Struggling with Par 5's?

[Fish]

I've now sussed that all my lost/dropped shots are par5 related!

When joining my new club recently 2 par5's on the 6th and 16th were immediately my Nemesis holes, thankfully I parred them this week so that mental frustration has hopefully now gone, but reviewing my card from yesterday at the Centurion Club again all my drop shots are only on the par 5's!

I scored 13 points on the 5 x par3's, 14 points on the 6 x par4's but then only 8 points on the 7 x par5's of which 2 of those were non-scoring

Thinking back, my poorest drives were only on the par5's, if I got a decent drive away my 2nd shots became the poorest on the par5's, so by the time I'd hacked my way to the green, its too late to attempt a par as I'm scrambling for 1 pointers

Is this a mental thing thinking its a long hole and I'm trying to hit it harder off the tee (which doesn't work) putting myself in trouble, but, if I get a decent drive away am I adopting that for my 2nd shot which becomes a fat or off-line!

My handicap could tumble down if I can address this, thankfully Burnham & Berrow today has only 3 x par5's

 

[Imurg]

What are you off now?
20ish..?
Almost certainly trying too hard to get the par or better...
Trying to hit the drive too far and then trying to hit the second shot too far as well...
Unless its a short par 5 you're not going to get on in 2 so don't try.
Get your drive away, 200 is fine.
Hit another shot and get inside 150.
Get it on or around the green and you're going to score a couple of points more often than not and possibly get 3.
Trying to get too far down the hole and leaving a half shot in is a mistake a lot of higher handicappers make in my opinion.
For most a 120-150 yard shot is easier - full shot - than hitting a 3/4 wedge 70 yards.
Use your shots - don't feel you have to hit driver off the tee.
200 + 170 + 130 = 500 yards.

 

[srixon 1]

If you get a good drive away don't automatically pull out your longest club for your next shot. Just try knocking your next shot to about 100 yards from the green. If I cannot make it to a par 5 in two I very rarely hit a fairway wood for my second shot unless it will get me close enough to the green for a simple up and down.

I would say that course management is more important on the par 5's than on other holes.

Edit: I must have typed this at the same time as Imurg.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Pretty much above. Think green backwards and play sensibly. utilise the shots you have

 

[JohnnyDee]

I've now sussed that all my lost/dropped shots are par5 related!

When joining my new club recently 2 par5's on the 6th and 16th were immediately my Nemesis holes, thankfully I parred them this week so that mental frustration has hopefully now gone, but reviewing my card from yesterday at the Centurion Club again all my drop shots are only on the par 5's!

I scored 13 points on the 5 x par3's, 14 points on the 6 x par4's but then only 8 points on the 7 x par5's of which 2 of those were non-scoring

Thinking back, my poorest drives were only on the par5's, if I got a decent drive away my 2nd shots became the poorest on the par5's, so by the time I'd hacked my way to the green, its too late to attempt a par as I'm scrambling for 1 pointers

Is this a mental thing thinking its a long hole and I'm trying to hit it harder off the tee (which doesn't work) putting myself in trouble, but, if I get a decent drive away am I adopting that for my 2nd shot which becomes a fat or off-line!

My handicap could tumble down if I can address this, thankfully Burnham & Berrow today has only 3 x par5's

I used to have this problem too on Par 5s and I think it was a little of what you say about long hole so must really smash The bejesus out of it off the tee. It wasn't just on our course (2x5s) but also on courses I visited.

A mate told me to play my drive on 5s as if it was just any par 4 and as long as the hole wasn't 500 and stupid yards long, then my second, steadily hit, would put me in short-iron distance to the green.

Worked a charm and nowadays I look forward to them and often make my par.

 

[Oddsocks]

I've now sussed that all my lost/dropped shots are par5 related!

When joining my new club recently 2 par5's on the 6th and 16th were immediately my Nemesis holes, thankfully I parred them this week so that mental frustration has hopefully now gone, but reviewing my card from yesterday at the Centurion Club again all my drop shots are only on the par 5's!

