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I’ve recently began to tee off on par 5’s with a 4iron... allows me to go 4 iron, 4 iron, 7-pw into the green. 
 

Essentially eliminates any eagle 🦅 opportunity but it’s not like I really was having many opportunities at them anyways. It has however kept me in play and my scoring average down. 
 

Anyone else in this boat?

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It’s a good strategy for keeping it in play as if that’s what has been costing you. It will also put a lot of pressure on the third shot that would be about 30-40 yards longer. It should in theory make it so bogey is the worst case scenario. As everything golf, hit the best shot you’re the most comfortable and confident with!


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59 minutes ago, toshea said:

Anyone else in this boat?

I think it's a good strategy. My home course is par 70 with 2 par 5's. One on each side. I've learned the best way for me to play every hole on the course. On our front par 5 I always hit driver then either a 4w, 5i, or 4 hb. Just depends on conditions and lie. I'm usually left with a 7-8i approach.

On the back it's almost always my 4w or a 5i off the tee - hard dogleg left - usually dependant on wind direction. Then it's a 5i, 6, 7i layup followed with a 56* or 60* wedge.

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Why aren’t you hitting driver, and how much yardage are you giving up? Is it a dogleg par 5, or can it hold a 2 way miss? In play is important, but if you’re giving up 70+ yards , I’m not sure it’s worth it. Have you played both ways and tracked your scoring average?

I’ve had days where I’ve stopped hitting driver and gone 4 iron, but only when I’m completely out of sorts...

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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I’ve recently began to tee off on par 5’s with a 4iron... allows me to go 4 iron, 4 iron, 7-pw into the green. 
 
Essentially eliminates any eagle 🦅 opportunity but it’s not like I really was having many opportunities at them anyways. It has however kept me in play and my scoring average down. 
 
Anyone else in this boat?

I’ve done this a few times. The whole strategy should be to have a club in-hand on the third shot that you have a ton of confidence in for getting it close.

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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20 minutes ago, Micah T said:

Why aren’t you hitting driver, and how much yardage are you giving up? Is it a dogleg par 5, or can it hold a 2 way miss? In play is important, but if you’re giving up 70+ yards , I’m not sure it’s worth it. Have you played both ways and tracked your scoring average?

I’ve had days where I’ve stopped hitting driver and gone 4 iron, but only when I’m completely out of sorts...

My miss on driver can be a two way miss much too often. I’m giving up a good 65 yards from driver to 4 iron... but it also forces my hand on the second shot. 

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1 hour ago, toshea said:

My miss on driver can be a two way miss much too often. I’m giving up a good 65 yards from driver to 4 iron... but it also forces my hand on the second shot. 

I've been there my friend: putting away the driver got me down to a 7 handicap, and I too suffered from a 2 way miss. It was as simple as eliminating penalties for hitting OB. I've got a new driver, and I'm committed to playing it this year: thankfully its adjustable and I can play a cut/fade with it, but I'm playing to a 10-11 right now...

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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1 hour ago, Micah T said:

I've been there my friend: putting away the driver got me down to a 7 handicap, and I too suffered from a 2 way miss. It was as simple as eliminating penalties for hitting OB. I've got a new driver, and I'm committed to playing it this year: thankfully its adjustable and I can play a cut/fade with it, but I'm playing to a 10-11 right now...

I’m a victim of the over draw / block miss on my driver. Don’t have those issues when I pull the 4-iron out. Haven’t completely abandoned it, especially on longer par 4’s but it’s costing me probably a good 3-4 shots a round. And I feel that is being optimistic. 

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18 hours ago, toshea said:

I’ve recently began to tee off on par 5’s with a 4iron... allows me to go 4 iron, 4 iron, 7-pw into the green. 
 

Essentially eliminates any eagle 🦅 opportunity but it’s not like I really was having many opportunities at them anyways. It has however kept me in play and my scoring average down. 
 

Anyone else in this boat?

Strategizing the way you play the hole to suit your strengths is the smartest way to play golf.

