Would you rather...

[4thand11]

A) Strike the ball great, drive it well, hit solid iron shots... but putt terrible and shoot a lousy score

 

OR 

 

B) Hit the ball lousy, feel like your swing is out of sync, but make a bunch of putts and up-and-downs, and somehow end up with a good score?

 

In other words is it all about the score, or does hitting it well/poorly have more impact on how you feel about the round?

 

I've had rounds where I hit the ball terrible but made a bunch of long putts and ended up with a solid score.  But I never feel good about my game after a round like that.  Whereas if I stripe the ball but can't make a putt, for whatever reason I don't feel as bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[codeman]

I would take scoring well over hitting it well. Not to say that its all about score, but I enjoy the feeling of knowing that I was able to grind out a score when I didn't have it. If I hit it great but can't score I feel like I wasted a day when my swing felt good. 

[kmay__]

I'd prefer to strike it well all day. Hitting the ball poorly all day is much more disappointing to me than a bad score at the end of the day. 

[Abh159]

There is nothing more demoralizing in my mind than striking the ball great and missing a lot of putts.

 

Although it doesn't make me happy, being able to still walk away with a good score in spite of hitting it bad at least gives me hope.

[elwhippy]

I will take scrappy and scoring. No pictures on a scorecard. 

[Warrior42111]

I'll take the up and downs, and grinding every time.

 

I leave the course in a better mode and it leads to short game confidence where a majority of shots are played from. 

[nitram]

1 minute ago, Warrior42111 said:

I'll take the up and downs, and grinding every time.

 

I leave the course in a better mode and it leads to short game confidence where a majority of shots are played from. 

 

Agreed. This is usually my game anyway.

[jordan2240]

I'd rather strike it well, because I feel it gives me a better chance of scoring better next time.

[golfandfishing]

I love slapping it around and grinding out a good score. I’ll take that every time. 

[Jpowell2142]

Im already the A golfer ;/ can't putt to save my life. do I practice putting? no

[Righty to Lefty]

Impact is everything and I'd rather strike it well and shoot bad numbers. I say this because of the mental toll that hitting the ball like crap takes on you over time.  Hitting the ball crap will make you feel like you have no hope no matter what you score, but if you hit it good you will always have the belief that you are right there on the cusp of getting better.  I HATE hitting it bad no matter what I score because it is just so mentally taxing.  

 

I played with a Pro that was going through a hitting the ball poorly phase and he was literally going mental during the round and he shot 1 over par.  He was literally cussing every shot he hit because he couldn't hit the middle of the club but he was still grinding out a score.  I stuck the ball really well but just didn't score well and shot 10 over but was fine with it because I knew that I hit it well and mentally I was in a good place.  Grinding is fine every now and then but grinding over long periods of time straight up sucks and is in no way enjoyable no matter what scores you are shooting.  

[2bGood]

Scoring well any day. I take great satisfaction when I can grind out a score despite having a poor swing day. 

Edited November 19, 2021 by 2bGood

[golfva28]

Wrong thread...

Edited November 19, 2021 by golfva28

[YouDaHamHider]

There's absolutely no hesitation for me... If I flush all my drives and irons and score 100 I'm far more pleased than if I never find the sweet spot but score 75. The point is that if you're flushing your irons and drives you know your swing is in good shape and a super day of putting is never far around the corner. If you're not finding the sweet spot at all you know your swing is s***... Your practice isn't paying off, your hours at the range are a waste of time. The cart girl isn't impressed. Just all sorts of reasons to be depressed. 

[ShortGolfer]

I play on an Executive course as a single.  Nobody cares about my score.  I know I can chip and putt.  I have great bunker play as well.

I'm on the course as often as I can before the season ends so I can learn to how get to within scoring range. 

Yesterday I played my trusty 7 iron. Two strokes with a 7 iron can be as effective as driver and wedge.  Especially if the accurate 7 iron stays clear of the leaves.  I didn't hit any trees!

There other things I'm learning, like taking my free drops for cart part relief.  Can't be a good golfer unless I take the advantages of stuff like that.  And show respect by doing it properly.

 

I'm learning to hit longer shots off lies that aren't flat.  As well as learning how brutal it is to advance the ball out of thick bermuda grass. 

