The SECRET To Breaking Par on Par 5s
Do you know the right strategy for playing the par 5s well? Jack Backhouse has some ideas for us that might just help reduce our scores.
Par 5s are great opportunities to make a nett or gross birdie, as with three shots to the green, there’s more chance of recovering from a poor shot. So what is the secret to breaking par on par 5s? Watch the YouTube Video or read on to find out.
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Should we be going for the green in 2?
99% of the time, golfers should go for the green in two or at least hit their next longest club behind the driver as far down as possible. It is just basic statistics and probability that if you are closer to the green, your expected score is lower than if you are further away.
If we genuinely want a decent look at birdie, and we know that tour average proximity from 100 yards is 18 feet, we amateurs must be trying to get the ball as close to the green as possible to increase our chances of hitting it close and then holing a birdie putt. Golfers need to take advantage of a good tee shot by blasting the next one at the green; this is how to make birdies on par 5s.
How to deal with sloping lies
In order to hit the green with our approach shots, we must know what to do on sloping lies.
When the ball is above our feet, the club’s lie angle wants to shoot it straight left, so we must play for that. Gripping down the club, aiming further right and playing for a ball that starts left and then draws for the right-handed player will help hit more good shots.
When the ball is below our feet, we must do the opposite, grip up the club and expect the ball to start slightly further right and then maybe fade a bit more than normal.
Getting out of bunkers better will help your scoring average
One of the most frustrating things for a golfer can be driving the ball well, going for a par 5 in two, finding some trouble in a bunker and then not capitalising from there.
What we see all too often is players making too short a swing with not enough loft and then either blading it out over the green or chunking it and not getting out of the bunker. Golfers need to get comfortable taking their most lofted wedge, opening the face wide, and then making fullish swings to get the ball out and close.
What is really a good shot?
It’s well documented on shot stats tracking apps like ShotScope that golfers don’t hit the ball as close as they think or should. A 20 handicap from 80 yards will average hitting the ball to 50 feet, so any shot that finishes inside 50 feet is a great shot!
If golfers understood what a good shot actually looks like for their handicap ability, then there would be less frustration on the course and more good scores.
Please stop trying to hole long putts!
Being one of those players who never leaves a birdie putt shot is going to cost you shots over the season. When you are outside of 20ft, the chances of holing a putt dramatically drop to basically zero, so a good play is just trying to get it close and two putts. Even if it means leaving it short. One foot shot is better than 3 feet past pretty much every time.
What do you think of these tips? Let me know with a tweet.
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This video was filmed at Close House, and we are wearing Puma apparel.
Jack Backhouse
Jack is a PGA Golf Professional who specialises in coaching, teaching golf to beginners and top-level amateurs for 10+ years. He also loves his golf equipment and analysing the data of the latest clubs on the market using launch monitors, specialising in blade irons and low-spinning drivers despite having a chronically low ball flight.
Although Jack has no formal journalism training, He has been reading What's In The Bag articles since he started playing at 12 and studying golf swings since his dad first filmed his swing to reveal one of the worst over-the-top slice swings he reckons has ever been recorded, which set him off on the path to be a coach. His favourite club ever owned was a Ping G10 driver bought from a local top amateur with the hope that some of the quality golf shots would come with it (they didn't), and worst was a Nike SQ driver he only bought because Tiger was using it.
Jack is a member of Sand Moor Golf Club and regularly gets out on the golf course to prepare for tournaments. Jack uses a TaylorMade BRNR Mini driver, a half set of TaylorMade P7MB irons, MG4 wedges and a TaylorMade TP Reserve putter.
