hard pan challenge

[sidvicious]

ok, here's the setup.

you're 25-40 yards from an average elevated green. your ball is squarely on cement style hard pan dirt/turf, and i use turf generously.

how do you play it?

i choose not to use a lofted attempt, as they have proven damn near extinct.

bumping and running seems the only alternative, and in that arena are several alternatives.

lately i've pulled the putter and whacked it toward the green, hoping for at least a decent lay-up.

i've used 3 irons, 5 irons, 7 irons, etc. the lower lofts seem to work better, at least on mis-hits.

what do you guys do?

[Slingblade61]

I have wide sole Taylor Mades irons that actually enjoy hardpan.

There is one hole in particular where I play, the left side is hardpan and while I try to avoid it, I really have very little trouble there.

I think hitting the ball before I hit the pan is key.

[sidvicious]

Originally Posted by Slingblade61

I have wide sole Taylor Mades irons that actually enjoy hardpan.

There is one hole in particular where I play, the left side is hardpan and while I try to avoid it, I really have very little trouble there.

I think hitting the ball before I hit the pan is key.

what club do you use?

[Davebud]

I had that happen to me last round, got off to the left side of the green and I hit the 8 iron to try a bump and run, it ran off the other side into a bunker, then placed another ball and hit my 58* came up short, then made one more attempt to get closer using my 53* and dropped in on the near side and rolled up to 6 feet from the pin. Yes I did play the ball from the bunker, but I think I have figured out that next time I will hit the 53* in the first place.

[Slingblade61]

Originally Posted by sidvicious

what club do you use?

Depends on the distance, 8 iron, pw....something like that.

[ezra76]

Why is this a problem? Hardpan is super easy to spin the ball off. I'd grab my SW, close down the face, play from back in the stance and hit a 1/4 swing skip stop. Once you learn to hit off the stuff I'll garuntee you'll like it much better than greenside rough.

[FKA19]

smack down on a 52*

[gwlee7]

Originally Posted by ezra76

Why is this a problem? Hardpan is super easy to spin the ball off. I'd grab my SW, close down the face, play from back in the stance and hit a 1/4 swing skip stop. Once you learn to hit off the stuff I'll garuntee you'll like it much better than greenside rough.

Most people who have trouble with the hardpan shot haven't learned how to "trap" the ball as you are suggesting here. They try to play it from a normal stance and the bounce of the club skulls the ball into the parking lot, the next tee box, or some other fun place. Once they experience how easy this shot really is, they'll love hitting it though. I love watching the ball get squeezed off of hardpan flying about 8 feet high and then putting on the brakes when it hits the green.

[Slingblade61]

What gwlee7 said.....hardpan doesn't bother me a bit.
off the tee, into the woods....that's another matter.

[Rockford35]

I just kick it onto the grass and play it from there.

Seriously, i'd play my 53* and get real perfect with it. Worst case scenario, you drill it into the grass in front of you and it slows down. Or it goes into the bunker you forgot to mention.

R35

[warbirdlover]

Play it towards right foot (if right handed) more. We have this condition on many of our county courses and we have to know how to deal with it. This works good.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Most people who have trouble with the hardpan shot haven't learned how to "trap" the ball as you are suggesting here. They try to play it from a normal stance and the bounce of the club skulls the ball into the parking lot, the next tee box, or some other fun place. Once they experience how easy this shot really is, they'll love hitting it though. I love watching the ball get squeezed off of hardpan flying about 8 feet high and then putting on the brakes when it hits the green.

I was just remembering the days before I learned to deal with the tight lies. I hit many a skull job. You know that saying "you get what you pay for". Well the course I play is $12 for 18, that means you don't get a whole lot grass around the greens. As I said in another thread, I have to play off the "cart path" because the nearest relief is in the woods.

[sidvicious]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

Most people who have trouble with the hardpan shot haven't learned how to "trap" the ball as you are suggesting here. They try to play it from a normal stance and the bounce of the club skulls the ball into the parking lot, the next tee box, or some other fun place. Once they experience how easy this shot really is, they'll love hitting it though. I love watching the ball get squeezed off of hardpan flying about 8 feet high and then putting on the brakes when it hits the green.

i know the shot. you're talking about widening the stance, playing the ball back, coming in steeply and pinching the ball into the ground, effectively popping it out and upwards?

is that right?

i've done that, and choose it from time to time.

[warbirdlover]

I "pick" it off the hardpan. You just have to learn how much difference to move the ball.

[cypressperch]

off a lob wedge. Open the face. Get down low. Swing the club with the shoulders not allowing the clubhead to get to high. Now move the club right under the ball and keep the club face point to the sky! Of course, this is a very precise shot that requires a lot of practice.

You cannot pick the ball off of hardpan with a club that has much bounce and still have all the loft you need. A wide open pitching wedge with less loft and little bounce works better than a wedge with much loft and much bounce.

The lofted wedge with the bounce ground off is a great club to have where there is hardpan near greens. Those greens can get pretty hard and grass pretty sparse. Best bet for a ball to hold is to have the ball coming about straight down at the ground. No other club can achieve this.

Sincerely, Cypressperch