Playing to your strengths

[JBones]

I had an epiphany the other day and it's something we talk about on here, but not in a specific thread. I think this can help a lot of people out, no matter what your handicap. Let me start by saying that I'm a 4 handicap due to a stellar short game, because I miss a lot of fairways and greens; on the days where I'm hitting fairways and greens I play closer to scratch, on the days I don't hit them and my short game is off I play closer to a 10. Anyway, as I said, I had an epiphany the other day. I have always hit the ball as far as I could off the tee, thinking that the closer I was to the green, the better my chance of scoring was. Most of the time playing like that position that plays to my weakness...........the 50-100yd range. I'm just as accurate with a 5i from 195yds than I am with a SW from 75yds (yes, it's sad, but true). So, onto my epiphany. I decided I was going to play, where I would have a full shot, no matter what the distance. That led to me hitting a lot of 3W/Hy/3I off the tee. I picked the club based on this thought, if I hit one good, I'm going to have a full PW/9I in, if I hit it bad I'm going to have 6I-8I in. I ended up hitting several stellar iron shots into greens. One of the best I hit all year was on a 340yd par 4; I hit a 3I, knowing it was going to leave me a 9I at worst, I ended up in the right side of the fairway with 120 to a left pin and hit a PW to 1.5'. This is my new strategy, playing to my strengths and my strengths happen to be taking a full swing.

 

How many of you play to your strengths, instead of just hitting it as far as possible off the tee? If you aren't currently doing it, give it a try, you might be very pleasantly surprised with the results.

[JMiller]

Yea, we have talked about it at least I recall me posting some comments about it in tips for building a course strategy pre-round and in course management techniques. Like I said before in course management with the light system I use, it basically has a weight of you strengths and turning a red light decision into a green light decision. However you want to look at it, making the "smart play" that you can pull off a high percentage of the time.

 

I wouldn't be a 3.5 handicap right now if it were not for picking my spots and thinking my way through the course, I'm a good tee to green guy my short game is dicey at best some days, I really have to take into account where I can miss my shots and still get up and down. So I guess that is where JBones and I sort of are different.

 

For me having about the same length as tour pros I play the tips so that I don't get a lot off weird yardages after my tee shot. I don't want to have to make a slower release with a choked down iron because I don't think I can step on an iron and get there plus be accurate, have the "in-between" / weird yardages all day develops feel but it doesn't lead to real easy scoring.

 

On tour you here announcers talk about a player "laying up to a good yardage". I feel that this happens all over the course in some cases even when not on par 5s. Take a player that hits his fairway metal 270 yards, If the par 4 plays 380 to 440 (short par 4s) 270 gives them 110 to 170 SW to 8iron into the green depending, there is not really a point to hit driver 315 and have 65 to 125 yards, most of those distances are weird ones for players with that length. Par 3s from the tips normally play a stock club for tour pros, if it's not they play to the center of the green and walk away being "patient" that their opportunities will come eventually. Don't force something that is not their, if your not conferable that day on distance control then don't be cute. If you are throwing darts take more risks.

 

I think you can break down holes based on your length off the tee with different clubs what should be a scoring hole. For me it would be something like this I have a tour type distance and play the tips so the distance might be longer then others but whatever

Par 3

Par 3 > 185 yards ~ center of the green and two putt par, try not to give one away.

Par 4

Par 4 > 460 yards ~ the longer it gets the more you start having to really grind to make par and not give a shot away.

Par 5 ~ Really should be your best scoring opportunities regardless of the length of the hole. Even making par at some levels here is not a good result, you probably should never for any reason make bogey or worse on a par 5.

 

 

There is one common theme for me tee to green, safe specific targets that protect par, if I make some great approach shots along the way I'll have lots of opportunities to make some putts for birdie.

[Matt Saternus]

First of all, great topic, JBones.

 

The idea of playing to a number that you like is something that I've said during every playing lesson I've given this year. The problem is that most people don't know what number they like and have no idea where they're most accurate from. So, before you can play to your strengths, you need to know what they are.

