Lay up or full shot

[zubby01]

Would you rather have a full shot into the green or half wedge?

i have been hitting driver well lately but 55 yard shots are hard to dial in the distance. Yes I know I need to practice these but I’ve read full shots are better and getting as close to the green as possible is better.

[disco111]

Play to your strengths. Personally, Id rather have a full shot than a sawed off hope I don't decel and hit it fat..........

[alexdaqt3]

Same here, i would much rather have a full wedge versus a awkward feel number

[pricebbt]

I did the clock exercise and have yardages for each of my wedges for a 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30swing. I find that the 9:00 swing is easiest to repeat consistently, so I try to lay up for one of those yardages.

[bazinky]

Depends on how much green I have to work with and where I need the ball to end up.

If I have to fly it all the way to the hole I prefer a full shot over an awkward yardage. Also, I find a full shot easier to stop quick.

If I can run the ball up to the hole, I want to get as close to the green as possible.

[hagimihale]

I spent many range sessions (prior to Covid) working on 3/4 shots with my wedges to figure out those distances. I now have several options (between full and 3/4 swings) between 100 and 60 yards. I try to not get inside 60yds to ensure a consistent 3/4 swing that is pretty straight and accurate.

My PW flies 125 - if I was at that distance I'd take the PW over a 3/4 swing with my 9i. But once I'm inside 125, that 3/4 swing is consistent....

[Baitkiller]

Move back a tee. Your either moving it 350 off the tee or your too close.

To your question though. Give me an even number over 90 all day, most days.

[BiggErn]

Sounds like you need an extra wedge. Maybe a 64*

[llewol007]

All depends on if you have a comfortable shot to the green that you practice. Big mistake is when you have to figure out how much of a swing you need on the fly. Best thing if you do face those yardages on a regular basis is to get 9 holes of practice in when the course has died down and drop two or 3 golf balls from those yardages and figure out that shot. That way your comfort level for executing the shot goes up and it’s just another shot. That’s what I’ve done and it has worked wonders. Depends on your comfort level but there is some truth to being closer to the hole. Now with that being said, some thing do come into consideration. Hole position is a big one. If you have a hole position tight, then better to play it back in yardage with a higher ball flight. Things like that you would make the adjustments.

[2bGood]

I am lucky enough to feel comfortable with allot of the shorter shots so I am in the 'depends on the hole location' camp. Some pins I would rather hit full shot too and others I am happy playing some sort of touch shot too. The risk/reward aspect also plays into the shot selection.

Something else that plays into for is how I am hitting it that day as well. Somedays I am more comfortable with certain shots than other days.

[andrue]

I'd rather have a full shot. I am now (after many years) capable of executing a half shot if I have to but it's risky. But thanks to the work I've put in on my chipping I can now do a half-way decent chip from as much as 40 yards out. But 50 to 70 yards is a tricky one for me so I just try and avoid it.

I recently took ownership of a 3W. The first time I've ever owned a wood because until last year I couldn't launch one off the deck if someone paid me. It's a Callaway Mavrick and that things flies. Unfortunately I love it so much that several times I've ended up in my awkward zone. I could just go back to using my 3H more often but I'm hoping that I adapt to the awkward zone which will be a further benefit.

Meanwhile I can hear my 3H crying at night because it's no longer my favourite club and my driver muttering at night because the 3W goes almost as far off the deck as the driver does off the tee :)

[Springsteennut]

Definitely a full shot. I tend to pull or push shots when I try to take something off.

[Triple Putt]

I tend to score better on oar 5s when I don't screw up a 3 wood as my second shot. I make birdies when I hit driver, 6 iron, then have a 80-100 yard wedge into the green. That way I can shoot a low spinner in there. I have the same problem with the 40 to 50 yard shots. Too hard to dial in and get the right amount of spin on them imo.

[Mcgeeno]

I'd rather be as close to the green as possible.

