Comfortable Distance

[Keith412]

Hi,

Very new, started golfing in July, have only broken 100 once thus far but i have a question. I feel very comfortable from around 120 to 130 yards. Is it a good idea to try to create this opportunity for myself on every hole possible?

For example] A 317 yard par 4, i could hit a 3 wood and hit it 210 yards and get to a slightly uncomfortable distance or i could hit a 4 hybrid to about a distance of 125 to 135 yards out into my favorite shot. What about on a 480 yard par 5 that i cannot possibly reach in two shots. Do i make sure my first two shots get to about 125 yards out from the pin even if it means my second shot is a 6 or 7 iron?

Thank you

[DavidFehertysBike]

Nah, i dont think so. Closer is always better, IMO.

[jaragon126]

I have a bit of a different response than DavidFehertysBike ... I think if you are comfortable with that distance then by all means do what you can to get those shots.

Ultimately what matters is your score on the hole. If you can shoot a lower score on a hole by leaving yourself a 120 to 130 yard shot to the green, then by all means do it. Keep track of your "Greens In Regulation" stats to see if you are hitting more greens by leaving yourself the 120-130 yard shot ... or if you are hitting less greens. I think it's perfectly fine to hit 2 medium distance shots (4 hybrid/8 iron) to get on the green in regulation rather than to hit one long & one short shot (driver/wedge). Par is par ... whether you drive the green & 3 putt (on a par 4 hole) ... or hit 3 short irons & 1 putt (on a par 4 hole) ... or hit driver/wedge & 2 putt (on a par 4 hole) ... or hit a 4 hybrid/8iron & 2 putt (on a par 4 hole).

The only instance I would say where this is NOT a good idea is that if by doing this you are unnecessarily shooting higher scores on a hole.

As you get better, you will hopefully feel more comfortable with other distances so you can experiment with different yardages.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I guess what im saying is that a miss from 40-80 yds with a wedge isnt going to be as bad as a miss from 120-130 with a 8 or 9 iron. Getting as close as you can minimizes your misses. Unless you just duff one..lol.

[unoiron]

I think this is a great question. The more I read about the greats like Hogan, the more I realize that they managed their game to give them the best possible chance of scoring. There are stories about Hogan picking his spots in practice rounds and telling his caddie to replace the divots perfectly because he planned on being exactly there all four rounds.

Although hitting it long is great, leaving yourself with an approach that you know you can stick is even better. In the last round I played I had three birdies that all came from hitting the same 100 yard gap wedge within 6 feet of the hole.

But sometimes, when the hole is only 320 yards, its real hard to force yourself to hit a 3 iron off the tee. It takes discipline.

I'd be curious to know if other people have that scoring shot that they know they can rely on.

[goblue107501]

Is it a good idea to try to create this opportunity for myself on every hole possible?

You can, and it will probably help you in the short term. As long as you don't do it and it creates a larger score. Meaning if you have 200 yards left for your second shot on a par 4, go for the green and see what happens. You don't wan't to purposely add another shot to the hole if you don't have to. As far as hitting a certain club off the tee, I do it all the time to try and get to a good distance and position.

What about on a 480 yard par 5 that i cannot possibly reach in two shots. Do i make sure my first two shots get to about 125 yards out from the pin even if it means my second shot is a 6 or 7 iron?

This is done quite a bit and most people should probably do it more. I have many times hit a driver into a bad spot on a par 5 and didn't want to risk going for the green so I hit a 9-iron or wedge down to a good distance for the third so I can hit another wedge.

[Keith412]

It seems that longer par 4's in which i cannot get within my comfortable distance i will have use a longer club for my approach. I don't plan on purposely laying up so that my 3rd shot at a par 4 is 130 yards out

[Keith412]

On top of that, is it a good idea to map out your round before it starts? For all 18 holes to have an idea what clubs i could like to us to get me into my favorite approach shot?

Meaning if i see that hole 5 is a 472 par 5

I would plan on hitting a 3 hybrid off the tee, then a 6 iron, after these two shots, i would like to be around 125 to 135 yards out for my 3rd shot.

Is this overkill? Will it lead to problems once my first shot misses the "plan"?

[unoiron]

Hogan did it. He knew exactly where he wanted to hit his tee shot to give him the best angle to the green. It's why he could go an entire US Open hitting nearly every single green in regulation.

That said, other than a few holes where I know from experience that I can hit a certain club to leave me in perfect position, I think it depends on how you're hitting that day. Are you flushing it? Are you playing it left to right, right to left? You really have to play the shot you've brought to the course that day.

