Technique around the green?

[Kenny B]

Being a relatively new guy here, I went back several years of forum history looking for advice for chipping/pitching around the green.  In 2010 there were several very good drills suggested that are worthwhile for all of us to practice. See http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/860-best-short-game-drills/   Check it out; these are good drills.  I wonder how many people are using them?

 

However, to my point…  What technique around the green do you use? 

 

The reason I ask is that I have been told that the best way to chip around the green is to use different clubs depending on the amount of fly vs. roll.  The technique involves landing the ball in the first 4-5 feet of the green (where the greens mower runs around the green after mowing the rest of the green).  Apparently, this part of the green is supposed to be fairly consistent.  So, if the pin is close and you have 90% fly and 10% roll, then you would use a lob wedge.  As the pin is further away or as you get closer to the green, the club changes; 80% fly and 20% roll = sand wedge, and so on down through the clubs until you get to 10% fly and 90% roll = 5 iron, basically putting with an iron.  Of course, your judgment must factor in green size, slope, and green speed.  

 

I could see that if you play the same course every day, you'd become very familiar with the greens, and this technique might be fine.  NOT ME.  I do play the same course most of the time, but on weekends or on golf trips, I play a lot of different courses.  I am not very familiar with the greens and for the most part, all are very different than my home course.  I am sure that most people have a favorite club in their bag and for me, around the green, it is my SCOR 54* wedge, although sometimes I go with the 58* depending on the lie and what's in front of me.  I do much better around the green on courses that I don't know very well by flying the ball most of the way to the hole and judge the amount of roll based on practice putting/chipping before the round.  Of course there are a few times where it makes more sense to chip the ball over a short amount of rough to the green with a longer iron, but I also have to factor in how the ball will react off  Ping i20's vs. SCOR wedges (and it is significant).

 

 

So, my question is:  Do you chip with several different clubs or with one?  I am debating whether it is worth spending the time to practice fly vs. roll technique or stick with my wedge.  Thoughts?

 

[Kanoito]

I do practice said technique, but only using like 3 clubs (58, 50, 9i)

 

Intead of gauging 10% per club, I'll just adjust the amount of backswing required.

[RoverRick]

Great question Kenny.

 

I play the same course just about every day, however, I am headed on a road trip tomorrow for a little friendly competition.  I would say that for the most part I use a variety of clubs around the green, and for longer chips, I land in the first few feet and let it run.

 

We are playing a course that is supposed to have really fast greens so I will see how it goes, but the plan for now get the ball on the green ASAP and let it roll into the hole.

[hckymeyer]

I've done both ways.  I actually took a short game clinic that taught the different clubs with rollout method.  They had math involved by walking how many steps to were you wanted to land the ball, then how many steps from there to the hole.  Then you divide and get a number that corresponds to which club to use.  Honestly the method does work, but I just didn't have enough patience to stick with it.

 

So my "go-to" club is my 58, if I need more roll I'll use 54.  In general though I let the course decide what shot to play.  My preference is to pitch shorter and let it roll out, but sometimes that is just not an option so you have to stop the ball with height or spin rather than letting it roll.

 

The bottom line is that both methods can be very effective, but neither is going to cover 100% of the shots you will need to hit, so practice both ways.  And the key part of either method is the practice.  You need to have confidence that you can land the ball where you want and how much spin will be on it.  If you can do that then adjusting for different speed greens is much easier.

[Kenny B]

Great question Kenny.

 

I play the same course just about every day, however, I am headed on a road trip tomorrow for a little friendly competition.  I would say that for the most part I use a variety of clubs around the green, and for longer chips, I land in the first few feet and let it run.

 

We are playing a course that is supposed to have really fast greens so I will see how it goes, but the plan for now get the ball on the green ASAP and let it roll into the hole.

 

I would be interested to know how you transition to different greens.  Putting is OK if I have time to practice, but I can never get chipping down in the short time before my tee time.  I do much better with a round or two on the course under my belt.

