Is it stupid to lay up?

[ugottabjoshinme]

Thanks for the replies people. A funny thing though: I had sex for the first time yesterday, so this morning I play a round (4am) and I just went for it. Played 7 strokes less than usual. I think this kind of bliss will pass away, but thank god nobody ripped on my playstyle.

post of the year lol

HAHAHAHAHA.....Brag much?

[DJDuran]

laying up is smart golf. id rather lay up to about 50yds (which is my personal favorite yardage to shoot from) then try and muscle my way to a green and risk playing in the sand or taking a dip in the water.

smart golf wins. Billy Casper in the 1959 US Open, layed up on EVERY SINGLE DAY at the par 3 third hole. other golfers were taking bogeys even doubles on a par three that sloped off in every direction and guarded by insane bunkers. billy casper layed up each day and walked away with par each time. sunday came around and he was holding the trophy.

[wedge player]

That's nice to hear :) Because I'm only 16, there is quite a macho atmosphere. I'm not a very long driver either, especially not compared to the others. My teacher always says I should go for it, although he plays like an heroic pigeon. He never, ever lays up. Hitting a 3 wood from the rough 220 meters uphill over water is an option for him.

i play phil mickelson golf i alwayas go for it and it has cost me big time before but has saved me also i feel if i can reach it i will go for it.although i will say you play a good way to play.if it aint broke dont fix it.

[Leftygolfer]

From the rough, I lay up quite a bit. I will not hit more than a 6 iron from a bad lie. But I will take chances when the benifits are worth it. I can make par from 20 yards but I don't like my chances from 80. A good shot for me from that distance is 10 feet.

[Greg]

I think it depends on the situation whether I go for it or not. Im not a long hitter either. I look at what might happen if I hit it too far and get into trouble, like if theres a hazzard or out of bounds. Or a narrow fairway and hit it into the trees(or hitting from the trees). Sometimes you have to lay up or make a real mess of a hole. Play within your capabilities and whatever you feel confident with. Inside of 200 yards though, i feel pretty confident with my hybrid clubs that ill get it there. if your as good as your handicap would suggest then I think you're good enough not to lay up all the time, just know you carry distances and pick the right club.

[DriverTees]

Kinda :P I just feel like I can take on the world today :) Sorry, didn't actually mean to sound cocky.

[GaijinGolfer]

I wouldnt say that its, "stupid" to lay up. Golf isnt all about how far you hit the ball. Playing the smart shot and putting yourself in the right position on the course is often more important than how far you can hit the ball.
That said, you should maybe try going for it every now and then, especially if there is room for error. There is a time to go for it, just as there is a time to play it safe.

[enduro]

I wouldnt say that its, "stupid" to lay up. Golf isnt all about how far you hit the ball.

I'd say power is definitely underrated on these forums. The fact is, a good golfer is going to have reasonable power and accuracy. Someone laying up a lot is never going to improve because they are unable to hit it deep and straight.

Laying up shouldn't mean losing a stroke. Teeing off with a 3 wood on some holes isn't giving up a stroke but playing it safer for a few yards in cost, which can be made up on the next swing. Laying up on a 170yard shot is usually giving a stroke away. From 170 yards you are expected to make it on or very close to the green so you can putt or chip and run or something. If you lay up and leave yourself 40 or 50 yards, you're probably in 3 shot territory unless you really get it up well. If you get it on or around, you're probably in 2 shot territory.

[CG031]

I'd say power is definitely underrated on these forums. The fact is, a good golfer is going to have reasonable power and accuracy. Someone laying up a lot is never going to improve because they are unable to hit it deep and straight.

Are you serious? I lay up on 99% of par five's, and I'm around an 8 handicap, probably a little closer to 9 though (got hot the past two rounds and shot real low)...

But really man, if you have a good wedge game or high iron game, laying up is the way to go on par five's IMO.

[Marinemike]

A confidently stroked layup that you know for a fact is going to happen exactly as you want it to is way better than a bold shot that you're noncommittal on because you know that it may or may not happen right. It's better for your mind, and that will be better for the rest of your game.

Dance with what brung you.

[enduro]

Are you serious? I lay up on 99% of par five's, and I'm around an 8 handicap, probably a little closer to 9 though (got hot the past two rounds and shot real low)...

I think you got me wrong. I mentioned that laying up on a par 5 makes sense because you aren't giving up a stroke. But on a par 4 you are. From 170 yards away, a layup is giving a stroke away if you want to par the hole. On a Par 5, 550 yards, using a 3-wood and a 5-iron and leaving yourself 120 yards isn't the worst play.

I was more in reference to a long par 4 layup or even laying up on a par 3. Or laying up on your third shot on a par 5. I can't imagine taking 4 shots to get to the green on a par 5. Even a 625 yard one you can tee off and use a long iron and still should be in mid iron range. I would choose to go mid iron on the third shot always before laying up for a chip. I do understand about playing to your scoring spot. Everyone has a chip distance they absolutly love, some are 50 yards and some are 100 yards. So yeah, I can see your point too.

