What is your preferred layup yardage?

[USER1999]

Ive never layed up in my life. I usually take the club that will get is closest with every shot. Is laying up something i should be thinking about? I did ask myself the question the other day.

It depends on you. I lay up on most par 5s. I get shots on two of them, so four pars picks me up two shots. To get on in two would involve a good drive, and then probably a 4 wood. I don't find fairway woods that reliable, and can put it in the trees quite easily. Not going to do me any favours.

A solid iron, and then wedge on gets me a five nearly every time. Par golf will get me to single figures. I don't need birdies that badly.

If I can get my drive to hybrid range, then I'll go for the green.

 

[saxmaster]

purely because i had a lesson on 150 yds im going to say8-9 iron for me. wedges will be next on the lesson list thou

 

[Monty_Brown]

If I can get it to 6 feet, I'm confident of 2-putting from there. Anything more is a lottery at the moment

I am reading the Dave Pelz putting bible at the moment. I have read more than 100 pages and he hasn't actually told me to do anything yet.... Hope I'll get to something practical otherwise i'll have to take the book to the course and putt with that.

Wedge wise I like 80 yards as it's a fullish SW and I can ignore the tiered greens on our par 5s and (try to) fly it to the right tier without having to roll it up the slope.

 

[Birchy]

It depends on you. I lay up on most par 5s. I get shots on two of them, so four pars picks me up two shots. To get on in two would involve a good drive, and then probably a 4 wood. I don't find fairway woods that reliable, and can put it in the trees quite easily. Not going to do me any favours.

A solid iron, and then wedge on gets me a five nearly every time. Par golf will get me to single figures. I don't need birdies that badly.

If I can get my drive to hybrid range, then I'll go for the green.

I dont usually use the fairway wood either unless im on good form and think i can get it to the green because as you mention it can get you in trouble. I usually hit my next club down which is a hybrid which usually puts me inside 70 yards and go from there. I usually tend to get mostly pars on the fives so i suppose it works ok for me.

 

[MadAdey]

As close as possible or at around 70-80 yards, perfect for a nice 60* LW

 

[ScienceBoy]

whatever leaves me a 1/2 or 3/4 8,9,PW or 52 shot. I try not to leave full shots in.

A 3/4 8 is 110 yards, 3/4 9 is 90 so either of those is idea.

 

[Region3]

Quite a thought provoking question. Well it is for me anyway.

On the course, if I can't reach the green and there's no reason to layup to a specific part of the hole ie. because of a hazard, I will get as close as I (safely) can.

Thinking about it now, faced with your question, the distance I have most confidence in being able to hit within a few yards more often than not is 100yds.

Will I now lay up to 100yds instead of getting as close as I can? I doubt it.

 

[Slime]

Where's the 'Less' option?
My preferred layup yardage is less than 80yds.

Slime.

 

[Region3]

Over 100 (50 gap wedge) or under 50, chip with gap wedge. 80 yards is my worst nightmare. Not a full shot with anything, and not a punch or chip. Very shank able. Not good.

What distance do I leave most often?

80 yards, bang on.

If I may ask a stupid question....

When no-one's around, have you ever chucked half a dozen balls down 80yds from a flag and played around with different clubs and swings?

 

[ScienceBoy]

If I may ask a stupid question....

When no-one's around, have you ever chucked half a dozen balls down 80yds from a flag and played around with different clubs and swings?

Try a 3/4 9 iron from 80 yards, should be about right for you Murph. If not maybe a 3/4 PW.

BTW I am obsessivly in love with half shots and 3/4 so I am not biased at all

 

[Alex1975]

Sorry all, this was a failed Poll, I did seem to get the Poll going but not in this thread..... I guess I am actually doing some work today as I am clearly not concentrating on my forum duties.

 

[thegogg]

I'd also have gone for either as close as possible or less than 80 yds if the option was up there.

 

[USER1999]

If I may ask a stupid question....

When no-one's around, have you ever chucked half a dozen balls down 80yds from a flag and played around with different clubs and swings?

When no one is around, I can punch a pw, or hit a full on 54 for 80 yards. With repeatable results. When there is any one within 400 yards, I shank it into the woods. If I have a medal card in my hands the shank into the woods often isn't the worst result. I'd be better off laying back wards to leave 120 in.

 

[Val]

I actually have a par 5 where this is a frequent choice and all depends on the tee shot, if I hit a good one and catch a nice lie I will normally have a go, I normally need to carry around 210 over bunkers which are 40 yards short of the front of the green which I can just about do with a good 3 hybrid and easily with a 3w but both need good strikes. If I get a bad lie or hit a bad tee shot it's a lay up to around 85 yards for me however Im in the getting it as close as you can camp.

 

[Alex1975]

None.
I get it as close as I can then take it from there.

This is me too and I see a few others have said a similar thing. While I see the benefits of this we are often told that making a shot without a target is very poor form.

 

[Birchy]

This is me too and I see a few others have said a similar thing. While I see the benefits of this we are often told that making a shot without a target is very poor form.

You still pick a target to aim at and a line to hit it on though dont you?

 

[Jay1]

Used to be 100 yards, now probably 85-90.

 

[kid2]

I would always try to get as close as possible....The thing i find with lay ups is that its dictated largely by the weather and maybe what danger is directly in front of the green.....

Hitting to leave an exact yardage that your comfortable into a green requires very consistent ball striking and for the lower handicapper that strikes the ball very consistently i can understand this..

But for me im not that precise......If i know that i cant reach a par 5 in 2 then with no trouble ill get as close as i can with my 3 wood. But if the wind is into me and or the fairways are soft then ill just hit a mid iron and see whats left....

If your going to play the lay up game then its a totally different strategy whereby you play your game from the green back to the tee......I would find that a bit too conservative.

 

[GripandRip]

If it's safe i try to get it as close as i can and if not then anything around the 100-120 mark is ok. If i get left with a 1/2 or 3/4 stroke i put a blob on the card and move on

 

[Brookesy]

Mine ranges from 70-85, can mostly get it within 10 feet from there but really struggle on 100+