Full or half shot?

[muttleee]

If you know you can't reach a green, do you prefer to get as close as possible anyway or lay up ~100 yards back and go for a full shot in? I know the pros always say they aim to leave themselves a full shot but I usually prefer to get as close as I can, depending on the situation. Perhaps that tells you something about the quality of my pitching from 100 yards...

 

[Macster]

Close as I can, simple as.

More chance of an up & down from 25/30yds than from 100yds.

You'd have to a Pro to think differently, surely ?

 

[Parmo]

I was discussing this with a friend the other day, we have a 460 up and over par 4 and usually I over play myself and end up with a 7 or 8 sometimes worse!! If I played within myself and after a decent drive of 230-240 took a 7i for 150ish that would leave me less than a 100 yards to get it down on the dance floor and two putt leaving a good boggy.

Will I do this or try the hybrid or 3 wood off the deck? you bet your life I'm going for the money shot

 

[TonyN]

Situation dictates for me. If its a par 5 for example and I have 250 yards to the green after my first shot, I would take a 7 which would go 150 to leave me 100. I know then that I can hit a 3/4 wedge or full 53*

I prefere to do this rather than go with a 3 wood, risk going OOB, in a hazard or getting a horrible lie in a spinnach patch.

If it was an open green and I was playing well, I might take it on if I knew the green wasn't well guarded or that the rough wasn't hard to play out of.

I like between 100-120 for regulation.

 

[Yidio]

Lay up & a full shot for me & i'm certainly no pro.

 

[ademac]

Close as I can, simple as.

More chance of an up & down from 25/30yds than from 100yds.

You'd have to a Pro to think differently, surely ?

I disagree, since I've started plotting my way around a course better and leaving say 80-100 yds instead of 20-30 yds, my scores have improved and I'm certainly not a Pro!

I started doing this because I read it in a few mags/books which also said that chip shots from 20-30 yds are more difficult, I'd have to agree because it's easy to lose your nerve and quit on a short pitch/chip shot than it is on a full shot, and that is disastrous!

 

[USER1999]

I don't mind 20 to 40 yards, and I don't mind 100 plus. For me, 40 to 100 yards is the 'shank zone', and if it isn't that, it is the thin it, fat it, top it, leave it hopelessly short, blow it through the back zone.

 

[SammmeBee]

I'm not good enough to lay up!!!

There is a time and a place that I may favour either option but in general I try to get it as close to the hole as I can on every occasion....

 

[CarpeDiem]

I feel that I have an acceptable abilty at both shots so doesn't bother me.

 

[Robobum]

No hard & fast rule for this one, as others have said right shot for the right occaision.

If you've got a tight front pin just over a trap, there's no point leaving yourself 20 or 30yds as you will have little chance of getting it as close as an 80yd shot which will have decent stop on it.

If the green entry is wide open, then lash it up as close as possible and take it from there.

 

[SS2]

Full shot for me, if possible. I have a dreadful habit of pulling everything left when I hit at anything < 80%. Sad, but true.

 

[madandra]

When I try and play safe I usually end up using another ball to try the shot again.

 

[Smiffy]

I just try to get it as far away as I can from where it last came to rest

 

[viscount17]

nowhere near good enough to pick the lay up, though through using the GPS I'm learning a better way to play.

I think I prefer not to have a full shot and am starting to work out club and swing for distances (better late than never). Quite like 80 yds with a 3/4 PW, anything much inside is variations on a GW.

 

[Herbie]

It depends on the hole.
General rule for me is get as close as I can without risking too much as my short game and judgement of reduced shot swing is very good when Im on form.
There are holes and circumstances where I do lay up leaving me a 3/4 to full, wedge or 9 iron, but I dont feel laying up to leave a full 7 iron or more is beneficial to me.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As a rule I prefer a full wedge or an full 52 wedge for more control. That said I'm working on different swing lengths for different clubs so should be able to find a club/swing combo to work based on SC yardages

 

[TonyN]

Skycaddie is great, every hole it gives you a layup distance and what it will leave you with. I.e layup 160 leaves 110 and it may say end if fairway at 240. In the above I would probably go with the 6 iron hit 160 to leave a wedge for G.I.R

 

[RGuk]

Needless to say, this type of "course management" is something I give lots of thought to.

I am not keen on 40-60 yards, although I play these fairly well when I have to.

On Par 5's, I always plan to leave a nice distance in. 95-100 yards (52*GW) is my favourite. So, if I have eg. 275 yards to the centre, I'll try to hit 170-180 yards and see what's left. I won't ever try and peach a 3 wood, it'll be a 4 iron. If however, on a Par 4, I have 230, I'm going to get as far down as possible....I wouldn't hit an 8 iron to leave a wedge!!!!

Depends where your strengths are. If you really trust you are going to get full distance and have no fear of hitting "large" clubs off the fairway, then more distance is the way to go!!!

Interesting to read the replies on this.

 

[Imurg]

As has been said, there's a time for going for it and a time for laying up.

If I'm laying up, I'll choose around 120 or around 70 depending on the length of the hole, how I'm playing, and how far it is to those lay-up points. If I'm 240-260 out, then I'll play for about 70 to the pin, if I'm more than that I'll aim for 120.

Less than 230 and I'll probably go for it!

 

[TonyN]

Needless to say, this type of "course management" is something I give lots of thought to.

I am not keen on 40-60 yards, although I play these fairly well when I have to.

On Par 5's, I always plan to leave a nice distance in. 95-100 yards (52*GW) is my favourite. So, if I have eg. 275 yards to the centre, I'll try to hit 170-180 yards and see what's left. I won't ever try and peach a 3 wood, it'll be a 4 iron. If however, on a Par 4, I have 230, I'm going to get as far down as possible....I wouldn't hit an 8 iron to leave a wedge!!!!

Depends where your strengths are. If you really trust you are going to get full distance and have no fear of hitting "large" clubs off the fairway, then more distance is the way to go!!!

Interesting to read the replies on this.

I must say, I actually learnt this from you Dave, I had never given this type of game a go before untill we played together. Since I started playing this way, my scores are alot better.

So thanks