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Post by pavaveda on May 16, 2010 13:04:25 GMT -5
When you're playing a short, fairly tight, straight par four of say, 300 yards or less, and you don't have the game to drive the hole, or wouldn't want to risk it because of greenside bunkers, what is your strategy?
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Post by Richie3Jack on May 16, 2010 17:42:23 GMT -5
Depends on the trouble.
I'm a believer that getting closer to the hole is usually going to equate to a lower score. But if the trouble is too penalizing, I may hit a shot that can get me to a distance where I'm taking a full swing with my SW so i can stick it close becuase you sould be able to hit a full swing SW well.
Funny though I was golfing with board member tball88 and he said there was a post over at the LBG site by a pro caddy talking about how pros on long par-4's tend to lay back a bit just so they can focus more on hitting the fairway. I agree with this theory because if you try to hit one hard and it leaves you with a 4-iron, if you find the rough it's usually tought to hit a shot out of the rought with a long iron. But finding the fairway and having to use a 3-iron from the fairway is a better shot IMO.
3JACK
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Post by pavaveda on May 18, 2010 9:29:18 GMT -5
If it depends on the trouble, do you count trees left and right as trouble? I'm just thinking that since a small degree off with a driver gets magnified because of distance, why isn't the smart play (i.e. the best chance of scoring well) to go with a mid-iron or whatever gets you safely in the fairway 150 to 200 yards out? Imagine you were a coach of a golf team, and you had a high-handicapper on your team, what would you suggest he do on that type of hole?
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Post by cloran on May 18, 2010 10:25:20 GMT -5
Being 150 yards out I have a 60%-70% chance of hitting the green with a 7 iron. 200 yards out that percentage probably drops to 40% with my 3 iron.
There are a few shortish par 4's at the Muni I usually play. Most are doglegs that force you to hit shorter clubs off the tee, but one in particular is straight away. It usually plays about 360 or so. There's a bunker on the right at about 220, trees on both sides. I've played the hole with a 3 wood or 2i/hybrid, and unless I'm in the fairway I just end up being in the rough farther from the hole, or in the trap on the right. The last time I played I hit driver. Pulled it into the left rough, and had 90 yards to the hole. Took the bunker out of play. If the rough was crazy thick (think US Open) I'd always opt for the shorter club off the tee. Probably 3 wood since I'd be left with at most 130 yards into the green, but since the rough is spotty-to-nonexistant-to decent at this course I opted for the driver.
Unless a dogleg forces me to do so, I'd always go with driver if the trouble isn't so harsh that you are dead. Trees that line the fairway do not count. If hitting a shorter club off the tee was going to leave me with a 150-200 yard shot I'm now making a short par 4 into a long par 4... losing the advantage of distance.
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Post by bentshaft on Jul 20, 2010 11:01:52 GMT -5
I think the answer lies more in knowing your own game...For me, it's an easy answer- HYBRID! that will get me out there 185-200 leaving (most likely) a wedge in...To get closer, I would have to use my 3 wood, but for an extra 30-40 yards or so, the odds favor the hybrid
bent
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Post by iteachgolf on Jul 20, 2010 19:22:05 GMT -5
5 or 6 iron and then a gap wedge or sand wedge
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Post by bentshaft on Jul 21, 2010 14:33:59 GMT -5
Teach
I think you are a little longer with your 5 iron than I am LOL
bent
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Post by gmbtempe on Jul 21, 2010 15:12:41 GMT -5
Compltely depends on the hole, and how I am hitting it.
For example I played back to back days in May, both courses had a short par 4 (designed by the same individual by the way). The first day I hit driver into the front short of the green, the trouble is left but I hit a high cut that has lots of room right miss. The second day a the trouble was right and I would have to start my draw over the trouble. If I hit a cut and over do it then its dead as well. I laid up.
Also the first day I had a crap round going the second day a very good round going, both holes were in the middle of the back 9.
Coincidently my friend who is a little better player than I am did exactly the opposite on both holes.
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Post by iteachgolf on Jul 21, 2010 22:29:14 GMT -5
Teach I think you are a little longer with your 5 iron than I am LOL bent 5 iron goes 185 or so here in So Cal and 195 in FL Gap wedge is 125-130 sand wedge is 110-115 Off a tee a 5 iron could probably go 200+ yards if hit well |
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Post by widp2010 on Oct 29, 2010 22:29:02 GMT -5
This is really dependant on so many things. If it's a hole that is 50 yards longer than my driving distance, i'd probably hit my 2hybrid to about 90ish yards and try and get up and down. It really depends though where the pin is and how much easier the layup to 90 yards is vs hitting it to 50 or wherever.
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