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<30 yard pitch and chip shots.

Golfanatic

Active Member
Feb 22, 2012
134
1
within 150 yards of the green has for whatever reason just come pretty easy for me. Putting has been a nightmare until I recently got a hold on it so now Im mostly 1 and 2 putting with an occasional 3 putt, which I can life with.

with the short shots 30 yards and under I still had some inconsistencies, not horrible, but enough that I wanted to nail it down better.
Ive found something that I dont know if its just something I stumbled onto, or you guys already do it, but Ive never seen anyone else doing it like this, but it seems to work like clockwork and has helped me get those shorter pitches and chips up on the green more easily and more controlled.

I just started tightening up both arms and keeping them very straight and using a hyped up putting swing. The club face doesnt go up or down so I dont skull the ball with the edge of the club at all doing it this way and the results have been amazingly consistent. I basically just tighening up every muscle in both arms while holding them straight and using a pendulum putting style swing using the shoulders and back instead of the arms, but more vigorously depending on how far Im hitting the ball. Seems to work well up to about 30 yards or so.
One of the guys I play with tried it just for craps and giggles and it worked well for him too. Much more controlled results from what Im seeing with my game.

Is this something I just tried that works or is it just common with a lot of golfers?
 

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
I basically do the same thing from in close. Use a slightly modified putting stroke with my 60º. Unless of course I have to flop it over a bunker or something, but on a flat approach I use a putter stoke with the 60º. Normally I can snuggle it in close this way, I'll occasionally come up short, but the mistakes tend to be less dramatic going this route.
 
OP
Golfanatic

Golfanatic

Active Member
Feb 22, 2012
134
1
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  • #4
I basically do the same thing from in close. Use a slightly modified putting stroke with my 60º. Unless of course I have to flop it over a bunker or something, but on a flat approach I use a putter stoke with the 60º. Normally I can snuggle it in close this way, I'll occasionally come up short, but the mistakes tend to be less dramatic going this route.

Cool.
I hate doing something everyone else is going to laugh at even if it does work :-D

I just started trying it that way out in the yard practicing and couldnt believe the control I end up with.
Tried it on the course and sure enough...
My chips and pitches were wowing the gallery last round. Between my new hybrids practically playing the game themselves and pitching/chipping this way I really was shaving some strokes off my score.

I think Im going to try it with more than just my wedges next round. See what happens from 50 yard out with my 9 iron.
I like to experiment a lot.
 

azgreg

"Don't count that."
Supporting Member
Sep 20, 2007
15,483
16,859
Phoenix, AZ
Country
United States United States
The motion is perfect for around the green bump and runs. I use any number of clubs 7 to gap for this, but like Mddubya said doesn't work well over trouble where you need the ball to stop quickly.
 

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
Actually, depending on how far I need the ball to run out, I'll use anything from my trusty 60º up to a 7-8 iron, I've even used my 2 hybrid a few times, but tend to do better with an iron or wedge, Just practice it, play around on the putting green and you'll figure out how far each ball will roll out depending on which club you use.
 
OP
Golfanatic

Golfanatic

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Feb 22, 2012
134
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The motion is perfect for around the green bump and runs. I use any number of clubs 7 to gap for this, but like Mddubya said doesn't work well over trouble where you need the ball to stop quickly.

Promise not to laugh, but I used my 68* wedge to get over a bunker and on that one shot it did well.
Yes..I know....68* not a typical club choice, but for whatever reason I can hit the hell out of it and have a lot of fun hitting it, so for me, for now, its working.
But the loft is so high that the ball really has no choice but to stop.
I can get quite a bit of backspin on the ball with it too, which in practice shots has kept the ball from moving much at all once it landed.

Im such a newbie that I dont know a lot about manipulating the ball as well as most of you better players, but its really been a lot of fun learning what I have so far
:)
 
OP
Golfanatic

Golfanatic

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Feb 22, 2012
134
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Actually, depending on how far I need the ball to run out, I'll use anything from my trusty 60º up to a 7-8 iron, I've even used my 2 hybrid a few times, but tend to do better with an iron or wedge, Just practice it, play around on the putting green and you'll figure out how far each ball will roll out depending on which club you use.

I absolutely love my 60* wedge.
I have a 52* too but dont end up pulling it much since the 60 seems to do the job 90% of the time.
I think practicing is my favorite part of the game.
Its almost like my reloading. I go to the shooting range to blow off all my reloads just so I can come home and do a bunch of reloading which is more fun than the shooting is :-D
 

mddubya

Hybrid convert
Nov 6, 2007
6,029
2
I absolutely love my 60* wedge.
I have a 52* too but dont end up pulling it much since the 60 seems to do the job 90% of the time.
I think practicing is my favorite part of the game.
Its almost like my reloading. I go to the shooting range to blow off all my reloads just so I can come home and do a bunch of reloading which is more fun than the shooting is :-D

I love working on my short game. My home course is only a 9 holer, but it was intended to be 18 initially, so we actually have a 10th hole. This is where I work on my short game, its a short par 3, or was intended to be anyway, and we talked the groundskeeping crew into keeping it cut like the rest of the course. So I can use what was planned to be the tee box and hit anything from a PW with a water carry, down to my 60º, depending on where I'm dropping my balls. I carry 3 wedges, a 52, 56, and my 60º. I had a 64º I bought for $hits and giggles and was just getting used to it when someone decided they needed it more than I did? I'm about to replace my wedges and can't decide if I'm going to stick with what I have gap wise or experiment. Most likely I'll stick with the gaps I have, probably tossing in another 64º
 
OP
Golfanatic

Golfanatic

Active Member
Feb 22, 2012
134
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I love working on my short game. My home course is only a 9 holer, but it was intended to be 18 initially, so we actually have a 10th hole. This is where I work on my short game, its a short par 3, or was intended to be anyway, and we talked the groundskeeping crew into keeping it cut like the rest of the course. So I can use what was planned to be the tee box and hit anything from a PW with a water carry, down to my 60º, depending on where I'm dropping my balls. I carry 3 wedges, a 52, 56, and my 60º. I had a 64º I bought for $hits and giggles and was just getting used to it when someone decided they needed it more than I did? I'm about to replace my wedges and can't decide if I'm going to stick with what I have gap wise or experiment. Most likely I'll stick with the gaps I have, probably tossing in another 64º
With my wedges I spent some time trying to figure out what I wanted to do.
I found some heads on HIREKO, the Professional Open wedges, that I could get a pretty good spread with, so I got the 52*, 60* and 68* so there was the same difference between them.
The 60* is the one I am most comfortable with. If Im out of range for it I might pull the 52* but mostly I would just use my 9 iron since I got so used to making all my shots around the green with it before i got my wedges.

I havent tried a 56* or a 64* yet, but I maybe should grab one of each and just spend a day out with all of them to see what feels best.

I didnt really understand the idea of wedges being such a huge part of the game until I really started learning to play better. I was making all my shots with my 9 iron, but after getting the wedges now I see that they make working the ball around the green a thousand times easier.

Hell, Im thinking a driver or 3 wood, a 6 iron and 3 or 4 wedges would be enough to play a round with :-D
 

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