While there are plenty of misconceptions about a golf layup shot, they can be dispelled by understanding how PGA Tour players execute them. For example, it’s vital to avoid landing in a fairway bunker or in a hazard. As Chris Ryan explains in his book Golf Layup Secrets, the key to a successful layup shot is to choose a landing area. Moreover, the ball must be positioned in a line to the flag.
PGA Tour players make 10 percent more eagle putts every one foot closer to the hole
Did you know that PGA Tour pros make ten percent more eagle putts for every additional foot closer to the hole? This statistic is part of the new Every Shot Counts book, written by Columbia Business School Professor Mark Broadie, the pioneer of the strokes gained metrics. Despite their success, the average golfer is still unable to match the stats of the pros. However, the next time you take the golf course for a spin, you’ll be surprised at just how close you can get to the hole.
The statistics are staggering. One PGA Tour player made an eagle putt every tenth of a foot closer to the hole. The odds of making a double eagle were one in 18 million, while those of a triple eagle were one in 555,000. And those odds were even worse when you took into consideration the likelihood of producing quadruplets without the use of fertility drugs.
It wasn’t until the 2014 Zurich Classic that I realized how much difference a single foot closer to the hole can make. Putting at 20 feet is more difficult than it sounds. Using a ruler, divide the remaining distance by the length of the putt you already made. Depending on the length of the hole, this will result in an eagle putt that is 10 percent higher than the average putt of the same length.
Billy Horschel’s victory over Tiger Woods was a rare moment for the PGA Tour. The two titans of the game were able to learn from each other and emulate their strategies. Then Billy Horschel, who had five consecutive holes without a bogey, followed suit and won the tournament by four strokes.
PGA Tour players should avoid landing in a fairway bunker
When playing a course, avoiding a fairway bunker is essential to your success. If you happen to find yourself in a bunker, here are some tips to help you avoid it. As with any hole, you must play your approach shot carefully and take as much club as you need to clear the lip. If you do end up in a bunker, your ball will go nowhere.
Firstly, determine the lie. If you are landing in a fairway bunker, it is better to get a flat lie than a steep one. This will help you stabilize your core and legs without compromising your ball’s flight. Secondly, avoid landing in a fairway bunker if you can. You may have to hit a longer shot to avoid a steep bunker.
You might not see it, but the ball may not be playable in a bunker. You may choose to play your previous shot again, or you can drop the ball within two clubs’ lengths of the hole for a one-stroke penalty. In the past, a player had to land in the fairway bunker to avoid a penalty. But new rules allow golfers to drop their ball outside the fairway bunker and still be penalized.
Secondly, if a player has landed in a fairway bunker on a previous hole, they should consider not touching the green. Normally, golfers would complain about divots, but in this case, the player is playing against a large oak tree. In this case, a short iron or wedge would be required for the third shot. However, if the player is playing from the left side of the split fairway, they should try a lateral approach to avoid a fairway bunker.
A fairway bunker is an artificial feature in the golf course that cuts off the fairway. Golfers don’t repair divots, so if they hit a drive that is well in front of the green, they can take advantage of a sloping green and hit the ball from there. Then, if they miss, the ball should be hit out of the fairway bunker to save par.
However, there are ways to make it harder for a player to hit the ball from a bunker. In 2011, a USGA article explained that golf players should not use pebbly bunkers because their balls will roll out on the green. This will cause the pebbles to build up on the green and affect the shot from the bunker. A pebbled bunker can also make the player miss the green entirely, making the result a poor shot.
Misconceptions about a layup shot
One of the most common misconceptions about a golf layup shot is that the layup shot is a dead-spot, which means you have no chance of making the green. While the goal is still to make the green, the layup shot is not meant to be a dead-spot. In fact, it is intended to be short, and it should always be played to the left of the fairway, where there is an angle to the pin.