Taking as many shots as I need and learning to make those shots now, in my very first season of playing golf as an adult, will do a lot more for my gain than any score milestone.

The only I can gain confidence with making difficult shots is to make them on the golf course.  

I need to be able to handle lies on uneven soil without thinking about how to adjust my swing and stance.  I get there by making those shots and just hitting the ball.  And seeing it land on the green!

 

Then there is the mental aspect of golf.  Do I learn from the player(s) ahead of me.  Or maybe they are doing something so ridiculous (to me) that I am better of not knowing?

 

Edited November 19, 2021 by ShortGolfer

[tthomasgolfer605]

5 hours ago, Righty to Lefty said:

Impact is everything and I'd rather strike it well and shoot bad numbers. I say this because of the mental toll that hitting the ball like crap takes on you over time.  Hitting the ball crap will make you feel like you have no hope no matter what you score, but if you hit it good you will always have the belief that you are right there on the cusp of getting better.  I HATE hitting it bad no matter what I score because it is just so mentally taxing.  

 

I played with a Pro that was going through a hitting the ball poorly phase and he was literally going mental during the round and he shot 1 over par.  He was literally cussing every shot he hit because he couldn't hit the middle of the club but he was still grinding out a score.  I stuck the ball really well but just didn't score well and shot 10 over but was fine with it because I knew that I hit it well and mentally I was in a good place.  Grinding is fine every now and then but grinding over long periods of time straight up sucks and is in no way enjoyable no matter what scores you are shooting.  

You didn't learn anything from the pro who beat you by 9 shots?

[golfva28]

The object of the game is to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of strokes

[UKGolfer86]

I would find the fact i scored well, while hitting the ball poorly, more encouraging than feeling like i was playing well, but not able to score.  Afterall, we are playing golf, not golf swing.

 

[TurnDog69]

Hit the ball well and shot a bad score. 

Short game stuff and putting is relatively straightforward to clean up, whereas the swing being off opens a whole new can of worms. 

 

I feel better about my game if I hit two pure shots, hit a GIR and 3 putt, than if I hit two awful shots, somehow get a chip close and then drop a lucky putt.

 

A great day chipping and putting always includes a bit of luck. You can't luck your way into striking the ball well for 18 holes. 

Edited November 19, 2021 by TurnDog69

[golfva28]

34 minutes ago, UKGolfer86 said:

Afterall, we are playing golf, not golf swing.

 

Exactly!

[scooterhd2]

if you're a football coach would you rather call a great game and throw for 500 yards, run for 250, only give up 190 yards on defense, BUT miss every extra point, get a FG block returned for a TD, muff a punt, fumble a snap in the red zone and lose 24-27. 

 

Or would you rather just be the winning coach?

 

Give me the better score. I'll take the win. 

[golfva28]

3 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

if you're a football coach would you rather call a great game and throw for 500 yards, run for 250, only give up 190 yards on defense, BUT miss every extra point, get a FG block returned for a TD, muff a punt, fumble a snap in the red zone and lose 24-27. 

 

Or would you rather just be the winning coach?

 

Give me the better score. I'll take the win. 

Right! How would you feel if the quarterback throws for 500 yards in a loss and is pleased with the result because he personally played well?

 

Everyone always says putting is the most important thing. Why would I be upset if putting and short game are what worked for for me on a given day? Like was said above, the game is golf not golf swing.

[Ri_Redneck]

I prefer 2 for competitive rounds, but 1 for everyday play. Because I know I can easily improve my putting.

 

BT

[Barfolomew]

Good topic... but you trickily didnt just say play well or score.... you threw in bad putting or good putting.  Sometimes I'll play good and the crappy greens conditions correctly get blamed for the ball not falling

 

Playin well is way more important then score.  I see golf in the long term so dont get excited over a low round I wanna play good as that is the foundation to score better consistently...

 

Putting is the best part of my game and never wanna putt bad but I'll still take bad putting cause next time it wont be, easy fix lol 🦆

 

 

[Righty to Lefty]

On 11/19/2021 at 2:41 PM, tthomasgolfer605 said:

You didn't learn anything from the pro who beat you by 9 shots?

