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All SHOTS ADD TO THE TOTAL SCORE
Do you need to be both a caddy and a golfer to play good golf?
If like me you really want to break 80 after some progress in the previous year in which you broke 90. Perhaps you have also been examining your golf swing and are now starting to transfer what you have learnt onto the course.
Gapping
To stay out of danger and hit more fairways and greens, you need to have a plan. To make this plan you need to know your carry distance for each of the clubs in your bag. I find the best place to do this, although slightly more technical and time consuming, is to record and then analyse you shots during competitive play. This can be achieved using an app such as GOLFPAD.
Often this philosophy will teach you something that is not obvious at first sight, in the heat of the moment, during play that if later cross examined will allow you to learn. In doing so, your process should teach you something about your next game.
EXAMPLE 1
POST MORTEM HOLE 1
If I hit either a 5W or a Driver off the first tee Drive I will bring a lot of the danger, both left and right @ >200 yards, Therefore I decide on a 3H, however it brings with it the possibility of landing short of the fairway. This leaves you with a slightly more complicated 2nd shot to the first green.
Lets examine one possible outcome from this second shot.
1. Tee shot 3H (176) = 175
This shot goes according to the plan, but maybe comes up slightly short considering the shot was played off a tee.
2. PW (124-131) 113
This shot comes up short and lands in the bunker. Why does the PW go 113yards when it should go 124-131?
Possible reasons
This is the second shot of the day, there is a slight intimidation with that, no doubt the nerves haven't completely left me.
Also there is a small river and out of bounds {OB} if I should hit the shot long. If I don't fully commit to the shot and only really hit an 80-85% to avoid going long, in doing so, I will bring the bunker's into play, or simply come up short and miss the green.
To add to this I am in the first cut rough 🌾 and so I also worry about the ball coming out wrong, or in attempts to get out of the rough, come out too fast and go long OB.
These aspects must be contended with and understood before a club selection is made if I want to make par. A solid shot to the green will get you off to a good start.
NOTES FOR THIS HOLE TO ACHIEVE A GIR AND GIVE YOURSELF 2PUTTS FOR PAR
RETHINK YOUR STRATEGY FOR HOLE 1
1. Tee shot 3H (176) = 175
2. 9I (136-146) [@100%]
Examine your 9 Iron stats, it determines that your median distance obtained is 143yd, and the accuracy data shows <35% are short and would bring the bunker into play.
With this taken into consideration, it appears course management is the real error. The choice on the course to use a PW to hit the start of the green and run on, or middle of the green and run out are likely wrong, you would need to be further up the fairway to hit that shot.
To re-consider my 2nd shot to the green, there is danger both short and long. A good rule of thumb naturally is to hit to the back of the green, but on this occasion it is highlighted even more so. The the green itself which looks small from my perspective, 145 Yards away is about 20 yards in diameter. So club up, aim for the back of the green and if I mishit it, then I may hit the beginning of the green and run on.
CADDY
At least in my opinion, even a club level, I need to do my homework, be my own caddy, create a process of analysis that allows for a routine rethinking of my best shot, hopefully with time it will mean, these aspects of thought will occur more naturally during actual play.