than the last. The red one is probably more realistic for me except it would favor the left side. I used to fade/slice all day long with a driver. That's a think of the past for me. I realized what I was doing and fixed it. Now I'm straight to slight draw with an occasional hook for a miss. Much more playable for me.

[mr_divots]

Of course you are right, I misspoke. Or typed.

 

What I meant that the longer clubs can be scoring clubs, and should be practiced with on the range. They are not just distance clubs.

Every club is a distance club. The perentage of time you hit them the distance and direction you intended then determines whether they are a scoring club or not. Even for the top pros in the world, they will take the shorter club all day if able to. Even they don't refer to a 3 or 4i as a scoring club. They know the percentages.