GO FOR IT or Play it Smart?

[ThominOH]

Originally Posted by iacas

It depends on the trouble for me.

Same here, and depends if you are playing for yourself, or have team mates.. Depends if there is a stake involved.. League play for team championship, I probably lay up unless I'm behind.. etc etc.. But if we are talking pure "for shits and giggles" fun play... I say grip it & rip it..

[awmgolfer]

I stick to a saying of play the percentages. If its a risky shot and my chances of hitting it in a really bad spot are high I will not do it. If its a practice round or just a fun round of course I'm gonna go for it but in any match situation, I'm playing the percentages of what is the chances of a good outcome or at least putting myself in position. If I feel my chances are pretty good I'll go for it.

[lumpuckeroo]

Too many variables to say one way or the other, does a possible eagle chance give me a career round or just to break 90, than maybe.  Generally speaking I would play pretty conservatively and in all honestly, if eagle is the difference between low 80's or mid 80's, I'd play conservative and take the mid 80's.

[ApocG10]

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.

I rarely ever lay up on a Par 5, unless its just too long for me to get in two. The 4 par 5's at my course all leave me a 5w/3h in from an average length drive. So I am always going to go for it, unless I leave my drive short and have no choice but lay up. But I always go for the smart shot, and I have enough distance that the smart shot is usually on in 2.

There is one par 5 at one of the courses im a member at where I lay up sometimes. A river moat snakes around the left side of the green, with bunkers protecting the front and right sides. There are also fairway bunkers protecting the outside of the dogleg, for about 50 yards.

If my drive ends up down the center of the fairway, I go for it, with 175 yards to the pin from the dogleg hard left. If I am in the bunker (not often, thats not my usual miss) with a lie that isnt plugged, i'll fire a PW down towards the green, laying up to about 50 yards, which is dead on distance for me, and i'll go for the birdie. If Im down the left side (my usual miss), you cant get a look at the green, and have to risk firing to the right side side, or laying yup to about 100 yards. If you are down the center though, Its an easy 6 iron to the center of the green, and a look at eagle.

Ill go for it anytime going for it makes sense. I try to play smart golf, not power golf like I see most people doing. Im thinking about what the smartest shot is the second my ball lands. And I must say, doing so has reduced my scores more than any other single thing i've done, aside from learning a powerful, repeating swing. Strategy is just important as accuracy, and while playing different golf courses, I have been able to outsmart the course by thinking about the best option from every position I have to hit from. Its the reason i've been successful in finally breaking par this year, and why im getting down close to scratch (playing off a 2 right now). When I miss my shot, I start thinking about the best way to get to the green, and get up and down for par. Not how I can go for it, but how I can save that one particular hole. Every hole is a different chess board. And no matter what square you are playing from, there is a smart way to your destination that may take 1 extra stroke, and theres the hail mary go for it, which for amateurs, more often than not, ends in even more trouble.

[GaijinGolfer]

Unless there is a certain margin for error or the consequences of a miss are small, I will make the smart play.  Laying up to 100 yards and hitting a wedge is a much safer play than trying to go for it from 200 yards out.

[Fake WSimpson]

Yesterday, playing hole 7, I had a 200 yd carry over water to a green with a bunker on the left and more water on the right. Was playing well so far that day and took out the 5 wood. A little extra club to 5 wood, a little extra club to make sure I could carry the water. Swung about 85%, hit it perfectly, but sliced it into the water. Made bogey, but it was worth the try. I could live with a bogey, but it would have made my day if I made eagle. GO FOR IT

[saevel25]

My keys to going for it,

1) will my miss be an imediate stroke. Meaning does my usual miss in my swing, which for a long iron or 3 wood is usually to the right, end up costing me a penalty (water, lost ball, unplayable)

If so, then i will not go for the green period.

So basically if there is water right, OB right, the great unknown right, i will not go for the green. Other than that, i will go for it if i have the shot, which usually means anywere from 235 and lower, and up to about 260 with my 3-wood. If its 245-255, thats kinda tough, i really don't like to choke down on my 3-wood because that doesn't gaurentee it to go shorter, sometimes you can catch those to good.

[hendog]

How bad of shot does it take to find a hazard?

That is my only question in this situation. I am fine with hitting into a bunker and I am fine with being around the green even if its in the rough. But I will not cost myself a penalty stroke when a layup and wedge could have gotten me a par at most and maybe a birdie.

If it takes a miss of 30 yards any direction to find a hazard then I will go for it because if I hit a shot that bad then I deserve a penalty. As that number decreases I start weighing the odds, considering my common miss, taking into account my game that day and my score (solid round going? why screw it up; crappy round? why not).