[Kenny B]

I've done both ways.  I actually took a short game clinic that taught the different clubs with rollout method.  They had math involved by walking how many steps to were you wanted to land the ball, then how many steps from there to the hole.  Then you divide and get a number that corresponds to which club to use.  Honestly the method does work, but I just didn't have enough patience to stick with it.

 

So my "go-to" club is my 58, if I need more roll I'll use 54.  In general though I let the course decide what shot to play.  My preference is to pitch shorter and let it roll out, but sometimes that is just not an option so you have to stop the ball with height or spin rather than letting it roll.

 

The bottom line is that both methods can be very effective, but neither is going to cover 100% of the shots you will need to hit, so practice both ways.  And the key part of either method is the practice.  You need to have confidence that you can land the ball where you want and how much spin will be on it.  If you can do that then adjusting for different speed greens is much easier.

 

I also have taken a short game clinic and that was what they taught.  I tried it for a while when I got home, but the greens at my home course are fairly small so I went back to my 54 and 58.  I can see where it would be beneficial to use longer clubs on bigger greens, but they just don't feel right in my hands.  I do use an occasional 8 or 9 for a short bump over fringe when the pin is on the other side of the green, but depending on the lie, I can get it just as close with a 54 flying it to a spot on the green.

[RoverRick]

I would be interested to know how you transition to different greens.  Putting is OK if I have time to practice, but I can never get chipping down in the short time before my tee time.  I do much better with a round or two on the course under my belt.

 

It is quite simple.  We are playing Wednesday morning and I am going up Tuesday night.  So I will leave early enough to go to the course tomorrow and practice.  I will also get there in time Wednesday morning to practice.

[jpcgolf]

With my 60, I hit flop shots, greenside bunkers, and when I short side myself, I will use that club to stop it quickly.  

 

With my 56, I use it for long greenside bunker shots, and almost any pitch shot where I don't have to flop it, or where I don't have a huge amount of green to work with.  This is pretty much my go to club, except for when I am playing badly and I find myself in a lot of flop shot situations.

 

With shots where I want to hit a bump and run, I will use my pw or 52.

 

I do play the same course every day, but I play in a lot of junior tournaments in different courses, and I don't really change this mind set.

[RookieBlue7]

I've chipped with everything from a 3 wood through a 64 degree wedge.  Just depends on the shot required and how I want the ball to react.

[wbealsd]

I've tried both methods and multiple clubs seems to work best for me. Since I'm limited to nothing but short game practice for at least the next couple of weeks, it seems like that's more natural and consistent for me. YMMV

[sp0rtsfan86]

Interesting ideas. My dad is a big user of any bump and run club. I've seen him hit everything from 4 iron to PW... but put a wedge especially a Lobber in his hands and it's a disaster.

 

For me it depends shot to shot and the way I see it. In general I like hitting 60 just about everywhere, opening and shutting the face depending on the shot. Also just about every bunker shots regardless of distance I pull the 60. I can hit a 4 yard bunker shot or a 40 harder with it.

 

I've been lately using more of the 58 and 52 for shots that i want a wedge but want to get a little roll. Kind of the shots where you have a side hill near the edge of the green with the pin playing middle of the green. Anything that I don't have a sidehill or I have a good opportunity I go for a gap wedge into an iron and play the bump and run. 7 irons are for longer shots and I use all the way to a PW for a little bump shot. I've been mediocre with it, but like all things just needs some practice.

[revkev]

I think that the more shots you have the better your short game because no two situations or lies are exactly alike. I even practice my short game at two different courses with different grasses and sand in the practice bunkers to keep current.

 

I don't practice with a lot of different clubs generally just the 53 and 4 hybrid. I actually work on flops at the end of my bucket when I'm working on my long game. On the course I will use anything from 60 to 4 hybrid or putter. My preference is to land it on the first flat spot and let it run out.