Unfortunately many of us, myself included, want to go for the long drives and try to reach the green in two.

I will be creating game plans this year, so I can try to play for my best score in each round.

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I think it depends on the layout/design of the hole. I have a par 5 at my club where you can only hit 4 iron or hybrid max off the tee to a landing area. you have a narrow landing area for your second shot due to a large lake down the left side of the fairway. You have to option of hitting 4 iron to 3 wood for your second, leaving anything from 150 yds to 40 yds for 3rd shot. If you want to very very aggressive, you can hit driver off the tee, but you must carry it 250+ and you are still left with 225 to the green with water all along the left. Just paly to your strengths!

Driver: :titelist-small: TSI3 - 10*, Hzrdus Smoke 6.0 Stiff

Driver: :taylormade-small: Stealth Plus - 10.5*, Oban Kiyoshi Purple O4Flex-65 Grams Purred
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19 hours ago, toshea said:

I’ve recently began to tee off on par 5’s with a 4iron... allows me to go 4 iron, 4 iron, 7-pw into the green. 
 

Essentially eliminates any eagle 🦅 opportunity but it’s not like I really was having many opportunities at them anyways. It has however kept me in play and my scoring average down. 
 

Anyone else in this boat?

Yup, been doing it to keep the ball in play in narrow par 5s. My normal is 4 hybrid, 4 hybrid, wedge. Or 4 hybrid, 6 iron, 8 iron. 

There are times when I look at the hole two ways: try to be a hero or play it as it was designed. Usually, the second results in lower scores.

 

I will say my only eagle on a par 5 wasn't doing this but it was much more open. Cut the corner with a driver, 5w to 4 feet, eagle putt. 

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13 hours ago, Chizzle said:

Just curious if you're having trouble controlling your 3 wood as well.  Not sure if you just skipped it or it didnt work out.  Itll definitely help on those par 4s

My 3 wood has yet to leave the garage this year: I don’t see any improvement in accuracy with it, just lost distance

 

Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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5 minutes ago, Micah T said:

My 3 wood has yet to leave the garage this year: I don’t see any improvement in accuracy with it, just lost distance

It is a pretty tough club to hit off the ground but on a tee could be a different story too.  Not sure what types of results you are getting either but something that helped me with my three wood is hit it like an iron and make sure I'm not pulling my chest away through the downswing, impact, and follow through.  I think our bodies unconsciously pull the chest away from the ball to generate power when that typically leads to topping the ball because I am moving away from the ball instead of through it.  Not trying to convince anyone to use a 3 wood, just wanted to throw my 2 cents in.  Sorry if this isn't the thread for this kind of stuff

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What works for you, works for you. Me personally, I am very comfortable with the driver once I got fitted properly. I suggest first get a swing analysis to figure out what your doing wrong. You can have someone video it and get it reviewed or go get a lesson from a local pro then get fitted for the correct driver for you. I wouldn't want to give up all those yards on a regular basis. If you get to travel to play different courses sometime you wind up with forced carries that a 4 iron wont make it across.

:titleist-small: Driver, TSi 1 S Flex

:cobra-small: 3 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex

:cobra-small: 5 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 7 Wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 5 Hybrid King Tec MMT R Flex

:cobra-small: Irons, Tour UST Recoil 95 R Flex (6 - Gap)

:cobra-small: Wedges, Snakebite KBS Hi- Rev2.0 54* & 60*

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On 5/24/2020 at 9:51 PM, Chizzle said:

Just curious if you're having trouble controlling your 3 wood as well.  Not sure if you just skipped it or it didnt work out.  Itll definitely help on those par 4s

It’s hit or miss as well. I do have a different grip on my 3 wood than the rest of my clubs. Have a mcc plus 4 on the three wood and regular mcc on everything else. Wanting to change it but have to wait until IL opens up a bit more. 

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On 5/24/2020 at 3:19 PM, toshea said:

I’ve recently began to tee off on par 5’s with a 4iron... allows me to go 4 iron, 4 iron, 7-pw into the green. 
 

