GO FOR IT or Play it Smart? - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas 

It depends on the trouble for me.

This. If we're talking about sticking a green surrounded by water, I'm laying up. If the worst case scenario is some deep rough or a bunker that looks easy to get out of, I will go for it.

I would venture to say that 75% of the time I am going to lay up and have Birdie on my mind, or a safe Par. The 25% differential depends on the type of trouble between myself and the green and how well I am playing that day.

Most of my rounds are casual with friends; in this case I'll nearly always go for it--unless it would require a best-ever shot.

If the round means something, then I'll so a more risk-reward analysis based on the consequences of a miss.  If I need eagle to break par, then I'm probably going for it.  If I've got a lead, I'll probably play safe.

If a normal good shot gets me home, I'm probably going for it.  I guess I've got a "go for it" bias.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapanda 

Depends on situation, of course... is it in competition, am I behind, way ahead...? Am I playing by myself?

Wow - you just started playing very recently and initially "hated the sport" but now you'e playing competitions and stuff. Kudos!! 

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEfree 

Play it safe or go for the glory?  

 

Personally, I hate to lay up on a par 5 when I know I can reach it in 2.  On 18 yesterday, for the first time all day, all 4 of us hit good drives and had 200 to 225 in to a front pin with water right and a bunker left.  The other 3 guys had played poorly all day and I was surprised when I was the only one who went for the green.

 

Do you go for it whenever you get a chance or play it safe if there is trouble?

 

Apologies if this has already been discussed, but I didn`t see an exact match when I did a search.

......sometimes going for a par5 in 2 is the smart shot.  You just need to know your game and it's limitations. IE..if the chance of a good result is 1-in-10...then maybe a layup is the play!!  I couldn't vote in the poll because I didn't see an option I liked. 

Because the ground is so hard this summer, about once a month I end up with a chance to get home in two.

It depends a lot on what's around the green. If there's steep bunkers, I would lay up unless I could fly the ball onto the green. On two Par 5s I play regularly, people who try to roll the ball on usually ricochet into deeeeeep sand pit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller 

Wow - you just started playing very recently and initially "hated the sport" but now you'e playing competitions and stuff. Kudos!! 

Well, I'm not, but it's not too hard to imagine the situation.

Personally when playing par 5s is going for the green in 3. I play with many people who try and go for eagle, it never works out for them. I would rather play it safe and par then end up in the hazard, trees or wahtever obstacles are in defending the hole.

Depends on the trouble.  If there's what I call "death trouble" (water, waist-high junk, OB) in play, then typically I will not go for it.  However, if they only trouble is sand and there's a generous amount of short grass around the green, I'll often give it a shot, as I'm pretty confident out of the sand.

I will go for it every time; well most of the time. It allows me to practice with my woods and hybrids that I otherwise get little course time with which to practice them.

If I miss, which is usually the case, with various factors of miss distance... I am pretty comfortable making the shot from there. <-Lie.....  Sometimes the miss drops in the sand... In the past I hit the sand a lot more, and as a result I have had a 90% success rate in the sand this year near the green... Less so with distance, but I might as well aim for the sand... If I miss (which happens a lot) I have a higher likelihood of dropping it closer to the pin from the sand than from the turf.... I know..... that's weird....

Of course, it is frustrating when I go for it and botch it completely...... Its improving though.... hehe So go for it still I will!

I go for it 100% of the time,if i'm short its just a pitch anyway,if theres bunkers then good,i love landing in them.j/k,i just go for it whatever the situation and it usually never comes good

At my course, most high handicappers I've played with seem to "go for it" on every shot with little to no strategy. Once they get better (although experienced aging players are usually getting a little worse every season) and can actually hit the proper distances more often than not (once playing off ~ 18 or less), going for it 100% of the time is a very poor strategy, but while they still routinely flub far more long shots than they hit well, the results typically end up looking like a layup anyway.

I wished I had gone for it last night. Twice I shanked a ball trying to play it safe under tree branches. Wasn't under the trees but both had branches that extended into the fairway. Old course with huge trees, made for lots of tricky approach shots. Both times I was just inches into the first cut.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller 

At my course, most high handicappers I've played with seem to "go for it" on every shot with little to no strategy. Once they get better (although experienced aging players are usually getting a little worse every season) and can actually hit the proper distances more often than not (once playing off ~ 18 or less), going for it 100% of the time is a very poor strategy, but while they still routinely flub far more long shots than they hit well, the results typically end up looking like a layup anyway.

I tend to agree.  The experienced player usually takes a moment to at least consider his options.  He may still decide to have a go, but he thinks it over first.  The beginner or high handicapper often just pulls the longest club in his bag and whacks away at it without even thinking about the consequences. 

By the way, that's one of the reasons why they are still high handicappers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller 

At my course, most high handicappers I've played with seem to "go for it" on every shot with little to no strategy. Once they get better (although experienced aging players are usually getting a little worse every season) and can actually hit the proper distances more often than not (once playing off ~ 18 or less), going for it 100% of the time is a very poor strategy, but while they still routinely flub far more long shots than they hit well, the results typically end up looking like a layup anyway.

I see what you're saying and I do actually agree with it quite a lot. It also made me rethink my exaggeration, as I am ignoring places where you obviously can't go for it; regarding heavily protected greens where losing a ball and taking a penalty is pretty much guaranteed... So 100% is an exaggeration. But you are most correct, it is a very poor strategy. :)

I mostly enjoy the opportunity to practice a long shot that I have little chance to practice on the course. :)

Although, I'll admit, that perhaps the fact that I don't take the game as seriously as others while I play is the reason why I can't strike the ball as well on the course as I can at the range. That doesn't mean I'd be a low handicapper, but I've seen signs in my game recently that bogey golf isn't far away. I'm getting more pars, and more single bogeys instead of lots of doubles and singles. 8s are becoming much more rare. :)

So in conclusion..... perhaps after considering your post I may wind up going for it less. :)