The second shot

[Orikoru]

All this talk of laying up is quite foreign to me. Right from the start I always took the club I thought I needed to reach the green, unless there was some really bad hazard ahead. I think that, doing this, could hold back your game because you'd lose the experience of hitting the longer irons in actual play & wouldn't get as much experience pitching over bunkers when pin high. The fact that you get one or two shots on a hole shouldn't come into it, you're trying to play the hole in the fewest number of shots irrespective of the stroke situation. I can see this tactic perhaps being used in competition but I wouldn't enjoy it at all in casual play.

I must admit it is a bit Catch 22. If you don't get a lot of practise in between rounds, then hitting your safer more consistent clubs on your round can make you a better score on the day, but at the same time you'll never gain the confidence and ability with those longer clubs you're not hitting. It's a balancing act.

I think largely I agree with what someone said above - hit the longer clubs on the friendly practise rounds to get better with them, but on competitive rounds hit the clubs you're more consistent with until the longer ones have improved notably.

 

[garyinderry]

There is usually only a couple of holes on every course where it is a little silly hitting an aggressive shot from a fair distance out knowing a slight miss will be punished severely.

Even then it might only be a miss on one side of the green so its safe to get it up there on the other side.

Its all about weighing up the options and playing the best shot you can. laying up on all 400yard + par 4s might get you a decent score off 20 but if you want to make serious inroads towards a great score you have to give yourself a chance at the par.

 

[OOB]

Longest Par 4 at club is 446 yards. For me this is a very challenging par four to reach in two, needs my best directed drive as its a substantial dog leg left and a very sweetly struck hybrid with members bounces to just about roll onto the green. Think I've done it twice. In my head I view it as the toughest hole on the course, so I'll be getting a shot there until I'm playing off 1. (ROFL)

In general I'll always take the club that theoretically takes me into the green, I'm not the biggest hitter anymore so for me that's a lot of hybrids and occasional 5irons but unless I need to lay up, as I cant carry a hazard, I'll play the "correct" club.

I always used to get daunted at par 5's and end up with some big scores, as I tried to whack the cover off the ball until I slowed myself down and hammered it into my head that most par 5's are just 3 good strikes of a golf ball away