Sometimes it's hard to decide whether you should eat green or sleep. 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 take it, or do you putt a better game?
Sure, we all like to hit the ground and grip the club as hard as possible to generate crazy clubhead speed to carry something like water or bunkers, but, deep down, most of us know that putting up is often a smart golf decision.
But is it so?
In the video below (courtesy of Titleist's YouTube channel), Michael Breed — one of GOLF's Top 100 Lifetime Achievement teachers — walks us through some key stats to consider when trying to decide if we're looking for a putt versus a putt. While certain situations call for different strategies, Breed tips are a good way to think about how aggressive (or conservative) you should be.
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In the video, Breed is eyeing a shot that's 280 yards to the flag, 265 yards to the front edge of the green, and 250 yards to carry the fairway near the putt — so it's a big shot that requires some strategy.
As he discusses his options with fellow instructor Greg Ducharme, Breed considers the downwind and his downhill lie, the latter of which he says may make it more difficult to reach the green twice with his 3-wood. He also sees a stream running across the highway, which adds more pressure to hit the right shot.
“If you want to make a birdie or an eagle, math says you have to go for the green and get it as close as possible,” Ducharme told Breed. “All you have to do is communicate strongly and you can make an eagle here.”
So is ranking wiser than seeking? Breed and Ducharme walked in both situations.
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“What does all the statistics and information support [Greg] he said, but you have to consider a lot of different things,” Breed added. “First of all, how do you feel about your game? Are you playing well or not?”
Another thing to consider is the portion of the round it represents. Is it late in the round and you feel OK with how you hit the ball all day, or is it too early and you're still looking for your game?
After going through different options, Breed finally decides to use a 3-wood – but explains how putting this type of shot should look.
“If I decide to putt, I'll putt 170 yards, [and with a 280-yard shot] it will leave me 110 meters,” he said. “So when you're thinking about flooring, think about angles. I might hit a 7 iron down the left to get that angle [into the green].”
So why do I sleep on the left side? Breed explains the strategy.
“The game is a zig-zag game, so if I want to get to the right side of the hole, if I stretch to the left, that's where it takes the flag and takes it to the middle of the green,” he adds. .
While Breed hits an impressive 3-wood that stays short of the green before rolling it, he reminds players to check the factors before making the best decision yet.
“You have to think about many different things, not just [rely on] what the statistics say,” said Breed. “Understand them, but don't play with them all the time.”
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