Working the ball? into or away from trouble?

[Matt 3 Jab]

Well my game now is going to focus on working the ball more to avoid short siding and bad areas of the course.

I can work the ball both ways, although i feel my best when fading the ball.

This also helps as ive gone from a 100% swing to a 75 - 80% swing with all irons to help with accuracy.

Now the big question is into or away from trouble?

Seems obvious, but in reality i dont think it is.

Example #1 : iron shot from the middle of the fairway, 150m. Pin is cut left, bunker on left. so trouble left and heaps of room to the right to get up/down or bail out into the middle of the green.

my first thought is draw from right edge into the flag, if push, then im ok, if good, then i'm spot on, if over cook it, trouble.

But would working the ball away from the flag be better? start at flag, doesn't move, awesome, moves a little, middle of green with a good putt. Spray it, better up/down chance. Double cross it, in trouble.

Example #2 : Off the tee on a par 4. 400m. O.O.B right. tree's left but can get lucky, at least not oob.

I first think, aim at the shit, and make sure i hook it., but would working the ball into trouble be better?

I guess it depends which shot you hit better and bail out less, but id like to have a rule that i try and start the ball at the safe area / or trouble so i can plan it better?

Thoughts???

[kpac]

in both senarios i'd shape it towards the trouble.

1 - start right side of green, with enough draw to hit the middle of the green - thus takes trouble out of play.

2 - start on the tree line and fade towards the OOB - surely this is the most mentally satisfying way to take such a hole, as teeing up towards OOB is just crazy.... IMO of coarse...

Anyway that's my thoughts - start wide and work in into the right spot.

[Webster]

why don't you just hit it straight?

[TheTrueReview]

why don't you just hit it straight?

Hitting a 'straight' is a fallacy. (IMHO)

[Webster]

Hitting a 'straight' is a fallacy. (IMHO)

Any more than teen handicappers who think they can work the ball?

[Matt 3 Jab]

Jack, im not a 'teen' handicap golfer.

The purpose or working the ball, in my opinion, is to allows for error.

Try and hit it straight, and you dont know if it'll slightly draw/fade

Know where its going, and you have a better idea of where it may miss, and how best to attack the flag.

[Grunt]

I can! Just never know which way it is going to go ;)

[Johnny Canuck]

Tiger Woods says one of the biggest mistakes made by amateurs is aiming at trouble.

I'd prefer drawing it into the pin in the first option. That way you are rewarded for hitting a good shot, not rewarded for stuffing up and not fading the ball. Why would you want to work away from the pin? Would lead to a lot of three putts and not many good approaches.

In the second option, hit it straight. With trouble on both sides, give yourself a margin for error either way. If you start it one way you're done if you hit it straight and you're done if you overcook your intended workings on the ball.

Play to hit good shots, don't play to not hit bad shots.

[virge666]

why don't you just hit it straight?


Cause good players don't.

There is more margin for error if you move the ball consistently in one direction.

Of course this is for cuts and draws... not hooks and slices.

:)

And you NEVER start the ball at trouble... in case it doesn't move or you double-cross it.

Enjoy

[ParMaster]

Scenario 1: I'd start the shot just right of the middle of the green and then draw it back into the middle left side. I wouldn't go for the pin though although it depends on the penalty if missed left.

Scenario 2: I'd definately hit a fade down there with the tee shot but i prefer to hit a draw myself. If it were just bunkers right then i'd hit a draw.

These scenarios are quite vague and there are many variables involved.

[Matt 3 Jab]

True PM, but when we play on sunday, you'll see what i mean (the 3rd at NB is the opposite of #2).

We'll have a good chat about the shots we want to play and where to miss it.

The broomstick is making me sink birdies so i want to lower the mistakes i make to get my handicap back where it was.

[Minor_Threat]

Definitely move the ball towards the trouble..

However personally it all depends on how comfortable you are hitting the required shot. If it isnt comfortable, I will resort back to my stock shape.

[ParMaster]

True PM, but when we play on sunday, you'll see what i mean (the 3rd at NB is the opposite of #2).

We'll have a good chat about the shots we want to play and where to miss it.

The broomstick is making me sink birdies so i want to lower the mistakes i make to get my handicap back where it was.

There are a couple of difficult T shots at NB. One of them is the 6th hole. What are you going to do there? I'd hit a hybrid at the right water hazard with a draw. Or would you try and fade it down there?

[Minor_Threat]

I would be cautious of working the ball just for the sake of it.

I have always sworn by developing a "stock" shot you can trust and also being able to work the ball if you need to.

[Matt 3 Jab]

i always try and fade one on the 6th as there is plenty of room to the left.

Right there is dead, left is still in play.

Usually a 3 iron from the back markers or 4 from the front ones

[Johnny Canuck]

True PM, but when we play on sunday, you'll see what i mean (the 3rd at NB is the opposite of #2).

We'll have a good chat about the shots we want to play and where to miss it.

The broomstick is making me sink birdies so i want to lower the mistakes i make to get my handicap back where it was.


http://www.ozgolf.net/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif broom stick putter



as per title

any brand

any condition

thanks


who cares about the other forum. i'm more concerned with the poofter wanting a broomstick. that is the real issue here.


