MD/VA/DC Golfers - Ten Seconds or Less

[thechief16]

My general rule is "only leave the driver in the bag if a good drive gets you into trouble".

 

My general rule is only hit driver if a 3w (or less) can't get me inside 135 (a stock PW).

 

If you give me 10 drivers, Im probably in trouble 6 times. Give me 10 3 woods, I'm in trouble 3 times.

I totally get how that's the best strategy for you. It was for me for so long. As part of my trying to improve, though. . .I'd go play with Abb and you watch a guy for a couple months go driver all day, and it starts to dawn on you (the Royal You, meaning "me") that you have a hole in your game.

 

Like, "if I want to be a 2 handicap, I better learn to hit my driver".

 

Even at times last summer, I'm pretty sure Fabb said to me, "why don't you just hit 4W off the tee all the time?"

 

I have been lucky enough to mess around with it in solo rounds at Hobbits this winter. . .go hit driver and 4W off the same tee and compare results. I'm at the point now where a good driver is better than a good 4W. The bad 4W is worse than a bad driver. And, I don't hit the bad ones any less frequently with the 4W. Matter of fact, maybe more frequently.

 

One's golf game is an every changing thing, though.

 

I used to use driver for draws and 4W for cuts. I mean like 2 years ago. Now, I'd go almost complete opposite with those. I can't draw my driver any more at all.

 

Go play with Fabb.

 

 

I am not the least bit unaware that I have a hole in my game. My driving consumes more than 50% of all my time spent thinking about golf. I have taken lessons, read books, watched hours of video. I accept it's almost completely psychological at this point. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time I need to work through it on course.

[thechief16]

I used to use driver for draws and 4W for cuts. I mean like 2 years ago. Now, I'd go almost complete opposite with those. I can't draw my driver any more at all.

 

Same. I'd like to be able to learn how to get that driver draw back again this year.

 

[FAbb]

Hole 10 at Hobbits is 398 and "functionally" 30 yards wide. I still haven't figured out the correct play there

 

It's going to be irrelevant in a little less than 2 weeks, but I think it depends on the situation.

 

If I'm playing with the primary goal of taking the fewest strokes over 18 holes, the play is the longest club that stays short of where the hazard begins on the left side of the fairway. It doesn't take much of a pull or draw to end up on that line, so I find it best to just eliminate the chances of hitting one through the fairway into the $hit there. Depending on the tees and weather conditions, it's anything from a hybrid to a driver.

 

If I'm screwing around, playing some format that I just DGAF about my total score, etc., there's a good chance I'm pulling the big dog, and aiming straight down the cart path. With my shot pattern, I'm far less likely to flare one right into the trees than I am to pull or draw one a bit more than I'd like, so I just aim aggressively down the right. I've taken many a drive to pound down on the 10th.

[Puppetmaster]

[baddomes]

My general rule is "only leave the driver in the bag if a good drive gets you into trouble".

 

My general rule is only hit driver if a 3w (or less) can't get me inside 135 (a stock PW).

 

If you give me 10 drivers, Im probably in trouble 6 times. Give me 10 3 woods, I'm in trouble 3 times.

I totally get how that's the best strategy for you. It was for me for so long. As part of my trying to improve, though. . .I'd go play with Abb and you watch a guy for a couple months go driver all day, and it starts to dawn on you (the Royal You, meaning "me") that you have a hole in your game.

 

Like, "if I want to be a 2 handicap, I better learn to hit my driver".

 

Even at times last summer, I'm pretty sure Fabb said to me, "why don't you just hit 4W off the tee all the time?"

 

I have been lucky enough to mess around with it in solo rounds at Hobbits this winter. . .go hit driver and 4W off the same tee and compare results. I'm at the point now where a good driver is better than a good 4W. The bad 4W is worse than a bad driver. And, I don't hit the bad ones any less frequently with the 4W. Matter of fact, maybe more frequently.

 

One's golf game is an every changing thing, though.

 

I used to use driver for draws and 4W for cuts. I mean like 2 years ago. Now, I'd go almost complete opposite with those. I can't draw my driver any more at all.

 

Go play with Fabb.

 

 

I am not the least bit unaware that I have a hole in my game. My driving consumes more than 50% of all my time spent thinking about golf. I have taken lessons, read books, watched hours of video. I accept it's almost completely psychological at this point. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time I need to work through it on course.

 

I have a driver shaft that you might like. Until it calls you on your work phone one day, and you didn't give it your work phone number.

