The Pareto principle and playing better golf

[ScottRob]

I think equipment (and almost anything that can be done BEFORE hitting the ball) should be slotted in the 20% of the category; especially in the "off the shelf" era. I managed to convince a golfing buddy (on the other side of 55) to buy a
14* driver to help him launch it a bit better; night and day...

 

[Erik_K]

I have been playing in a golf league since 2007 or so. Granted this is not an ultra competitive league but we do have a handful of good players mixed in with a lot of people with hadicaps over 100.

Here's what I notice about the better players:

They find the fairway often - it's not easy to make par or even bogey (depending on the hole) if you need to punch out or are forced to have to play some odd-ball trick shot (low hook under a tree, or hit the ball from an uneven lie in a wooded area).

They can pitch the ball on the green. They don't often pitch it dead close to save par, but they avoid the dreaded skull or fat pitch shot.

IF I wanted to get 80% of the result with the 20% of the effort...

Hit hybrid or 3W off the tee - do whatever it takes to hit the approach shot from the fairway.

Learn to pitch the ball on to a green from 100 yards and in.

 

[ScottRob]

I agree with you to a point. I generally can shoot within 4-6 strokes of my average score hitting a 5 iron off the tee. I do this to prove a point to my players. I call it the iron-man challenge. I have broken 70 doing it, although my short game was on fire on that particular day. Tom Wishon has an interesting take on this: he maintains (In Search for the Perfect Club) that a player should establish which club he can find 70% (I think it was 70%) of the fairways with, THAT club is their "driver." On the other hand I have discovered that a neurotic swing with a hybrid ain't pretty either. Generally a cocky swing with a driver will lower your scores in the long run, but finding a cocky swing is another thing! I have ironed out my swing mid-round by laying up on a par 5 with a 5, or a 6 iron.

 

[Erik_K]

A horrible swing is a horrible swing. Using a hybrid or 5 i off the tee may not change things too much if the player in question has a move that is just plain bad. My comment wasn't meant to imply that equipment is a cure for bad mechanics. I've seen lots of players hit horrible iron shots off the tee as well.

I think that is very interesting that you can shoot within 4-6 strokes of your average using the 5 iron alone. It would seem that the driver doesn't buy you a whole lot then (?). But if you were looking to win a match or set a new personal best, the driver might be necessary (high risk, high reward).

Wishon's comments seem to echo my thoughts. If the 70% remark is accurate - I have absolutely no business using a driver off the tee. Hell I doubt I even hit my 5 wood in the fairway 70% of the time.

I have been looking to get something like a Cobra Baffler (or similar) or perhaps a new 3W (mine is 15+ year old S2H2 Callaway). The hybrid/rescue club may travel in the 200 yard range but is perhaps a lot more forgiving vs the driver that can wander off any which way. In my case, at my home course I want to say that the par 4s are in the 380-400 range. Thus hitting out 200, then look at a six iron, or maybe smooth 5 iron into the green. If I miss, likely the case, then the pitching is all important.

Perhaps that should be strategy for me. I'll have to give this a shot and monitor the fairways hit and what my yardages look like using the hybrid.

Erik

I agree with you to a point. I generally can shoot within 4-6 strokes of my average score hitting a 5 iron off the tee. I do this to prove a point to my players. I call it the iron-man challenge. I have broken 70 doing it, although my short game was on fire on that particular day. Tom Wishon has an interesting take on this: he maintains (In Search for the Perfect Club) that a player should establish which club he can find 70% (I think it was 70%) of the fairways with, THAT club is their "driver." On the other hand I have discovered that a neurotic swing with a hybrid ain't pretty either. Generally a cocky swing with a driver will lower your scores in the long run, but finding a cocky swing is another thing! I have ironed out my swing mid-round by laying up on a par 5 with a 5, or a 6 iron.

 

[ekennedy]

I believe Shivas Irons referred to it as his "play club."

 

[Brian Manzella]

If I had a week to teach 10 young men from Norman Playground who had never played golf to compete in a Ryder Cup format match with another teacher and another 10 athletes who had never played golf, to be played on a golf course like the City Park North Course, slope around 113, some trouble, some bunkers, medium speed greens, flat.....

What would I teach them.

Day 1 - Grip, Set-up, 7-iron full swings. Crash Course. TrackMan running.

Day 2 - Off to the North Course to learn to hit a basic chip shot with a 24° hybrid, and to putt. End of the day 18 hole contest from different spots off each of the 18 greens from 30 yards out, up to the fringe, with prizes. No 7-iron full swings.

Day 3 - All day crash course repeat with the 7-iron. End of the day 2 hours of practice with one hour chipping with the 24° hybrid, one hour of putting. We play the game "11" the last half-hour for prizes.

