What is the BEST part of your game?

[cksurfdude]

On 3/23/2024 at 11:28 AM, DaveP043 said:

I didn't see my particular strength in the potential answers.  I excel at the post-round drinks ...

 

On 3/24/2024 at 7:53 AM, revkev said:

You didn’t give me my real strength - the 19th hole. I excel there!

Hahaha love it .. and you guys beat me to it!!

 

otoh I know what the weak part of my game is currently ... approaches from say 100 - 150 ...

gotta work on the irons!

 

[Shrek74]

On 3/22/2024 at 5:36 PM, GolfSpy_APH said:

Poll Topic!

What is the BEST part of your game? Let us know!

The best part of my game isn't on the list. It's the fairway woods and hybrids.

For whatever reason, I can really hit those clubs well. I may not be the longest hitter (although I'm working on getting more rotation to help with that), but I can really get them straight and where I need them to go. My 3W outpaces my driver and always has. We'll see what some fittings have to say about that this Spring. But for now, I don't carry a driver, just a Rocket 3W along with a regular 3W.

[Curtis Atkinson]

I wavered so much because everything is mediocre and so more went with the area where I feel most confident, which is chipping. Even thinking about the possibility of being confident off the tee is so foreign to me, I can't comprehend it. The unfortunate part is driver is consistently pretty solid on the range, which makes it difficult to figure out how to translate to the course. 

[Golf2Much]

Overall, the best part of my game is chipping.  Age and physical limitations have resulted in me becoming the old golfer that I used to hate when I was younger!  I'm typically short and have to chip up and make the putt to score.  Out of necessity, my chipping has gotten pretty good.  The Shot Scope strokes gain tells the story.  Though I hit almost 80% of my fairways, they are always short, leaving me with fairway woods to the green on par fours (which generally are short as well).  To survive, I had to learn to chip and putt.  It shows in the numbers. 

A few years ago, a golf buddy and I attended the Bird Golf Academy for a three-day school.  Our instructor was Mary Mills a multiple women's major champion.  She was great.  In our initial discussions about strengths and weaknesses, by buddy told Mary that I had a good short game, especially chipping.  Her response was something along the line of "I'll be a judge of that."  After we were done with the instruction and playing nine holes with her each day, I had her sign my hat.  Here's what she wrote:

The final indication that my chipping is pretty good is that my nickname with the guys I typically play with is "F#*king Norm" because of my ability to get up and down from all sorts of situations.

As much as I'd like to drive the ball a long way, for where I am now, I'll take my chipping as a strength!

[tdroma98]

Driver & short game (wedges), best part of my game! 

[Kenny B]

I struggled to answer the poll.  I’m usually a straight-ish driver but lack distance to effectively score low.  Approach is my weakest part of my game because of shorter shots off the tee and inconsistent ball striking.  Once I get inside 100 yards, my short game will help save an otherwise poor round or help me produce a low round.  

I found it difficult to determine whether the best part of my game was pitching, chipping or putting; I consider all of them to be part of the short game, including bunker play.  Sometimes it’s my wedge play, other times it might be chipping or putting.  The low rounds are produced when all are working; unfortunately they don’t all work well at the same time very often… so I guess my answer has to be Short Game.

[Curtis Atkinson]

23 hours ago, Curtis Atkinson said:

I wavered so much because everything is mediocre and so more went with the area where I feel most confident, which is chipping. Even thinking about the possibility of being confident off the tee is so foreign to me, I can't comprehend it. The unfortunate part is driver is consistently pretty solid on the range, which makes it difficult to figure out how to translate to the course. 

Update: Played 9 yesterday. 7/7 fairways. Shot 48. Driving the ball, the clear strength in my game.

[Munir]

Let’s say I’m an off-balanced player, good putter, great second shots, good approaching, awfull with my driver, I’ve changed it 2 times in the past three years, now I just use the oldest and in three or four holes during mi round. Irons or maybe hybrid off the tee…any good advice?  

[GolfSpy_APH]

This year without a doubt it has been putting and I expect that to continue. 

[Hughesjosh]

Driving is by far my biggest strength. My approach is definitely the weakest part of my game, my second shot is often my worst!

[meteorinnov8]

all of a sudden, my iron play is both most improved and most valuable. Switched to PRGR Nabla ID Tour Forged irons with their Tour Graphite Stiff (low torque) shafts (i’m 74) over the winter. Regained distance, able to flight, and hitting them super straight (hit 2 pins and stiffed another on last back nine). Hit 13 greens (usually a good 4 round total) on way to 71 (beat my age by 3) this week. Some of this has to do with good turf interaction from double cambered soles. More mass behind impact zone works better for me (don’t know why exactly as i’m not a good ball striker). For me, all of offset limiting over rotation and flight too high. To top it all, fantastic deal: traded even up for 2 old wedges and a Wilson Infinite putter (valued at $143). Moral of the story, worth trying a path less traveled.

 

[Julius]

I never thought of my driving as an asset, but when I look at my Garmin stats for ALL users (not just my handicap), I see the following: Drive - 90%, Approach - 76%, Chip - 62% and Driver distance 41%.  Those get slightly better when i just look at those in my handicap (except distance where I am at 40%).  I am on average 46% FIR and exactly 27% left and right, which seems to make some sense (although I would have thought a bit more right as I play a soft fade typically).  My average drives are only 202 yards (185 meters) although significant variability with an occasional 220-230 yards per round also.  I rated "short game" as my best, if I am within 120 yards of the hole (110 meters) I am likely going to hit the green.  At my home course, Garmin indicates I have an average of 18% GIR and I have an average of 2 putts per hole. On my home course though, my FIR is slightly better at 53%, right is 30% and 17% left (which sounds more appropriate to me given said soft fade). That data is on the last 30 rounds played there in all conditions on a links course.  