[Gilles]

On top of that, is it a good idea to map out your round before it starts? For all 18 holes to have an idea what clubs i could like to us to get me into my favorite approach shot?

Going off topic, but I certainly would do it. I did it for my home course and i made me feel a lot more comfortable, knowing that it's 60y to the green if in front of some bunker but 80y if behind...

Don't just make one plan per hole. Make an alternative plan. For example : scenario A : I hit my driver 250y, scenario B : totally top it and hit it 120 yards or so... If you plan a second shot for both scenario's, your first shot is less likely to miss the plan... If you know you have a plan B, you're less likely to be disturbed if you don't hit the shot that matches plan A... It also made me realize that I'm sometimes better off teeing off with one club less but being more comfortable with that one, because in the end it the few extra yards won't save me a stroke to get on the green. G.

[Shindig]

Very new, started golfing in July, have only broken 100 once thus far but i have a question. I feel very comfortable from around 120 to 130 yards. Is it a good idea to try to create this opportunity for myself on every hole possible?

Yes, if you can hit a tee shot (par-4) or a second shot (par-5) that leaves you your favorite club in for GIR, then yes, go for it. Short term. If you're on the course, say, tomorrow, then this is the way to go.

However, you will probably want to start getting comfortable with a greater variety of distances. Anything inside 75 yards used to be my dead zone. Then I was convinced to go learn my half wedge distances... now a half-wedge is my favorite lay up. Knowing these is like adding extra clubs to your bag, without the 2-stroke penalty that accompanies doing such a thing.

On top of that, is it a good idea to map out your round before it starts? For all 18 holes to have an idea what clubs i could like to us to get me into my favorite approach shot?

It's a great idea, if you're playing a course regularly, to know how you like to play it, instead of hitting driver every hole then figuring out where you are. If the first shot misses the plan, well, then you have to think on your feet and deal with the contingency. But it's better than not having a plan in the first place. Plus, having a plan and successfully executing it is a great feeling.

[WUTiger]

Keith412,

It appears that 120-130 yards out is your "money" distance. That's where you feel most comfortable.

With my previous set of clubs, 140 yds. / 8-iron was my ideal distance. About half my birdies came with an 8-iron approach shot (I played better five years ago).

As for shorter par 5s, you have a choice. You can lay back for the 120 yard shot. Or , if you can be up close in two (40 yards away) and you have a good short game, you may be able to drop a chip or pitch in close for a birdie.

On the long par 4s, you might try a club that will get you up short of the green, and then try to chip up for a par putt. Use this plan to minimize danger of any greenside danger - bunkers or water. Basically play the long par 4 like a shorter par 5.

Note that some short par 4s are designed as "sucker" holes. If you hit a driver less than perfectly...
* you may run out of room and end up in the trees.
* you may end up 70 yds. from the pin with an odd sidehill lie down in a valley below the green; if you had gone with a hybrid instead, you'd be on level ground 120 yds. out with a clear view of the green.

It's good that you are charting your distance and picking up patterns in your game. As your swing develops, you likely will pick up some distance, which will offer you more options when you play.

Also, reread jaragon126's advice.

[dkinser86]

This is one of the things the I love about golf. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It is all a matter of personal preference. The goal is to put the ball in the hole while using the fewest strokes you can.

As for me, I'll try to leave a comfortable distance, unless there are other circumstances. Hazards and other sorts of things like that. One factor that I've been dealing with lately is the wind. I've found that, when playing in the wind, I will generally play to get as close to the green as I safely can. This will eliminate time when the ball is in the air.

In addition, I feel that, during practice rounds at least, you should test different things. Try blasting a driver on a hole where you would normally laid up. I find that you may discover something.

[sean_miller]

This is one of the things the I love about golf. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It is all a matter of personal preference. The goal is to put the ball in the hole while using the fewest strokes you can.

Like a new section of the forest?

[Keith412]

Planning it out was one thing...executing it was another. Was having trouble stringing together consecutive shots to put myself into my "planned" position. It wasn't too bad, but i did learn that my short game needs a ton of work. When my approach shot came up short, i suffered and lost a ton of strokes.

Thanks for all the suggestions and input everyone

[lumpuckeroo]

This is one of the things the I love about golf. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It is all a matter of personal preference. The goal is to put the ball in the hole while using the fewest strokes you can.

I couldn't agree more, I think having a plan on how to play a course is great, but you also have to be flexibile and adapt to the way you are playing that particular day.

My home course is very hilly, my game plan involves hitting to the flat spots on the course so my next shot is playable.