What is your go to range for an approach shot for birdie? ( POLL)

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by colin007

Take ten shots from 100 yards. Take ten from 50 yards. Measure. Stop thinking you're better from farther away.

I subscribe to this belief, On average taking a full but controled swing at 100yards with my handicap I'll be over all more accurate. Trying to pinch a <50 yard no doubt Ill hit one or two long, or spin one off  and leave one short and off the green.

At your handicap, I would think you would have the 1/2 and 3/4 shots in your arsenal.  I picked these up very quickly this year.  It literally took me a couple of grass range seasons to get comfortable with it.  The key, of course, was given by @iacas and @mvmac .  Keep the swing speed the same, just shorten the backswing.

In my opinion, it should be easier for high handicap players to master 1/2 and 3/4 shots than full swings.  They tend to over-reach at the top and that creates issues on the downswing.

[billchao]

The purpose of the poll was to get a rough idea of what yardages players are comfortable hitting consistently for launch, distance and the balance of accuracy.

After reading thru these answers & poll itself. I have resigned to the fact that perhaps the question I wrote may have been ill conceived or unclear.

I don't think the question was unclear. Instead, I think that it illustrates that you have the same misconception that most golfers do: lay up to a go-to distance. Closer is better.

1st we are hitting a shot to put us in position for Birdie-I think of my own course and there are no holes where my drive puts me in position of inside 60 yards- more like 160 to 100.Therefore I could vote with conscious that even inside of 90 yards is not a possibility. If I answered to a question what distance do I prefer to hit my lob (58*)  yes, just  inside of 60 is preferred

Two things:

1. You're already hitting driver, but your birdie approach shot distance is based on hole length? You're already playing it as close as possible, unless you're suggesting you hit a shorter club on a short par 4 to get to your preferred distance.
2. The poll question would almost be impossible to answer if everyone had to evaluate their driving distance on the courses they play. What if I need a birdie but I'm stuck facing the 440 yard par 4? I couldn't get to any distance I'd be comfortable making birdie on anyway, so the question would essentially boil down to "From what approach distance would you score better from?" which would still be <60 yards.

The other surprise is chip lob and pitch  shots inside of 60 yards but greater than 20 can be surprisingly difficult. for mid to high handicappers using a less than full swing, yet many answered that option. I put inside of 60 as an option for what I thought would be women, juniors and seniors responding from forward tees.

They're really not. It's a much simpler motion than a full swing. Most high handicap players have an issue with these shots because they generally have bad mechanics and don't practice them much, but I'd probably say high handicap players face these shots more often than better players (due to mis-hits and so forth). The fact that they can get the ball on or near the green from 50 yards but manage to hit a full shot poorly enough from a greater distance to leave them with a 50 yard shot kind of speaks to the fallacy that a full swing is better.

I subscribe to this belief, On average taking a full but controled swing at 100yards with my handicap I'll be over all more accurate. Trying to pinch a <50 yard no doubt Ill hit one or two long, or spin one off  and leave one short and off the green.

You should try the experiment @colin007 suggested. Chart the dispersion. At your handicap, it should be even easier to hit the 50 yard pitch shot than most of us. You might miss the first one, but you should dial the distance in real quickly, whereas you can only be so accurate from 100 yards no matter how good you are.

[georgep]

I'd definitely say "as close as possible" as a general rule. However, there are some situations where I would personally be more comfortable with a longer shot. If the green is fronted by water, really gnarly rough, or some other extremely penal feature, I would rather have a full swing with a SW, GW, or PW than to try to finesse something. This would reduce the likelihood of birdie, naturally, but it involves a lot less nerve, at least for me.

Then again, if I need a birdie to win or stay in a match, I'll take as close as possible regardless of what's between me and the flag.

[Fourputt]

Actually, if we are being perfectly honest here, if I need a birdie to win a match or round, then I'd be just as well advised to simply shake his hand and congratulate him on his victory.  That's about how likely I am to make birdie on demand.

[Phil McGleno]

1st we are hitting a shot to put us in position for Birdie-I think of my own course and there are no holes where my drive puts me in position of inside 60 yards- more like 160 to 100.Therefore I could vote with conscious that even inside of 90 yards is not a possibility. If I answered to a question what distance do I prefer to hit my lob (58*)  yes, just  inside of 60 is preferred

Third shots on par fives can be inside 60 yards.

The other surprise is chip lob and pitch  shots inside of 60 yards but greater than 20 can be surprisingly difficult. for mid to high handicappers using a less than full swing, yet many answered that option. I put inside of 60 as an option for what I thought would be women, juniors and seniors responding from forward tees.

Not as difficult as you think. Some high handicappers struggle with them but it is really almost always a perception issue. They can take 10 minutes and sort it out too.

I subscribe to this belief, On average taking a full but controled swing at 100yards with my handicap I'll be over all more accurate. Trying to pinch a <50 yard no doubt Ill hit one or two long, or spin one off  and leave one short and off the green.

Highly unlikely. You should buy the book the guys who run this site wrote. I do not know why you have not yet. You must like golf if you are on here. There are some charts that you should find illuminating.

[dfreuter415]

The original poll question was: In need of a birdie on a par 4, what is your desired yardage range to stick one tight?

My home course is similar to Spitfisher, in that If I need birdie on a par 4, I will be looking anywhere from 100 to 180 yards for an approach.  The answer for me would be 100 yards, simply because it is usually the distance that I am closest to the pin.