Essentially eliminates any eagle 🦅 opportunity but it’s not like I really was having many opportunities at them anyways. It has however kept me in play and my scoring average down. 
 

Anyone else in this boat?

It is an interesting strategy maybe to use in tournaments, but in my normal rounds (that I always consider practice) I try to always go for the most effective shot ‘if executed’. I think that is the best way to improve and get confidence.

also because sometimes yo7 will be obliged to use a driver maybe because of wind, winter and wet conditions..

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  • 1 month later...
What works for you, works for you. Me personally, I am very comfortable with the driver once I got fitted properly. I suggest first get a swing analysis to figure out what your doing wrong. You can have someone video it and get it reviewed or go get a lesson from a local pro then get fitted for the correct driver for you. I wouldn't want to give up all those yards on a regular basis. If you get to travel to play different courses sometime you wind up with forced carries that a 4 iron wont make it across.

I’ve been hitting my 3 wood while I wait for my custom shaft to arrive( it’s been 5 weeks) and I have improved with it! Using it off the tee has helped me have more confidence with it off the turf; which still only happens 1 -2 times a round. I’ve learned that I tend to cut/fade it, and I can’t use as strong of a grip with it. Bad shots aren’t blocks dead right anymore, instead it’s a 215 yard sky ball, which is what you get when your AOA is negative.


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Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

2iron - Titleist U505

Irons - Ping i59

Wedges - Vokey Sm9

Putter - Mizuno Mcraft IV

 

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I've been playing with older players lately who hit their drivers 220 if they hit it on the screws...and they have kicked my butt.  I am learning something from them, don't have to be long to score well.  You have to be long eventually if you want to get a lot of birdies but if you're trying to break 90 or 80....length is only good if it's going where you want it.  You can still get par with a short(er) tee shot, a longer iron to get somewhere around the green and then a decent chip.  Just shows the importance of the short game.  Also why I can't get my score down cause I'll crush the driving range for hours a week but spend 30 min total on chipping. 

You won't make the tour but you'll certainly look good on your home course score wise.

Driver: :callaway-small: Epic Flash Sub-Zero  Project X HZRDUS Smoke

3 Wood: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M6 UST Mamiya Proforce V2

3 Hybrid: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M6 UST Mamiya Proforce V2

4 Hybrid : image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M4 Stock Stiff Shaft

Irons: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg P790 (5I-AW) - 2 deg strong - Nippon Modus3 105 Gram/Stiff 

60 Degree Wedge: :titelist-small: Vokey SM7 - AMT Black/Stiff

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8 minutes ago, den748 said:

I've been playing with older players lately who hit their drivers 220 if they hit it on the screws...and they have kicked my butt.  I am learning something from them, don't have to be long to score well.  You have to be long eventually if you want to get a lot of birdies but if you're trying to break 90 or 80....length is only good if it's going where you want it.  You can still get par with a short(er) tee shot, a longer iron to get somewhere around the green and then a decent chip.  Just shows the importance of the short game.  Also why I can't get my score down cause I'll crush the driving range for hours a week but spend 30 min total on chipping. 

You won't make the tour but you'll certainly look good on your home course score wise.

Length with a little control will always be an asset.  I bet those "older players" would love to get out to 250, and I'm sure they'd score better if they could.  I know because I'm an older player (64), carry my driver something like 230-240, and I'd love to get 20 more yards too, as long as I could retain most of my accuracy.  Good short-game guys might get up and down 30 or maybe 40% of the time.  For every green you miss, you'll score something like 0.6 or 0.7 strokes higher.  Hitting longer tee shots in play means hitting more greens which means fewer bogeys.  And the important thing to remember, for most of us greater length will come from improved mechanics.  Improved mechanics will generally ALSO mean improved accuracy.  Most golfers who improve their swing will get longer AND straighter.  

And specifically for @den748, spending your time working on your strengths isn't going to be a very productive allocation of your practice time.  Work on your weaknesses, you'll see the biggest gains.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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16 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Length with a little control will always be an asset.  I bet those "older players" would love to get out to 250, and I'm sure they'd score better if they could. 

