Characteristics of someone who shoots 70s/80s/90s

[Kumabjorn]

Might you be leaning everthing you have into your iron shots?

I ask because if you hit your drives decent, there is no reason you shouldn't be able to hit your irons reasonably well. Try a round or two with taking one or two clubs more than you need and punch the shot. These shots are usually not that much off line. Even if you don't hit the green, you should be on the fringe or close enough for a more straight forward pitch rather than some fancy lob shot from Bermuda.

[Ronzo]

I've tried that. Not much effect. When I miss, it's a disaster. When I hit a proper shot, the trajectory and results are good, and my distance control is pretty decent. My typical miss on a well-struck shot from 125 yards to 75 yards is 15 feet or less, left or right. Like the little girl with the little curl: When I'm good, I'm very, very good. But when I'm bad, I'm horrid.

 

Because I lay back on my irons, my 6 iron standard distance is 150 yards. 7 iron is 140, 8 iron is 125 to 130, 9 iron 115 to 120, PW 100 to 115, SW 75 to 90, LW 60 to 70 or less. Shorter pitch shots to a guarded green get the best club for that lie. A fairway lie to an unguarded green from 50 yards in usually gets a 5 hybrid bump and run, since I'm more successful with that than a fractional wedge shot.

[avrag]

Par 5: 500 yards. Drive in the fairway or first cut of rough (shown as a miss) 210-235 yards. I want to be 100 yards out to hit PW. Hit 4 or 5 hybrid to get there, hit it thin or topped 75 yards in the fairway to 175-200 yards out. Smart play would be to just hit wedge to either 75 or 100 yards (my SW and PW best control distances), but I'm not that smart because of the frustration and I hit 3 hybrid. Come over the top and smother the shot 25 yards out in the deep left rough. Blade the pitch 15 yards over the back of the green. Pitch 10 feet; 2 putts for a 7.

 

I really had to laugh out loud, when I read this, because I could see myself so clearly playing a hole exactly like that. And I am sure you wrote it with a bit of irony on purpose. Yes, that's exactly what 90s-shooters do. But you know of course, that this is also a question of course management.

Want another story? Par 5, 530 yds, slightly uphill, wind left to right and slightly against. Lateral water hazards (small ponds) all the way up the left hand side, OB all the way up the right hand side. Drive in the middle of the fairway and about 270 yards, one of my best all season. Followed by one of my best 3woods all season, just like I planned to about 30 yds short of the green (I prefer pitches to full wedge shots). Only problem, the shot hooked a bit a the end, so the last of the ponds on the left hand side is now between my ball and the pin, which is tucked back left on the kidney shaped green, which hugs that small pond. There are also small trees and bushes round the edges of that water hazard. But I am possessed by some part of Seve's or PM's spirit at that moment, and after those two massive hits (for me), I won't be denied my birdie. So I search for an opening, and I find it. I hit the low chip with an 8iron perfectly, it flies low over the water and under the branches, hits the bank exactly in the spot I planned (on the bank, but still inside the hazard). But instead of killing the speed and letting the ball trickle onto the green towards the pin, the bounce is a bad one, I probably hit a little rock in the bank, so the ball goes straight up and slightly backwards, hits a branch and goes in the water. Then I chipped my 5th shot to the front right portion of the green (like I should have done with my 3rd) and from about 50ft 2putted for a well deserved 7.

People who shoot in the 90s despite knowing something about the game and their swing, make at least 3 absolutely stupid decisions per round. Once I started to get rid of those (not quite there yet, but improving), I also started to be just at or slightly under 90 on a consistent basis, without actually improving my technique in any way.

As for the general topic. the saying "There's more than one way to skin a cat", absolutely applies. A typical 80s shooter could have a good long game and a terrible short game or the other way around, but one of those areas will be waiting for improvement. A typical 90s shooter can have a half decent long game and a bad short game or a really bad long game and a half-decent short game. A typical 70s shooter will at least know his strengths and weaknesses exactly and not forget them, when he's on the course. And he will be at least quite good at all aspects of the game. Most of the people I know who shoot mid 80s on a regular basis have quite a good long game, which doesn't put them in bad spots, a slightly worse short game, which keeps them fom knocking the ball really close with pitches or chips and are really terrible putters. I have never played with somebody, who could not break 80, who had a technically sound putting stroke and a repeatable putting routine.

[Ronzo]

Thanks for recognizing the irony, avrag. I've heard an 18-20 handicapper's game described similarly to your description: "It depends on which guy shows up that day -- the guy who can putt but not play, the guy who can play but not putt, or the guy who can't do either one."

 

Saturday's round was schizoid. In 50 degree F temperatures in South Florida with 30 mph swirling winds, I went out 6 over and came in 13 over. Had 5 pars on the front 9 and led off the back 9 by making an 8 foot left-to-right slider for birdie. Went to the next hole and pulled the drive left into the water, making a triple. I hit 71.4 % of the fairways, even with that. Of course, I put a ball in the water on two of the par 3's on the back nine, too. I can't stand prosperity, it seems. :cry: