Luckystar5: Try hitting your driver, or even 3 wood, driver at around 90%. Try to give yourself a controlled wedge shot, 80 to 100 yds. out. Hitting any of your clubs less than 90% is a crap shoot. Course management will lower your scores, and give you better and easier shots at birdie.
I absolutely agree with you that course management is key to lower scores. But I disagree that hitting clubs (
at least wedges) at less than 90% is a crap shoot. (If you're simply referring to clubs above wedges, I agree. I never hit those clubs at less than 90%.)
There are a number of different ways to approach hitting wedges at less than 50% that work very well and are extremely consistent. I posted a link to one approach above, using the punch shot. An example of another approach is with the 64-degree wedge.
For shots less than 35 yards, I've used that wedge at less than 90% with very good success. I simply add about 6 to 8 yards to the shot and hit the appropriate for % as a full shot with full backspin. Of course, one also has to consider the green one is hitting into. For some greens, I might add only 4 to 5 yards and put topspin on the ball. The 7th hole on Merion, with the front pin location, comes immediately to mind.
Nevertheless, there are a number of methods that one can use that provide consistent results with wedges at less than 90%.