I learned everything because I literally asked him after the round why he was so upset because he scored descent and that is why I answered the way I answered because of the perspective that he gave.  Sure being a grinder on any given day when you don't have it is fine, but grinding takes a mental toll over time because you are expending too much energy mentally and physically.  Pros take impact for granted because they have hit so many balls that it is basically a given that they will strike very close to the optimal spot on the face on most any shot.  This particular pro was losing his sanity after a few rounds of hitting it all over the face because he knows that even though he got away with it today, it will not last.  I can't imagine a pro going through extended periods of time not being able to lever the golf ball. I am a 5 and I would literally quit golf if I lost the ability to reliably strike the ball regardless of the scores that I shot. The score is irrelevant because you can hit it good or bad and still score pretty good or bad on any given day.  That being said you will never hear anyone say they hit it bad and scored their best ever score.  You simply can't hit it bad and play your best.  

 

I asked my other friend that held a Euro tour card what his best round ever was.  Ironically it wasn't his lowest score that he had ever shot (10 under).  I had watched him dismantle the golf course shooting 7 under over 9 holes multiple times but he replied that his best round ever was the round that he shot 4 under when he hit every fairway and green on a championship level course.  He said " do you know how stress free the game is when you do that?"  If you are hitting it good you will always be hooked up mentally and believe that you will improve whether it ever happens or not.  Lousy putting I'll assume will be 36 ish putts but even at that you would have the a chance to be a very low single digit handicap and even a scratch golfer.  If you hit it lousy but have even the most world class of short games you are still going to struggle to make it to scratch in reality because hitting it lousy doesn't make birdies and short game is mostly used to save par and often ends in bogey. However the premise of this thread was saying that you would hit it lousy and still manage a score as opposed to hitting it well and scoring higher.  If you are living one or the other my opinion is that you would enjoy the game more hitting it well in the long run as hitting it poorly over time is very taxing mentally because your game will never be reliable and predictable and you would be much more likely to leave the game if you always hit it poorly. 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Righty to Lefty

[ShortGolfer]

SGI clubs are better for beginners because the dispersion is in distance rather than on either side of the fairway.  

This greatly reduces the stress  of playing because the ball is still in the fairway, just not as far.

Instead of hunting  for your ball in the rough or trees you just need to take more shots to get to the green.

 

The course I play on is designed to deflect balls back onto the fairway if you are "close enough"

I've had balls roll from one side of the fairway to the other.  I'm sure that this was done intentionally to increase the pace of play and to help beginners enjoy the game.

If you miss the rough is brutal.  You are more likely to find two of someone else's ball than your own.  The sensible thing is to carry half a dozen balls and drop a new one.

I greatly reduced my lost ball call by playing four irons and a putter.

[Obee]

On 11/18/2021 at 7:37 AM, 4thand11 said:

A) Strike the ball great, drive it well, hit solid iron shots... but putt terrible and shoot a lousy score

 

OR 

 

B) Hit the ball lousy, feel like your swing is out of sync, but make a bunch of putts and up-and-downs, and somehow end up with a good score?

 

In other words is it all about the score, or does hitting it well/poorly have more impact on how you feel about the round?

 

I've had rounds where I hit the ball terrible but made a bunch of long putts and ended up with a solid score.  But I never feel good about my game after a round like that.  Whereas if I stripe the ball but can't make a putt, for whatever reason I don't feel as bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B and it's not even close. 
 

My swing almost never feels "out of sync." I know that when it happens, it's usually only 3 to 6 holes before I can fix it. Never more than one round.

Edited November 21, 2021 by Obee

[milesgiles]

if I hit the ball well, Im never going to shoot a bad score. It might be 6 shots worse than it should have been, but look at the variance in the very best players in the world, a 63 followed by a 72 for example. Some days you'll get more than you deserve, others less. I can live with that, but I hate scrubbing it round.

 

ps never won anything lol 

[Haroputt]

I rather score well.  The more tournaments I play the more I realize that great putting and chipping can gut out a decent score despite an inconsistent swing 

[Justsomeguy]

I sucked for so long that a good day of chipping and putting doesn't make me feel good. I take it for granted. When you miss 90pct of your greens for your first 6 years, you get a lot of practice at that.

Flushing drivers and irons makes me feel like a king, and if I miss every putt I don't really care.

I'd make the exception if I'm betting. In that case a score is a score, but if we're just talking about my personal satisfaction, there's no better feeling for me than flushing an iron the right distance and dropping the ball next to the flag.