I will sacrifice no distance for the security of the fairway. "Those who would give up Liberty, to purchase a temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin
haha kidding.

After 2 or 3 slice adventures through the woods, I will gladly slow down and lose 20 yards to find the fairway. I'm cranking it regardless on the 18th though.

Dave,

Since I'm approaching 70 yrs. old I am not very long to begin with. If I do miss the fairway it's not by much anyway, so I wouldn't want to give up very much distance at all - maybe 5-10 yds at most. Fairways and greens.

Mark F

Like Sam said I am not going to willingly give up the distance. Although I have noticed a swing for me guaranteed to be straight in the fairway will drop me about 25 yards.

None. Swinging for stars only gets me 5-10 yards over my fastest controlled swing, but can also go left or right by 25 yards or more. 10 yards on a drive doesn't impact my score as much as having a clean second shot.

For me it really depends on the hole. If the rough is tough to get out of and I have no chance of getting it there in 2, the stay in the fairway with a shorter shot.

For me, lately, I have really come to terms with the power of the mind in this game. If I tell myself I'm going to smack it hard right down the middle, and I TRULY BELIEVE IT, then I likely will. I'll be shocked if I don't. You really have to believe it and trust that you're going to in order to really do it. Trust yourself, relax, and smack that ball right to the target you are visualizing and believing you will hit. Try it.

Hello Dave N,
I hate to give up any, as long as It's in the rough and not in the woods.
Play Well,
Steve S.

Trusting the shot is the best way for me, I miss usually right and not by a lot, so know this I am allowed to play within my game from tee to green. I only hit around 37% of the fairways last year but still had a 12 hdcp for the season. Approach shots & putting were excellent. So I would rather not give up any yardage unless the hole made me due to hazards...

Great question though...

I don't hit it long and usually am pretty much in the fairway and not much rough on my home course so my answer is none. That said, the day I played Torrey South the answer was similar you your. That rough was brutal! All you could was wedge out. Cost me 8-10 strokes that day. Probably should have played 3 wood, 3 wood to most of the Par 4's. It was a nice problem to have, though. Need to go back there and give it another shot.

I dont hit a ton of fairways at my course (pretty tight) but the rough is a bit more forgiving. Also the AP2's and Vokeys often bail me out......that being said would rather play from the short stuff

Great question. This has been something I have been working on. Giving up 10-15 yards for accurate placement for next shot is huge. When I do my scores drop. Hard to get rid of grip it rip it mentality...

Have given up on the grip it and rip it mentality since I crossed over to the other side of 70. Found a controlled smooth swing provides a more accurate and sometimes added distance with the old big dog. Ten yards to stay within the short grass of the fairways. On a good day that would keep me around 220-230.

I am a little slow but it finally sank in last year and as a result shot the best golf of my life. I want the short grass. Can't control a swing out of my shoes type enough to justify that mentality so I have went to a smooth controlled swing and it has helped tremendously. So I am with Chuck on this one

I would not give up a yard,but would be looking for more yards in play. I have enough Titleist wedges to get it up and down.

The math checks out...

Changed the shaft in my driver from S to X a year ago. First X in 40+ years of golf. Lost a dozen yards but I’ve never hit so many fairways in my life. Hdcp dropped from 3 to 1. Hate to give up the distance but I can’t argue with the results...

Arnold Palmer was a childhood idol of mine, and he was pretty famous for getting out of bad lies. I try to keep the same attitude as Arnie, go for it, and if you mess up, do your best. Granted, that doesn't always work, but nothing ventured, nothing gained...

I'd rather not give up 20 yards...that would put me at less than 2 football fields!!

(Not a big hitter...and I'm honest about it)

I'm generally 15 to 20 yds behind everybody, but after I hit my second shot I'm usually helping someone look for a ball.