Weakness play around it or not?

[golfinFF]

Canadan's handicap goals thread sparked this thought for me.

Most of us have a goal we want to be at and put in some work to get there. Some that's a handicap # or posting an average score.

So the questions are Is there a part of your game that is holding you back? Do you try and avoid that part of your game while playing to post a score? Why or why not?

For me it's driver/tee game If I can put the ball in good to decent position of the tee I can post a score well below my HC. I don't avoid pulling driver unless serious trouble is in play. This is because I need to simply work on this part of my game on the course when the pressure is on to hit the shot.

I know if I simply took 4i or 2h off the tee I'd shave a bunch of strokes off my rounds, but then I feel l would be posting a false HC due to me avoiding a big part of the game.

 

[mpeterson]

For me, while I work on it? Absolutely. I'm a butcher when it comes to that 50-60 yard wedge shot - I end up giving up on it, leaving the club open and hitting a weak fade to the right, or worse, shanking the thing. So, while I'm working on feeling confident in the move at the range, I've been trying to leave myself full shots into the green whenever possible.

As for a handicap - that's just the score you shoot, not how you get there.

 

[rbarthle17]

A bad tee game is hard to hide (I've been there) as is a bad putting game (I'm there now), but outside of that course management should allow you to avoid weak distances to the green while you work on them in practice. Do that, and you should take big numbers out of play at least.

 

[Tadashi70]

Always, always work on the parts of the game that need help. Those that are in good shape don't require a lot of attention. Fix what is broke and improve

 

[FIVE!]

As for a handicap - that's just the score you shoot, not how you get there.

/\ This

Didn't TW win the 2006 British Open without using his driver?

Play to your strengths, minimize the impact of your weaknesses.

 

[Arkie_3_fan]

Canadan's handicap goals thread sparked this thought for me.

Most of us have a goal we want to be at and put in some work to get there. Some that's a handicap # or posting an average score.

So the questions are Is there a part of your game that is holding you back? Do you try and avoid that part of your game while playing to post a score? Why or why not?

For me it's driver/tee game If I can put the ball in good to decent position of the tee I can post a score well below my HC. I don't avoid pulling driver unless serious trouble is in play. This is because I need to simply work on this part of my game on the course when the pressure is on to hit the shot.

I know if I simply took 4i or 2h off the tee I'd shave a bunch of strokes off my rounds, but then I feel l would be posting a false HC due to me avoiding a big part of the game.

I'm in the same boat as you. My driver/tee game is terribly inconsistent right now. When my driver is working ok, I'm capable of breaking 80, but when it's bad, I'm lucky to shoot in the low 90's.
Because I've got so much going on that I barely get time to play, let alone spend time on the range, I usually hit my driver when I'm out playing just for the extra practice.
Hopefully by sometime next summer I will have a bit more free time to work on my game. Once I get settled in at our new house, I'm going to set up a short game practice area, so that part of my game shouldn't need much attention when I get to the course.

 

[sparksjr]

Your situation I tough since the driver is your issue. My issue is the 75ish yard range, which I can avoid fairly easily by laying up correctly (whether off the tee on short par 4 or my second shot on a long par 5). I still work on it when I can get to the range but since its pretty easy to avoid I don't spend a ton of time working on it.

It's harder to avoid the driver but I have played golf with a guy for 15 years that has not owned a driver in the past 10 years. He plays his 3w off the tee. He just cant hit a driver and doesn't have time to practice. Was that Titleist you were hitting in Orlando the 2H you are referring to? If I recall you smashed that thing. IMO I would continue to work on the driver at the range and hit what works on the course.

How do you hit your 910FD?

 

[T0AD]

I'm in the same boat as you. My driver/tee game is terribly inconsistent right now.

Two back-2-back rounds recently, one I hit 9/14 fwy, the other I hit 2/14. Two days apart. My one consistency is my inconsistency.

 

[golfinFF]

I do wish it was a easier part of my game to avoid like the 75-50yd wedge but it's not and I like that shot.

Yeah sparks the one, it's consistently 230 for me and 4i isn't much off that at 210-220 into the fairway. The Fd is coming around with the new shaft that fits better.

The big issue is on the range I hit driver well and my miss would be ok. On the course is where I'm struggling with it, hit it well in OC but now not so much.,

 

[sparksjr]

Sorry I'm too much of a head case to tell you how to take it from the range to the course...lol

I would suggest the FD off the tee on the course for a while until it becomes consistent then maybe move to the driver as confidence builds?

 

[Agent Jay]

For me, I need to work on bump and run shots. I know that I fall back on my 56* wedge to chip, way more than I should. So for me, personally, I need to work on that part of my game that I hardly ever do. I need to take that uncomfortable shot and make it a go to shot.

 

[golfinFF]

Sorry I'm too much of a head case to tell you how to take it from the range to the course...lol

I would suggest the FD off the tee on the course for a while until it becomes consistent then maybe move to the driver as confidence builds?

Ha ha I'm in the same boat as a head case give me my 4i I make the shot happen, driver open fairway I'll miss it.

It's coming down to that and I hate giving up the 3 club difference when I'm on with the driver but struggling to stay in the 80's because driver isn't working isn't fun.

 

[Mountain Slicer]

Two back-2-back rounds recently, one I hit 9/14 fwy, the other I hit 2/14. Two days apart. My one consistency is my inconsistency.