Now, let's say the question was: In need of a birdie anywhere on the course, what is your best bet to stick one tight?

My answer here would be on one of the two short par 5's where I could hit my second shot somewhere close to the green (usually 30-80 yards), with the closer shot always being the preferred distance.

Or, if the question was : What is your desired yardage range to stick one tight to the pin, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90, 91-100, or a distance greater than 100 yards? (I have left off less than 60 because that seems like the obvious choice.)

My answer here would be 71-80 yards because I can ht a full shot with a little more dependability at this distance.

[Crim]

The only time laying up to your "favorite" yardage works is in the Tiger Woods video games. The lob wedge can be an absolute pain to control so I usually lay up to a PW. In real life, your desired distance should be as close as you can get...don't kid yourself with any other answer.

[iacas]

The original poll question was:  In need of a birdie on a par 4, what is your desired yardage range to stick one tight?

That is the original question. Doesn't mean we can't hope for a cart path, or that nobody plays a course with short par fours. Desires aren't always obtainable. :)

[mdl]

I subscribe to this belief, On average taking a full but controled swing at 100yards with my handicap I'll be over all more accurate. Trying to pinch a <50 yard no doubt Ill hit one or two long, or spin one off  and leave one short and off the green.

This is the key to the misconception.  You remember and feel terrible about those missed greens from 50 yards because you expect to hit all of them tight, or at least 100% on the green, cause you're so close.  You miss more often with a full wedge from 100 yards, but you're not expecting to stick every one close from that distance, so you don't remember the misses as so frustrating.  This leads you to think you're better from 100 yards than 50 because you feel better about 100 yards because you don't have such bad memories.  But it's a function of expectations, not actual results.

[DrvFrShow]

< 60. Yes, a lob shot right onto the green. Now if I only didn't choke on the putt.

[RH31]

There's only one par 4 on my home course where I could drive it inside 60 yards and that brings water into play. I lay back to anywhere

from 50-90, but generally like to hit a comfortable lob wedge(60-70 yards) to really have the best chance of sticking it close.

If I was playing just a basic shortish par 4 that I could drive it to say 30 yards from the green, I would only choose the closer option

if I knew the pin placement, speed and slope of the green, etc. were favorable to both a bump and run or lob and stick type of shot.

So, usually, I would choose to lay back off the tee to the 60-70 yard range and try and knock that in close.

[Dave2512]

This is the key to the misconception.  You remember and feel terrible about those missed greens from 50 yards because you expect to hit all of them tight, or at least 100% on the green, cause you're so close.  You miss more often with a full wedge from 100 yards, but you're not expecting to stick every one close from that distance, so you don't remember the misses as so frustrating.  This leads you to think you're better from 100 yards than 50 because you feel better about 100 yards because you don't have such bad memories.  But it's a function of expectations, not actual results.

Exactly perception colors it.

[inthehole]

Up until a few weeks ago, I would always set up for an 80-85 yd full sand wedge - this has always been my "money shot".    Now that @iacas has proven at length to all of us that it's better to be as close as possible, I'm going to work on trying to get it closer this year  ... I used to avoid the 40-60 yd "feel" shots like the plague.

[inthehole]

Maybe in hindsight, the better way to phrase this poll, would have been situational if the OP was really trying to fish out everyone's preferred approach shot methodology.    Obviously, everyone's distance per club varies, but for the purposes of the example, lets have everyone assume they're an average mid capper ... say you find yourself 260 yards out (nice fluffy fairway lie, no bunkers or water to muck things up greenside), there are basically two common options as an average mid capper - do you:

a. Add a little risk and hit your 3 wood or long hybrid that gets you maybe 30-50 yards from the green

----- OR -----

b. Play an easier mid iron, that gets you 80-100 yds out for a comfortable full sand or gap wedge in

... anyways, just thinking out loud

[imsys0042]

It also depends on the hole. I've gone through LSW and done the zones on courses I play frequently and using the safest way to hit as far as you can methodology, there is no single answer. For the above scenario, it depends on whether your 3-wood can dump you in trouble or its wide open. You might have trouble so you hit the hybrid or mid iron to stay safe. There is a hole in my home course that is dead easy if you can not pull your tee shot left. You can either drive the green (par 4) or give yourself a 40 yard pitch to the green. My miss is a pull so after analysis and experience I hit a 5 iron leaving 90-100 yards because that gives me the safest way to play. If I hit a fade I'd hit 3-wood all the time and have the short shot. My safe zone stops at about a 4/5 iron just because of the way the hole sets up for me. Another hole is completely the opposite. I'm stupid to not whale driver for my tee shot even though it leaves me a half shot in. Because my ball flight and the way the hole sets up means that my driver bubble/zone is easy safe. I'll take a 70/80 yard shot over where most people land it 60 yards back.

[maderman23]

Personally, most shots from 40-60 are a touch awkward for me. Personally, 80-90 yards is my sweet spot, and I rarely keep it out of 8 feet from that distance.

[Phil McGleno]

Personally, most shots from 40-60 are a touch awkward for me. Personally, 80-90 yards is my sweet spot, and I rarely keep it out of 8 feet from that distance.

Call me skeptical: http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.075.2014.html

[maderman23]

Call me skeptical: http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.075.2014.html

Ok, then shall I say 10 feet or is 15 feet something that you're more willing to not be skeptical about?