Thinking Golfer or not?

Would you consider yourself a 'Thinking Golfer' or not?

Do you hit driver off every tee, even if you don't need too?

Are you always going for the green, even if it might be safer to lay up?

So are you a 'Thinking golfer?'

Russ

I consider myself a 'Thinking golfer.'

When on the fairway of a par 5, I'll look at going for the green if it's possible.

If it's not possible then I'll aim to leave my ball at the 100 yard mark.

I do this because I know that my 3/4 pitching wedge goes 100 yards.

On some of the tougher par 3 holes I'll aim for the center or even the edge of the green to keep away from the ponds.

Russ

With my game it's very difficult for me to be anything other than a thinker, best laid plans and all that.  I do try to play for position, not always with success and now think more about playing out of the bunker/trees/hazard that I've just gone into.

I know I can't go through a tree so tend to punch out to safety now.

I know I can't hit a 200 yarder into a green and will lay up.

I know I can't clear the 250 yard carry lake, I'll go short if possible.

Still get rushes of blood to my head every now and then though..... 

I'm a thinker.

On a long par 4 I'd rather hit a club that I can control the swing & if that means leaving me 100yd or less for my third then I'll do that.

did this last Friday at the Belfry on the 4th. Driver, 5 iron & then hit my wedge to a foot & sank the putt for par.

I'd much rather be safe than hitting a 3 wood etc & having to play a rescue from the rough or worse still taking a drop.

It was quite interesting to play with Chris & Paul last week as they played their approach shots all out & it reminded me of what I used to do. Don't take offence Chris or Paul

John.

Paul,

Forget about what your playing partners are doing, we all know Chris can boom his drives but then he takes 6 more to get down!!

On the 1st tomorrow you can easily take Driver cos there's not much danger & if you've a difficult shot for your 2nd just play a shot that will leave you an easy pitch to the green. Chip on 2 putt & walk off with your net par & watch while Chris bottles it

John.

Kevin, if I could hit a three iron like you then I would not even buy a driver, let alone use one.

im a thinking golfer !!

i think if i hit my driver ok then i'll be ok, if i dont im fked doesnt matter what club i hit if im gonna mess it up i'll mess it up even a wedge for safety 

drivers going well at the moment so confidence is high, i can snap hook my rescue just as easy 

Course management is a subject all on its own and one that I have been studying all my life. Even the Pros play the percentages.

I don't bottle John, I'm just rubbish (but not as rubbish as Paul!)

I couldn't hit a decent iron last week, so frustrating when you're driving so well.  My short game is pretty good though so whilst I was missing the green I didn't mind because I was normally a short chip on.  My usual par 4 is driver, iron to as close as possible, chip, 1 or 2 putts.  Last week though it was taking me 3 after the drive to get near the green and I couldn't sink a putt if you paid me. 

Back to the subject, I try to think my way around as best as possible.  I know what my best clubs are so I try to leave myself in a position where I have one of those to approach the green.  I also know my limits now and play much safer than I used to and take my medicine when I have to.  There is still the occaisional testoserone-fuelled belief I can do the impossible, but mostly I have it under control. 

I'm trying to do more thinking about course managment and less thinking once I'm swinging the club.

There was a post sometime ago that suggested halving the distance of a par 4 and then taking a club to shoot that distance twice eg 300 yard par 4 is 2 150yd shots so hit 2 mid irons.  The post suggested doing the same for par 5s but dividing the distance by 3.  This is similar to what Stuart has suggecsted above.

I'm sort of working my way towards this theory especially on short par 4 and 5s but it is hard to break the habit of reaching for the 3 wood on the tee.  On longer par 4s I'm still hitting my three wood off the tee but if I don't reach the 150 yard marker (which I invariably don't) then I will settle for 2 short to mid irons into the green rather than trying to blast a fairway wood or hybrid with little hope of hitting the green and a good chance of finding trouble or topping the ball and it going nowhere.

As far as swing thoughts are concerned I am trying to reduce them by trying various mantras but haven't found one that works yet.