Most important part of YOUR game?

[EthanSterlingPrice]

I'm curious about everyone's opinions on what part of YOUR game is most crucial to producing good scores and why? To clarify, when you're shooting your best scores on the links what shots are you hitting that help you play so well? Is it being able to bomb a driver straight down the middle without worrying about your big miss, a hot putter, or maybe hitting crisp irons? Rory Mcillroy has said in the past that being able to get in a groove with his driver is key to his playing good rounds so how about us? What's key to your game?

[silver & black]

Staying in play off the tee for me. After that, it's all between the ears. If I let myself get upset over a bad shot or a missed par putt, I usually don't have a good round.

[wbealsd]

At 60+ years, being in good enough shape and flexible enough to play an entire round without my body becoming a distraction.  It takes a few weeks early in the season to get to that point...

 

After that, I'll "live or die" by my short game

[PlaidJacket]

Currently I'd have to say it's chipping around the green and short pitch shots. I'm not hitting enough greens dammit. Which is a problem I aim to cure this season. My missed greens are usually anywhere from a few feet up to perhaps 5 yds. I've saved many a round by getting up and down. If I can tighten up my GIR this season I will defiantly go low more often. (under 75)

[revkev]

It's difficult to single anything out. Generally speaking though it's getting the ball in position off the tee to score well. I may shoot a respectable score without driving it well but I'm not going to shoot a great one so if we are talking best score it has to be driving because that starts it off. I can guarantee that either the approach shots or short game or both will be on also.

[PlaidJacket]

I do agree with Rev. You just can't beat playing from the mow anytime. However, from that position you've got to finish the deal. Fairway, Green, Hole. Easy huh?

[silver & black]

I do agree with Rev. You just can't beat playing from the mow anytime. However, from that position you've got to finish the deal. Fairway, Green, Hole. Easy huh?

I've been told that's all there is to it. Now, if I could just do that....

[RoverRick]

If you had asked this question in May of 2014, and I sure someone did and I responded, I would have said short game. Chipping and putting.

 

All I wanted to do off the tee was to be in a position where I could get the next shot on or near the green. With the next shot, I wanted on or near the green. I then wanted to sink the next one or be within a couple of feet for a tap in par. I played extremely well with this strategy.

 

But short game turns out not to be the most important part.

 

Beginning about June of that year, I had life started to encroach on my golf game. I began to get distracted on the course. This continued to build pressure until back in November I was unable to break 90.

 

Finally, in December I was able to focus again, and suddenly I was back below 80.

 

So the MOST IMPORTANT part of my game is mental.

 

I can not implement my game plan if I can not concentrate. And if I don't pay attention nothing else matters.

 

In November, I executed the perfect 70 yard shot, however, I was 100 yards from the green. That was just one example.

 

I was not focused and did not pay attention to the little things so even if I did physically execute a particular shot, often I was thinking the wrong thing.

[jbil8802]

125 and in for me, to include putting.

[Kenny B]

Definitely the short game.  I know that I am not going to hit more greens because on some holes, I just can't get there.  So my good rounds come from good chips and putts.  Sure, driving makes a difference, but I am not going to have a day where I drive the ball poorly every hole.  Likewise, I do make poor decisions, but again it's not every hole.  But most every hole I have to have good chips and putts to shoot my best rounds.  I am sure that someone will say it's time to move up a tee box, and you are probably right.  But I can't do that because my wife is already there, and that wouldn't be fair to her.  She is dealing with the same issues I have, but doesn't have the option to move up, so I can't move up.

[hckymeyer]

When I'm playing my best I'm hitting greens.  Then worst is a two putt and maybe sneak in a few birdies.

 

Of course hitting greens means I'm putting myself in a position to be able to do it, so the driver is working as well.

[jbil8802]

Kenny what if she just moved up anyway. Doesn't necessarily have to be a designated tee box. Maybe the start of a fairway or between the fairway and nearest tee box or something.

