If I Had a Choice…..

/ The Grateful Golfer

I was asked a question by one of my friends yesterday about golf. This is not an unusual thing; however this question got me thinking. I answered very quickly, but now that I had the chance to think about it, I thought it would be a great topic for an article.

Of course, the choices he gave me were very pie in the sky, but sometimes it is fun to play the “what if” game. It is great fun to think of how good my game could be come if I had half the skill of some of the pros. I would be able to hit the ball over many hazards and zero in on pins as if it was second nature.

four prosMac asked if I would “rather drive the ball like Dustin Johnson or hit my wedges like Phil Mickelson?” Of course the right response would have been Dustin Johnson because my short game rivals Phil Mickelson’s anyway. (this is when I wake up from my fantasy and actually answer the question)

I immediately said Phil Mickelson’s short game. In my opinion, his wedge play is the best on the PGA Tour or at least the most exciting. The short game, as we have discussed in the past, is where most amateurs save the most strokes. Having the ability to change doubles to bogeys, bogeys to pars and pars to birdies is all accomplished using the short irons. So I would, without hesitation, pick Phil Mickelson’s short game over Dustin Johnson’s booming drives.

Of course, I would be crazy not to envy Johnson’s ability to crush the ball, but in the long run this skill will not have the greatest impact on my game. I am not long off the tee, but generally straight. Therefore, only being able to hit it longer would not lower my scores that much.

It is a very interesting question and I am sure not everyone will answer the same way. So, I pose the question to you: Would you rather drive the ball like Dustin Johnson or hit my wedges like Phil Mickelson?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

16 thoughts on “If I Had a Choice…..”

  1. I was watching them both play and I got thinking of what I would rather want. I knew one person who would give me their straight forward opinion so I messaged you.

    I keep flip flopping. 2 parts of my game that really need improving are keeping the ball in play off the tee and 80 yards in. Last season I started keeping the ball in play off the tee so I guess right now I am leaning to Phil’s short game. I think that would lower my scores quicker.

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    • Mac

      Always great to hear from you. Keeping the ball in play off the tee is very important to great golf. It is something all golfers work on, however being able to save strokes with our wedges is how low scores are achieved. It was split down the middle as to which players wanted. I think that is because everyone approaches the game differently. I know the you guys are taught grip it and rip it when they are young. Control comes later. I am at the later stage of my game.

      Thanks for the question. It generated plenty of conversation!

      Cheers
      Jim

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  4. Since everyone else is going the same direction here, I will take the other side. If I could just be given one or the other, I would take Dustin’s driving power and accuracy over Phil’s short game.

    My reasoning is simple. Dustin’s made a lot of progress in his short game these past couple of years but he is still not as good as Phil with his wedges though. Yet Dustin is number 1 in the world, not Phil.

    Let me hit a 9 iron or PW in instead of a 6 iron and my game is going to be good enough to start thinking about the senior tour. And with some talented putting help and practice, I might even make it into the mix on occasion.

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  5. I read this as hitting full wedges like Phil. In that case, give me DJ’s drives. Many amateur players can get good with the wedges, but not many of them can bomb it relatively straight and well over 300 yards. I wouldn’t shoot over 75 most days if I hit it 320 in the fairway.

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  7. I’m with you, Jim, in preferring to have Phil’s short game skills. At 64 I am fortunate in being able to hit the ball noticeably longer than my contemporaries, but they soon cancel that out with their superior game around the greens. Cheers, Rob.

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