Bomb and Gouge...?

Strategy
#1

I’ve been all over the map trying to figure out how I feel about the bomb and gouge style of play. At times it makes me sad because we’ve lost a lot of the shotmaking that made Tour level play so impressive. Other times I watch these guys mash the ball all over the yard and shoot -25 through four rounds and think, “Ok well yeah that’s sort of awesome.”

So last night I decided to try it. Maybe not the best timing as it was championship night for my TNML, but whatever let’s give it a rip.

The course I play league on gives opportunities to fire at some greens on short par 4s, but the risk involved usually yields a much more conservative approach. I threw conservative out the window last night and went full send.

I shot -1 and missed four putts inside 4 feet. It could have been a real low one had the putter been even remotely on.

Love it or hate it, there’s something to this bomb and gouge thing.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried it?

#2

The numbers support it. Arccos and ShotScope publish stokes gained studies all the time on how beneficial it is to pull the driver and find it later. On my home course the only time I dont pull driver is if the runout will leave me in a hazard. And since I am gifted with swing speed (tall) I am routinely closer to the hole than my competitors. Makes a huge difference when I can hit wedge while people I play are hitting 7i.

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#3

This is the way I understand it too, closer is (generally) better. To effectively use this approach you need to understand your own shot patterns and plan your shots accordingly. Its understanding your patterns that I find challenging, unless you use something like Arcos (or take detailed notes by hand) to get real data. Even without great data, you can use generalized ideas of shot patterns to make pretty reasonable decisions.
Another hurdle in the Strokes Gained approach (DECADE, LSW, and others) is that you have to learn to be comfortable with those “uncomfortable” distances. I used to avoid the distances between about 30 to 70 yards, because partial shots were inadvisable, under the old “general wisdom”. Since I’ve changed my tactics, and I’m now hitting more of these shots, they’ve become more comfortable to me. And even when they weren’t comfortable, I was getting the ball closer from 50 yards (uncomfortable) than I was from 90 yards (comfortable full shot distance).

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#4

I really don’t like that term for a number of reasons, because it sounds like those players don’t have well-rounded games. More like bomb it, hit your irons well, have a great wedge game, and putt well. Then you can win majors and become top 10 in the world :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

At the recreational level, golfers are certainly not bombing it. Most players can drive it around 230 yards when you look at the aggregate stats. Golf is a game of proximity, and normal golfers have even more to gain from increases in distance than pros do. I try to discuss reasonable ways to add that distance on the site (improving strike, working out, SuperSpeed training).

Here is a podcast I did with Cordie Walker and @Adamyounggolf that expands on the topic:

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#5

Agree completely with this, and that’s why I mentioned the tactics that have evolved from the Strokes Gained concepts. The so-called “bomb and gouge” strategy is one of those, get as close as you can to the hole every chance you get. I try to use the same strategy, even if I’m 100 yards shorter off the tee than the big hitters on tour. I still hit driver unless there’s a really specific reason to play shorter, I get as close as I can on par-5 holes, unless there’s a specific risk that forces me to play shorter, I still aim my approach shots to decrease big risks and increase the probability of hitting the green.

#6

I agree 100%. That’s also the reason I’m vehemently against rolling technology back, especially for amateurs. The data doesn’t support “people hit it too far.”

I guess me, personally, I hit the ball a long way. Much much longer than an average amateur, so that mixed with a fairly short course around 3100 yards I play for league, makes for (again, for me) a true bomb and gouge situation. If I keep my tee shots on the planet I’ve got short wedge or I’m even putting on most of the par 4s. If I play “smart” I have wedge to mid-iron in on a lot of them. And I’m not a tour level ball striker by any means. So gouging often times for me is truly a gouge :joy::joy:.

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#7

Well, I’m pretty sure I tore the cartilage in my back trying to build speed… and I’m still planning on chasing distance.

I think there is a certain distance for courses where you gain a competitive advantage… for my course it’s a 305 yard carry on our hardest par five. It’s a downhill, then back uphill with a tough green… second shot (after laying up to the end of the downhil fairway) is blind up a hill… and then you have 100 yards in because you can’t hit 3 wood as the hill is too steep. I hate this hole.