Not for me but a work mate

How's your "work mate" enjoying the putter, lying poofter :mrgreen:.

[3oneday]

Don't look at pins.

Only use driver if the hole is longer than 350.

I tried the above once at Tuncurry, I played Ok for a while. Mind you, I don't hit it as far as Matt.

[Matt 3 Jab]

i bought one for a work mate, and myself after i rolled it on the greens. ended up with 3 of them at one stage. Great tools for short putts.

Any more questions??

Ok, back to the working the ball issue

[virge666]

I thought Long putters were only allowed on the Senior tour ?

[3oneday]

If it keeps someone playing golf, who cares.

[Johnny Canuck]

would you use the broomstick to take a drop? serious question. legal, but some say it's bad etiquette.

[Minor_Threat]

would you use the broomstick to take a drop? serious question. legal, but some say it's bad etiquette.Bad etiquette indeed!

[3oneday]

48 inches as opposed to 45 or 46 inches ?

i wouldn't have thought 2 inches that big a deal ? some could say petty ?

[Minor_Threat]

48 inches as opposed to 45 or 46 inches ?

i wouldn't have thought 2 inches that big a deal ? some could say petty ?Or a 6'4" bloke using a full length broomy..

What would that be? At least 60"..

[ParMaster]

I don't see the big deal in doing that. Everyone uses the longest club in the bag for the drop..so why not your putter?

[Minor_Threat]

I don't see the big deal in doing that. Everyone uses the longest club in the bag for the drop..so why not your putter?Because 1 out of 10000 people actually have a broomy!

Just pull your driver out like the rest of us..

[3oneday]

Standard length is about 50 to 52 inches. I've never heard nor seen a 60 inch broomy.

Does a 6'4" guy use a 45 inch putter too then ?

[Minor_Threat]

Standard length is about 50 to 52 inches. I've never heard nor seen a 60 inch broomy.

Does a 6'4" guy use a 45 inch putter too then ?What if its under his chin.. Peter Senior style?

[Johnny Canuck]

When taking a 2 club length drop, a 50 odd inch putter can be well over a foot further than a 45 inch driver. In many cases, a foot can make a huge difference.

I know it is done on tour, or it is very very rare, and frowned upon, when it happens. Kind of an unwritten rule.

[PeteyD]

Maths not the Canuck's strong point. I thought etiquette was to use the club you are going to be using, so wedge if it is a wedge. You bunch of no good cheats.

Working the ball gives you way too much to think about. Get a target and hit it to it.

[Johnny Canuck]

Maths not the Canuck's strong point. I thought etiquette was to use the club you are going to be using, so wedge if it is a wedge. You bunch of no good cheats.

Working the ball gives you way too much to think about. Get a target and hit it to it.

Explain?

45 inch driver X 2 = 90 inches
51 inch putter X 2 = 102 inches
12 inches = 1 foot

I'm thinking math isn't your strong point right about now, Petey.

The rules state that when taking a drop you should use the club that you are intending to play with. This generally refers to one club length free drops, not two clublength unplayables in which you are receiving a stroke penalty.

[PeteyD]

Explanation:


When taking a 2 club length drop, a 50 odd inch putter can be well over a foot further than a 45 inch driver50 odd inch <> 51, 100 - 90 = 10 which is considerably less than a foot. Even with your dodgy 51 inches, you get 12 inches = 1 foot, not well over a foot further.

Maths is my strong point.

[Johnny Canuck]

Where I come from, 50 odd would mean anywhere from 50 to 59. I think this is one of those lost in translation moments.
Similar to when you guys use the expression "lucked out". Canada = got lucky, here, out of luck. Caused a couple "WTF are you talking aboot?" moments when I first got here.

10 inches is not considerably less than a foot, 83% of the way there.

First official math threadjack on record.

[Beetle34]

Mate, if you can work the ball both ways at will then I think you are past asking people on this site for their opinion.

[PeteyD]

Where I come from, 50 odd would mean anywhere from 50 to 59. I think this is one of those lost in translation moments.
Similar to when you guys use the expression "lucked out". Canada = got lucky, here, out of luck. Caused a couple "WTF are you talking aboot?" moments when I first got here.

10 inches is not considerably less than a foot, 83% of the way there.

First official math threadjack on record.

OK I'll accept a lost in translation moment. 17% short of my payment is a considerable amount.

[3oneday]

Standard length is about 50 to 52 inches. I've never heard nor seen a 60 inch broomy.

Does Jarro use a 45 inch putter too then ?


What if its under his chin.. Peter Senior style?

It'd be over his head.

[razaar]

Not sure of the relevance of a broomstick putter to the topic.

[Grunt]

I thought it was about how you aim for the trouble when your normal shot shape will get it away from it. Then you hit it pure and it just sails straight into it. :) That is what happens to me when I try to account for trouble in this way.

[TheNuclearOne]

Nick Price always says never start your ball at trouble (where a straight ball will find it)

Yet Faldo, that great worker of the ball says he likes to hit it straight at the drama and work it away from it.