Percentage

This is a game of percentage. How successful one can execute the shots depends on the statistical probability of one's past performance.

If I slice the driver 80% of the time, statistically speaking I only have 20% chance of keeping the ball in play. If my slice caused me an extra or two strokes every time and if I need to use the driver 14 times in a round, I will expect to give away 80% * 14 * 2 = 22.4 strokes easily during a round. These strokes are merely from OB or poor lie or difficult shots that caused by the slice, not to mention failed attempts to rescue the ball back in play. If I missed an attempt rescued shots, a 2 shots will become a 3 or 4 before I could think of approach shot or short game to finishing up the hole.

Though, avoiding the driver is not an intelligent move either. On average if a good drive will land me 220 yards, using a high success rate iron only serve me 150 yards, percentage wise I am loosing 70 yards on every hole. Again, if there are 14 holes that require distance and I am loosing 70 yards 14 times in a round, it is 980 yards in total. Suppose I have 80% success rate in launching this 150 yards, 20% of error * 150= 120 yards which requires me extra 9 strokes to accomplish the distance left. 9 strokes are added to my handicap, not mentioning errors that I might have encountered within these attempts.

The only resolution to resolve this issue is to reduce my low percentage shots at the first place. If I have 18 strokes given away every round caused by driver, I better increase the success rate to at least 80% before I could significantly reduce my score. I don’t know how others recommend on practice, but I will keep doing the same routine and drill repetitively until I could increase the probability of launching a high percentage shot.