[BIG STU]

For me it has always been about the short game and putting. Back when I could play decent I did not care if I did not hit a GIR I knew most of the time I could get it up and down. I got most of my birdies in those days on strangely enough par 3s and 5s. But then again in those days most par 3s were at the most 175 yards or so and the par 5s I could usually hit in 2 if not close enough to get a wedge or 9 iron under it. If they done stats in those days in tournaments i would have led in putts per round and saves and probably the proximity to the hole from 125 in but dead last in fairways hit with the driver and GIRs especially on par 4s. Funny Game

[BIG STU]

Definitely the short game.  I know that I am not going to hit more greens because on some holes, I just can't get there.  So my good rounds come from good chips and putts.  Sure, driving makes a difference, but I am not going to have a day where I drive the ball poorly every hole.  Likewise, I do make poor decisions, but again it's not every hole.  But most every hole I have to have good chips and putts to shoot my best rounds.  I am sure that someone will say it's time to move up a tee box, and you are probably right.  But I can't do that because my wife is already there, and that wouldn't be fair to her.  She is dealing with the same issues I have, but doesn't have the option to move up, so I can't move up.

Well if she is not keeping a legimite handicap card you can do this---- Move her up some say 100 yards or so and let her tee off there. My wife does not play that much and if she really cranks a driver she may hit it only 130 yards or so. A lot of times she wants me to tee off for her so I will crank say a 5 iron or so out there for her. Sometimes I will hit her second shot for her. But she absolutely will not let me hit a wedge into the green for her because she enjoys putting and she says i stick a wedge too close for her to putt. Most of the time when I play with her i am hitting my strictly vintage stuff and playing from the gold (senior) tees. When out there with her i am enjoying myself and really having fun and the vintage stuff adds to it

[Undershooter]

Good question Ethan. For me it's a tie between my Driver and my Putter. Generally my ball striking will be there. Putter and Driver are both very streaky. If either gets hot though I'm gonna score well. If both get hot I may lose my mind bc that's rare.

[Dhuck Whooker]

I deluded myself for years that was the tee ball, but it is putting, I can't make a birdie without making a putt, I can't save par without making a putt, the strokes pile up because the putts just don't go in.

 

Everybody who plays golf has to make those makeable knee knockers. It is simple, in order to score well, those putts have to go in.

[Kor.A.Door]

Must be in play off the tee, doesn't have to be long, just need to be in play, there's not a lot of room left or right on my course when you miss the fairway, my best rounds come when I putt better, no 3 putts, and good lag putting.

[Kenny B]

Kenny what if she just moved up anyway. Doesn't necessarily have to be a designated tee box. Maybe the start of a fairway or between the fairway and nearest tee box or something.

 

Well if she is not keeping a legimite handicap card you can do this---- Move her up some say 100 yards or so and let her tee off there. My wife does not play that much and if she really cranks a driver she may hit it only 130 yards or so. A lot of times she wants me to tee off for her so I will crank say a 5 iron or so out there for her. Sometimes I will hit her second shot for her. But she absolutely will not let me hit a wedge into the green for her because she enjoys putting and she says i stick a wedge too close for her to putt. Most of the time when I play with her i am hitting my strictly vintage stuff and playing from the gold (senior) tees. When out there with her i am enjoying myself and really having fun and the vintage stuff adds to it

Playing from the forward tees, my wife finished this last GHIN season at 17.4; I don't think she will ever move out to the fairway.  She wants the HCP rating because we play so many courses, and she wants to see how her HCP travels.  She hits her good drives about 170 and she is always in the middle of the fairway.  On some courses, she runs into trouble with forced carries over hazards and elevated greens.  Chipping is good, but putting could be improved.

 

I'm not ready to move up either.  Although it is fun to hit driver and a short iron, that's not going to happen on most courses where we travel.  Long clubs are harder for me to hit which is why I need the best short game I can get.

[EthanSterlingPrice]

Playing from the forward tees, my wife finished this last GHIN season at 17.4; I don't think she will ever move out to the fairway. She wants the HCP rating because we play so many courses, and she wants to see how her HCP travels. She hits her good drives about 170 and she is always in the middle of the fairway. On some courses, she runs into trouble with forced carries over hazards and elevated greens. Chipping is good, but putting could be improved.