Day 4 - First half of the day Driver off the tee crash course. Second half hitting tee shots on the holes that you might hit tee shots on. Last hour basic "bread and butter" bunker shot crash course.

Day 5 - We are playing 18 holes for a score with the whole group. Break for lunch after 9....it will take all day.

Day 6 - 7-iron full swing practice and lessons first two hours. Early Lunch. Playing 9 holes in afternoon.

Day 7 - Strategy walk through for the whole 18 holes, with certain golfers hitting certain shots, personalized strategy card made up for each. Mini lessons for all at days end.


Day 8, win.

 

[Bonesy]

Can you elaborate on the hybrid chip shot? When and from where? I've done it once or twice but have a hard time finding the right situation.

 

[ScottRob]

A horrible swing is a horrible swing. Using a hybrid or 5 i off the tee may not change things too much if the player in question has a move that is just plain bad. My comment wasn't meant to imply that equipment is a cure for bad mechanics. I've seen lots of players hit horrible iron shots off the tee as well.

Nah, I did not think you were saying that. You most certainly can start "leaking oil" even with a 5 iron!

I think that is very interesting that you can shoot within 4-6 strokes of your average using the 5 iron alone. It would seem that the driver doesn't buy you a whole lot then (?). But if you were looking to win a match or set a new personal best, the driver might be necessary (high risk, high reward).

You are right, the driver does not buy me a lot. I am not going to challenge 70 on most courses if I hit it 200-215 off the tee. The real benefit, in my opinion, is psychological. Imagine being as confident with the driver!


Wishon's comments seem to echo my thoughts. If the 70% remark is accurate - I have absolutely no business using a driver off the tee. Hell I doubt I even hit my 5 wood in the fairway 70% of the time.

It all depends what you want out of the game. I think a good middle of the road approach is to have a driver with enough loft, a helpful flex, and a manageable length. Most people do not work very hard on the short game, so like the new Nike commercial (with Anthony Kim) suggests they have to get the job done better from tee to green.i.e. a shorter short game.

I have been looking to get something like a Cobra Baffler (or similar) or perhaps a new 3W (mine is 15+ year old S2H2 Callaway). The hybrid/rescue club may travel in the 200 yard range but is perhaps a lot more forgiving vs the driver that can wander off any which way. In my case, at my home course I want to say that the par 4s are in the 380-400 range. Thus hitting out 200, then look at a six iron, or maybe smooth 5 iron into the green. If I miss, likely the case, then the pitching is all important.

If you are in it purely for recreation then perhaps play from the tees that will make the course playable with a 200-215 yard hybrid straight down the gut! I am a firm believer in the personal par idea. Having said that, if you deliberately "lay-up" on a par 4, you had better be able to hit decent pitch shots otherwise you are going to make worse than a bogey. Some players are better off "guns blazing." Perhaps that should be strategy for me. I'll have to give this a shot and monitor the fairways hit and what my yardages look like using the hybrid.

Erik

 

[Erik_K]

ScottRob -

Those are interesting thoughts. You asked what I want from the game. Well I think I can win my flight, and I think I can be way more competitive if I simply bagged the driver altogether and found the fairway 50% of time (minimum). Our scoring system rewards bogeys, so there's nothing wrong with getting on (to a par 4) in three and then two putting.

Eventually I'd want to develop enough consistency to tee off with the 5W or 3W. I am perhaps athletic enough to get enough mileage from the hybrid club off the tee - but the first order of business is developing a strategy to hit more fairways. I'd to avoid hitting my 4th shot before I am on the green!

Erik

 

[birly-shirly]

I have no proof, but my hunch is that IF the 80:20 rule applies to golf, it might be along lines that 80% of your gains come from the 20% or so of practice time (which might be a high estimate) that is high quality and truly productive. There's a wealth of material trying to define what that means, but starts with directed, focussed and using quality feedback. This would apply to driving, chipping, putting or iron play - whatever you really need to improve.

 

[SteveT]

birly-shirly.... another 80:20 rule might be 80% practice time and 20% playing time. If you play a 4 hour round, you would have 16 hours of practice time. Now that might be a stretch, but if you include range practice, solo golf practice rounds using multiple balls, gym practice, your overall practice time can mount up.

In my case, and when I was going whole hog to conquer the game and convert my resistant body and on a weekly basis, I would spend say 3 hours on the range, 7 hours playing solo evening golf over 9 holes with multiple balls, and perhaps 2 hours in the gym for general conditioning. Then there is the time spent reading, in-house hitting room practice, and even carpet putting. Hmmmm....!!!!

Of course, I'm not following that regime any more ... because I'm now a golfswing ex-spurt on the internet ....