 

My worst shot as a one capper from 55 yards should still give me a decent look.

 

I'm licking my chops from that yardage.

[Phabs]

Depends on the conditions and how i'm swinging that day. If my wedges are solid I don't mind hitting 3/4 shots all day long , if i'm pulling them doing something stupid i'd rather have a full shot.

[davep043]

There are a bunch of factors to consider, but in general I like to get as close as reasonably possible, without taking on significant added risk. Statistics show that for most of us, we'll get a 50-yard "awkward" shot closer, on average, than we will a 100-yard full shot (or whatever your full shot it). And again, the need for real spin, the terrain, the pin placement, green contours, there are a bunch of factors that could make me reconsider.

[SNIPERBBB]

Close as possible generally. Especially on courses with small greens. Obviously theres some odd holes that will force you to layup For longer players, getting spin on greens that are harder to hold isnt as much of a problem on short shots than for shorter players.

[Loki]

9:00 wedge is my "money shot." So between 60 and 110 I know what I am going to hit (4 wedges). Outside 10 feet is a bad shot. It's amazing, when I can practice, how accurate I can be. I know pros would still laugh at how good I think I am at those distances.

[BiggiE427]

I’ll take the half wedge all day. I practice the 65 yards and in shot behind my house all the time so I am comfortable and confident with that shot.

[N0rs3man]

I play my pw for full swing all the way down to 40 yards sometimes. As I get closer to the hole my ball gets closer to the hole

[nsxguy]

The wily old veterans here are right, as usual.

As close to the hole as you can comfortably get. Comfortable meaning how wide or narrow the landing area is, the danger around the longer shot, etc.Proximity to the hole is king. While ALL of us will occasionally chunk or blade a partial wedge and end up with a poor result, in general, the better the player the closer he wants to get. The better players will be closer to the hole with a 30, 50, 70 yard partial wedge than they will with a full on PW or 9 iron.

FWIW, I used to, unless I could GET to a par 5, lay up to a full GW/PW/9. Reading here on WRX about proximity to the hole and how one will score better on par 5s (especially) I decided to try to get closer to those par 5s even if I couldn't reach them.

Proximity to the hole was MUCH improved.

Now that's not to say a higher handicapper should do it. A higher handicapper is generally not very good with their longer clubs and the ball can end up almost anywhere. OB, water, behind a tree, in jail in the woods. If you're that guy then you probably should hit a 7 or 8 iron to the 120 in and hit a full wedge.

[tacklingdummy]

It depends on the pin placement and the shot needed. Front pin, full wedge because higher trajectory and more spin to to stop it. Back pin, half wedge shot to hit a low trajectory more running shot. Majority of pins, three-quarter wedge shot because I can control the trajectory, direction, and spin the best.

[b.mattay]

Unless it is forcing the ball into a tight landing area, I will always try to get as close to the green as possible. 20 feet from 100 yards is a great shot. The same can't be said from 30 yards.

[DaveGoodrich]

The data say closer is better, even for amateurs. We just feel better about missing by 40 feet from 100 yards than we do missing by 20 feet from 50 yards. But putting percentages are much better from 20 than they are from 40, no matter how you feel. Learn to hit partial wedges.

[bvmagic]

I prefer the shorter shot. I practice a specific shorter swing just for this 30-60 yard range with each of my wedges. So same swing with 3 different wedges gives me 3 different yardages to play for.

[rapeck]

Full swing but anything inside my 50 degree (130yds) i use as half swings because im not comfortable with full swing of 54 or 60 wedge

[juststeve]

Most of the time with few exceptions I want to be as close to the green as possible.

Steve

[oikos1]

I will take the shorter shot all day everyday. Distance is an advantage in golf. Learn how to use it to your advantage.

[crapula]

Closer.

[DallasDan]

This is why golf is such a great game. There is no right answer because everyone's skill level is different. I prefer to get it as close as possible although I am currently struggling with the 50-70 yard shot right now.