 

Great example: I teach a junior player who has a very nice swing, but he's pretty small for his age and doesn't hit the ball very far. Most par 4's, unless they're well under 400 yards, are going to be 3 shot holes for him. When we went out earlier this year, I said to him, "Instead of hitting driver + 3W into every hole and then ending up with this wild array of third shots (could be a putt, a pitch, another long shot from a duffed 3W, etc), why not hit your driver and then divide the remaining length into two easy shots?" We found that not only was this approach more consistent, it was just flat out better. When he nutted a 3W, he had awkward yardages left (20-30 yards) that he didn't handle well. When he hit 9I-9I he could make two good, normal, full swings and be in a great position with a putt for par.

 

Slightly OT, but worth mentioning (IMO): Try a playing lesson. Admittedly, most of the people reading this probably do a lot of good thinking about their game already, but I've found that a second set of eyes is invaluable. I played with a fellow teacher the other day and afterward I wanted to know what she thought I should be working on. We are often not very good at judging ourselves (see: Real Distance thread/MGS Distance Lab).

[JMiller]

First of all, great topic, JBones.

 

The idea of playing to a number that you like is something that I've said during every playing lesson I've given this year. The problem is that most people don't know what number they like and have no idea where they're most accurate from. So, before you can play to your strengths, you need to know what they are.

 

Great example: I teach a junior player who has a very nice swing, but he's pretty small for his age and doesn't hit the ball very far. Most par 4's, unless they're well under 400 yards, are going to be 3 shot holes for him. When we went out earlier this year, I said to him, "Instead of hitting driver + 3W into every hole and then ending up with this wild array of third shots (could be a putt, a pitch, another long shot from a duffed 3W, etc), why not hit your driver and then divide the remaining length into two easy shots?" We found that not only was this approach more consistent, it was just flat out better. When he nutted a 3W, he had awkward yardages left (20-30 yards) that he didn't handle well. When he hit 9I-9I he could make two good, normal, full swings and be in a great position with a putt for par.

 

Slightly OT, but worth mentioning (IMO): Try a playing lesson. Admittedly, most of the people reading this probably do a lot of good thinking about their game already, but I've found that a second set of eyes is invaluable. I played with a fellow teacher the other day and afterward I wanted to know what she thought I should be working on. We are often not very good at judging ourselves (see: Real Distance thread/MGS Distance Lab).

 

If I do take lessons in person anymore it is always a "playing lesson", I don't really believe that a wide open field is a great way to figure out what people need to work on their is not a lot of objective and thought process that goes into the range seasons most the time.

 

The few times I did take a playing lesson in college it was sort of funny, I got some course management advice and reading greens advice but after 9 holes I was 1 over and my instructor was 5 over something like that happened a few more times, thought to myself "well I guess he teachers better then he plays".

 

But that is good advice, and exactly accurate there is no real way to play to a strength or distance if you have no idea what averages your distances on each club are and what your strengths are.

[RoverRick]

JBones,

 

This is a subject that I have talked about on countless threads, however, I did not term it as eloquently as you. "Play to your strength."

 

I now have a shaft in my driver where I can bomb the ball. But I do not have to. My strength is not in the distance I can hit the ball but the accuracy. While I can hit a 7 iron 190 yards occasionally, I have very little control over where it will end up. I usually hit it 164. Not 170 or 155, but typically 164. I can choke down on it if I want it a little shorter or choke down on a 6 iron to go longer. I can also really wack it but only if I am aiming for a fairway, not a green. In that case I can hit it much farther and that was 190 the other day. But I was aiming for the 11th fairway.

 

That "play to your strength" is an awesome way to put it. My strength is my iron game, but Bubba Watson's strength is his driver and wedge game. (Just for the record, I bet Bubba's iron game is better than mine also.) He plays to his strength, much to the dismay of people like me. It really does not matter which one do as long as it is your strength.

[msp1404]

I enjoy reading this post becuase I play by the theory of playing to your strenghts, but I am the opposite of you guys my driver is my strength(excluding par 3's). I hit my driver pretty straight and it is usually in the fairway or a playable rough lie. My problem is my irons, and becuase of that I adopted the "long and wrong"-John Daly (I think?) strategy. If I hit a good drive I will leave myself with a 7-sw iron shot which I can deal with and be semi accurate. I have tried the 3 wood/ 3 iron off the tee but that leaves me with a long iron shot which tend to be way less accurate for me and my score actually gets worse. Even if I hit a bad driver off the tee it will usually be further than a good 3 iron off the tee so I can take advantage of the length and muscle out a shot out of the rough and have better results than just a straight 4 iron on the fairway.

