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Free Lesson Weekly: Part 2 - Course Management

• Jimbog1964 8,378 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 2:13 AM

  HL CG64

  Pitching from fway

  10 yards @ 71%; 11 @ 72%; 12 @ 75%.

  Full shot from fway

  FBS @ 66% = 32 yards; 28 @ 60%

  Punched from Fway

  22 yards @ 65% FBS; 25 @ 65% FBS and 34 @ 75%.

  Flopped

  19 yards @ 100% FBS; 14 90% and 11 @ 75%

  Maybe take spin off a tiny bit on champ speed greens as the effer can spin back especially with that 19 yard flop at all up

• oneeyedjohn 9,589 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 2:51 AM

  Ur playing with fire playing FBS on a fullshot from fwy.

  I hit 60% for 30 yards, no spin necessary

  A flop for less than 20 yards I use FBS, 70% for 10, 72.5% for 11, and 75% for 12 yards

  My favourite shot is the pitch from 17 yards or less, FBS 90% for 14- 15 yards, 80% for 12-13 yards.

  I prefer the pitch nowadays as there is more chance of holing out.

• Jimbog1964 8,378 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 3:00 AM

  oneeyedjohn:

  Ur playing with fire playing FBS on a fullshot from fwy.

  With those percentages it's fine.  On champ greens I would maybe take half a pixel off just be safe depending on roll out.....Go much above and it's curtains...Interesting the different shots used though..

• alanti 10,564 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 3:11 AM

  First and foremost, great work Joe for starting this (I missed part one) and hope not only new players read it, but also the more established players as well.

  Great advice all round and all I will add is to think before you hit - and play percentages (both from the tee or if you are in trouble). In real golf I try to visualize the shot, in the air and where it will land, and try to do that on here as well. A great course to test you course management is Merion - and again will teach you the value of playing percentage golf. Another idea is put the game into practice mode and tee off from longer tees than you normally play from and this will force you to think about every shot.

  The other thing is learn all the different types of shots and how each reacts from different lies/slopes/spin etc and take notes if. Also now in practice mode you can use mulligans to experiment with the different shots - well worth using to shortcut your learning experience.

  Probably the most under utilized shot from newer player is the punch - use it not only to get out of a poor lie, but from the fairway.

   The other aspect you should learn is the "carry" of each shot/club in different winds, so you can negotiate the bunkers etc. Again think about where the ball will land (visulize) and what will happen if you get it wrong (percentages) (sometimes playing for the centre of the green will be better than attacking a pin and then having no chance of making a par).

• jeffdos924 1,085 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 3:31 AM

  YankeeJim:

  Take your medicine. You hit into trouble, don't try to be a hero and make a 1 in 100 shot. 

   

   BINGO!  Add to that.... sometimes, the best plan of action is getting out of that trouble spot the same way you got in ... hitting backwards.

    * Immediately coming to mind are those pot bunkers at  St. Andrews... if you're right at the greenside wall of those, 99% of the time you'll never clear the lip. Forget about advancing the ball just get it out .. sideways if you can, backwards if you must.

    * Another great spot for that is #7 at Bethpage .... if you miss the ding late and find yourself in those trees. Your first thought is to try & punch a 3 or 4 iron low through a gap in the trees ( and it does work pretty often). But a little miss could ricochet from tree to tree and you'll really be in trouble. If you don't ding consistently,  the smartest play is just to wedge it straight left ( or again,  backwards somewhat).

   You might not save par, but a smart bogey beats a stupid double( or worse) every day.

• oneeyedjohn 9,589 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 3:56 AM

  It's obvious I know, but it took me a long time to take it in, and that is don't make bogeys.

  It is not as stupid as it sounds, because what it means is you have to have the short game to recover from say a drive that is bunkered.

  #13 at STA a good example of a hole where there is trouble everrywhere, but a par is still possible., just don't be short on the approach.

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 4:09 AM

  Work out a putting system, something like;

  1) Check green speed

  2) Calculate distance

  3) Calculate angle

  4) Check the distance again allowing for the new track of ball

  5) Check you have the putter on the right scale

  6) Hit ball.

• DRogers5864 368 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 5:02 AM

  this is some good advice for course management.. I always have that tendency to take that 1 nothing ventured nothing gained shot and get in more trouble. I did get lucky on 1 hole... I drove to the sand, went to the deep rough, and still got saved Par... but it doesn't always work out that way...

  I have been punching out of the rough but it isn't always the right shot to make... any advice on determining the right shot out of the rough?

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 6:10 AM

  DRogers5864:

  I have been punching out of the rough but it isn't always the right shot to make... any advice on determining the right shot out of the rough?

  Whatever works is the right shot and your punch is never going to let you down from there. I use it quite a bit myself.

  One rough "quickie estimate" that has always worked for me is to add 1 club to whatever the caddie suggests for 30/40 and 2 clubs for 40/50. This isn't exact and is for approach shots but will definitely get the right club in your hands for a full swing.

• PaulTon 10,731 Posts

  Sat, Aug 31 2013 6:22 AM

  For rough (mid iron lengths), i add half the lower pecentage as power to shot. So 30/40 rough I add 15% to power, with a few tweaks to suit course/hole/type of rough.