I scored 13 points on the 5 x par3's, 14 points on the 6 x par4's but then only 8 points on the 7 x par5's of which 2 of those were non-scoring

Thinking back, my poorest drives were only on the par5's, if I got a decent drive away my 2nd shots became the poorest on the par5's, so by the time I'd hacked my way to the green, its too late to attempt a par as I'm scrambling for 1 pointers

Is this a mental thing thinking its a long hole and I'm trying to hit it harder off the tee (which doesn't work) putting myself in trouble, but, if I get a decent drive away am I adopting that for my 2nd shot which becomes a fat or off-line!

My handicap could tumble down if I can address this, thankfully Burnham & Berrow today has only 3 x par5's

Robin, they're par 5's so play them as such and stop trying to get as long as poss off the tee then as close as poss for 2 or even reach in 2,

My standard way of playing par 5's now is easy drive/3w off the tee, easy mid iron / 20* hybrid if it's a long one then wedge in from 100/80 yards.

Actually making more birdies this way than pars by attacking the hole as a long par 4

 

[chrisd]

X

Robin, they're par 5's so play them as such and stop trying to get as long as poss off the tee then as close as poss for 2 or even reach in 2,

My standard way of playing par 5's now is easy drive/3w off the tee, easy mid iron / 20* hybrid if it's a long one then wedge in from 100/80 yards.

Actually making more birdies this way than pars by attacking the hole as a long par 4

My philosophy too on my course, except the one par 5 I can definitely make in 2 and then only if I hit a good drive. Always set yourself up for an easy wedge in and a hope of a one putt birdie

 

[Fish]

Thanks everyone, its typical of the game, we all know the answers before we ask the questions, its adopting them that's the problem!

What are you off now?
20ish..?
Almost certainly trying too hard to get the par or better...
Trying to hit the drive too far and then trying to hit the second shot too far as well...
Unless its a short par 5 you're not going to get on in 2 so don't try.
Get your drive away, 200 is fine.
Hit another shot and get inside 150.
Get it on or around the green and you're going to score a couple of points more often than not and possibly get 3.
Trying to get too far down the hole and leaving a half shot in is a mistake a lot of higher handicappers make in my opinion.
For most a 120-150 yard shot is easier - full shot - than hitting a 3/4 wedge 70 yards.
Use your shots - don't feel you have to hit driver off the tee.
200 + 170 + 130 = 500 yards.

I started to adopt this later in the round Ian and was looking at the yardage to the marker posts to get inside 150 as I was hitting some decent approach shots to greens on Par4's and hitting greens on Par3's so 150-165yds is a decent benchmark for me, as such I parred the 13th par5 but the 6 previous par5's had taken their toll by then (started on 16th), so it was a late lesson learned

Will be looking to just punch a 5i for my 2nd shot to get in range to hit the greens in 3 with a short iron or at worse in 4 and then chip close looking for a single put or 2 at worse from now on, putting isn't an issue so just getting to the green with a 2 shot cushion for net par is what I need to target first and foremost, sounds easy doesn't it

 

[Duckster]

Are you trying to push reaching the greens in 2?

If not, then drop the driver for the par 5's, use 3w, Rescue or even a 3i off the tee. Then work out what you need to leave you a distance in in you like and try to get the ball to there.

Length off the tee isn't everything on par 5's, use your shots.

 

[Fish]

Are you trying to push reaching the greens in 2?

If not, then drop the driver for the par 5's, use 3w, Rescue or even a 3i off the tee. Then work out what you need to leave you a distance in in you like and try to get the ball to there.

Length off the tee isn't everything on par 5's, use your shots.