 

For example I played yesterday in extremely blustery conditions and some rain, we had winds up to 30 mph, the ball was going nowhere.  I am not good enough to be able to play the low driver on demand.  But it was the tale of 2 nines - 46 on the front, including carding a 9 on the Par 5, but a 56 on the back with 3 snowmen and no pars (3 pars on the front).  With the driver taken out of play and the middle game also impacted significantly, I had to use a lot of shots to get close to the green for any short game chances, and the back 9 was very tough as more open to the wind.  

Edited April 15 by Julius
clarify

[Dukhook52]

Definitely the big stick, although mine isn’t very big!  Talking about how far I hit the driver and not what you might’ve thought .  But I do manage to find the short grass a majority of the time.  Fought a terrible hook for many years (hence the moniker) but with a lot of range work turned the hook into a very dependable draw.  On a good, warm day I can carry my driver about 190 yards.  Not great, but not too bad for a guy in his 70’s.  With my mid ball flight the draw rolls out.  But anything longer than the senior tees and I am toast!  Words of wisdom…If you hit it short, at least hit it straight!

[PrismFlopper]

My driver i dont think it even understands there is a fairway cause it rarely goes there BUT my approach/shortgame saves me. Pretty accurate from like 180 in. Granted thats practice playing on some Par3s but idk just anything from like and 8i-60 deg just feels so good in my hands. I gain too many strokes getting into that distance is what kills my HC right now.

[Crane263]

I’m pretty solid tee to green, I don’t lose balls much but man do I suck with the flat stick. My last round I had 6 3 putts lol

[Wakit300]

Best driving - worst putting

[TJ Hall]

27 minutes ago, Crane263 said:

I’m pretty solid tee to green, I don’t lose balls much but man do I suck with the flat stick. My last round I had 6 3 putts lol

I first read that as “63” putts!

[bikehikeflywy]

Best part of my game is the pre-round excitement. Everything is downhill after that.

[TSauer]

8 minutes ago, bikehikeflywy said:

Best part of my game is the pre-round excitement. Everything is downhill after that.

I feel this. I feel this very much.

[TENBUCK]

Best- short game by far carry 4 sedges  Worst- approach or GIR.

[GolferXY]

I used to be the drive for show guy and it made up for a host of sins on and around the green.  Can't do that any more. Recent knee surgery has me rehabbing and part of that is short game practice.  And guess what?  I can now hit those delicate little chips when short sided on a slippery green and get the ball close.  Pitch and run?  That's now in the bag, too.  Short iron approaches?  Getting better and better.  Putting?  Well, putting may never be the best part of my game....I miss too many 4 and 5 footers!  Argh!  But I'm getting better there too.  

I miss pulling out the driver on short par 4's, miss going for the green in two on a par 5.  But playing smart, staying on the short grass, and getting up and down has never been better.  Golf is so difficult because there are so many distinctly different parts of the game to master.  Putting is a whole different game than driving.  If you're a golfer, you know  how true this statement is.   After a lifetime of golf, I have earned to appreciate it even more, and that is the beauty of our game.  Just MHO.

Edited April 15 by GolferXY

[M3S2]

On 3/22/2024 at 10:29 PM, BreakfastBall15 said:

Approach. No data to back it up but I feel more confident hitting a green 200 out with a 5 iron than 40 yards out with a wedge 

I got 11 holes in the other day, literally lived this comment. Two birdies from a 205 and a 195 approach shots (abnormal), three double bogeys, all from pitch shots <25 yds. 
 

According to Shot Scope from the last year, driving/tee shots are my strength. 
 

 

[Crane263]

6 hours ago, TJ Hall said:

I first read that as “63” putts!

 

6 hours ago, TJ Hall said:

I first read that as “63” putts!

I’m just slightly better than that lol. My punctuation could use some practice too. 

[arodrig29]

4 hours ago, bikehikeflywy said:

Best part of my game is the pre-round excitement. Everything is downhill after that.

You stole my response brother. I was going to say the best part of my game is that I keep going regardless of the pain it causes me. lol. 

[bikehikeflywy]

13 minutes ago, arodrig29 said:

You stole my response brother. I was going to say the best part of my game is that I keep going regardless of the pain it causes me. lol. 

It was a toss-up between pre-round excitement or skulling my wedges... Solidarity, man!

[TJ Hall]

23 minutes ago, Crane263 said:

 

I’m just slightly better than that lol. My punctuation could use some practice too. 

All good, I just missed the space at first!

[Stevenhp]

Right now the worst is approach followed by driving. So I have to rely on short game and putting. 

[Norman May]

My driver is the best part of my game. I usually keep in the fairway. I’m not that long of the tee box anymore about 200 +. But I’m 71 now going on 72. Usually my short game is the worst part of my game. Lately my putting is killing me. I shot 82 and three putted 4 times. 

[Donn lost in San Diego]

An old quote:  My two best shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt.

Mine is a tossup between the new Odyssey "R" Ball putter, and the trusty blue Mizuno S18 GFF wedge, 52 x 9.

My worst shot is cortisone, again, into the left shoulder acromio-clavicular joint.  I inherited scoliosis and kyphosis (forward protruding neck).

[TJ Hall]

I used to say driving, but recently it has been putting.  Went out today and was all over the place with the driver.  Had 30 putts, but some decent length ones overall.