100%.  Everyone would love to have controlled distance.  But, if you're someone who averages a 96 and are hoping to break 90 for the first time, I'd be willing to bet that most of these players put a premium on distance over accuracy.  I think they should give up 40-60 yards but take away 3 OOB a round to hit an iron or hybrid off the tee.  Large number of assumptions on my part of course. 

 

 

20 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

And the important thing to remember, for most of us greater length will come from improved mechanics.  Improved mechanics will generally ALSO mean improved accuracy.  Most golfers who improve their swing will get longer AND straighter. 

This is an interesting take away and I had never thought about it that way.  You are obviously right because if I get more distance it means I got rid of my slice and will be straighter.  I think my overall point is that you have to know your game and if you're losing balls off the tee cause of terrible driving then it would likely help to hit an iron and give up that distance.  I know this is the case for me.   I absolutely need to work more on my short game more than my approach shot to see a improvement in my scores. 

Driver: :callaway-small: Epic Flash Sub-Zero  Project X HZRDUS Smoke

3 Wood: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M6 UST Mamiya Proforce V2

3 Hybrid: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M6 UST Mamiya Proforce V2

4 Hybrid : image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M4 Stock Stiff Shaft

Irons: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg P790 (5I-AW) - 2 deg strong - Nippon Modus3 105 Gram/Stiff 

60 Degree Wedge: :titelist-small: Vokey SM7 - AMT Black/Stiff

54 Degree Wedge: :cleveland-small: RTX Zip Core

Putter: :ping-small:  Sigma G Tyne Putter

Ball: :titelist-small: ProV1x

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4 minutes ago, den748 said:

100%.  Everyone would love to have controlled distance.  But, if you're someone who averages a 96 and are hoping to break 90 for the first time, I'd be willing to bet that most of these players put a premium on distance over accuracy.  I think they should give up 40-60 yards but take away 3 OOB a round to hit an iron or hybrid off the tee.  Large number of assumptions on my part of course. 

This is an interesting take away and I had never thought about it that way.  You are obviously right because if I get more distance it means I got rid of my slice and will be straighter.  I think my overall point is that you have to know your game and if you're losing balls off the tee cause of terrible driving then it would likely help to hit an iron and give up that distance.  I know this is the case for me.   I absolutely need to work more on my short game more than my approach shot to see a improvement in my scores. 

Yeah, its tough to separate things to change today to shoot lower scores today, and things to change through longer-term work in order to shoot lower scores in the long run.  Many players would benefit in today's round by hitting the ball with a shorter club, and keeping more in play.  In the long run, those very same players would be best served by learning to hit their long clubs more consistently, both in distance and direction.

You face a similar decision.  Improved short game can almost certainly help you to score better quickly, but there's only so much improvement you can get from short game.  You're unlikely to ever do better than 50% up and down over a reasonable time period.  In the long run, you need to improve your full swing to get beyond that.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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6 minutes ago, den748 said:

100%.  Everyone would love to have controlled distance.  But, if you're someone who averages a 96 and are hoping to break 90 for the first time, I'd be willing to bet that most of these players put a premium on distance over accuracy.  I think they should give up 40-60 yards but take away 3 OOB a round to hit an iron or hybrid off the tee.  Large number of assumptions on my part of course. 

 

 

This is an interesting take away and I had never thought about it that way.  You are obviously right because if I get more distance it means I got rid of my slice and will be straighter.  I think my overall point is that you have to know your game and if you're losing balls off the tee cause of terrible driving then it would likely help to hit an iron and give up that distance.  I know this is the case for me.   I absolutely need to work more on my short game more than my approach shot to see a improvement in my scores. 

For the high handicapper who struggles with Driver, he/she should focus on improving with the Driver. I used to be terrible off the tee, hitting all sort of shots OB. And if it wasn't OB, it was a nasty snap hook that had very little distance.

Once I discovered the specific issue (it was an easy fix that caused nasty problems), I improved drastically with Driver. Quickly turned around from a huge liability into a weapon. Once in awhile, I still have a few WTF shots off the tee, but it is worth it to continue hitting Driver.