[JBones]

I'm not necessarily saying to ditch any certain club or even use something that will get you into the fairway, I'm saying to play to your favorite number. My favorite distance and best chance at getting it close is 120-125. If I can't get to that distance, then I hit something off the tee that will give me a full swing. As Matt said, most people don't know what their favorite instance is; to that I say practice, practice, practice. To me the easiest part of golf to get consistent is distance, even if you play a 40yd slice, the distance is consistent. For you higher handicappers, find a distance that you like and try to play to that distance off the tee, you will start shaving strokes off quickly.

[Kanoito]

My favorite distances are 110ish with my PW and 120ish with my 9i.

 

Now... getting the ball there is another story

[RoverRick]

Until recently, I was horrible with the irons but had a great wedge game. I know now it was the shafts, but before since I was not going to get on the green anyway with and iron my philosophy was hit is as hard as you can and wedge it close. Now, my irons are great and wedges are just not what they used to be. I no longer cast the club. Casting works great with wedges. You can stop the ball on a dime. But outside 100 yards it is not so great.

 

So my strength has changed, and thus may game plan has changed.

[revkev]

Great thread there's not really much that I can add to it other than just do it and remember that for lots of us there will be differing goals on a hole. JMiller is a low handicapper as am I. Even though he's much longer than I am both of us are going to approach Par 5's as birdie holes because we have the ability to put three good shots together in a row. Higher handicappers dont' and that's why 5 pars are typically stroke holes.

 

I can choose a club to leave myself the proper yardage and I'll be with in 3 yards plus or minus of that yardage 90 percent of the time - that's not going to happen for a higher handicapper.

 

Being realistic about what your strengths are is a huge part of this equation.

[JBones]

My favorite distances are 110ish with my PW and 120ish with my 9i.

 

Now... getting the ball there is another story

But the next time you play, you'll be thinking about trying to get to there, won't you? At least thats what I hoped by starting this thread.

 

Yesterday, one of the par 4's was play 279, so I hit an 8I off the tee and left myself 120. I hit my PW to 3' (missed the putt, but thats another story) and I was much closer than anyone else in the group and they all hit driver to inside 50yds.

[Tyk]

I am beginning to do this more. In particular on 2 short straightforward par 4s that I tend to make a mess of on a regular basis. I am experimenting with different clubs off the tee trying to figure out how to best play these holes, as opposed to my previous approach of "hit driver and deal with it". Problem with that was that hitting driver perfect led to a difficult shot, a 50-80 yard approach!

 

My favorite distances are 115, 125, and 135. Those are full gap, pitching, and 9 irons for me. I've actually started paying more attention to the pin location when I'm on the tee, trying to calculate how far I need to hit the tee shot to get to 125, figuring if I am a little off short or long I'll still be fine.

 

I can't say that I think its resulting in better scoring, but it does make those holes less stressful and is resulting in better birdie putts and easier pars. I think mostly it is providing a different perspective on the game that helps. A more "scoring focused" perspective vs. I guess what I would call a "hit good shots" perspective.

[JBones]

Even though he's much longer than I am both of us are going to approach Par 5's as birdie holes because we have the ability to put three good shots together in a row. Higher handicappers dont' and that's why 5 pars are typically stroke holes.

 

I can choose a club to leave myself the proper yardage and I'll be with in 3 yards plus or minus of that yardage 90 percent of the time - that's not going to happen for a higher handicapper.

 

Being realistic about what your strengths are is a huge part of this equation.

I agree, but at the same time it comes down to why they can't put good shots together. Lets use the par 5 for example. I tried this theory with a 18 handicap friend yesterday; on his ball, he hit driver/3w/5i/sw and three putts later he had a double, playing it my way he hit 3W/5I/9I and ended up with a tap in par. He hits his 3W great off the tee, but HORRIBLE off the fairway to the point where it's a "penalty" shot most of the time. He has always thought the closer to the green he could get the better off he was going to be, which has always lead to a lot of drives into unplayable positions.

