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Long game is more important than short game

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  • #46
    Re: Long game is more important than short game

    I'll take a better long game any day.
    Sucking off the tee is extremely demoralizing, and puts so much pressure on the entire rest of ones game & psyche. We go and pull clubs to make hero recovery shots, often leading to further disaster. Then great reliance on a the wedges, and putting, in hopes of saving par, or keeping the bogey to a single.

    For me, eliminating in-game stress makes the game seem like a walk in the park.
    Stressing over constant crappy driver shots gets one tense & forced.

    I have also come to realize that my 140-80 yard ( PW-Gap-Sand-Lob ) approach shots have pretty crappy proximity to pin, leaving me with lengthy putts. Fortunately my long lag putting is very good, usually getting me to within 2-3ft. I tell you, not having to grind of 4-6 footers to save par is a massive relief on the brain. That said, I need to work on my 140-80 yd shots as I do not give myself enough realistic birdie attempts.

    - Andy
    🍍 2023 WITB πŸβ€‹
    Bag | Titleist Hybrid-5 Stand Bag
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    • #47
      Re: Long game is more important than short game

      Seems like this debate has been raging for over a century.
      It's not the wand. It's the wizard.

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      • #48
        Re: Long game is more important than short game

        Amateurs...As long as we have jobs, families etc we arent going to hit any more greens in reg so I would suggest short game is the only way to lower scores. As for Pros I would think that short game can prop up a weak ball striking day. Interesting topic.

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        • #49
          Re: Long game is more important than short game

          Originally posted by itsmemikeeey View Post
          Personally, i'm a mid to high handicapper and i notice that my lowest rounds happen when my long game ball striking is hot. I could imagine how much lower i would shoot if i could stop leaving chips and pitches short. lol
          Broke 80 for the first and only time by hitting greens. Didn't make a single up and down all day. I missed the green, I made bogey or worse. Ball-striking and putting made that 78, not short game.
          Driver: Callaway BB Epic 13.5, Veylix Alpina 673S - WILDEYE!
          16.5* 4W: Ping G25, Fujikura Pro Wood 63R
          20* 3H: Callaway Apex, Accra CS1 HB-M4
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          • #50
            Re: Long game is more important than short game

            Originally posted by Cowboy View Post
            Broke 80 for the first and only time by hitting greens. Didn't make a single up and down all day. I missed the green, I made bogey or worse. Ball-striking and putting made that 78, not short game.
            So how good would you have been if you had a short game?

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            • #51
              Re: Long game is more important than short game

              Originally posted by NickStarchuk View Post
              A great long game and good short game will beat a good long game and great short game all day.

              This part is my opinion - I think amateurs would benefit even more from a long game than a short game. If we remove OB shots, hazards, and shots with terrible contact, the score will come down MUCH faster than working on short game.
              Nick a couple of years ago I played 2 balls off the tee on every home. Nobody was behind me, the course was bare.
              My driver is the worst part of my game, and the result was the difference of about 10 strokes for the round.
              Adams XTD Ti 12.5* / TightLies 2 Ti / Super 9031 Tour / Ping WRX i20 Irons
              Ping WRX Tour Gorge / YES Natalie Putter B-CG / Leupold GX-4 Rangefinder
              Personal Best: 79, hoping for another sub 80 round before the Twilight Zone

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              • #52
                Re: Long game is more important than short game

                Originally posted by Cowboy View Post
                Broke 80 for the first and only time by hitting greens. Didn't make a single up and down all day. I missed the green, I made bogey or worse. Ball-striking and putting made that 78, not short game.
                When I shot 79, I have no clue how many GIR's I made, but my ballstriking was solid and I one putted every 3rd hole.
                Originally posted by ARL67 View Post
                I'll take a better long game any day.

                Sucking off the tee is extremely demoralizing, and puts so much pressure on the entire rest of ones game & psyche. We go and pull clubs to make hero recovery shots, often leading to further disaster. Then great reliance on a the wedges, and putting, in hopes of saving par, or keeping the bogey to a single.
                Andy I'll take a better long game any day too.

                Yes extremely demoralizing to have a bad tee shot. I've had to learn to hit a lot of good 2nd shots.
                Last edited by TourIQ; Oct 18, 2013, 09:01 PM.
                Adams XTD Ti 12.5* / TightLies 2 Ti / Super 9031 Tour / Ping WRX i20 Irons
                Ping WRX Tour Gorge / YES Natalie Putter B-CG / Leupold GX-4 Rangefinder
                Personal Best: 79, hoping for another sub 80 round before the Twilight Zone

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                • #53
                  Re: Long game is more important than short game

                  When my long game is at its best the worst I can do is shoot 85. But if my short game is not good that day, I am not breaking 80.

                  When my long game is poor my scores are 85+, no matter how good my short game is that day.

                  When my short and long game are at their best, I am breaking 80.

                  I do not enjoy the round much if my ball striking is off. But I don't enjoy 3 putting after reaching the green in regulation either.

                  I don't think one is more important than the other.
                  What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.
                  - Arnold Palmer

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                  • #54
                    Re: Long game is more important than short game

                    Originally posted by low fade View Post
                    So how good would you have been if you had a short game?
                    Or... How bad would it have been if his approach shots were off?