The strategy I’m working on is 120 mph club head speed and I’ll just carry the hill and have a 200 yard (likely 7 iron at that swing speed) shot in.

It’s just one example from the course I play, but if I get there, it will save me at least one stroke a round and remove a ton of variability. (If you hit it through the fairway, you are in a ditch or 6 inch Bermuda… it’s a dumb hole).

Of course, that type of gain will roll over to every other hole… I’d have 100 yards or less into most greens and it would make one par four possibly reachable.

That also helps reduce my variability in training. If my wedges and driver are honed, they will cover the majority of my shots.

My girls aren’t interested in golf yet, but I’m going to teach them to swing as hard as they can and then worry about control.

Them swinging at 110 in high school will be very fun.

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#8

The other “old school” thought process has always been to hit something short just to get it play. To me that reasoning doesn’t hold up. On a day that I am all over the course with a driver then I’ll be all over the course with all my other clubs, just further away from the hole. On my course I only hit something less than driver on holes that have a run-out or carry that brings a hazard or tree into play (carrying though the corner of a dogleg, fairway narrowed by bunkers that I can’t carry, the forced carry is longer than my driver carry).

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#9

I used to take the “safe” approach and try to hit to a number I liked because I didn’t want to be at an odd distance (40-80 yards). Since I’ve read some stuff from Jon and some podcasts I’ve listened to, I’ve realized get the distance, unless it puts you in trouble. I’ve started seeing my score dropping, especially now that I’m getting better out of the tee box.

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#10

I used to play with these same myths in mind. We all owe Mark Broadie a lot of credit. He has really peeled back the layers of what efficient scoring looks like.

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#11

I think one of the biggest takeaways and something all amateur golfers need to figure out is; if you want to get better, you gotta have a fiddle in the band.

No, wait… that’s playing in Texas.

Seriously, though… one of my biggest goals last season was to get confident and long off the tee. I have to find a reason to not hit driver… on my home course there are two non driver holes, and one id like to have a discussion on.

Hitting driver as far as YOU possibly can is going to lower scores. I think it makes sense to chase as much distance as you can reasonably control.

I also believe chasing distance forces you to improve your driver swing… simply because small errors amplify the faster you are going.

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#12

Spot on! I couldn’t agree more.

#13

I might phrase it different, but I think its the same. Improving your full swing will give you more distance, and more consistency too, with all of your clubs.

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#14

In a way it’s sad, because you’re not playing courses the way they were designed. But if you want to shoot your lowest scores… bombs away with driver and see what happens! Nothing worse than taking out 4 iron to “play it safe” then hook it or hang it out to the right and get blocked by a tree in the deep rough with 170 to the hole. If you miss with driver and you’re up by the green, you can pitch out sideways and still be near the green for an up and down.

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#15

This pod was a great listen!

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#16

Thanks, Lou - welcome to the party!

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#17

While I completely agree with the statistics behind closer = better there surely must be some penalty for being in the rough vs fairway. What would the yardage difference be for it to be better off in the rough vs fairway, e.g. if you’re only 15 yards further up in the rough vs the fairway 15 yards back is it still worth being longer? Also, is that nr for hackers different since we usually don’t have as much skill / strength to get out of the rough as the pro’s do.

#18

It’s about 25-30 yards (in light rough). So hitting a drive 250 in the rough would be equivalent to around 220-225 in fairway.

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#19

The one time I still “play to a number” is when taking medicine…

Once again I am usually weighing the benefit of trying to advance an extra 50 yds vs the risk of failing on the recovery shot

If i feel 100% confident I can punch it out to 100 yds, I don’t risk losing club face control trying to get closer

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#20

While going through decade I do see situations that just suggest I need to improve my skills

For instance fairway bunkers… when looking at the stats of how penal fw bunkers are, I know I am way behind on that skill…

As opposed to saying “that’s the wrong strategy for me” I have started to realize “woah, I am way behind relative to my handicap on that skill”