Sometimes it’s hard to decide whether to go for the green or lay. But these handy stats from Michael Breed can help.
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It’s one of the most important questions every golfer faces on the golf course: Should you do it, or is it better to play?
Of course, we all like to bite and grab the club as much as we can produce insane head speed to contain something like water or bunkers, but, deep down, many of us probably know that putting is often the smartest golf decision.
But is it always?
In the video below (courtesy of Titleist’s YouTube channel), Michael Breed – one of TOP 100 GOLF TEACHERS FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS — walks us through some key stats to consider when trying to decide whether to do it vs. laying it out. While certain situations call for different strategies, Breed’s advice is a good way to think about how aggressive (or conservative) you should be.
Is stretching smarter than going for it? Use these statistics to make your decision
In the video, Breed looks down a shot that’s 280 yards to the flag, 265 yards to the front edge of the green and 250 yards to hold a small bunker near the putting surface — so it’s a big shot that requires strategy.
As he discusses his options with fellow teacher Greg Ducharme, Breed takes into account the wind and his downhill lie, the latter of which he says can make it more difficult to reach the green in two with his 3-wood. . He also notices a stream running across the fairway, adding more pressure to hit the perfect shot.
“If you want to make birdie or eagle, statistics say you should go for the green and get it as close as possible,” Ducharme tells Breed. “All you have to do is make solid contact and you can make eagle here.”
So is stretching smarter than going for it? Breed and Ducharme go through both scenarios.
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“All the statistics and information support what (Greg) said, but you have to consider a number of different things,” Breed adds. “First, how do you feel about your game? Are you playing well, or are you not playing well?”
Another thing to consider is what part of the round this shot represents. Is it late in the round and you feel good about how you’ve been hitting the ball all day, or is it earlier in the day and you’re still figuring out your game?
After going through various factors, Breed ultimately decides to use the 3-wood – but he explains what the layup should look like on this type of shot.
“If I decided to lay up, I’ll lay up to 170 yards, (and on a 280-yard shot) it would leave me 110 yards,” he says. “So when you’re thinking about stretching, think about angles. I’ll probably hit a 7-iron down the left side to get that angle (on the green).
So why lie to the left? Race explains the strategy.
“The game is a zig-zag game, so if I want to get to a spot on the right hole, the more I extend this to the left, the more it takes the flag and moves it to the center of the green,” he adds. . .
As Breed makes a perfect shot with his 3-wood that lands just short of the green before rolling over it, he reminds players to go through the factors before arriving at the best decision in the moment.
“You have to think about a lot of different things, not just (rely) on what the statistics say,” Breed says. “Understand them, but don’t always play with them.”
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