 

I'm not ready to move up either. Although it is fun to hit driver and a short iron, that's not going to happen on most courses where we travel. Long clubs are harder for me to hit which is why I need the best short game I can get.

sorta reminds me of a lady at the course I play on named Joy who's been there forever, she hits her drives maybe 100-115 yards but she's always straight down the middle. Recently they put in a set of much shorter tees pretty much in the middle of the fairway just for her to use but she rarely if ever uses them. She is living proof of how being deadly accurate can help you overcome a lack of distance in your golf game

[EthanSterlingPrice]

I've always played my best when I can really control my approach shots. I'm not the longest hitter out there so I get a lot of longer clubs into greens so when I can hit those close it or even just on the green at all it takes tons of pressure off the rest of my game and helps me to play better with those clubs too. But putting is a very close second, especially on those days when the approach isn't working so hot. And of course a little prayer never hurts.

[KCLeo12]

For me it's easy chipping and pitching. I hit the ball long and pretty straight and I putt well. If I miss a green it's almost a for sure bogey. I average about 12 greens a round but only get up and down about 40% of the time.

[MattF]

For me it's keeping the tee ball in the short grass. If I can do that, I expect that I'll get GIR and be putting for birdie or at least par.

[NiftyNiblick]

Without question, the most important part of my game is getting out of bed in a state of relative straightness and not looking like a pretzel. 

 

That means that I'll be able to play that day!

[sp0rtsfan86]

Driving and putting. My putting keeps me in games. That's when I can go really low if I'm swinging well. Recently though my driving has been awful. I can't figure it out. That has led to me not being able to break 90 after shooting 85 or so for months on end.

[Dhuck Whooker]

Without question, the most important part of my game is getting out of bed in a state of relative straightness and not looking like a pretzel. 

 

That means that I'll be able to play that day!

Good point Nifty, to be honest I took the condition of the body and the mind for granted.

[evershady]

For me driving is what gets my score low. When I have a good driving day I don't hit anything over 9i into the greens on par 4 and rarely anything over a 5i on par 5 unless they are really long.

[fozcycle]

Without question, the most important part of my game is getting out of bed in a state of relative straightness and not looking like a pretzel.

 

That means that I'll be able to play that day!

I'm with you Nifty. My Father used tosay "any day you can put both feet on the ground is gonna be a good day."

 

That said, I honestly think that getting my Tee shot down the middle of the fairway so that I have an opportunity to go for the green. Since I switched to the Paderson shaft, I can depend upon my drive being down the middle.

[Kenny B]

Without question, the most important part of my game is getting out of bed in a state of relative straightness and not looking like a pretzel. 

 

That means that I'll be able to play that day!

So that's what I to look forward to next year?  A pretzel?  

[BIG STU]

Playing from the forward tees, my wife finished this last GHIN season at 17.4; I don't think she will ever move out to the fairway.  She wants the HCP rating because we play so many courses, and she wants to see how her HCP travels.  She hits her good drives about 170 and she is always in the middle of the fairway.  On some courses, she runs into trouble with forced carries over hazards and elevated greens.  Chipping is good, but putting could be improved.

 

I'm not ready to move up either.  Although it is fun to hit driver and a short iron, that's not going to happen on most courses where we travel.  Long clubs are harder for me to hit which is why I need the best short game I can get.

OK I can see it with what you and her are doing. Now one of my pet peeves on some course designs that make difficult forced carries for the average golfer

[Kenny B]

OK I can see it with what you and her are doing. Now one of my pet peeves on some course designs that make difficult forced carries for the average golfer

I have played a few courses with my wife where, after a good drive, she will layup on the next shot on a Par 4 because she isn't close enough to the water to carry it and there is no bail out area.  She particularly hates those holes.  The other issue she has is elevated greens with big deep bunkers in front.  She will aim way left or right to miss the bunkers or lay up if she doesn't have the length to cover the bunkers.  However, I have seen her run a shot up a narrow slot between bunkers!  It's funny... I have played a few holes where I am faced with the same situation she faces, but instead of laying up, I just say: "I've got this shot" when in fact I don't.  Male ego, I guess.