So do you think he did it on purpose? My thinking is he probably did, but he probably also knew he’d make no worse than bogey with a miss in his usual shot pattern.
it’s the six footers and in that give me the greatest problem. I’ve been using a Scotty 7M Futura for years but have had to compensate for the style of putter (straight swing not my style). I’m seriously considering purchasing the LAB putter Tried it out today and no matter what direction I hit the ball with the club face, the ball still went on my intended line. But my mechanics are wrong: I don’t get the sole on the green uniformly, either toe up or down 
happens, and my grip is not consistent. Being ADD doesn’t help a putter, LOL.
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Another great read. While I normally consider myself one not to dwell on past poor shots, there are some thoughts that creep into my noggin no matter how hard I try to forget them. I do feel that my overall course management strategy is pretty sound and take a realist approach to attacking pins.
In regards to try to place the ball in a certain position dependent on where the flag is, that thought rarely enters my mind since I know that at least 90% of the time, the driver is not going to produce the exact ball flight I would like. There are two short par 4s at my home course where I check the pin position to make my decision on what club to hit off the tee. My goal on those two holes is to have 90 - 100 yards to the pin for my 2nd shot.
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He probably did (I’m guessing). But I don’t think it really proves anything. It’s too small a sample size and it was done with completely different equipment/ball.
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Here’s the article about tiger. Not disagreeing with the hogan point but goodness gracious I could not believe tiger went 20 years without an ace
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I think Hogan made that choice not to “chase angles” but to chase DISTANCE. As I mentioned, there are basically three choices: Hogan’s line between the bunker and the OB, the “safe” line to the opposite side of the bunker, bringing long fescue into play, and laying up off the tee short of the bunker. Most of those bunkers result in no more than a wedge to clear the lip, or maybe playing sideways, its just about a full stroke penalty. I don’t know how thick the fescue was at the time, but it can also be a full stroke lost. My guess is that he felt certain that he could take the left miss off the table, so he hit driver hoping to thread the needle, knowing that the worst that could happen is that he hits the bunker and has to play sideways, but also knowing that if he succeeded he’d be in the fairway with a chance to hit 3-wood near the green.
Also remember that he didn’t have computerized records of his driver dispersion, he just had his own eyes, and his experience practicing that week at nearby Panmure. He may have felt a confidence that modern players wouldn’t, with all of the information they have at their disposal.
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I think a big reason for inconsistency with the putter is too much focus on trying to be consistent, trying to tell those small muscles to do the same thing even when the situation is different won’t create the same result. I think that’s where finding a comfortable putting mechanic and then not really thinking about it is key, because actively thinking about the putting stroke shape, etc won’t really help make good putts. From there, technology like the LAB putters or techniques like arm lock putting can help a bit with “consistency”.
Aces are more luck than skill (clearly since I haven’t had one!) - can’t be surprising someone didn’t have an ace for 20 years. maybe with the number of shots he hit he the odds may have suggested he’d have one but seems odd to expect him to have one.
He had made 19 aces prior to the 20 year drought…
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There are a lot of quotes from Tiger and his strategy during his prime years. Essentially he was trying never to miss a green on the short side, allow his putter to make birdies from time to time on par 3s and par 4s (but making sure he didn’t bogey too much), and make hay on par 5s with his length.
Of course, his golf skill was off the charts, but that basic framework put him so far ahead of everyone else. If you remember he really never posted “blistering” rounds. He just methodically never shot himself in the foot and over a long period of time outlasted fields who made mistakes trying to chase him.
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Great example of the law of averages!
Good point - depending on the putt and the green, but on most putts I try to find a spot either in front of the ball or along my intended line that I then work to roll the ball over - for me, it helps move the focus to the execution and speed control of the putt (vs the mechanical stroke itself).
So I guess that’s one of my million decisions 
during a round of golf.
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Great article Jon
I get the playing the percentage shot out of trouble although I spectacularly failed to do this yesterday on the 14th, 3 times in a row!
The other situation this made we think about was when I’ve hit a really good drive and I’m stood over the balling thinking, don’t waste this good shot. I then get really annoyed with myself if I do mess it up. Whereas if the shots are both independent I should focus the the second shot and forget about the good drive.
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How about instead…
Man I am on a roll hitting the ball today!
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thanks, Pete! Everything I discuss in that article is easier said than done. So don’t get too down on yourself if you continue to make those mistakes (I still do). I think it’s helpful to discuss them “out loud” amongst each other so we’re more aware of them when they come up on the course, and hopefully, we can start to make better decisions!
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It’s all about setting expectations 
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Agree shouldn’t really get me down especially once I consider what my realistic expectations should be for my handicap.
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hi: I agree with this latest article that a series of decisions is needed to get around the course. I struggle with making the correct decisions quite a bit of the time and I think it’s related to the idea that I don’t know what my real swing feels like. Not to hog all the space, but I want to relate how my summer has gone in terms of what happened over a period of weeks. Right now I’m playing off 16 hdcp which just went up after my last few rounds. June was in the mid to high 90s which gave me a differential of 23.6. Went on a 2 week road trip and played several rounds which were very good. Shot a 78, first time in a long time. Differential went down to 19.7. Continued to shoot high 80s low 90s until I shot 84 at my home course which is of average difficulty. After that I have not broken 100 in several rounds and I have no idea what happened. Anyone care to comment? I am so frustrated right now! I need to ask what is a reasonable expectation coming of several rounds of great golf (for me). I didn’t expect to shoot low 80s right away but in the 100s? Come on!
Unless there’s been an injury or some type of swing change, you might be fighting putting pressure on yourself and expectations after good golf.
I’d say play a few rounds without keeping score, just take it one shot at a time and focus on enjoying the experience to help reset things a bit.
Making good decisions on the golf course is a more difficult task than hitting good shots.
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