 

I had my higher handicap friends in mind when I started this thread; they can put three shots together, they just haven't ever thought or been taught to put the proper three shots together.

 

I must say that until I found this site, I also just tried to get it as close to the green as possible. After reading several threads, it has caused me to change my approach to the game and I'm playing MUCH better; hell, I've shaved 4 strokes off my handicap since joining this site.

[Matt Saternus]

 

I must say that until I found this site, I also just tried to get it as close to the green as possible. After reading several threads, it has caused me to change my approach to the game and I'm playing MUCH better; hell, I've shaved 4 strokes off my handicap since joining this site.

 

That's a damned good endorsement! Maybe we should be selling membership as a training aid.

[Kanoito]

But the next time you play, you'll be thinking about trying to get to there, won't you? At least thats what I hoped by starting this thread.

 

Yesterday, one of the par 4's was play 279, so I hit an 8I off the tee and left myself 120. I hit my PW to 3' (missed the putt, but thats another story) and I was much closer than anyone else in the group and they all hit driver to inside 50yds.

 

Exactly. On a short Par 4, why use the driver + 58* wedge when I can probably go 4i + 9i.

 

Got your point and will TRY to put it into practice.

[GolfSpy WD]

That's a damned good endorsement! Maybe we should be selling membership as a training aid.

 

Honestly, I'd say its not uncommon. When I joined this site I was shooting in the low 100s, now I'm regularly in the 80s and it keeps dropping. If I keep this pace for two years, I should have my first major .

[Tyk]

I will say unequivocally that this site has made me a better golfer. I'm a 5.0 right now, the best I have ever been was a 4.2 and that was 5 years ago. However, I am a more solid and consistent 5.0, playing a better version of the game and can still see easily achievable areas to improve. Some of this is that I have worked on my game and my swing is better, a little of that can be attributed to reading here. But alot of the improvement can be attributed to threads like this that make me reconsider my approach to the game. Making better decisions on the course really is a critical part of scoring. It seems obvious, but I got to 4 not knowing it!

[RoverRick]

But the next time you play, you'll be thinking about trying to get to there, won't you? At least thats what I hoped by starting this thread.

 

Yesterday, one of the par 4's was play 279, so I hit an 8I off the tee and left myself 120. I hit my PW to 3' (missed the putt, but thats another story) and I was much closer than anyone else in the group and they all hit driver to inside 50yds.

 

 

I have been doing this for weeks, and have written about several times, but last weekend one of the high cappers used a hybrid off the tee, I used iron, and everyone else used driver. I asked him about it and he said that he had noticed that for the past few weeks, I was shortest off the tee, and always more than 100 yards from the hole after the tee shot. Everyone else was up next to the green, but after the second shots I was closest to the hole. Obviously, I knew something that they did not so he was giving it a try.

 

Typically, he hits driver and often goes out of bounds or just looses it in the tall rough. And makes double. He parred the hole so I think I will see more of this from him.

[JBones]

I have been doing this for weeks, and have written about several times, but last weekend one of the high cappers used a hybrid off the tee, I used iron, and everyone else used driver. I asked him about it and he said that he had noticed that for the past few weeks, I was shortest off the tee, and always more than 100 yards from the hole after the tee shot. Everyone else was up next to the green, but after the second shots I was closest to the hole. Obviously, I knew something that they did not so he was giving it a try.

 

Typically, he hits driver and often goes out of bounds or just looses it in the tall rough. And makes double. He parred the hole so I think I will see more of this from him.

It really takes discipline to play like this. Knowing that you can drive those shorter par 4's or at least get within chipping range, makes it difficult. This is how I look at it, for every time I drive one of those greens, I also put it in trouble and have to rely on my short game just to make par. If I lay up, I'm NEVER going to be in trouble, because I can't possibly reach any trouble and if I'm going to lay up, I might as well do it to my favorite distance, even if that means hitting 8I off the tee on a par 4.

[RoverRick]

It really takes discipline to play like this. Knowing that you can drive those shorter par 4's or at least get within chipping range, makes it difficult. This is how I look at it, for every time I drive one of those greens, I also put it in trouble and have to rely on my short game just to make par. If I lay up, I'm NEVER going to be in trouble, because I can't possibly reach any trouble and if I'm going to lay up, I might as well do it to my favorite distance, even if that means hitting 8I off the tee on a par 4.

