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Long and straight par 5s


pulledabill

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One of my current struggles is a couple of unreachable for me par 5s. The 2nd shots are layups to a specific range. When I play that 2nd shot, i have a tendency to leave it right or left missing the fairway and finding trouble. Might be a mind thing or alignment issue. These are played as straight shots.

 

What Ive been working on is playing a draw or fade depenfing on wind. Where my miss mihht be, or the roll.

 

Do you play straight shots in these situations or work the ball?

DRIVER: Cobra F9 10.5  Tensei AV Blue 65g

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When I'm swinging well, I'll hit a generally straight ball. So whether it's a layup or going for a pin, I'll pick a neutral target and go for that. I'll never go directly for a tucked pin, rather left of center or right of center, depending.

 

I only work the ball out of necessity and if the day's tendency is for draw or fade, I've learned to adjust quickly and just go with it.

 

That said, there's much to be desired by eliminating half the course. I've seen those with repeatable ball flights work wonders on the course. Yet, after playing a consistent draw for over a dozen years, my new approach over the past two seasons has realized better scoring.

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Personally I play a baby fade. I rarely hit the ball straight. But this is due to my basic setup which is open and a little outside in. But for me that is my anti hook swing. One suggestion is to figure out what your basic shot shape is. If doing a lay up for example if you think it is a 7 iron take the 6 and hit it less harder and try not to guide it. Depending on the hole if there is big trouble don't do that maybe take a little less club and leave a safer maybe longer approach. Another approach is look at the shot and think like for me. What if I do the steroid jerk will that 7 iron get me into trouble. If that is the case then I would take the 8. There is one par 5 at this course here that I never can get my lay up right. I end up either in the creek or having a real long 3rd to a elevated small green over the creek. This hole has drove me crazy for a long time and has cost me some good rounds and some money in the past. I sorta reverse engineered it and some folks think I am crazy. I now hit a 4 iron off the tee. I blast my second shot with either the same 4 iron or a 3 iron. Where I am at off the tee there is no way I can reach the creek with either selection. Usually this leaves me 130 or so from the green which I can handle. In reality at my age this is a Par 5 hole that I will make my 5 and run to the cart happy. Sometime one has to think long and hard and figure out their limitations. Back in the day I could hit driver 4 wood on that green or at least to the bail out area to the right where I could bump and run to a possible birdie.But age and distance changes things. One of the things about golf you have to think and do things according to your skill level or your distance limitations. You have to know and play your game

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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The straight ball is the hardest shot. With the balls and club tech today it's a little easier but still to hit a straight shot lofts of numbers have to be spot on. I prefer a small fade as my stock shot and will try to hit draws where it's called for

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We have a 520 yd par 5 (#1 handicap hole)  and the only way to play the hole is to hit straight. Water on the left and bunkers on the right. Unless you're a long ball hitter you'd better be thinking course strategy. 

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I hate long and straight holes. There's two par 5's on the course I regularly play. I still shape the ball. If I don't I end up in trouble, I am looking for a new approach to these holes. Like 3 iron, 5 iron, short iron.

 

The fairways slope hard left to right, so my favorite shot to hit with the driver is out of the picture, no fades unless you like pine trees and hard pan.

 

If you hit a draw and it turns too much you are stuck without a look at the green, then you'll have to hit a big swooping hook iron to get out from behind them, or block it off to the right in more trouble.

 

I still haven't figured out these two holes. It is irritating.

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i will generally try to work the ball a little bit.  One of the par 5s on my course is a straight par 5, water right with fairway sloped to right on second shot and OB down the entire left side.  Second shot will be based on where my tee shot ends up,  but ideallly you are on the right side of the fairway.  My second shot is pretty much always a fade to avoid water and hitting a hook OB; I am so if it goes straight I am still fine.   

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Do you have a got to shot? Even most pros feel more comfortable workouts by the ball one way or another. Pick that way and aim for a specific spot and yardage just as you do when you are aiming at a green or pin (rarely - usually we have no business aiming at a pin - it's to one side or another).

 

 

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I like Stu's explanation because it makes sense (good course management) and sounds like my routine on a similar type hole (minus the creek). I play 4i most days off the tee, layup with a 6i or 7i and then normally a 52 or 56 wedge to an elevated flat green green guarded by deep bunkers short and left and steep slopes off the right and back. The hole looks fairly easy from the tee but there is a hazard left to avoid initially. I see so many guys ripping a driver off the tee and getting in trouble. I think they are hoping for a 1 out of 10 shot so they can go for it in two. However, the green is quite elevated and flat and not conducive to a long shot with a FW wood for example. You'll never hold the green without a highly lofted approach. Like Stu.... I take my par 80% of the time and jump in the cart. The next hole is my birdie opportunity. 

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I hate long and skinny par fives.  Par fives are supposed to provide birdie opportunities, not agita. 

 

If I absolutely have to hit a straight drive, the furry donkey head doesn't come off the driver.  

 

The driver is for hitting big curves either way.  It I try to hit  driver straight, I still get the big curve except that now, the fates decide the direction.

 

A par 5 would have to be massively long not to reach with two, comfortable, unforced shots and a decent pitch.

 

Donkey likes to nap undisturbed through those.

 

 

 

 

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I have four par 5s at my course. 3 are reachable 1 isn't.

The three will usually be driver iron unless a pitch out is required.

The other one is 525 with a water hazard in front of an elevated green.