You have to have confidence in your short game to be a regular risk taker like this.

[dsc123]

Check out the lie, distances, trouble, wind, and consider how you've been swinging that club.  Then ignore whatever conclusion that led you to, shrug your shoulders, say "F*** it,"  and rip it.

That's what I do anyway.

[MEfree]

Of course there are a ton of variables in determining whether to go for it or not.

When I said "smart play" in the original question, I meant that play that would result in the lowest average score  if you were to play it from that spot 100 times.  If going for it is the smart play then it sort of seems like a no brainer to me.

The question I had is if going for it will likely result in a (slightly to moderately higher) average score than laying up will you still go for it.  i.e. let`s suppose you expect to average 4.8 by laying up with mostly pars, a handful of birdies, an occasional bogey and the extremely rare eagle (via a hole out) or other (by collapsing after the lay up) while going for it is likely to result in a better chance for an eagle or birdie, but a slightly higher average score than 4.8 because of the increased chance for a bigger number.

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by dsc123

Check out the lie, distances, trouble, wind, and consider how you've been swinging that club.  Then ignore whatever conclusion that led you to, shrug your shoulders, say "F*** it,"  and rip it.

That's what I do anyway.

Usually how it works out for me too. Hmm I cant miss right or left and its almost out of reach. Eff it. You never know until you try.

[jshots]

Let me tell you about an eagle I had last week. Par 5, 230 yards out for my 2nd downhill with water tight on the right. I hit the most absolutely perfect 5i you could imagine, right where I wanted. It took a hop to the right and ended up 4 feet from the hole. When I came up to where I could see the ball I had a smile on my face.

It only happens once in a ton of shots, but its so worth it when it does.

[Jimdangles]

Originally Posted by jshots

Let me tell you about an eagle I had last week. Par 5, 230 yards out for my 2nd downhill with water tight on the right. I hit the most absolutely perfect 5i you could imagine, right where I wanted. It took a hop to the right and ended up 4 feet from the hole. When I came up to where I could see the ball I had a smile on my face.

It only happens once in a ton of shots, but its so worth it when it does.

THATS IT! I am going for it EVERY time now.

[Volchok]

Originally Posted by jshots

Let me tell you about an eagle I had last week. Par 5, 230 yards out for my 2nd downhill with water tight on the right. I hit the most absolutely perfect 5i you could imagine, right where I wanted. It took a hop to the right and ended up 4 feet from the hole. When I came up to where I could see the ball I had a smile on my face.

It only happens once in a ton of shots, but its so worth it when it does.

Agreed. I don't carry a 3-wood in my bag, so I usually don't go for the green in 2. But there's a chance that I'll rip my driver perfect enough to get a chance with my 3-H. Only reached the green under GIR a handful of times, so when I do, it's really a special feeling.

Back to the original question. I usually lay up if there's water infront, and I have to have a certain carry distance, for example 200 yards. Much depends on previous holes and if the eagle chance comes in the beginning of the round or on the last holes. If I'm playing the best round of my life, I might have the confidence to try and get there, but at the same time play it safe to keep my momentum going. Nothing worse than ending up with a triple on the last hole. Too many factors come into play.

[DufnerDip]

Had an eagle today that was ALMOST a double eagle..

Long par 5 and pulled out the driver, playing from the tips and had I used a 3 wood I'm not sure I could have gotten there in 2 with another 3 wood shot.(mostly accuracy) Water is on the left so of course I play it safe and aim down the middle and hit my little fade, end up right on the edge of the rough on the right side. I have about 245 left and pull out the hybrid. I knew what kind of shot I had to make, the problem is always executing the shot. Bunker on the front left side of the green and the pin is a hair to the right of it so I knew I had to hit a low draw and run it in there. I could NOT have hit a better shot. The shot I hit was exactly what I had already pictured in my head before the shot. Ball hit the up slope right in front of the green and rolled to 2 feet from the pin. A hair longer and it would have gone straight in.

[Kapanda]

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

[tmf9]

Go for it.  When im faced with something like that I go for it and if i hit a bad shot I know my short game can still save par and worst case scenario I make bogey.  And If i lay up im probably making par and maybe a birdie if I'm lucky. If you're confident in your swing being aggresive usually helps as long as its not anything too ridiculous.

[MasonAsher2014]

No guts no glory!

If it was protected by a pond or bunkers I will lay up. If open I'm putting it on! Usually on the <500 par5s I will use iron on second shot anyway and I fly those straighter than a line so usually I'll give it a whack.