I also find hitting Driver now is much easier and more forgiving for me than trying to hit a hybrid off the tee. 

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I'm maybe 15 rounds in after a 15+ year hiatus. It's a wonder how much lower your scores are if you have confidence in hitting the driver from the tee box. I totally revamped my driver swing and it's showed in my scoring. My last three rounds were in the low 80's - all because I'm putting the vast majority of my tee shots in the fairway and giving myself a good chance to score. I got a quick 18 in yesterday later afternoon. (Gotta love a course that isn't packed and being able to play 18 in under 3 hours). Shot 83. And that's with missing 3 birdie putts and a double bogey.  I must be the short hitter around here - I hit a drive almost 270 last night on one of the par 5's and it was nice having a 2nd shot from the fairway.

Driver: :callaway-small: XR Speed 9º Project X HZRDUS T800 Stiff

3W : :ping-small: G 14.5º - Tour 80 stiff

Hybrid: :ping-small: G25 20º - TFC-189H stiff

Irons: :ping-small: 4-UW G30 Green Dot

Wedges: :ping-small: LW G30 Black Dot

Putter: :odyssey-small: Dual Force Rossie II

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5 minutes ago, ctandc said:

I'm maybe 15 rounds in after a 15+ year hiatus. It's a wonder how much lower your scores are if you have confidence in hitting the driver from the tee box. I totally revamped my driver swing and it's showed in my scoring. My last three rounds were in the low 80's - all because I'm putting the vast majority of my tee shots in the fairway and giving myself a good chance to score. I got a quick 18 in yesterday later afternoon. (Gotta love a course that isn't packed and being able to play 18 in under 3 hours). Shot 83. And that's with missing 3 birdie putts and a double bogey.  I must be the short hitter around here - I hit a drive almost 270 last night on one of the par 5's and it was nice having a 2nd shot from the fairway.

If you average 270 you'd be a long hitter here.   (Side note, I thought I averaged like 270, then I started tracking and I average 250-260).  

But I think it is widely accepted that distance lowers scores with the huge caveat that you have to at least keep it in play. 
I played 9 yesterday afternoon but I took all woods and hybrids out of my bag and played only with my irons (5I through 60 degree) and my take away for me is that I don't "need" my woods on many par 4's (anything under 370) but it really would have helped on the par 5's.  I can still get there in 3 but it makes that 3rd shot a lot longer.  Funny that I shot pretty much the same score on 9 that I did using my woods.  Small sample size but I'm taking it away that I should use my irons more off the tee while I work on getting my driver in play more often.

Driver: :callaway-small: Epic Flash Sub-Zero  Project X HZRDUS Smoke

3 Wood: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M6 UST Mamiya Proforce V2

3 Hybrid: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M6 UST Mamiya Proforce V2

4 Hybrid : image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg M4 Stock Stiff Shaft

Irons: image.jpeg.693c1038c87ba93f656427286d5ff6c6.jpeg P790 (5I-AW) - 2 deg strong - Nippon Modus3 105 Gram/Stiff 

60 Degree Wedge: :titelist-small: Vokey SM7 - AMT Black/Stiff

54 Degree Wedge: :cleveland-small: RTX Zip Core

Putter: :ping-small:  Sigma G Tyne Putter

Ball: :titelist-small: ProV1x

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On 5/24/2020 at 3:19 PM, toshea said:

I’ve recently began to tee off on par 5’s with a 4iron... allows me to go 4 iron, 4 iron, 7-pw into the green. 
 

Essentially eliminates any eagle 🦅 opportunity but it’s not like I really was having many opportunities at them anyways. It has however kept me in play and my scoring average down. 
 

Anyone else in this boat?

Course management to take the penalties out of play.  That's smart golf!  I've done that in the past and it had gotten me down to a 7.8 index (that and a a lot more practice back then).  Penalties always seem to compound higher scores.  Taking the penalties out of the equation is a great way to significantly drop scores.

