
Do you know when to lay up on a golf course?
Knowing when to lay up is part of what's called "course management," and good course management - essentially just making good decisions as you play your way around the golf course - can save you strokes. Of course, going for it is fun! Everyone wants to hit the "hero shot."
Should you go for the green or layup in golf?
At the end of the day, you are likely to remember your final score more than anything else which occurred in the round. Sometimes, going for the green will be the strategy that gives you the greatest chance to conquer the hole. In other cases, however, it is going to be a layup that will serve you best.
What are lay-up shots in golf?
Lay-up shots are played by golfers of all abilities with regularity — they are part of what is known as good course management. Knowing when to lay up is part of what's called "course management," and good course management - essentially just making good decisions as you play your way around the golf course - can save you strokes.
What is the best strategy for a beginner in golf?
You want to have your basic strategy in mind as a starting point, but you can deviate from that point as the circumstances require. For instance, if you are a conservative player, your plan might be to typically layup on all par fives.

What does it mean to lay up on par 5?
Most courses include designated lay up areas on the par fives, and those areas are often located in the range of 80 - 120 yards. Those areas a usually a little wider than the rest of the fairway, and they may be a little flatter as well.
What should I do the night before a round of golf?
8 Things You Need To Do Before A Round Of GolfClean your clubs. ... Get a good nights sleep. ... Plan your day. ... Build a strategy for the course you're playing. ... Eat and drink properly. ... Stretching. ... Hitting golf balls. ... Chipping + Putting Green.
Should you hit the golf ball before the ground?
3:255:12HOW TO STOP HITTING THE GROUND BEFORE THE GOLF BALLYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhen we contact the ground later. We hit the ball first. And that's effective what we're trying toMoreWhen we contact the ground later. We hit the ball first. And that's effective what we're trying to do.
What is up and down golf?
What Does The Phrase 'Up And Down' In Golf Mean? The term up and down in golf means to get up on the green and then getting the subsequent putt down into the hole from wherever the ball is currently lying on the course by taking only a single shot for each part of this equation.
How many balls should I hit before a round of golf?
The ideal number of golf balls to hit at the driving range before your round is 30 balls. This allows you to warm up the body by hitting each club twice, but won't be enough to tire yourself out before you tee-off. I also asked a few golf coaches about this and none of them said to hit more than 30 balls at the range.
Should you warm up before golf?
The good news is that anyone can incorporate a dynamic warm-up into their game. All you need is a little space, a golf club and about three to five minutes. “Use these five exercises before every practice session and round of golf, and you'll come back feeling more confident in your game,” Campbell says.
How do you hit a golf ball consistently every time?
3:175:24How to Hit Down on the Golf Ball More Consistently - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJust simply move the handle a little bit in front of the ball. If i do. This move the handle.MoreJust simply move the handle a little bit in front of the ball. If i do. This move the handle.
Why do I hit 6 inches behind the golf ball?
During the backswing, the player's weight is on the back foot. Failure to naturally transfer the weight through the ball and onto the left commonly causes the club to drop behind the ball. The body and the club must work together in a proper weight transfer.
Why can't I get my irons in the air?
Clubs are designed to get the ball in the air. In order for a golf ball to get airborne, the club head must contact the ball at the low point of the downswing. The ball gets trapped between the club-face and the ground. The ball then spins up the face of the club, and the loft determines just how high the ball goes.
How often do pros get up and down?
Pros only get up and down from the sand 50% of the time. Pros average 15 feet from 100 yards in the fairway. Pros only hit it on the green half the time from 150 yards in the rough. Pros only make 20% of putts from 20 feet.
What does F F mean in golf?
“FinishedWhat Does F Mean On A Golf Leaderboard? Sometimes, in the blue circle on the image above, you will see the letter “F” instead of a number like a 65 or 1-18. This simply means “Finished” and is another way of saying that player has completed their round for the day.
What counts as an up and down?
The golf term "up and down" refers to the act of taking just two strokes to get your golf ball into the hole when your ball is resting around the green or in a greenside bunker. If you accomplish that, then you've achieved an "up and down."
Go For It!
Par 5s are typically some of the most compelling holes on a golf course because they give us an exhilarating question: lay up or go for the green? For generations, this decision has been dominated by conventional “wisdom.” We hear that laying up is the smart play or that you should leave yourself a full shot into the green.
How We Tested
This myth, like our recent Should You Always Hit Driver? test [find it HERE ], is powered by Shot Scope. Rather than gather a group of testers to hit shots for us, we asked our friends at Shot Scope to mine their library of tens of millions of shots to find the answers.
The Results
We covered this one in its own Golf Myths Unplugged [find it HERE ], but it’s worth restating. Shot Scope tells us that golfers give up an average of over 20 yards by hitting 3W vs. driver . In exchange for this massive distance gap, they’ll hit 1% more fairways. You don’t have to be a math guru to know that’s a horrible trade.
Before You Comment, Read This
For the “well, actually” types and other people who are super fun to be around, let me be explicit about what should be obvious. You should lay up if going for it means you’re likely to hit it OB or in the water.
The Takeaway
Typically these myths end with some kind of nuance, but this one doesn’t. Get as close to the green as fast as possible . It’s really that simple. Stop laying up to “favorite” yardages, stop being overly afraid of the rough or bunkers, stop bunting it off the tee, and go make some birdies.
Do sheep cut grass at St Andrews?
The notion’s been around since sheep still cut the grass at St. Andrews, and, yes, intentionally hitting short of a penalty area or to avoid an obstacle can be a smart tactical move.
Is there a range for golf?
There’s no range — for any skill level — where laying up to a favorite number, club or any other “favorite” makes mathematical sense if your other option is to send your next shot farther up the fairway (even if it ends up in light rough).

Go For It!
How We Tested
- This myth, like our recent Should You Always Hit Driver? test [find it HERE], is powered by Shot Scope. Rather than gather a group of testers to hit shots for us, we asked our friends at Shot Scopeto mine their library of tens of millions of shots to find the answers. The data in this test comes from the users of Shot Scope and the shots that they hit on the course.
The Results
- We covered this one in its own Golf Myths Unplugged [find it HERE], but it’s worth restating. Shot Scope tells us that golfers give up an average of over 20 yards by hitting 3W vs. driver. In exchange for this massive distance gap, they’ll hit 1% more fairways. You don’t have to be a math guru to know that’s a horrible trade. On average,hitting 3W off the tee vs driver costs 0.3 strokes…
Before You Comment, Read This
- For the “well, actually” types and other people who are super fun to be around, let me be explicit about what should be obvious. You should lay up if going for it means you’re likely to hit it OB or in the water. Further, no, you should not hit 3W if you consistently chunk your 3W twenty yards (if this is the case, you shouldn’t be carrying a 3W, a...
The Takeaway
- Typically these myths end with some kind of nuance, but this one doesn’t. Get as close to the green as fast as possible. It’s really that simple. Stop laying up to “favorite” yardages, stop being overly afraid of the rough or bunkers, stop bunting it off the tee, and go make some birdies.