Do you go for "heroic" shots?

[Technohic]

I have a buddy who is always gunning for the basket. It usually dosent work out well for him. 9 times out of 10 I will beat him easily but when he does beat me its by like 10 strokes because he is on one of his "on" games. I saw him get a -9 last summer on a course that I have played for 15 years and my best is -6, but he usually averages like +5 on it.

Haha that sounds like me against my friend who is an amazing putter and very conservative because he can sink the long putts. Keep telling him we need to double up so I can just go nuts while he goes nice and steady.

 

[mdsammy]

To me, it's all about course/score management. If you are presented with a more difficult shot you need to evaluate a few things before making your decision:

1) If I took the conservative shot what would my likely be the outcome and total score for the hole?
2) If I went for the risky shot, and executed, would I realistically be able to gain a stroke by going for it?
3) If I went for the risky shot, and was not able to execute, what would the worst likely outcome be?

After figuring out the answer to all three of these questions you must then decide whether going for the more "heroic" shot is the wise choice. Otherwise you are relying too much on luck to determine the outcome.

It may seem boring to some, but those same people probably enjoy playing the scratch-off lottery because they won $20 three years ago...

 

[simpletwist]

I wish I had the discipline to play conservative. I know my scores continuously suffer for playing aggressive. One of my goals for this year is to play in my first tournament. I told my gf she needs to caddy for me and all she needs to do is constantly tell me, "Risk reward."

But when you see the line, and you've made that shot before, no matter how unlikely the success rate, how can you not go fo it?

 

[discflinger]

I am, also, a fearless player. That's how I get those one or two shots that keep me hooked.

 

[sloppydisc]

I score better when I am cautious, but have to let it rip once in a while. Sometimes having fun and trying something new is more important than winning the round.

 

[RussMB]

I can only do a shot like that if I see it, and execute it with in a matter of mili-seconds. If I stop to think about it, or talk to someone, that zone is gone. I can't explain it, but my success rate on putts, that I just pick it up and throw are greater, than if I stop and think about it. It's like my accuracy is unhindered, when it's a reflex.

 

[dmalexander]

I feel like I have to go for it. If I don't, I don't feel like I'm trying. I hit a 75 foot putt today, and shots like that keep me hooked, and I feel like I learn something when I miss.

 

[AdamCaudle]

I used to play a lot more aggressively, but now that I've gotten better I've become more conservative. I know what I can and can't do and evaluate each shot accordingly now.

 

[chuckdisc]

what?!? always go for it! otherwise go play tetherball or something lame

I will try risky shots in casual rounds to see how they will work. That's where experimenting is fun! However in competitive rounds, I'm more casual.

same here ...casual round YES ...tournament round I think twice on the big shots am I "behind or ahead"

 

[jblough]

Depends on elevation. If the shot has the chance of rolling down a hill with a slope of like...2, then I generally play pretty conservatively

 

[Flipping Cheese]

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
- The Great One

I used to play very conservative, but my scores have actually been consistantly better since I started to play more agressively. If I go for it and miss, I'll probably end up 10' past the basket. If I lay up I could possibly end up 10' short of the basket without having a chance to take a stroke off my score. Plus, a 10' putt is a 10' putt, either way. I will usually throw a safe shot if im playing a recovery shot from some bushes or trees, but if I have a shot at the basket I go for it.