Man this sounds like my game. I seem to come off the tee good but then I try to get my second shot either on the green or for a close chip. That's where my problems get really inconsistent, some days these two work together and others not all. I know that by getting to play maybe once a week doesn't help any and I'm trying to practice chipping in the yard so that I can get better control and feel , I chipped 50 shots Tuesday evening and can hit from 0 to 120 yards in my yard. Lack of play appears to be the biggest contributor to my problems. I hope that in a few years when I retire that I can still afford to play and maybe get to my main goal which is too be able to break 80 on a daily basis, I'm a 16 handicap now and would love to make single digits.

 

[Hawk]

I play to my strengths and try to hide or avoid my weaknesses.


I don't think there's any truth in this statement:

then I feel l would be posting a false HC due to me avoiding a big part of the game.

Your ability to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of strokes is all that matters imo. Some guys out there that do it pretty, but lots do it ugly. Even on Tour, though their ugly is much different than ours.

Practice where you need to practice, but I'd just play the game to get the ball in the hole.

 

[markheardjr]

I don't know if I'd call it a weakness but I do avoid bunkers at all costs. I'm a fairly good bunker player but I just don't like them. The courses I play are never consistent with the amount of sand, fluffiness, etc. Generally I won't attack a pin behind a bunker, Ill just play as close as I can with a clear line over grass. Unless it really is required, I don't like to hit over bunkers.

 

[rollin]

I believe on trying to fix things rather than put them aside. But I also believe in "playing to ones strengths" and making smarter choices. But they do not have to mean the same thing.

The more we fix , the more options we have.
The more options we have, the more strengths we can play to.

If my driver doesn't work today I am still going to use it on the same holes I normally would use it because imo it has to be fixed. However, if I was in a competition that day I may then play without what is not working to best try to win.

In the end its always about getting better or maintaining the good. That means I want to be able to fix as much as possible even if its hurting now.

 

[UVaWahoo]

I often play what I have labelled the BAS, It means bunker avoidance shot. If any ball that I hit heads toward a pin behind a bunker, it was an accident.

 

[Mystery Meat]

A weakness will always get you in the end . Than you " band aid it" and another weakness pops up . This game really requires at least 40 hours a week to keep weakness to a minimum . Some of us will never have that ability to give that much time . So keep a lot of band aids in your golf bag , and try and play with anyone in the medical field as much as possible

do the best you can , that is all we can do

 

[McLovin]

i kind of avoid driver, but under the guise of course management. if i can avoid hitting driver, i will. whatever it takes to get inside 160, i'll hit that. fairway wood, hybrid, or iron, i will shy away from driver wherever possible.

i also shy away from fairway wood off the deck, again under the guise of course management. with roll, i can get 250 out of my fairway wood off the deck. but consistency is shaky, as is distance. so i'll lay up to 75-100 yds instead of just blasting and then relying on short game. i also don't love my short game right now.

 

[moosejaa]

My weakness is my approach shot from 200-120 yards. I can't really work around it or I'd be leaving my 4-9 irons in the bag all the time. I've got to keep plugging away at it. I really do need to get lessons and find more time to practice if I'm ever going to improve though.

 

[golfinFF]

Ok Hawk I ask you this if my HC is a 21-23with my use of a driver and a 10-13 not using it which one is correct? Either one or HC somewhere in the middle?

Rollin practicing the driver while trying to play and play well the one or two times a week I can is getting old and tire some. Scoring well but leaving driver in the bag leaves me feeling empty, but playing poorly with driver is frustrating, catch 22 for sure.

 

[Hawk]

Ok Hawk I ask you this if my HC is a 21-23with my use of a driver and a 10-13 not using it which one is correct? Either one or HC somewhere in the middle?

Rollin practicing the driver while trying to play and play well the one or two times a week I can is getting old and tire some. Scoring well but leaving driver in the bag leaves me feeling empty, but playing poorly with driver is frustrating, catch 22 for sure.

If there was that much difference I just don't know why you'd be using driver. I get that you want it to work, but you're long as it is. I imagine you could play without it and still play 6500 yards, correct?

 

[golfinFF]

If there was that much difference I just don't know why you'd be using driver. I get that you want it to work, but you're long as it is. I imagine you could play without it and still play 6500 yards, correct?

Because when it does work it's a lot of fun and I can post sub 40 for 9.

Yeah I think I can play most courses from there as long as carry off the tee isn't absurd. I'm gonna give it a try this weekend from there on my home 4i only off the tee from our tips which is 6500ish

 

[Rambler]

Absolutely have some overall weaknesses that I try to manage around, but I also gauge round to round weaknesses, to hopefully score better.

Bunker play has been an issue, for me, for a couple of seasons. As such, I will plan approach shots with this in mind, especially in a competition round. I have made pretty good strides in this area, but not enough that I would rely on it.

Day to day, though, I'll try to get an idea of what is working and what isn't, and I'll modify my game plan to suit.

 

[Canadan]

Canadan's handicap goals thread sparked this thought for me.

Most of us have a goal we want to be at and put in some work to get there. Some that's a handicap # or posting an average score.

So the questions are Is there a part of your game that is holding you back? Do you try and avoid that part of your game while playing to post a score? Why or why not?

For me it's driver/tee game If I can put the ball in good to decent position of the tee I can post a score well below my HC. I don't avoid pulling driver unless serious trouble is in play. This is because I need to simply work on this part of my game on the course when the pressure is on to hit the shot.

I know if I simply took 4i or 2h off the tee I'd shave a bunch of strokes off my rounds, but then I feel l would be posting a false HC due to me avoiding a big part of the game.

I work to improve each individual aspect of my game, but I'll avoid 3/4 wedge shots at all costs.. I think that's more about course management than anything else though.

Also, I play a draw almost exclusively and I guess you'd call that a weakness. For me, it's more about completely eliminating an entire side of the golf course though - If I can work with it, I'll use it to my advantage.