I will usually take 3 wood off the tee. Lay up to about a 115(52°) by hitting a 8-9 iron at the trees on the left cutting back to the fairway. If I hang it to the left it gets a good kick off some mounding. The trouble is right where you can get blocked out by trees.

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It depends on where my drive ends up. If I hit my drive in the rough I'm probably just pulling an iron and trying to put it in the middle of the fairway so that my 3rd shot is an easy wedge distance into the hole.

 

If I'm in the fairway I'll pull my 4 wood, which lately has a right to left draw bias going. So I aim at the right edge of the fairway and flail away mercilessly hoping I don't overcook the draw and leave the ball in the fairway for a wedge in.

 

Honestly, if you are playing the odds right, and using proper course management, if you know you can't reach a par 5 in two, layup to a distance that gives you the most confident club in your hand with a full swing in. So using my game as an example, if I can layup to 100 yards in I can fire away with a full sand wedge to the flag.

 

But everyone has their own club and own layup number that they would have the best odds of hitting the green with.

 

 

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Im not evem carrying a driver and seldom use my 3w. I use a 2h a majority of the time. Im a decent course manager with the goal of figuring how to make par.

I have always just played straight shot until this year when Ive worked hard at changing that. My preference is currently playing a draw and it has helped. Less misses for sure. Of course a occasionally over cook one left but less and less. My game is finding it easier and easier to work the ball as Im feeling I have more control of my swing path instead of trying to repeat a "perfect straight shot swing".

DRIVER: Cobra F9 10.5  Tensei AV Blue 65g

3W- Callway XR PRO 16 stiff

5W- Alpha- Mitsubishi Diamana  Redboard w/band

Irons- Mizuno JPX 919 Tours with S KBS Tour shafts

Hyrbid- TM 4h mid-rescue

Vokey- Vokey SM5 51 degrees,  SM7 Wedges 54 and 58 1/2 half 3 degrees upright

Putter- Taylor Made Rossa Monza Mini Spider

Ball-ProV1 and AVX

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Personally I play a baby fade. I rarely hit the ball straight. But this is due to my basic setup which is open and a little outside in. But for me that is my anti hook swing. One suggestion is to figure out what your basic shot shape is. If doing a lay up for example if you think it is a 7 iron take the 6 and hit it less harder and try not to guide it. Depending on the hole if there is big trouble don't do that maybe take a little less club and leave a safer maybe longer approach. Another approach is look at the shot and think like for me. What if I do the steroid jerk will that 7 iron get me into trouble. If that is the case then I would take the 8. There is one par 5 at this course here that I never can get my lay up right. I end up either in the creek or having a real long 3rd to a elevated small green over the creek. This hole has drove me crazy for a long time and has cost me some good rounds and some money in the past. I sorta reverse engineered it and some folks think I am crazy. I now hit a 4 iron off the tee. I blast my second shot with either the same 4 iron or a 3 iron. Where I am at off the tee there is no way I can reach the creek with either selection. Usually this leaves me 130 or so from the green which I can handle. In reality at my age this is a Par 5 hole that I will make my 5 and run to the cart happy. Sometime one has to think long and hard and figure out their limitations. Back in the day I could hit driver 4 wood on that green or at least to the bail out area to the right where I could bump and run to a possible birdie.But age and distance changes things. One of the things about golf you have to think and do things according to your skill level or your distance limitations. You have to know and play your game

I really appreciate the advice about reverse engineering the hole. Thinking green to tee rather than tee to green can really help my lack of a game find a way to get a par or bogey instead of being a wanna be pro and finding a way to get doubles and triples.

 

 

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I like Stu's explanation because it makes sense (good course management) and sounds like my routine on a similar type hole (minus the creek). I play 4i most days off the tee, layup with a 6i or 7i and then normally a 52 or 56 wedge to an elevated flat green green guarded by deep bunkers short and left and steep slopes off the right and back. The hole looks fairly easy from the tee but there is a hazard left to avoid initially. I see so many guys ripping a driver off the tee and getting in trouble. I think they are hoping for a 1 out of 10 shot so they can go for it in two. However, the green is quite elevated and flat and not conducive to a long shot with a FW wood for example. You'll never hold the green without a highly lofted approach. Like Stu.... I take my par 80% of the time and jump in the cart. The next hole is my birdie opportunity. 

Yes you and I are Older and hopefully wiser. Comes with age and experience. This might not make much sense but I wish I could have had my version of me now coaching me then when I could actually swing hard enough to break an egg

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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On long straight par 5's I Try to get as close as I can with the first 2 strokes. If it's a tight fairway then I try to keep it in the short grass, I may have to use 3 wood or hybrid to do so, but in play is always best.

Lefties are always in their Right Mind

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My course has 5 par 5's; three are straight and two are dogleg left but for me they are all straight off the tee.  I can't get to any of them in two shots.  The fairways are undulating, and two of them have fairway bunkers; the rough consists of mounds right and left, so while there aren't many bunkers, there is severe penalty when missing the fairways.  It's either downhill or uphill and sidehill lies.  All my tee shots are with driver so I can get as far down the fairway as possible.  Second shots are either FW or hybrid depending on the lie, and wedge to the green.  If the 550y #5 (590y from the tips) is playing into the wind, it may be driver, FW, hybrid to the green.  I always play for a straight shot to the middle of the fairway, and if the ball moves one way or the other, I'll still be in the fairway or close to it.  I never play a draw or fade, because if it doesn't, I could be hacking out of a tricky lie.

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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