Distance vs a good short game?

We see a lot of discussion relative to distance(the top say 25 long hitters on tour) and the short game(the top 25 let's say in putting, chipping, sand saves) in winning tournaments..

No question the equipment has a role yet that role is more directed in increasing driving distance and hopefully a fair degree of accuracy to enable a player a better chance of hitting the longer holes with a higher lofted club at a shorter distance..

However, in contrast a player who is and has a highly proficient short game can win as much, if not more, than the big hitters on tour with a somewhat fair short game..obviously and ideally any golfer would love driving consistently over 300 yards and have a great short game..

So the question becomes..who wins the most and do the big hitters really have that much of an advantage on most courses on the professional tours?  We all have our favorite players just as we have opinions so..

What say YOU!

Gary Woodland great long driver, so so wedge shot player.  If long driving is key, then Woodland would win.
The key to scoring well is the short game.


When will Lee Westwood ever win a major?  Answer: When he improves his short game, otherwise it's not gonna happen.

1938 PGA Championship Final (match play)

Paul Runyan beat Sam Snead 8-7.  It was said Snead outdrove Runyan by as much as 75 yards that round.

Enough said.

It may be more flashy tho go out and pound 300-yarders off the tee, and who wouldn't like to have that ability, but the game is played from 100 yards and in.  The ability to do what you want with the ball as you approach the green, and hole, is far more important in the game of golf.  If you really analyze the games of touring professionals and regular-playing amateurs, you see that the most vast difference in their games comes on and around the greens.  The phrase "Drive for show, putt for dough" definitely rings true.

Distance is nice but short game is a must.  There are guys like Woodland and Daly and Bubba, and JB that murder the ball.  But they are all lacking some what in the short game area.

A guy like Phil and DJ come to mind that have a good combination of both.

Guys like TW and Ror's have the best combination of both.

Then you have the flip side, gusy like Luke and Zach Johnson who barely hit it out of their shadow but compete because they have top notch short games.   

You are correct but you would have trouble convincing MichaelHawk (aka: VaHawk).

Thanks for your input and views..this has been a subject of debate for quite some time and become even more so with the development of balls, clubs, shafts, etc. which certainly have helped more golfers improve their game..however golf isn't a game you can just "buy", it's a game of skill regardless of the era..now simply ask yourself one question which is currently a hot topic for all of those in and around professional golf..

Why would "anchoring" a putter be the one element in golf the powers that be are so concerned with they are trying to change the rules?  

When you know missing a 3 to 5 foot putt cost you the same whether you hit your drive 270 yards or 300, it's all about getting the ball in the hole with the least amount of strokes..

the really great players we've seen thru the years all played to their strengths and most worked to improve their weaknesses or manage their game in such a way as to avoid them as much as possible..

case in point..Nicklaus knew he wasn't all that great out of sand traps so he he managed his game accordingly..

what we do know..great putters win tournaments and when we have seen Nicklaus, just as Tiger did, make key putts at a crucial point to win tournaments we tend to forget how good they had to putt to get to that point..

There's no question thru the years equipment, just as golf courses have changed the way players approach the game..it's still takes good putting regardless of driving distance!       

I know I am likely in the minority on this one, but here goes:

I would take the long ball over the short game any day.  Here are my reasons:

1)  Whether you are a good or bad short game player, the short game can still come and go.  You can have an on/off day or even an on/off week.  In contrast if you hit it long that is not likely to change.  

2)  Long hitters have more opportunites.  Of course this is up for debate on a case by case basis, but since we are debating long ball vs short game, I am assuming accuracy is viewed as relatively even for the purposes of the question at hand.  Would you rather have a wedge, or a 7 iron into the green?  Would you rather be putting for eagle, or pitching from 80 yds out?  On a par 3 with a tucked pin would you rather have a short iron where you can actually fire at it, or a mid/long iron where you have to bail out?

3)  Long hitters have more options.  On a tight hole, they can chose to use an iron off the tee and not lose much - where as the shorter hitter may not have that option.  Also on many holes trouble spots can simply be overcome by driving it over them, where as the shorter hitter has to deal with it.

4) Long hitters have more fun :) 

Hizzle, I'm sure a large # of amateurs would feel the same as you..that ain't all bad either!

Let's use your #1 comment..actually driving just as putting can and does get as off as it does on..so both are instances of "come and go", therefore subject to change on any given day...however both involve trust and confidence which is always the key to consistency so it is equally debatable..

Which would you prefer not to lose consistency in..driving or putting? 

   

LOL.  When I saw Hizzle's response, I immediately thought "drive for show, putt for dough", so I googled it to see if I could find the original "owner" of that phrase, but instead came across this...

Basically, what this article says is if you don't drive for show, you can't putt for dough.  LOL.  Interesting.

[MYTH: Drive for show, putt for dough]

Stupid CBS Sports link thingmajig doesn't work.  Perhaps because I'm using Firefox.  Let me see if it works when I use Internet Explorer.

Here is the full http address... [http://www.golf.com/instruction/no-
1-instruction-myth-you-putt-dough]

Grab everything between the brackets.

I think you could add in this factor. A 330 yard drive in the rough is better than a 290 yard drive in the fairway.  Bottom line is the rough, for the most part, is not punitive enough.

Agreed Noko.  In very few PGA events is the rough that big of a deal.  

I have always said (with a few exceptions depending on rare courses) - I would rather have a wedge out of the rough than a 6 iron in the fairway.  Most pros would agree with that imo. 

" A man who can chip and putt is a match for any man ........."

I'd take a top notch short game over distance any day.  Heck that's where I'm out anyway.  Not playing as much anymore so the driver has gotten a little sideways but I'm still able to put up good scores because my short irons/short game/putting allow me too.

The only reason guys like Luke and Zach and a few others can compete is because they are deadly from 100 yards and in.

There's nothing more annoying than playing with a guy that crushes you while you hit it 30+ yards by him all day!

Finally, some but by no means all long drive competitors are good golfers.  A good number of them probably couldn't break 90 though.  Why?  Zero short game.

Ask Mike Weir at the Masters.  He laid up all week.

Look at it this way. For the most part it takes 1 swing to advance the ball 300 yards. It then takes 3 swings to cover the final hundred yards. 

 It seems the first 300 yards don't need to be too accurate. The final 100 yards need to be very accurate.

Ask Mike Weir at the Masters. He laid up all week.

So did Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman, they did alright too.

Noko,....I agree, but with some exceptions worthy of noting. Pin position and angle of your shot to the pin would affect my preference. If you are in the left rough, with a left pin that is behind a bunker, a shot from the left rough is about impossible to get the ball to stop on the green or near the hole.....whereas a good clean lie in the right side of the fairway, most times would be a much easier shot to get close, and hold the putting surface .......now, with the same lie in the left rough from a wedge distance to the hole and the pin in the back right side of the green, with plenty of green before the pin, I would definitely rather have a wedge from that rough, than a 6 iron from the fairway........just sayin' that some conditions ....pin location and angle to the flag and amount of green to work with....being some of those conditions, might make the 6 iron from a good lie and angle in the fairway, an easier shot to pull off......