 

Discipline is the key word. It is especially tough when you are not the first to tee off and you see the other guys bombing their drivers over trees and you see it bouncing 20 or 30 yards short of the green. You think, I can drive the ball better than them. Just tell yourself it is the number of strokes to get in the hole, not how close you can get on the first shot.

 

Same story for par 5's. If there is huge trouble lurking about be disciplined about your shot selection. And play to your strength.

 

 

Birdies are nice but a string of easy pars simply wears a competitor down. In competition just the fact that you had a birdie putt is trying for you competitor. If you have another one on the next hole, it is even worse. Now you can not let the fact that they are not going in the hole bother you. Focus on first getting a birdie putt and making a par. After a few holes you can see the competition start to press and swing harder and make mistakes.

[JBones]

Now you can not let the fact that they are not going in the hole bother you. Focus on first getting a birdie putt and making a par. After a few holes you can see the competition start to press and swing harder and make mistakes.

LOL, thats a whole other thread right there. When I'm playing, I start to get pissed that they aren't dropping and start forcing the issue, which leads to bad swings and even worse putting strokes. I never play match play, so I don't get to let the competition implode.

 

The other day, playing with one of my friends, I was just making easy par after easy par and he jokingly said "you really are an a$$hole and a boring one at that".

[JMiller]

I was thinking about something earlier... If you know your strengths you also know the weaknesses, you can put together a practice schedule that helps you target and make weaknesses a strength... But that is sort of a different conversation as well...

[RoverRick]

LOL, thats a whole other thread right there. When I'm playing, I start to get pissed that they aren't dropping and start forcing the issue, which leads to bad swings and even worse putting strokes. I never play match play, so I don't get to let the competition implode.

 

The other day, playing with one of my friends, I was just making easy par after easy par and he jokingly said "you really are an a$hole and a boring one at that".

 

We play match and medal rounds at the same time, two different bets, three times a week at least. I can not tell you how many times, as a matter of fact last Sunday was one of those days. I thought I was playing horribly, I did not seem to get any putts to fall in the hole. I walked into the bar at the turn just steamed at myself for blowing the front half by not make a putt when one of the guys said, "Man, you are playing pretty well today." I thought he was being sarcastic, and said so, he said, well a 38 is not exactly horrible. Had he not have said something I probably would have let it ruin a pretty good round. All but two of those putts that did not fall, were for birdie, well, one was for eagle than birdie, but made par.

[JMiller]

I just wanted to get slightly off topic here for a minute, sorry in advance. It's a couple questions for RR...

 

Do you 3 putt a lot or is it more a once in a blue moon type of event?

If you 3 putt a lot do you keep stats on the distance and first putt / send putt miss to try and see if their is some kind of pattern?

 

Sometimes Identifying a weakness is as powerful or more powerful then knowing a strength because you know what to avoid on the course and what to work on the most in practice.

[RoverRick]

I just wanted to get slightly off topic here for a minute, sorry in advance. It's a couple questions for RR...

 

Do you 3 putt a lot or is it more a once in a blue moon type of event?

If you 3 putt a lot do you keep stats on the distance and first putt / send putt miss to try and see if their is some kind of pattern?

 

Sometimes Identifying a weakness is as powerful or more powerful then knowing a strength because you know what to avoid on the course and what to work on the most in practice.

 

They aerated the greens last week, and then Sunday morning the dew was so heavy. On the first couple of greens, by the time your ball got to the hole it was caked with sand to the point you could not read the Titleist. Then it quickly dried out and it became very fast. You could see the holes, and all the sand an you just knew it was going to be slow and bumpy, but it was actually fast and bumpy but with an occasional big bump.

 

The par 5, I three putted I hit a really good eagle putt 60 feet to about 3 feet and the birdie putt got to within 6 inches of the hole dead center and took an inexplicable hard right turn and missed the hole by 4 inches. To make matters worse another guy missed the hole, he was below the low edge of the hole turning away and past the center of the cup when he hit something and bounced in the hole like it was a vacuum. There is no way his putt should have gone in and no way mine should have missed but that is what happened. I was really pissed that I missed until his went in. It was so obvious that his should not have that I just had to laugh.

