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Par 5 play

Parrot

Parrot

Down to the banana republics . . .
Albatross 2024 Club
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I heard a data analyst on Michael Breed say that the better play on a close to reachable par 5 for a player is to get as close to the green as possible with your second shot (avoiding any hazards, etc) rather than laying up to a specific yardage for the third shot.

I can (usually) comfortably hit my 3W off the deck out to about 235-40. If I’m say 280 out, I’m going to try to get close to the green. Much more than that and I’m trying to get the ball about 100-110 out.

What says THP?
 
#nolayingup!
Closer the better for me, I'm comfortable at any distance inside 150. Or should I say, I can mess this up from 25 yards as easy as 100. ;)
 
Ideally I'm sitting at 100 yards for my third shot, but anything from 125 yards and in is fine.
 
lets clear the air here though - hitting a 3 wood off the deck when you know it can't reach, is still laying up. ;)

That said, if I have a chance to get any what greenside I will typically do so. But fi I'm going to have around 30-40 yards out after, i'd rather be a little further.
 
I’m with most on here, the closer the better.

If I can reach it, I’m gonna give it a go but if it’s not possible, I’m gonna take the highest lofted club I’m most comfortable with and get it as close as possible. If that means hitting a 6i and having a 9i left, I’m good with that.


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I agree with Michael Breed 100%. I never lay up to a number but instead attempt to get as close to the green without getting into trouble. Now I also consider myself a very good on partial wedge shots. From experience, I'm much more likely to be on the green and closer to the pin on a 60 yard partial wedge shot than a 130 yard full wedge shot.
 
I don't collect the data but more of my birdies on par 5s have come from laying up. I also have had far too many 3 putt pars on par 5s, which is another story entirely. And, as is my go for it personality, I will avoid evidence and swing for the green just about anytime I am within 225-230 or less. Sometimes farther away too. :thumb:

If I am in a competition, I will use more brain cells. But on the course day to day, I'm having fun.
 
Laying up sucks. I can miss with any club, best to be as close as possible where that miss has less room to go wrong.
 
I used to get to a number- either 85 or 100. But that sometimes meant hitting a wedge from 230 to get to 100, or a 9 to get to 85. Then I read a similar thing several years ago (it's not an original Breed concept by any means) and I will just get as close as possible. Depending on layout of the hole of course- if there's trouble around and short, I might plan off the tee to make it a 3 shotter.
 
cbaker2882 said:
lets clear the air here though - hitting a 3 wood off the deck when you know it can't reach, is still laying up. ;)
Click to expand...
True. Laying back is a better term for playing to a number for a full-ish shot rather than getting the ball as close to the green as you can.
 
I'm of the same mentality, I'm using 3w to get as close as possible. Of course most of the time it doesn't always translate to that. But it's always the plan.
 
it depends on the situation for me. Where are the hazards I need to avoid? The 17th hole on my usual course has a nasty bunker at right about 100 yards from the green. Depending on my drive, I will lay up short if there is a big risk of ending up in that bunker.

In general though, I prefer to get as close as I can because I have a fair amount of confidence in my chipping/pitching.
 
To me, it depends on the hazards between me and the green - if it is clear then I will try to get as close as possible, but if that will bring bunkers/water in to play then I would take a club I know is going to leave me short and I will try to get to somewhere in the 70-100yd range as those are shots I am comfortable with
 
The problems I have with laying up to a specific distance is 1) I'm not good enough to layup to an exact distance, and 2) I believe the closer I am to the hole, the better chance I have to get on the green. 100 yards is a nice distance to hit an approach shot from but is not more reliable than 80, 60, 40, etc. Of course, that's just me.

That said, when anyone else makes the claim that they are more successful laying up to a given distance, I'm not going to call BS on them. I'm a firm believer in statistics, but if there's one thing that drives me crazy, it's that so many want to apply them to strategy for the entire population - as though being an outlier or even in the minority isn't a possibility.

While I agree for the most part to the statement (and how it applies to my game), the two par 5's at my 9 hole home course are perfect examples of why a general statement like that quoted in the OP does not apply. I play from the white or gold tees which make these par 5's short. (But even if I hit longer and played further back, I don't think it would change my strategy.)

The first par 5 I'll attack with 5w on my second shot all day long. The fairway narrows, but opens up again around the green. At around 400-430 yards, getting there in two is a possibility with two better than average shots. Even if I don't hit a very good shot, as long as it's online, a poorly struck 5w will get me closer than perfect contact with a safer mid iron.

The second would be virtually impossible for me to hit on my second shot because of the hazards, angles and distance. The hole plays 450 yards from the whites with an elevated fairway. There's a creek/marsh running in front of the green at about 85 yards. I'll pull whatever club will almost always keep me just short of that hazard for my layup.
 
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I will get the ball as close to or on the green every time unless the second shot brings trouble into play.
The chances for a tap in birdie for me from just off the green is probably in the 70% area. I get up and down from just off the green almost as easy as I two putt.
Laying up to 100 yards gives me a very comfortable par. Laying up I might normally have a 12-18' putt. Greenside,, that putt now shrinks to 3-6'.
So which would you choose?

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Parrot said:
I heard a data analyst on Michael Breed say that the better play on a close to reachable par 5 for a player is to get as close to the green as possible with your second shot (avoiding any hazards, etc) rather than laying up to a specific yardage for the third shot.

I can (usually) comfortably hit my 3W off the deck out to about 235-40. If I’m say 280 out, I’m going to try to get close to the green. Much more than that and I’m trying to get the ball about 100-110 out.

What says THP?
Click to expand...

and watch this...
 
The closer I can get, the better. I don't usually reach in 2 anyway.
 
I’m more the closer the better. This way if I miss (most often) then I can still get it on the green with the next shot.
 
Closer to the hole is better for me but only if I'm hitting my 3 Hybrid and if it leaves me within 50 yds to the green. If not, I feel more comfortable playing to my strengths and leaving 110ish into the green where I can use the AW.

My hope is that when my new 3 wood comes in, I can be more confident hitting it off the deck and allow me these 50 and in shots more frequently.
 
Most of the time I’m going to get as close as I can. There’s no guarantee that if I lay back to 125 or so to hit a full GW that I won’t end up 30-40 yards anyways.
 
I have never hit to a yardage on a par 5 unless there is water in front of the green. I always try to reach in 2 or get as close as possible. I would rather have a 15 yard bunker shot than a 100 yard approach.


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Depending on the yardage of the par 5 would determine if i can get there in 2 or not. More of the time i cannot get there in 2 so i play to between 150 to 100 as i am pretty good on those shots at least more consistent than say a 30, 40, 50 yd shot.
 
It's rare that I can reach a par 5 in two anyway. I'm not risking the turd shot with a 3W off the deck to get it "as close as possible". It rarely turns out to be close at all, and I'm super confident with my 54* 100 yard shot. I had started to get pretty decent with a 50 yard shot but variables could put it at 43 or 60. A full shot with my 54* is consistently at 100-105 yards. I play to that yardage.
 
"Lay up to the distance for the club you're most comfortable with." Well that's my PW. I cannot tell you the number of times I've dumped that PW shot into the bunker. I'm done with that. Pound the ball as close as possible. If it means hitting that 50 yd pitch, so be it. I can put that in the bunker, too, but chances are much better that it'll be on the green. Or even if I shank it, it'll still be playable... unlike if I shank the PW from 120.
 
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