Smart Par 5 Strategy That Saves Strokes

0:00
Coach: Alright—“Call Your Shot,” round three. I’m here with Payton again. This time we’re on a par five, and we’re going to talk about the second shot. Do you go for the green or lay up?

0:08
Payton: I’m a little nervous about this one—I see a lot of challenges.

0:11
Coach: That’s okay—we’ll work through it together.

0:21
Coach: Talk me through what you’re seeing here. You mentioned some challenges.

We’ve got water on the right, trees and houses on the left. What’s going through your head?

0:35
Payton: Water always makes me nervous, but houses do too—those windows can get expensive.

So I think I wouldn’t even try to go over the water. I’d go left. I just don’t think I can carry it.

0:54
Coach: That’s totally fair—and you brought up some great points.

With the pin back right, this shot is all carry over water for you. Trying to hit a fairway wood that far is going to be really tough.

1:08
Coach: Now, if you did go for it, here’s how I’d want you to think about it:

The flag isn’t even in your mind. Instead, you’re aiming front-left of the green—away from the water.

There’s a lot of safe grass out there. So instead of trying to hit it 180 to the pin, you’re really trying to hit it more like 160 to a safe area.

1:42
Coach: Let’s try that aggressive option first. Then we’ll compare it to a layup.

1:55
Coach: I’ve got you aimed front-left of the green. Water right is the danger—left is okay.

Go ahead and hit one.

2:23
Coach: That was really good—great shot.

I know that’s uncomfortable, but if you executed that on the course, that’s an excellent aggressive play.

2:41
Coach: That’s option one—the aggressive route.

If you’re trying to make birdie, that’s how you’d do it. But as a high handicap, your priority should usually be avoiding big numbers.

2:57
Coach: So now let’s look at the layup option. Grab a 7-iron.

3:07
Coach: One thing I see all the time—high handicappers try to get too much out of their layup.

If you’re laying up, commit to it. Don’t bring extra trouble into play.

3:21
Coach: For example, if you hit this too far, you could run through the fairway into trouble.

In real life, I’d probably even suggest an 8-iron or 9-iron—just something that keeps you safely in the fairway with plenty of room.

3:44
Coach: I’ve aimed you left again to take the water out of play. Go ahead and hit one.

3:59
Coach: You smoked that—pulled it a bit, but that’s okay. Left is safe here.

You’re in the rough, not perfect, but you’ve completely avoided disaster.

4:10
Coach: From there, you can still get the ball on the green and make par or bogey.

The goal—especially for high handicappers—is eliminating those big numbers like doubles, triples, or worse.

4:20
Coach: Plan ahead, pick a safe target, and if you’re laying up—actually lay up.

Great job today.

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