Playing to a Number

[cauley]

Let me reword the question slightly. On par 5s that you cannot reach in two, do most play to be at a specific number or go all out to be close. I always try to be at 70 yards so I can hit a strong but smooth 60* for me. It is my best shot at birdie.

I do the same. If I'm sure I can't reach, I'd much rather have 75 yards (normal 58*) than a pitch of any length. I use this on short par 4's as well, using 3W or hybrid to lay up to a comfortable number.

 

[cauley]

During our wedge shoot out later this year we will have players of all skill levels and will definitely get this done.

Awesome. Can't wait to see the results.

 

[aca247]

i like to play to whatever number the hole is:banana:

 

[Webster]

Man I have been at this game for quite awhile and this idea has made quite a change in my scoring. I'm pretty comfortable with the 90-110 yard range so that is the number I decided to play for. It looks pretty odd sometimes and has earned me some looks and some comments(don't know why; doen't everyone play hit Driver, PW, PW?). But my blowup holes anywhere from 2-4 a round have nearly vanished. I usually shoot par's and bogeys for 14 or so holes and then 7's 8's and the occasional 10 on the other holes. Its amazing....don't want to stop playing. Thanks JB for this thread. I know.....I know I only hit my PW 110 or so but remember I'm a giezer.

 

[GrantD]

Do most people that play to a number style of golf, go for 150 or 100? Or do you have another type of style?

Edit: What do most people play to off the tee?

 

[JB]

Do most people that play to a number style of golf, go for 150 or 100? Or do you have another type of style?

Edit: What do most people play to off the tee?

Depends on the hole and what I have laid out in front of me.

 

[GrantD]

Depends on the hole and what I have laid out in front of me.

What do you try to do most of the time on 350 yd Par 4?

How about a 450 yd Par 5?

Off the tee of course.

 

[JB]

What do you try to do most of the time on 350 yd Par 4?

How about a 450 yd Par 5?

Off the tee of course.

If I am hitting my driver well, I would hit my driver and try to put it right at that 100 yard mark. Again dependent on how tight the course is, what trouble I have in front of me, etc...

On the shorter par 5, it would be completely dependent on how the hole is laid out.

 

[GrantD]

If I am hitting my driver well, I would hit my driver and try to put it right at that 100 yard mark. Again dependent on how tight the course is, what trouble I have in front of me, etc...

On the shorter par 5, it would be completely dependent on how the hole is laid out.

What would you do on a long par 4, like 435 yd? That is were I struggle playing to a number the most. I guess I could just put it out there at 200yds and Mashie it in to the green.

 

[JB]

What would you do on a long par 4, like 435 yd? That is were I struggle playing to a number the most. I guess I could just put it out there at 200yds and Mashie it in to the green.

It really is dependent on what is in front of me. If its an open FW, I would hit my driver and then play accordingly. It is more about where I play my 2nd shot for me I think.

 

[GrantD]

It really is dependent on what is in front of me. If its an open FW, I would hit my driver and then play accordingly. It is more about where I play my 2nd shot for me I think.

If it was tight, would you go with a 3wood and lay up to the hole? Or 3wood and 3wood again? I guess that would depend on how the green was protected?

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Most of the people I play with when it comes to par 4's and par 5's step up and hit and try to be as close to the hole as possible. However I have never really subscribed to this method and have always tried to play to a yardage number to be able to go with a certain club depending on the hole.

On most holes do you find yourself playing for a number or going with what will get you the closest?

I play to a yardage for the approach. 70/80 yds is my best for the approach shot.

 

[JB]

If it was tight, would you go with a 3wood and lay up to the hole? Or 3wood and 3wood again? I guess that would depend on how the green was protected?

I hit my driver pretty straight, so I might take driver still, but I rarely play FW off the deck on a tight hole. I would most likely lay up to 70-75 yards with an iron and then work on putting a wedge close to save par.

 

[GrantD]

I hit my driver pretty straight, so I might take driver still, but I rarely play FW off the deck on a tight hole. I would most likely lay up to 70-75 yards with an iron and then work on putting a wedge close to save par.

Cool, thanks for the advice. I am trying on working my game management to playing this way, but sometimes talk myself out of it. That is usally when I get myself in trouble.

 

[JB]

Cool, thanks for the advice. I am trying on working my game management to playing this way, but sometimes talk myself out of it. That is usally when I get myself in trouble.

My goal is to eliminate big numbers from the card. I try never to have anything higher than a 5 on my card and with course management, that is very doable.

 

[GrantD]

My goal is to eliminate big numbers from the card. I try never to have anything higher than a 5 on my card and with course management, that is very doable.

Yeah that is were I kill most of my rounds. It seems like lately I get a par or go extreme the other way with a double or triple! I just need to get rid of those big numbers and I think my scores will go down a lot.

 

[lindy72]

I am a short hitter...not like some of you guys who consider a 240 yard drive short LOL...If I really hit one, it goes about 195-200, so lay up on many par 4s is not an option, it's just the way I have to play ...That being said I try to play to 60-70 yards which is a nice, smooth gap wedge for me....This is to minimize double bogeys...Been playing golf a long time and have never been a big hitter so a lay up and chip/ pitch/putt is the way I have to play...Gotten used to it and constatntly practice my short game and putting....I will try to hit greens some of the time (come on, I'm only human) but if the FW game is a little off I go back to plan A.....If I could go back 40 years I would take lessons (and buy a few certain stocks). But to answer the OP's question, the majority of the time I play to a certain yardage on 4s and 5s....
And I like that theory of never having anything over a 5 on the card..

