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


Spitfisher
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  1. 1. In need of a birdie on a par 4, what is your desired yardage range to stick one tight?

    • <60
      39
    • 61-70
      0
    • 71-80
      2
    • 81-90
      6
    • 91-100
      6
    • 101-110
      3
    • 111-120
      2
    • 121-130
      0
    • 131-140
      0
    • 141-150
      0
    • 151-160
      1
    • 160>
      0


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I have to go with <60. If you are hitting hybrid off the tee simply to have a comfortable club into the green, you might want to spend some time gauging your wedges for partial swings.

- Shane

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I have to go with <60. If you are hitting hybrid off the tee simply to have a comfortable club into the green, you might want to spend some time gauging your wedges for partial swings.

That's a very vague statement. To get to that <60 allot of people would need to hit 3w or more (on most par fours). If you can hit 3i and PW on any par four that you can't reach with driver why would you risk a longer club? Especially if you bring trouble into play by hitting the longer club. In the last year I can literally count on one hand the amount of times I have missed a fairway with my 3i and I'll take 110 from the fairway over 50 from the rough any day.

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I have to go with <60. If you are hitting hybrid off the tee simply to have a comfortable club into the green, you might want to spend some time gauging your wedges for partial swings.

Sorry, let me revise. I agree with this statement but I think that each different circumstance calls for a different plan of action especially when you consider different hole layouts.

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That's a very vague statement.

To get to that <60 allot of people would need to hit 3w or more (on most par fours).

If you can hit 3i and PW on any par four that you can't reach with driver why would you risk a longer club? Especially if you bring trouble into play by hitting the longer club.

In the last year I can literally count on one hand the amount of times I have missed a fairway with my 3i and I'll take 110 from the fairway over 50 from the rough any day.

Sorry, let me revise.

I agree with this statement but I think that each different circumstance calls for a different plan of action especially when you consider different hole layouts.


Given a straightforward hole without hazards, OB, etc., I'm going to bomb it as far as I can. My go to shot would be to drive the green and putt if I can reach it. The chances of me getting there is low, but if there is not danger, I'm pulling the big stick EVERY time.

- Shane

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Given a straightforward hole without hazards, OB, etc., I'm going to bomb it as far as I can. My go to shot would be to drive the green and putt if I can reach it. The chances of me getting there is low, but if there is not danger, I'm pulling the big stick EVERY time.

Couldn't agree more.

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The shortest par 4 hole on my former home course is 340 yards from the mid tees, but most players can't go with the driver because of a lake that starts about 220 off the tee on the left and angles across to about 100 yards for the shortest possible approach if you can place the tee shot down a narrow strip of fairway on the right (there is also a large tree on the near shore that blocks the left side of the fairway from any shot inside of about 130 yards).  I used to just go for the 150 yard markers to ensure that I didn't roll into the lake or get blocked by the tree, and I felt like I didn't gain anything by hitting it any farther.  After tracking my results for a few rounds several years ago, I found that I was quite mistaken.  I then started playing a 3W off the tee most times, and I found that my average score was better, even though I risked the occasional pitch out from behind the tree, or penalty for hitting into the lake.  I hit the green far more often from 120 or 110 than I did from 150 or 140, and as a result I made many more pars, along with a few more birdies, and far fewer doubles and triples.  Closer is better.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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Hitting shots on the range would not provide the input I used to answer the question. I am focused on tournament rounds only. The research by Jon Stabler and Dr. Graham was about shots under pressure, as in "have to make birdie". I agree that in a casual round, or on the range, closer is better (all other factors equal). But with shaky hands in a big tournament, I like a fuller swing, and their research and years working on the various tours around the world, has borne that out.

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I answered the poll as 111-120 yards, Because I can take a club(s) that I am comfortable will and tend to have that distance dialed in. with 3 different clubs and 3 different swings etc. My course there is not one single hole that I can drive and be inside 90 Yards there fore I did not answer it that way.

I took the question to mean, "From what yardage do you have the best chance to hit it close and make birdie?"

Given a straightforward hole without hazards, OB, etc., I'm going to bomb it as far as I can. My go to shot would be to drive the green and putt if I can reach it. The chances of me getting there is low, but if there is not danger, I'm pulling the big stick EVERY time.

Absolutely.

But with shaky hands in a big tournament, I like a fuller swing, and their research and years working on the various tours around the world, has borne that out.

The stats don't show that.

http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.076.2014.html

http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.074.2014.html

Mike McLoughlin

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I took the question to mean, "From what yardage do you have the best chance to hit it close and make birdie?"

Me too, maybe it could be better thought of as...

"If you were to choose between a 150, 140, 130, 120, 110, 100, 90, 80, 70, or less than 60 yard par 3...which one would you choose?"

Why would you pick anything other than "as close as you can get?" Something is seriously wrong if you'd take a 120 yard par 3 over a 60 yard one.

Joel Holden

https://twitter.com/JHolden138

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I voted for <60 yards. With the help from @iacas and @david_wedzik I've found it much easier to hit it closer from those partial shots. It really helped me out this previous year. Before I would have said 115 yards, for a full wedge shot. In years past I use to lay up on par 5's. Now I get a bit more aggressive on par 5's to get as close as I can. I know I have much more improvement to make in that aspect, but I am still confident enough to vote for the inside of 60 yards to this poll.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
 fasdfa dfdsaf 

What's in My Bag
Driver; :pxg: 0311 Gen 5,  3-Wood: 
:titleist: 917h3 ,  Hybrid:  :titleist: 915 2-Hybrid,  Irons: Sub 70 TAIII Fordged
Wedges: :edel: (52, 56, 60),  Putter: :edel:,  Ball: :snell: MTB,  Shoe: :true_linkswear:,  Rangfinder: :leupold:
Bag: :ping:

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Note: This thread is 3370 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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