 

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Driver: :titleist-small: TSR2 11° Project X HZRDUS Black 4G 60g 5.5 Flex

Fairway Woods: :cobra-small: F8 3W Project X Even Flow Blue 75g shaft

Fairway Woods: 

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSR2  18° Graphite Design Tour AD DI-85 Shaft

Irons: :titelist-small: 2021 T200's 4-GW AMT RED shafts Regular Flex

Wedge: :cleveland-small: Tour Satin RTX 4 Wedges in 52° and 56° 2 Dot

Putter: :nevercompromise-small: Gray Matter TDP 2.2 32.75"

Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Three 5

Ball:  :titelist-small:  PRO V1 / :srixon-small: Z*Star

RangeFinder:918457628_PrecisionPro: In search of new range finder

Social Media:

Facebook:   MD Golfhacker
Twitter:        @mdgolfhacker
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On 5/24/2020 at 3:19 PM, toshea said:

I’ve recently began to tee off on par 5’s with a 4iron... allows me to go 4 iron, 4 iron, 7-pw into the green. 
 

Essentially eliminates any eagle 🦅 opportunity but it’s not like I really was having many opportunities at them anyways. It has however kept me in play and my scoring average down. 
 

Anyone else in this boat?

 

7 minutes ago, MDGolfHacker said:

Course management to take the penalties out of play.  That's smart golf!  I've done that in the past and it had gotten me down to a 7.8 index (that and a a lot more practice back then).  Penalties always seem to compound higher scores.  Taking the penalties out of the equation is a great way to significantly drop scores.

 

MDGolfHacker

I think the OPs approach really limits him.  He's not only not going to make even a single eagle, he's liable to make no birdies, and lots of bogeys or worse.  He's a 12 handicap based on his profile, and he thinks he can (successfully) hit not just one but TWO long irons in a row, and then successfully hit a 7-iron.  I'm a 6 handicap, and I'd have a problem hitting that many full shots in a row well enough.  Miss just one of the two long irons a little bit, and you're looking at a 4-iron to the green, which means a likely bogey for most of us.  Its at best a stop-gap strategy to minimize the effect of a serious issue with driver.  And if his swing is that bad with a driver, its sure not going to be perfect with a 4-iron.  

@dlow206 (a 23 handicap) said it up there, the OP needs to put in some work and learn to hit a driver in play.  Its one thing to band-aid a game together for today, but you have to be able to hit it further (and in play) off the tee to improve.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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21 minutes ago, den748 said:

If you average 270 you'd be a long hitter here.   (Side note, I thought I averaged like 270, then I started tracking and I average 250-260).  

But I think it is widely accepted that distance lowers scores with the huge caveat that you have to at least keep it in play. 
I played 9 yesterday afternoon but I took all woods and hybrids out of my bag and played only with my irons (5I through 60 degree) and my take away for me is that I don't "need" my woods on many par 4's (anything under 370) but it really would have helped on the par 5's.  I can still get there in 3 but it makes that 3rd shot a lot longer.  Funny that I shot pretty much the same score on 9 that I did using my woods.  Small sample size but I'm taking it away that I should use my irons more off the tee while I work on getting my driver in play more often.

That DEFINITELY was not me saying I "average" 270. I wish. Like I mentioned, my driver swing is totally different from my iron swing now. I won't get into specifics - but it works for me so I'll take it. With the new approach to the driver, I'm swinging at maybe a 6 or 7(on a 1-10 scale) and driver swing speed is 95-98 mph and I'd say average driver carry + roll out is maybe 250? Two different launch monitors show my new driver swing at 225-235 carry.  I hope to get comfortable enough with this driver swing to amp it up and see if I can keep the accuracy.

What's funny / odd etc - yesterday I tried incorporating a bit of the driver swing change to a couple of 4 irons shots and my consistent fade turned into a draw and both those shots flew 10 yards or so longer than I normally hit the 4 iron.

The other funny thing (it's golf) was that while I didn't drive the ball perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, the few errant tee shots I had were harder to find - because they were longer than they were previously, so I got to see parts of the course I haven't really explored yet LOL.