 

In regards to a different course I would way prefer to spend time on the practice green over the range. I will just hit enough balls to get loose and then hit a few chips and pitches to see how the ball bounces. If you practice enough it shouldn't take much to adjust to a different green. If it's firmer and faster use one less club to pitch with and if it's slower use one more.

 

It's also important to get the speed with the putter.

[RoverRick]

I should have asked what you meant by "around the green."  I took that to mean chipping. But IMHO around the green stretches out to anything that is inside your full shot range.  Since I spin 56 and 60 wedges too much to hit full shots with, that means anything inside 115 is a partial shot and I consider this to be "around the green."

 

For these shots, I keep the clubhead outside my hands, visualize striking a match with the bounce or sole of the club, directly under the ball. This swing path with firm wrists well cause a fairly low ball flight but the ball will be spinning pretty fast.  This generally causes a one hope and stop, so I am more concerned with distance to the flag than the edge of the green.   I have one swing for this.  And one acceleration.  However, I limit my backswings.  I have 5 different lengths, and will use every club in the bag.  So I guess I could say my short game can extend out to 175 yards. 

 

This is basically the Dave Pelz clock system with a Steve Stricker wrist action and a slightly out to in swing path.

[Kenny B]

With my 60, I hit flop shots, greenside bunkers, and when I short side myself, I will use that club to stop it quickly.  

 

With my 56, I use it for long greenside bunker shots, and almost any pitch shot where I don't have to flop it, or where I don't have a huge amount of green to work with.  This is pretty much my go to club, except for when I am playing badly and I find myself in a lot of flop shot situations.

 

With shots where I want to hit a bump and run, I will use my pw or 52.

 

I do play the same course every day, but I play in a lot of junior tournaments in different courses, and I don't really change this mind set.

 

Sounds similar to my shots.  I think I actually started only using the 54 and 58 mostly because there are many times where you can't see the lie around the green from the cart path, and I really don't like taking a handful of clubs with me.  I know, I know, I should have my bag with me, but except on my home course, I usually take a cart because of the knees.  

[Kenny B]

I've tried both methods and multiple clubs seems to work best for me. Since I'm limited to nothing but short game practice for at least the next couple of weeks, it seems like that's more natural and consistent for me. YMMV

 

Hope it's nothing serious, but a friend of mine injured his ribs and couldn't take full swings for quite a while.  He would play with us, but only chip and putt; got very deadly with his 9-iron!

[Kenny B]

Interesting ideas. My dad is a big user of any bump and run club. I've seen him hit everything from 4 iron to PW... but put a wedge especially a Lobber in his hands and it's a disaster.

 

For me it depends shot to shot and the way I see it. In general I like hitting 60 just about everywhere, opening and shutting the face depending on the shot. Also just about every bunker shots regardless of distance I pull the 60. I can hit a 4 yard bunker shot or a 40 harder with it.

 

I've been lately using more of the 58 and 52 for shots that i want a wedge but want to get a little roll. Kind of the shots where you have a side hill near the edge of the green with the pin playing middle of the green. Anything that I don't have a sidehill or I have a good opportunity I go for a gap wedge into an iron and play the bump and run. 7 irons are for longer shots and I use all the way to a PW for a little bump shot. I've been mediocre with it, but like all things just needs some practice.

 

Is it an old guy thing?  A friend of mine, who was 86 when he died a few years ago (on a golf course!), was excellent with the bump and run.  His favorite club was the 7-iron, but he played in Florida.  I have tried to chip on the greens in Florida with my wedges and I can understand why the 7-iron would be a better club.    

[Kenny B]

I should have asked what you meant by "around the green."  I took that to mean chipping. But IMHO around the green stretches out to anything that is inside your full shot range.  Since I spin 56 and 60 wedges too much to hit full shots with, that means anything inside 115 is a partial shot and I consider this to be "around the green."

