Thiniking your way around

sunday turned up to my doubles comp to find out my partner hadnt turned up. ended up playing anyways.
just to set the scene its over 14 holes, my handcap is 27 but get cut then 3/4 so end up having 12 shots over the 14 holes. know you'll be happy with that john. I have found out that i have started playing alot better this way. cant wait untill the summer rabbits where im back playing of my full handicap, should come down lots then.

Anyways without my partner there i know i have no back up for a bad hole and where playing stroke so have to consentrate.

Never really took notice of you when you said keep your driver in the bag, but on the first i used a 5 wood, taking the gause bushes out of play if i hit a bad shot with my driver knowing that i could not reach them with the 5 wood. Ended up with par on that hole.
Played the rest of the course like this taking hazeds out of play if i could. I know the beter players an do this with the bigger clubs and can control the direction of the shots.  but i was using the logic of if i cant hit my ball that far that it can end up in a hazzed and it seamed to work. only used my driver twice both on the par 5 where distance is more inportant than acuracy.

 Played a bad shot in to the bushes on the first 7 ended up having to take a drop shot, ended up +2
then coming in par 3 hit a sweet 6 iron to about 4 foot of the pin. got to excited and ended up 4 puting.  finished +4 over all. not bad saying i was with myself.

Like i said its taken me a while to realise what the pros mean about taking things out of play. Also theres a lot of holes where i know i cant reach the green in 2 so have now started thinking about where would be the best place to lay up to.  I have also took out my 3 and 4 iron that im a bit inconsistant with so im not tempted to play that shot that i can hit 1 time in 20 and hit a 5 iron instead that im more consistant with.
It takes a lot of disaplin to not hit the ball as you can everytime and maybe take an extra shot to reach the green, but i ve learnt i actually save more shots playing it this way than how i used to play.

Obviously i ended playing a silly shot in to the bushes where in hindsite it would have been better chipping out and tehn getting a beter angle to the green. but i ll learn.

 Thanks for listening to me ramble on

Playing safe is good sense Matt providing you don't go overboard on safety.

Personally my approach is have a good look at the tee shot work out were I want the ball to finish then consider the tool for the job. Similarly the next shot gets the same treatment and if I can't reach the green I would look at the lay up options - ideally 50 yards out brings my lob wedge into play but if windy I might punch a 9 iron..

So who is your partner who failed to turn up....

Mmmmmm.....not the wonderful whinger from aus.....

Good knock by the way saturday...was it 65 gross over 14 holes with a migrain..?

Your not a lone mate. When Chris partnered your partner he always ended up with a bad back...

NWOT...............

Hi Matt

I actually did what Tony has been thinking about and just took a 7 iron, my wedge and my putter. I went round the 18 2 shots better than I normally do because you can't really get in to too much trouble when you can only hit the ball 150yards max. Par 5's at my local are around 485 yards so as long as hit the 7 iron fairly straight I'm on the green for 3 and 2 putts. EASY. Nearly birdied one as well. It does make you think more about your whole approach to the green. Long par 4's arn't too bad either . It's 2 straight 7 irons and a wedge. Good practice for par 3's as well where a wedge is not big enough so a 3/4 shot with a 7 iron produces excellent results and usually a lot straighter because your more in control of your swing as opposed to thrashing the smallest club you think you can get away with. It totally changed my approach to the game, and more often than not I will take 1 or 2 clubs more, restrict the length of my swing and just swing easy at the ball. Try it! You'll be pleasantly suprised at the results as long as you don't mind taking your second shot on a par 5 from 80 yards behind your mates. Watch their faces when you card par after par.

Nobody from aus matey, I meant Austin.....