The amateur needs to get themselves within 100 to 140 yds of the green , not 175 to have an opportunity.
140 yards, 175 yards... matters not. What matters is you have two fake hips, an advanced age, and a beginner's level of experience. Focusing on distance, while very important for someone in their teens or twenties once they have mastered accuracy, is a fatal flaw for you all things considered.
No----the extra 20 to 30 yds will allow me to use different clubs that I can spin better and get on the green. Greens in regulation is what the amateur needs to focus on and it starts with the drive.Izzy... anyone here at ET that has ever followed any of your threads or read any of your posts knows that you are as stubborn as a friggin blind mule, that's what makes you somewhat enjoyable in an odd sort of way I guess, but you need to listen up when someone knows what they're talking about and is trying to help you score better.
First of all, the quoted statement above lacks logic, is not well written, and it goes to show that you are completely missing the bigger picture here.
140 yards, 175 yards... matters not. What matters is you have two fake hips, an advanced age, and a beginner's level of experience. Focusing on distance, while very important for someone in their teens or twenties once they have mastered accuracy, is a fatal flaw for you all things considered.
You are 100% correct about hitting the ball straight. You got that part right. Its extremely important in that the only thing you need to worry about with your driver is hitting the fairway and keeping it there. Ditto for your second shot, and obviously your third on a par 5. Period.
Assuming you can do that... which I suspect is a big assumption at this point but either way... your skill level from there is what will determine if you'll ever consistently break 85. Your goal should be a best ever 78 on a reasonable course.
The only way you'll ever do that is with a consistent ability to aggressively shoot for the pin... and that entails stopping the ball on the green with backspin. Ball control with the 6 iron on up. Hence what I wrote earlier. This is the skill you can still practice and master... fake hips and all. Your proficiency in this is 100 times more important than any extra 20 or 30 yards off the tee will ever be.
Once you can do this with ease, it follows that consistently two putting becomes exponentially easier when you have stuck the ball within 20 feet of the cup. It is at this point where you'll go from a bogey golf 90 down to an 85 or less on a good day. Up and down in two for a par on a few holes. Throw in a couple lucky par 3's.... and bingo bango bongo, you shot an 81.
Its a great game Izzy and no matter what, the fact you're out there moving around, staying active, and enjoying the outdoors... that's all that matters anyway. So good on ya B1.
Dude... that makes absolutely no sense at all. You just totally contradicted yourself.No----the extra 20 to 30 yds will allow me to use different clubs that I can spin better and get on the green. Greens in regulation is what the amateur needs to focus on and it starts with the drive.
Lean club handle way forward and have 80 percent pressure down on front leg. --impossible to blade
One further item that I failed to mention----ball way back in stance takes care of the other 1 percent.

Good posting.I'm not following all this back and forth too closely, but it does seem to me you guys are saying essentially the same thing. For a hack, avoiding big trouble is the key to scoring. Off the tee, short grass is nice but you have to see where the big trouble is and avoid it. The cardinal rule if you are in trouble is to get back on the fairway with your next shot. Trying for the hero shot is what leads to sevens and eights.
Accepting that you need to lay up is important as well. I see hacks that are 220 out and reach for their 3 wood automatically. First off, they didn't hit their teed up driver that far, so what are the chances they reach with a wood off the deck? It's one of the hardest shots to control, so the chances of being waaay off line are good. The smart player pulls a seven iron and leaves himself with an easy wedge to the pin. Worst case, he's taking bogey. Do that for 18 holes and you shoot an easy 90.
I see hacks give away a ton of shots around the green. Chipping and bunker play are equal parts technique and controlling your nerves. I play a lot on courses in florida where there is little greenside rough and you can putt balls that are quite a ways off the green. That's usually the ticket, as your worst putt is probably going to be better than your worst chip.
I see so many people miss putt after putt on the low side. There's a reason pros call that the amateur side. If you miss on the low side, the ball is moving away from the hole, leaving you a longer cleanup putt. if you miss high side, it's heading toward the hole, often leaving a tap in. Always read the line from the low side of the hole. Pace is generally far more important than line.
Don't ever bet with a guy with a good tan and a bag of crappy looking old clubs.