[FAbb]

The "have to hit driver every where not 3 wood" thing just isn't nearly as concrete as you guys are making it seem. playing with the 2-4 handicaps at turf a lot of them hit a lot of 3 woods. look at the pros. within ranges of common swing speed/distance, some guys are WAY more conservative than others. if you really want to apply some math to the question the first thing to figure out is where your birdies come from.

the math doesn't have to do with birdies. It has to do with scoring average. Was reading something the other day that said if you never take penalty strokes, you're probably playing too conservatively. Food for thought.

 

Yeah, this sort applies on a sliding scale, but especially as you start dipping lower towards scratch. The better you get, the more aggressive "playing conservative" needs to be if you want to lower your cap.

 

Here's an example. Say your ball is in the trees, with two options. One is a straightforward pitch sideways, or slightly backwards out of the woods. The other requires you to keep it low for ~15-20 yards, and between two trees ~10ft apart, but allows you to advance the ball significantly further down the hole. If you're a 15 handicap, you gotta punch that $hit out sideways. If you're a low-mid single, I think you've got to own the shot to make the more aggressive play.

 

If you can't make contact with, or keep the driver on the planet to save your life, then fine. Leave it in the bag. You're going to be limited, though. If you're trying to get down to 0, and you're not a power house, you can't club down to 3w all day. If there's essentially the same amount of room in the landing areas for your driver and 3w, you better be pulling that D, and pulling it hard.

 

I've played with golfers that whooped my Word not allowed when I was down at scratch to +1. You know how many of them kept the big dog in the bag a decent amount of the time? Z-E-R-O. PQ has played with even higher caliber dudes. I know he played with Denny McCarthy out at Argyle. I'd like to hear from PQ how many of the big ballers he's played with keep the big dog holstered in favor of "accuracy" with a fairway wood off the tee.

[FAbb]

And on a much lighter note, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this scientific study of defecation. I have a feeling some of you will as well.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/03/health/poop-physics-partner/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool

[XHoop24]

The "have to hit driver every where not 3 wood" thing just isn't nearly as concrete as you guys are making it seem. playing with the 2-4 handicaps at turf a lot of them hit a lot of 3 woods. look at the pros. within ranges of common swing speed/distance, some guys are WAY more conservative than others. if you really want to apply some math to the question the first thing to figure out is where your birdies come from.

the math doesn't have to do with birdies. It has to do with scoring average. Was reading something the other day that said if you never take penalty strokes, you're probably playing too conservatively. Food for thought.

 

Yeah, this sort applies on a sliding scale, but especially as you start dipping lower towards scratch. The better you get, the more aggressive "playing conservative" needs to be if you want to lower your cap.

 

Here's an example. Say your ball is in the trees, with two options. One is a straightforward pitch sideways, or slightly backwards out of the woods. The other requires you to keep it low for ~15-20 yards, and between two trees ~10ft apart, but allows you to advance the ball significantly further down the hole. If you're a 15 handicap, you gotta punch that $hit out sideways. If you're a low-mid single, I think you've got to own the shot to make the more aggressive play.

 

If you can't make contact with, or keep the driver on the planet to save your life, then fine. Leave it in the bag. You're going to be limited, though. If you're trying to get down to 0, and you're not a power house, you can't club down to 3w all day. If there's essentially the same amount of room in the landing areas for your driver and 3w, you better be pulling that D, and pulling it hard.

 

I've played with golfers that whooped my Word not allowed when I was down at scratch to +1. You know how many of them kept the big dog in the bag a decent amount of the time? Z-E-R-O. PQ has played with even higher caliber dudes. I know he played with Denny McCarthy out at Argyle. I'd like to hear from PQ how many of the big ballers he's played with keep the big dog holstered in favor of "accuracy" with a fairway wood off the tee.

 

I remember reading this years ago and thinking it made sense. Driver is relatively more important the higher the golfers handicap. Requires some knowledge of Richie's stuff, but its a good read. Not sure he was able to prove it due to lack of data from non tour pro's.

 

http://3jack.blogspot.com/2012/02/importance-of-driving-for-amateurs.html

[SullGolf]

When I get to that hole, I'm gonna hit PW off the tee just to be really safe.

[2moreTerps]

on the math thing yes it is if i hit both clubs off the tee with 100 balls which group of balls would have been holed in less shots. i'm saying that hitting driver to make birdies for almost all of us is probably silly. birdies come on par 5s, short holes, or are flukes for me.

