This sort of situation is interesting to me. Strokes gained / DECADE etc always say that laying up to a full wedge shot is a myth and that you always get closer from nearer the green. But I'm inclined to agree with you on that one, sometimes a full shot from 100-ish yards does feel easier to hold a tricky green than a 60 yard pitch, say. Our 18th is a pain for this, I never know the best way to play it and hardly ever make par as a result (not getting a shot either so not making par is annoying). I don't hit driver anyway because there are trees all down the right and the hole is only 275 anyway. The green is elevated but runs away to the back of it, so I don't like having a 70-yard ish shot either, as that to me is a pitch shot with PW, which means it's running all the way to the back every time. So I've fluctuated between hitting 7W and hybrid to try and leave 100-ish. But then if I don't hit that tee shot great I might leave myself a full PW and then you can still miss the green completely from that sort of range. Does my head in to be honest.I think I need to learn how to hit a full swing 60° and see if that does the job from 70 yards instead of the pitch shot!
Yeah, that's exactly it - I don't hate 50-80 yards generally, but my shots in that range are all half-swing pitches. So on a green that slopes away to the back, my 70 yard half-swing PW for example is pretty useless as it'll just run off the back every time. And as the green on our 18th is elevated too, it means I can't land it short either.
Me and a PP were having this exact same conversation on Tuesday. He had 17 shots,me 20. The general idea, use our shots and look to have a chip onto a green with the third shot on a par four. His driving was excellent and he hit 13 out of fourteen fairways, straight down the middle. He came off with 24 points. Course management is fine until it comes to a poor shot selection. He is the guy who I mentioned the other day that uses an elevated fairway mat in winter for his driver on the fairway. He used it/ driver half a dozen times off the fairway and hit 2 decent shots. He was gutted with his score.
Get well soon David Boal
Yeah, that's exactly it - I don't hate 50-80 yards generally, but my shots in that range are all half-swing pitches. So on a green that slopes away to the back, my 70 yard half-swing PW for example is pretty useless as it'll just run off the back every time. And as the green on our 18th is elevated too, it means I can't land it short either.
I might have to actually start hitting a full-ish shot with 60° which is something I never normally do. In theory that should go about 65-70 yards if I hit it properly. Or, knifed 130 yards into the car park. We shall see.
As long as it's dry and not uphill, I've discovered this summer that 50 to 80 yards is putting range. I'm significantly more likely to get the ball on or near the green than if I bump and run or try a half-swing pitch.
Having a plan, pulling it off.......can be two different things
. The first part of his plan clearly worked but golf is an all round game 
I sometimes go the other and play too conservatively to try and protect the good score and keep the round going. This leads to lazy swings and fats and pulls. Much better when I keep doing what I was doing to get the good score. Seems to be going ok at the moment.
So you don't even try and hit greens in regulation?? I feel like you're holding yourself back. The strongest correlation with good scoring stats-wise is number of greens hit in regulation. I would never lay up for the sake of it, if I can reach a green I'm going for it. Would only lay up if there was trouble in the middle that I didn't think I can carry.