Driver: :callaway-small: XR Speed 9º Project X HZRDUS T800 Stiff

3W : :ping-small: G 14.5º - Tour 80 stiff

Hybrid: :ping-small: G25 20º - TFC-189H stiff

Irons: :ping-small: 4-UW G30 Green Dot

Wedges: :ping-small: LW G30 Black Dot

Putter: :odyssey-small: Dual Force Rossie II

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46 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

 

I think the OPs approach really limits him.  He's not only not going to make even a single eagle, he's liable to make no birdies, and lots of bogeys or worse.  He's a 12 handicap based on his profile, and he thinks he can (successfully) hit not just one but TWO long irons in a row, and then successfully hit a 7-iron.  I'm a 6 handicap, and I'd have a problem hitting that many full shots in a row well enough.  Miss just one of the two long irons a little bit, and you're looking at a 4-iron to the green, which means a likely bogey for most of us.  Its at best a stop-gap strategy to minimize the effect of a serious issue with driver.  And if his swing is that bad with a driver, its sure not going to be perfect with a 4-iron.  

@dlow206 (a 23 handicap) said it up there, the OP needs to put in some work and learn to hit a driver in play.  Its one thing to band-aid a game together for today, but you have to be able to hit it further (and in play) off the tee to improve.

Learning to hit driver has really helped my game a lot. I am still a high handicapper, but also would consider myself a beginner (under a year of playing golf consistently). Dropped about 10 strokes through competent drives. Now if I didn't self-destruct after my good tee shots, my handicap would be lower. I have an uncanny ability to chunk a wedge from a perfect lie in the fairway 100 yards out 😑

Follow my golf journey to break into the 80s

Tester for the Titleist TSi Driver

Spring 2020 MGS Tester for the Fujikura Motore X Shaft

Updated 07/15/2022
Driver:callaway-small: Rogue St Max LS - Autoflex
Fairway Woods:callaway-small: Rogue Max St 3HL and 7 Wood
Irons:mizuno-small: JPX 921 Hot Metal 5 to AW - Aerotech Steelfiber i95 Stiff parallel tip
Wedges:ping-small: Glide 4.0 54 and 58
Putter:  :ping-small: PLD Custom Kushin 4

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47 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

 

I think the OPs approach really limits him.  He's not only not going to make even a single eagle, he's liable to make no birdies, and lots of bogeys or worse.  He's a 12 handicap based on his profile, and he thinks he can (successfully) hit not just one but TWO long irons in a row, and then successfully hit a 7-iron.  I'm a 6 handicap, and I'd have a problem hitting that many full shots in a row well enough.  Miss just one of the two long irons a little bit, and you're looking at a 4-iron to the green, which means a likely bogey for most of us.  Its at best a stop-gap strategy to minimize the effect of a serious issue with driver.  And if his swing is that bad with a driver, its sure not going to be perfect with a 4-iron.  

@dlow206 (a 23 handicap) said it up there, the OP needs to put in some work and learn to hit a driver in play.  Its one thing to band-aid a game together for today, but you have to be able to hit it further (and in play) off the tee to improve.

I have to agree with that. Like I mentioned - just being able to consistently get the driver in bounds at a decent distance has made the my scores drop CONSIDERABLY. I didn't even feel like I shot that well yesterday and I shot a 83. I also believe having that confidence on the tee box helps your entire game. The last few rounds - while my tee shots weren't perfect with the driver - I was griping (mentally) when my drive didn't land on the part of the fairway I wanted to be on for my approach shot. Less than two weeks ago I would have been thrilled to be on the fairway with the driver.

Driver: :callaway-small: XR Speed 9º Project X HZRDUS T800 Stiff

3W : :ping-small: G 14.5º - Tour 80 stiff

Hybrid: :ping-small: G25 20º - TFC-189H stiff

Irons: :ping-small: 4-UW G30 Green Dot

Wedges: :ping-small: LW G30 Black Dot

Putter: :odyssey-small: Dual Force Rossie II

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