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                    • #55
                      Re: Long game is more important than short game

                      Nick, great topic!

                      It's refreshing to read a thread that challenges our belief(s) about how to actually score better than another thread about "which club do I need" or "I hit the ball too high!" or "Acme Golf is the best cause I just bought a set!"

                      I love golf equipment and I am a self admitted equipment nut, however, I have enjoyed reading this thread and examining my own strengths and weaknesses.

                      I think your question can be applied to both pro's and amateurs alike and is probably just as valid for the masses of people that just enjoy the game.

                      While not a senior yet, I have been playing since the 70's and never carried more than 2 woods including the driver, 2 wedges including a PW and SW, the rest were irons. Yes even the 2 and sometimes the infamous 1 iron when I first started playing

                      The constant through out is that pro's and amateur's are always searching for the "quickest way" to improve our games!

                      For some it's equipment or gear or gadgets. Some will focus on the mind game!
                      Others head to the gym to train and look like Tiger! Some will look to teachers or the latest "Tilt and Swivel" golf guru.

                      After applying your question to my game, I have come to the conclusion, that the long game is much more important than we give it credit for.

                      I've had the pleasure of playing with seniors that rarely drive the ball beyond 175 yards but can remain competitive because they are always in the fairway! Most of the seniors are average putters and good chipper's, however, strictly speaking do not possess a great short game. They don't need a great short game because they are rarely if ever in trouble off the tee or out of it.

                      Bunker play? No comment as I haven't seen many in the bunkers and the ones that I have seen in the bunker don't get up and down.

                      There is no doubt that a great short game can help to keep a good round going or help us save par!

                      Assuming length is not an issue, direction and consistency are of primary importance! The long game sets up our approach mentally and strategically as to how we will play any given hole and what our chances are to make the best possible score on that hole.

                      Without a strong long game, the great short game at best allows you to scramble and save par.

                      Again Nick, thank you for starting this thread! I would love to see more like this!
                      Ping G30 9.0 Tour 80X
                      Ping G25 4W
                      Ping G30 7W
                      Ping S55 4-PW
                      ping Eye2 Gorge S,L
                      Byron Morgan DH89

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                      • #56
                        Re: Long game is more important than short game

                        Maybe there is a better question. Nick's original title asked us to pick between the short game and the long game. Perhaps we should be looking at the proper blend of each. What is the optimum that each individual can obtain based on their physical capabilities? One could make the statement that there is no real such thing as a long game and a short game. Rather there are shots of varying length that we will need in every round. They range from 300 yards to 1 foot.
                        Aim at nothing and you will hit it every time.

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                        • #57
                          Re: Long game is more important than short game

                          Originally posted by Golftime View Post
                          Maybe there is a better question. Nick's original title asked us to pick between the short game and the long game. Perhaps we should be looking at the proper blend of each. What is the optimum that each individual can obtain based on their physical capabilities? One could make the statement that there is no real such thing as a long game and a short game. Rather there are shots of varying length that we will need in every round. They range from 300 yards to 1 foot.
                          Great comment John. Sometimes we get hung up on being able to crank out long drives or being a wizard at getting up & down from around the green. Not all of us have the physical gifts to pound out drives 280+ yards or the necessary "touch" to chip to within "kick-in" distance to save a par. What's needed is a good combination of consistently accurate long shots and pitches/chips. Consistency is what keeps scores down.
                          U. S. Air Force, Retired

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                          • #58
                            Re: Long game is more important than short game

                            Great thread Nick! I've read through it four times now and it really gets me thinking about my game.

                            I have no idea what is more important for the pros in general, but I do have some idea what applies to me.

                            Originally posted by Golftime View Post
                            Maybe there is a better question. Nick's original title asked us to pick between the short game and the long game. Perhaps we should be looking at the proper blend of each. What is the optimum that each individual can obtain based on their physical capabilities? One could make the statement that there is no real such thing as a long game and a short game. Rather there are shots of varying length that we will need in every round. They range from 300 yards to 1 foot.
                            Excellent point. That is the conclusion I have come to for myself and this thread has really brought that into sharp relief. About two years ago, after my first big improvement in ball striking I found myself left with a lot of up and downs and no ability to leave it close to the pin.

                            In that situation, chipping and pitching from 30 yards and in became a priority and I built it into my pre-round practice routine. Now that I have some reasonably reliable shot options from around the green, I am back to needing to improve my full swing to give myself more GIRs.

                            Nick. Ultimately the answer to your question will vary depending on each pro's strengths and weaknesses, but axioms like 'drive for show, put for dough' are not at all useful.
                            In The Bag

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                            "You're just expected to work and die ...
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                            • #59
                              Re: Long game is more important than short game

                              I've never gone low without long game. I've prevented blow up rounds with short game in absence of long game.

                              Short game keeps you in it, long game allows for possibility of going low.
                              forgedblade ... LH'ed Blueprinted Set
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                              • #60
                                Re: Long game is more important than short game

                                Originally posted by forgedblade View Post
                                I've never gone low without long game. I've prevented blow up rounds with short game in absence of long game.

                                Short game keeps you in it, long game allows for possibility of going low.
                                Well put!

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