 

Usually I am a very good putter but no one putted well last week. This week it is different. The greens are recovering nicely.

[BK in TEXAS]

I must say that until I found this site, I also just tried to get it as close to the green as possible. After reading several threads, it has caused me to change my approach to the game and I'm playing MUCH better....

X1000

 

Since joining here I am playing smarter golf. For me (as a 14) that is 2 simple things. Both majorly reduce the typical amateur's reality of: "the longer the club, the more opportunity for disaster"

 

1) Never hit more than a 22Ëš hybrid off the deck.

2) If I can't safely reach the green with driver, leave at least a full wedge shot.

(i.e.....Hybrid-7i is often better than Driver-Wedge)

 

My blow-up holes have been significantly reduced just doing these 2 things.

[JMiller]

They aerated the greens last week, and then Sunday morning the dew was so heavy. On the first couple of greens, by the time your ball got to the hole it was caked with sand to the point you could not read the Titleist. Then it quickly dried out and it became very fast. You could see the holes, and all the sand an you just knew it was going to be slow and bumpy, but it was actually fast and bumpy but with an occasional big bump.

 

The par 5, I three putted I hit a really good eagle putt 60 feet to about 3 feet and the birdie putt got to within 6 inches of the hole dead center and took an inexplicable hard right turn and missed the hole by 4 inches. To make matters worse another guy missed the hole, he was below the low edge of the hole turning away and past the center of the cup when he hit something and bounced in the hole like it was a vacuum. There is no way his putt should have gone in and no way mine should have missed but that is what happened. I was really pissed that I missed until his went in. It was so obvious that his should not have that I just had to laugh.

 

Usually I am a very good putter but no one putted well last week. This week it is different. The greens are recovering nicely.

 

Punched greens are like playing craps, the safe bet is to play the Pass line meaning you are going to miss more often then make the putt. I put 0 amount of weight on putting on punched greens, most time my friends just put in place a "2 putt rule" when the greens are pretty much un-puttable. Just means once your ball lies anywhere on the green take 2 putts and move on. It is sort of a cop out so to speak but if that's what makes it enjoyable for them fine.

 

I actually told the golf course a week or two before shooting my 33 this "one of these days when the greens are smooth I'm going to come in here and say i shot 32 or 33"... sure enough I caught a day the greens were smooth and shot my number... I think it was 2 days later they punched the greens again... Duke has been nothing but POS greens this year about 10 punches on the year so far 2 with top dress, average punch of 2.5 weeks apart... I will be happy when the heat goes away and fall rolls around to have a great course again, plus next year Champions Bermuda is going in THANK GOD...

[JMiller]

Just to get back on topic I had this thought about how to figure out what your strengths and weakness are in the game.

 

Take Stats and Notes during a round

~ Driving distance

--> use a GPS to measure not the score card

 

~ Driving Accuracy

--> Fairway Hit, Good Lie Rough, Bad Lie Rough, No Shot, PS Lateral, PS OB/LB

 

~ Approach data

--> Distance & Club used

 

~ Green In Regulation

--> correct tier / level?

 

~ Putting

--> Total Putts, First Putt distance

 

~ Up / Down

--> Short Sided, Lots of Green, successful or not

 

~ Bunkers

--> Short Sided, Lots of Green, successful or not

 

 

In the end use the Driving data to figure out what your weakness is off the tee.

Use the approach data / first putt distance on GIR to get iron game weaknesses.

Use first putt length to get an average on up and down shots to save strokes.

Use the first putt distance and total putts to figure out any gaps in weakness in putting.

 

 

For me I know that I don't hole enough 10 to 15 and 15 to 20 foot putts my percentage is a little low compared to PGA Tour Pros. I also know that my missed GIR / Save Percentage is lower then I want, what causes a lot of failed up and downs is being short sided or in a bad spot to get up and down.

 

I know my strength is my tee shot I average 65 to 75% fairways in a round, that is fine and majority of my misses are in play and not a PS, easily recoverable shots basically. My other strength is hitting greens with short irons and wedges, this is where i get my best birdie attempts.