[CalvinG35]

Laying up is fine, but sometimes you've gotta push the envelope of your comfort zone to get better, especially as a young/new player. As you develop in golf you want to gain confidence in all of your shots, so you gotta be willing to hang it out there every once in a while. Heck, look at what Tiger did on Sunday at the Buick Open. He tried to put a very challenging fade on the green and ended up slicing it into the pond. But being Tiger he was still able to save the par!

[kafka01]

I do understand about playing to your scoring spot. Everyone has a chip distance they absolutly love, some are 50 yards and some are 100 yards. So yeah, I can see your point too.

Yeah i understand this too and i practice these shots and variations A LOT, but i still would prefer to take at least the chance to be somewhere at/beside the green or in a bunker than at my scoring spot - since a simple chip is way easier than a 50 or a 100 yard pitch.

IMO - you are just not able to play "safe" golf and go low, since you will always have bad breaks that cost you strokes which you have to make up for with birdies, and lay ups are not the way to go.

Are you serious? I lay up on 99% of par five's

Where is the fun in that?

We have 5 par5s - 2 of them are out of reach most of the time so i lay up, but the other 3, i know i have a good shot at, if i´m not into the wind, so when i step on the tee box my inital plan is to go for it and if my drive is okay i dont see any reason why not to go for it.

[shortstop20]

There is a par 5 at my local course that I lay up on EVERY time and I'm usually only 200 yards from the hole on my second shot. The reason is that there are tall weeds and a water hazard right in front of me. I am a low ball hitter and in order for me get over the weeds along the edge of the hazard I have to hit the ball higher than I can 9/10 times. So I use an iron and lay up to the same distance every time. Even if I hit my tee shot further back to give me more room to clear the weeds I wouldn't make it because there's a big downslope there and there's no way I'd get my 5 wood up in the air enough on that downslope to hit the green or clear the hazard for that matter.

The reason I posted all that is just to show you that you have to play your game, not what other people think you should do. It's called " your game" for a reason. Play to your strengths, not your weaknesses. You can play those other shots when they are no longer a weakness but a strength. Anybody that goes for a Par 5 in two every time when they can't hit that shot but once or twice every ten tries is not helping their score if there is trouble nearby(water hazard, OB, trees, etc.)

[CG031]

Where is the fun in that?

Because, generally, I'm out on the golf course to shoot my best possible score. Playing stupid and getting in my trouble by hooking a 3 wood or hybrid (when, In fact, 99% of the time I can not reach the green in two) is quite foolish. Why not hit driver, 7 iron, and W onto the green. If you stick the wedge within 10 feet (a lot of good wedge or high iron players will) you have a nice chance at birdie, the worst you should do is par.

[Sir Ryan]

Because, generally, I'm out on the golf course to shoot my best possible score. Playing stupid and getting in my trouble by hooking a 3 wood or hybrid (when, In fact, 99% of the time I can not reach the green in two) is quite foolish. Why not hit driver, 7 iron, and W onto the green. If you stick the wedge within 10 feet (a lot of good wedge or high iron players will) you have a nice chance at birdie,

yes! yesyesyesyes

[kafka01]

Because, generally, I'm out on the golf course to shoot my best possible score. Playing stupid and getting in my trouble by hooking a 3 wood or hybrid (when, In fact, 99% of the time I can not reach the green in two) is quite foolish. Why not hit driver, 7 iron, and W onto the green. If you stick the wedge within 10 feet (a lot of good wedge or high iron players will) you have a nice chance at birdie, the worst you should do is par.

I think you are overlooking some points here. You are assuming that on your layup option you hit 2 perfect shots and have an easy go at it for birdie and on your "go for it" option you all of a sudden screw up. IMO if you screw up on the 2nd option, you also go screw up on the first one a good percentage of the time, cuz a 7iron also can hook or can be hit fat - and all of a sudden your easy wedge into the green aint so easy anymore.

Dont get me wrong here - i generally play a course where you have to strategically place the ball off the tee to have proper shots into the greens and where you might hit driver 4-5 times a round. But when its time to attack, i dont hesitate and go for it.

[right handed phil mickelson]

The key is to have a long club (3 wood, 4 wood, 2 iron hybrid) that you feel comfortable hitting. Then you will have no problem going for it because you know how you hit that club, and where it will go. Maybe you won't get there in two, but at least you'll be closer to the green and have a greater chance of getting it close to the hole.

If it's inside 70 yards or so that's your problem, then go to the range and commit a whole bucket of balls to finding the right club to hit that shot, and the right distance and practice it. Then you can take that onto the course and you'll find your scores will reduce, and you'll be more confident in your game.