Clubbing and Stock Distance

Strategy
#1

Ok, since I am rehabbing the old low back, I have been spending a lot of time on google earth thinking about strategy. One thing I plan on dialing back in is “stock” distances. Here is the thing, I now know that there really is no such thing. You actually have a “stock shot dispersion” based on your swing speed, motor patterns and impact skill development.

So my plan is to start hitting sets of 10 balls on my new swing caddie (thanks @jon) and marking down the distances ala @Adamyounggolf practice challenge (then adjusting for the “range ball discount”). What I should see is a cluster around the “good” strikes, long left pulls will be plus 6-10 yards, toe hits and thins are typically minus 6-10 yards.

I am assuming my “stock” yardage needs to be that cluster of “acceptable strikes”. With the knowledge that I can hit it both longer than that (hot pull) and shorter (toe strike or wipe), I should make better decisions on what club I am pulling.

I am also planning on making a yardage book for the 3 courses I play in town most frequently (my club, wifes family club and my favorite muny).

I am thinking the most critical pieces for approach shots will be:

  • elevation change
  • prevailing wind direction
  • no go zones

All of this should help my subconscious forget about the pin, select the proper “stock” club, and make a committed swing

thoughts? comments?

here is an example:

  • pin on back half of the green at 155
  • 7 yards from back edge
  • Long is OK

Based on this example I should be hitting 7 iron, every now and again I will hit one flush and left and be over the green, but that is actually proving that I have selected the correct target based on the dispersion.

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#2

I’m sure you’ll get comments from more knowledgeable folks than I, but for a back left pin, I’d want my shot distribution to be a few feet (maybe a few yards) from the pin, closer to the center of the green. All things being equal, you’re better putting from 40 feet than you are chipping from 30 feet, I always try to hedge my aiming point a bit closer to the center of the green, away from any tucked pins. You’re right, if you’re never long or left, you’re aiming too far from the edge, the ideal aim has to accept some small risk of short-siding.

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#3

Right.

I guess what I am saying is that I have two options here:

  • one is 7 iron and some of my shot dispersion goes just off the back of the green
  • one is 8 iron and only the purest strikes get onto the back half of the green

You are deciding between two big shotgun patterns not two “stock” distances and have to evaluate. There are definitely holes where long = dead and you pull 8 iron without thinking twice

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#4

To me, its the percentage of your dispersion that is off the green, and you’re taking steps to better understand your dispersion patterns. Zero percent off the green is too conservative, 30% might be too aggressive. Once you get some real dispersion patterns, and yardage diagrams, you might overlay the dispersion pattern on a green diagram to help you decide how near the edge of the green you can aim and still achieve the right percentages. You can’t do that effectively while playing, but you might develop guidelines to use during real play. Something like “In general, don’t pick a club where the center of the pattern is less than7 yards from the back edge”.

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#5

Yes. We are simpatico.

A 30 ft putt is probably 2.2 stroke average for me. A short, easy up and down is probably 2.5 ish. Add any degree of difficulty (extreme short side, steep bank, junk behind the green) and my off the green stroke average is going towards 3 very quickly.

The consideration like you said is:

  • how much of the pattern is off the green
  • how penal is off the green
  • any penalty areas you just have to steer clear of
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#6

This is perfect. To add to what Dave said, my miss is left also. There are very few if any holes that I will allow my stock pattern to be off the green. Why? Because chasing birdies or flags is detrimental to your score overall. I would rather hit away from the pin and be putting then trying to hit it at the flag and risk having to get up & down. (this will vary slightly from player to player). The below is the only hole that I can think of that I would have my pattern off the green.
2nd hole at my club is the only hole that I do this on but that is due to the difficulty of chipping if you miss left, right, or long. Left and right have bunker over 10 feet deep and the landing area is a sever downslope. Long on most back to front sloping greens is trouble but add trees to it and it’s almost impossible. The only place to miss is short, so my pattern if looking from aerial view would be half on half off. I wouldn’t do this for many holes though.

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#7

The only thing I can add - which has kind of been covered and is the flip side of no-go zones - is where is the “good miss”, or bailout area from which you have a chance to get up & down…?

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