Learn from Phil Mickelson and lower your scores on Par 5s

[mvmac]

Simple tip on Par 5's, get as close as you can and forget the incorrect advice of laying up to a "comfortable" yardage. From the book Lowest Score Wins,

Quote

It all goes back to the single strongest correlation in golf: shots played from closer to the hole will finish closer to the hole.

Obviously I'm not saying to "go for it" blindly on every shot, but if you have a somewhat open shot you're only hurting yourself by laying up to 100 yards when you could be 30 yards short of the green. Even if you hit your fairway wood in the rough, you're better off from 30 yards than 100 yards in the fairway. With the shorter shot you have a much better chance of hitting the ball closer to the hole. Most of you aren't playing deep, thick U.S. Open rough  If there's OB, a hazard, a tree short of the green, then lay up.

Even without the great short game, Phil utilizes the best strategy, something every golfer (who wants to shoot lower scores) should do.

Also, can you guess which player Bones first caddied for?

 

[Golfingdad]

25 minutes ago, mvmac said:

Obviously I'm not saying to "go for it" blindly on every shot...

All good stuff, but this is what I've learned the "most slowly."    It's like I have those little shoulder angels and devils and the devil always pipes up whenever I consider an iron layup on a par 5.  "No, you big wuss, get as close as you can!!!!"  I have to remind him that "as close as you can" needs that qualification from the book ... SAFELY.

 

28 minutes ago, mvmac said:

If there's OB, a hazard, a tree short of the green, then lay up.

Bunkers too for most of us.  Especially if those bunkers creep back a ways such that there is the possibility of a 40-50 yard bunker shot for your third. 

Maybe the best way to think about it is to just avoid considering the length of your third shot even for one second.  Look at the lay of the land, see where the safe spots are, and hit it far in that direction.  Find out when you get there how much you have left.  Then there's zero temptation to find that "magic" yardage.

[Mr. Desmond]

A: Curtis Strange ... a hard a##

 

 

Q: Whom do Bones caddy for in the early 90's.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Mr. Desmond

[iacas]

16 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Bunkers too for most of us.  Especially if those bunkers creep back a ways such that there is the possibility of a 40-50 yard bunker shot for your third. 

Bunkers are hazards, Drew.

[saevel25]

I think a good test for any golfer would be to drop 10 balls 100 yards from the green. Then drop 10 balls 50 yards from the green. Then average the proximity to the hole. I would bet a high percentage have a closer proximity from 50 yards than 100 yards. 

I wonder if it's just most golfers believe the old adage about laying up to a full yardage that they don't have a lot of intermediate wedge shots to think back on. Ever since reading lowest score wins I really don't care if I end up 30 yards from the green. So it happens more often and I am more comfortable with that situation. 

[Golfingdad]

12 minutes ago, iacas said:

Bunkers are hazards, Drew.

Doh!

[iacas]

11 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I wonder if it's just most golfers believe the old adage about laying up to a full yardage that they don't have a lot of intermediate wedge shots to think back on. Ever since reading lowest score wins I really don't care if I end up 30 yards from the green. So it happens more often and I am more comfortable with that situation. 

I know why. Confirmation bias (or a perversion of that).

From 100 yards they think they should hit it to 10 feet but aren't too upset when they hit it to 20. They readily forget the times they miss the green.

From 50 yards they think they should practically hole out every time, and the fact that it's a "feel" shot and not a full sand wedge or something makes them slightly uncomfortable already, so not being comfortable + hitting it to 15 feet (still decent) leads to them feeling bad about that shot, while they still remember the 100-yarder they stuck to six feet two months ago for the other one…

Plus most of the time a golfer is 50 yard short of the green if they're the kind of golfer who lays up to 100 is when they got in trouble off the tee, so the times they're playing from 50 yards are when they're making a mess of the hole already.

[billchao]

52 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

 I have to remind him that "as close as ou can" needs that qualification from the book ... SAFELY.

Yea I struggle with this, too, but I mostly just gave up on hitting anything other than driver since my big miss is path driven and can happen with every club in the bag. Feels really dumb to tee off with a 5i only to push it into the woods anyway.