No, I think I'm trying for extra length off the tee due to it being a par5 (longer hole in my head) as my main weakness is a wood off the deck, although I smacked a couple of great 4w's yesterday. As such I'm mentally trying not to take anything bigger than a 5i for a 2nd shot but rather than accepting that I'm pushing the driver and sometimes making a mess of it but if I get a decent drive away I'm not dividing the remaining yardage left into 2 decent irons shots and risking getting too close by using a wood or hybrid which are inconsistent and getting me into trouble again!

Its basic course management I suppose, I just need to swing easy with my driver imagining its a par 4, take a 5i hopefully up to around 100-150yds to the green and look to score better.

I've got 3 par5's today to work that magic on today :smirk:

 

[Smiffy]

Par 5's are where I'm messing up at the moment. And as others have said, it's because I am pulling my fairways out and trying to get it as close to the green as I can in two.
I'm no big hitter, most par 5's are out of reach for me in two so why I bother is beyond me. James has been telling me it for yonks.
I'm hitting my irons fairly well at the moment so I'm just going to try to concentrate on hitting a nice 5 or 6 iron second shot from here on in and just try to put myself within a 100 yards or so of the green.

 

[shortstuff]

On most courses, the Par 5 is cleverly designed for risk vs reward, only allowing Eagles IF you hit a stunning drive. Very often the best approach is to forget going for Eagles and tee off with the 3W, followed by long iron/hyrid/5W and wedge.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I have the perfect solution, I am about to go play a par 3 course...

No par 5s there!

 

[apj0524]

The Par 5s have been the holes where the Game Golf has helped me enormously, as when I looked at the shot history and saw that if got off the Tee and hit my 5 Hybrid or 6 iron twice I would be a shot pitch to the green so was there for 4 and I perhaps had a put for a Gross Par or one over and at my handicap would be happy days

 

[CMAC]

John Jacobs suggested next time you're out for a bounce game, take 2 balls at a par 5.

Ball one; play normally, full drive, go for the green in 2 or close and try and get a birdie/par.

Ball two; take your most confident club off the tee that will go comfortably nearer 200yds. 2nd shot take a mid iron smooth swing. you'll now be probably under 140yds to most parkland par 5's.


He reckons you will at worst average par on the par 5's with ball two, and average 2/3 over for ball one.


BUT....do you want the safe way or the fun way. I know my choice everytime regardless (thats why my h/cap goes up everyweek)

 

[matt611]

Got to agree with Imurg, now that I have stopped trying to get as far as possible in 2 shots I am doing a lot better on pars 5s. I am far better hitting a full wedge 100-120 yards into a green rather than trying to hit a 3/4 swing 60-80 yards. Therefore my second shot is often a 7 iron, maybe even an 8 iron.

 

[Qwerty]

I'm no expert Robin but last year with help of a range finder I really worked on my lay up yardages.. 80-110 yards.
Spent quite a bit of time at the range and 80% of the time just hit wedges. if you can control the ball in from that distance I think its a very useful weapon to have, and takes a lot of pressure and uncertainty out of the round.

 

[duncan mackie]

Is this a mental thing thinking its a long hole and I'm trying to hit it harder off the tee (which doesn't work) putting myself in trouble, but, if I get a decent drive away am I adopting that for my 2nd shot which becomes a fat or off-line....

probably; most do

hit a hybrid or 5 wood off the tees for an instant cure

 

[Birchy]

This is a big problem for me too, all my shots go on short par 4s or par 5s due to not thinking about leaving a full shot in.

Just need to think rather blatting the biggest club every shot

 

[bigslice]

our par 5 is 474 yards and an easy birdie chance. but hole 11 464 par 4 for me are hard to hit in two. its a narrow second shot in and i struggle. stood on tee during my first season and told playing partners i struggle to par it. i think someone telepathy a message saying play it as a par 5, so nice tee shot second shot hit 6 iron. then i bumped a pitch on a sunk the putt so i play it as a par 5 all day long unless ive hit a monster leaving a 7 or 8 iron. golf is mental