 

[Fourputt]

My goal is to eliminate big numbers from the card. I try never to have anything higher than a 5 on my card and with course management, that is very doable.

I try to think like you do. I can't say that I can realistically shoot for no more than a 5, but if I hold it down to 6 for my highest score, I've usually played decently, as long as I don't record too many sixes.

Of course, a 6 on a par 3 hole might change my thinking on that.

 

[coolbreeze]

I play to a number most of the time. My driver plays around 250-260 but it is the least accurate club in my bag. On par 5's where I have no chance to get there in two (which is most par5's) I will usually play hybrid off the tee, hybrid off the deck, to either 100, or 70, and then a nice wedge into the green. I will do this on long par 4's as well that I know I have very little chance of reaching in two and playing for par.

 

[JNRadio]

Started playing to a number unless i was confident I could get there a few years back and score have improved. Great article in Golf Diest (Gmac and Rory on the cover) about risk taking and one of the lines that really resonated we me went something like;

"When your old and infirmed and can't play anymore are you really going to look back and reminisce about they time you laid up, played it safe and took double bogey out of the equation or are you gonna talk about the times your went for it, cut the corner, under the branches over the creek, pulled it off and got the bird\eagle?"

Me, I think I'm gonna go for it more often this year, you only live once

 

[One-T]

Started playing to a number unless i was confident I could get there a few years back and score have improved. Great article in Golf Diest (Gmac and Rory on the cover) about risk taking and one of the lines that really resonated we me went something like;

"When your old and infirmed and can't play anymore are you really going to look back and reminisce about they time you laid up, played it safe and took double bogey out of the equation or are you gonna talk about the times your went for it, cut the corner, under the branches over the creek, pulled it off and got the bird\eagle?"Me, I think I'm gonna go for it a few more often this year, you only live once

This may be true, but I would rather look back and say, this one time I shot under 72 and it was awesome. Because I played smart golf...hehe

 

[SW]

I seriously need study this thread, a lot. I have been trying to play smarter and honestly it is paying off in ways I never imagined. Ill take my laid up 5 iron and and gap wedge into the green over a topped/pulled/sliced/maybe perfect hybrid any day. I just gotta remember that and not get caught up in the moment.

insert witty sig line here. Tapatalk

 

[Ty_Webb]

Quite freaky this. I was thinking about this thread just now, logged on and people resurrected it this morning. Anyway, I was wondering if anything came about of the proposed testing of this that JB was going to do last autumn. Something may have been posted elsewhere which I could have missed, but I'd love to know what happened.

If anyone's interested I had a quick look at the stats on tour for distance to the hole. I looked at 2010, the last full year available and looked at what distance was ranked 20th in each distance bracket. They record distance from the hole from 50-75 yards and so on up in 25 yard brackets. Since everyone on tour can probably hit their shortest club over 75 yards, 50-75 should represent a short swing, while 100-125 should represent the "laying up to a number distance". This is what I found:

50-75 - 12'5"
75-100 - 15'0"
100-125 - 17'6"
125-150 - 21'1"

I thought that was an interesting set of numbers. It certainly seems to me to imply that for the pros, they're better off getting as close as possible to the green, all else being equal of course.

JB, if you did the test last year, could you share the results in here? Or point me in the right direction otherwise? I tried searching but unfortunately lay up number and lay up distance hit just about every thread on the forum, which isn't terribly helpful.

 

[JB]

Quite freaky this. I was thinking about this thread just now, logged on and people resurrected it this morning. Anyway, I was wondering if anything came about of the proposed testing of this that JB was going to do last autumn. Something may have been posted elsewhere which I could have missed, but I'd love to know what happened.

If anyone's interested I had a quick look at the stats on tour for distance to the hole. I looked at 2010, the last full year available and looked at what distance was ranked 20th in each distance bracket. They record distance from the hole from 50-75 yards and so on up in 25 yard brackets. Since everyone on tour can probably hit their shortest club over 75 yards, 50-75 should represent a short swing, while 100-125 should represent the "laying up to a number distance". This is what I found:

50-75 - 12'5"
75-100 - 15'0"
100-125 - 17'6"
125-150 - 21'1"

I thought that was an interesting set of numbers. It certainly seems to me to imply that for the pros, they're better off getting as close as possible to the green, all else being equal of course.

JB, if you did the test last year, could you share the results in here? Or point me in the right direction otherwise? I tried searching but unfortunately lay up number and lay up distance hit just about every thread on the forum, which isn't terribly helpful.

Test was completed and I will find the results on the forum.
Im still not sure how the pro numbers can really be a part of anything about playing to a number for amateurs, but if that helps people see something, then all the power to it. As has been said numerous times, you also do not see pros hitting FW woods or hybrids off the planet due to lack of consistency. But if someone feels as though banging the ball as close as possible with a long club is the best option for most amateurs, then it would go against what I was always taught, but oh well.

 

[Dent]

After thinking about this thread and how much I failed trying to go for the green last year. I decided for all next year I am only going to go for the green if I have 3H or less. A 3W is just so inconsistent I have more than 10 times ended up doubling a par 5 from the fairway because of an errant 3W. Whenever I did play to a number as well the very WORST score I had was a bogey. I felt way more comfortable going Driver, 6 Iron, 56* onto the green.