 

those are #7 and #8. 7 is a par 5 but i do hit driver. don't hit it left, it's OB. you have some room to miss right. #8 green is insane. you'll love it.

[TheCityGame]

Timbers is up.

 

$57 weekday mornings before 11AM.

 

$52 after 11AM.

 

$47 after 2pm

 

I'm pretty excited to get out there. I mostly like the layout and holes. Decent route. It was just such a mess.

[FAbb]

Any insight on exactly what they did to the place?

[baddomes]

Repaved and widened the cart paths I heard.

[pquarta1]

I never saw the best players out there hit less than driver, except for some holes where you can't because it will be in a hazard. Denny has been playing really well on the Web.Com tour. Lots of Top 10s to start the year.

 

Also, there'd be no reason not to hit driver for most guys at most courses because the "rough" isn't a penalty and the fairways aren't rock hard.

 

I guarantee you if I had 100 shots each, my 3 wood is significantly better than my driver. Not even close. I'm a major head case with the driver. Been hitting it much better the last few months, but still "scared" of it.

[TheCityGame]

Any insight on exactly what they did to the place?

"extensive bunker and irrigation renovations".

[FAbb]

Nice. The bunkers were always total $hit. Even if the renovation basically amounts to making all the bunkers playable, that'd be a huge upgrade.

[pquarta1]

I also like Timbers. Lots of fun holes out there and good variety. Will definitely get out there at some point this year.

[TheCityGame]

The bunkers were crap, but there were irrigation issues, too.

 

I remember being on the 7th once, just missed the FW left, and it was basically rocks and hardpan. No GUR markings. Not next to a cart path or anything. Just bare rocks.

 

I haven't played it in a couple years and I'm already "drooling" thinking about some of those holes because I'm hitting the ball so much better these days, and have gotten rid of the hook.

[Ocgolfrick]

Paulina/Brooks Koepka Love Triangle possible information!!!

 

 

DJ is in this week's Wells Fargo field.

Chase Koepka is in this week's Wells Fargo Field.

Brooks Koepka is not there.

 

= Brooks Koepka is with Paulina right now with Chase distracting DJ by taking him out for nights on the town.

[FAbb]

Glad to see Brooks is taking the week off, to put in some quality father-child time with his unborn baby.

[Ocgolfrick]

Although the thread is working fine- I call for a vote to change to a new thread: "MD/VA/DC Golfers Vol.11- Your Source for the Brooks Koepka/Paulina Gretzky Love Child information." I think we'd see our ranks increase dramatically.

[FAbb]

[baddomes]

Before opening a salt packet, does anyone else flick it to send all the salt to the bottom of the packet like it's a syringe full of fine heroin?

[Gmen1204]

Before opening a salt packet, does anyone else flick it to send all the salt to the bottom of the packet like it's a syringe full of fine heroin?

Yes also with sugar packets.

[FAbb]

Before opening a salt packet, does anyone else flick it to send all the salt to the bottom of the packet like it's a syringe full of fine heroin?

 

Is there another way?

 

Add sugar/sweetener packets to that list as well. And every other powderized/crushed food product that comes in a paper packet that you have to rip open (e.g., the magic cheese powder for mac and cheese, hot chocolate mix).

[baddomes]

ok good

[FAbb]

Sometimes I even get so vigorous that I flick the packet out of my grasp entirely, sending it flying. Of course that re-distributes the contents, so I've got to start the flicking all over again.

[ALTSean]

Timbers is up.

 

$57 weekday mornings before 11AM.

 

$52 after 11AM.

 

$47 after 2pm

 

I'm pretty excited to get out there. I mostly like the layout and holes. Decent route. It was just such a mess.

 

I have never played there, but would be interested in checking it out soon. Next week is finally slow at work so I might take a day or two off mid-week.

[TheCityGame]

I don't remember the last time I used a salt packet. I keep this on my desk at work. I don't run out of salt.

 

[therealsneek]

Timbers is up.

 

$57 weekday mornings before 11AM.

 

$52 after 11AM.

 

$47 after 2pm

 

I'm pretty excited to get out there. I mostly like the layout and holes. Decent route. It was just such a mess.

 

I have never played there, but would be interested in checking it out soon. Next week is finally slow at work so I might take a day or two off mid-week.

 

I would also be in for a Timbers outing. It is close to the casa but I have not made it there yet.