 

For these shots, I keep the clubhead outside my hands, visualize striking a match with the bounce or sole of the club, directly under the ball. This swing path with firm wrists well cause a fairly low ball flight but the ball will be spinning pretty fast.  This generally causes a one hope and stop, so I am more concerned with distance to the flag than the edge of the green.   I have one swing for this.  And one acceleration.  However, I limit my backswings.  I have 5 different lengths, and will use every club in the bag.  So I guess I could say my short game can extend out to 175 yards. 

 

This is basically the Dave Pelz clock system with a Steve Stricker wrist action and a slightly out to in swing path.

 

I guess I can understand your point of view.  Nothing that far out is around the green for me!  I really enjoy watching Stricker hit his wedge shots.  I have been working on a low lob wedge shot from about 30-40 yards.  We have a free that has low hanging trees if you are not in the right spot of the fairway.  I spent a good deal of time trying to find the right shot with the right club to get the ball on the green and have it stop (greens are small).  The low, spinning lob worked the best.

[Kenny B]

I think that the more shots you have the better your short game because no two situations or lies are exactly alike. I even practice my short game at two different courses with different grasses and sand in the practice bunkers to keep current.

 

I don't practice with a lot of different clubs generally just the 53 and 4 hybrid. I actually work on flops at the end of my bucket when I'm working on my long game. On the course I will use anything from 60 to 4 hybrid or putter. My preference is to land it on the first flat spot and let it run out.

 

In regards to a different course I would way prefer to spend time on the practice green over the range. I will just hit enough balls to get loose and then hit a few chips and pitches to see how the ball bounces. If you practice enough it shouldn't take much to adjust to a different green. If it's firmer and faster use one less club to pitch with and if it's slower use one more.

 

It's also important to get the speed with the putter.

 

Practicing at two different courses is a great idea!  My home course has relatively small, slow greens, but other courses in the area are much quicker.  If I am playing another course, I usually go there a day or two ahead and use their practice area.  I usually just stretch, and not use the range much anymore before a round since I only have so many shots in my body during the day, and I want to save them for the course!!  I will spend quite a bit of time on the practice green, especially when on the road.  

 

I don't tend to use a club less or more to adjust for green speed, but I will adjust where I want to land the ball.

[wbealsd]

Hope it's nothing serious, but a friend of mine injured his ribs and couldn't take full swings for quite a while.  He would play with us, but only chip and putt; got very deadly with his 9-iron!

Thanks, I dislocated my left shoulder going over a fence last week, rather than opening the gate... I got lucky though, since the MRI didn't show any major damage and my shoulder reset itself while I was waiting to see the Dr. First doc wanted me to immobilize the arm for three weeks but I saw a sports doc who gave me the OK for rehab and short game practice until I see him again next week. I'm hoping I can get cleared to start full swing before the end of the month.

 

I probably shouldn't have been "hopping" fences, just lucky I bounce pretty well for an old guy - lol

[Kenny B]

Thanks, I dislocated my left shoulder going over a fence last week, rather than opening the gate... I got lucky though, since the MRI didn't show any major damage and my shoulder reset itself while I was waiting to see the Dr. First doc wanted me to immobilize the arm for three weeks but I saw a sports doc who gave me the OK for rehab and short game practice until I see him again next week. I'm hoping I can get cleared to start full swing before the end of the month.

 

I probably shouldn't have been "hopping" fences, just lucky I bounce pretty well for an old guy - lol

 

Glad to hear.  As long as it won't hurt anything, you are probably better off using golf as therapy!  Of course that is spoken by another old guy, so take it for what it's worth. lol

[RookieBlue7]

I'll tell you one instructional that's fun and intriguing to watch and you might even pick up a thing or two.  That's Phil Mickelson's Secrets to the Short Game.  He's a master around the greens and is supremely talented, but you might pick up a thing or two watching it.  I've bene trying his hinge and hold technique for a while this season with a lot of success.