Forums

New Pro struggling with short game

• ScottHope 10,646 Posts

  Sat, Feb 22 2014 7:44 AM

  I think with putting it is best to get the distance right before making adjustments for the break, and by getting the distance right, I mean learning to putt 'through the hole'. Just about all golfers are aware of the old adage 'never up, never in', so giving your putt enough power to go a couple of feet past will add to your chance of holing it.

  Giving a putt enough power to go past the hole is also very helpful when putting with a break. It should be obvious to you that the harder you hit a putt, the less the break will affect it. So for a given break an uphill putt will move laterally (sideways) less because it requires more power and is travelling faster, than a downhill one with the same break which needs less power and is travelling more slowly.

  Putting 'through the hole' also makes it easier to judge a putt with a break. As a putt with a break will change its arc as it slows down, this change of arc makes it difficult to predict the path of the ball as it reaches the end of its travel. Whereas it is much easier to know where the ball is going if the arc is constant, obviously it will slow down and stop at some point but the plan is to try and to make sure the hole intercepts the anticipated arc of the ball before it slows and changes direction, therefore giving it a bit extra power to go past the hole will help achieve this.

  I hope you can make some sense of all that.

• ApexPC 3,164 Posts

  Sat, Feb 22 2014 9:31 AM

  In Practice mode, you can select the green speed, tee, how much wind, easy or hard hole placements, etc

   

• CMeade5 18 Posts

  Sat, Feb 22 2014 11:26 AM

  Thanks you have helped enormously (4 rounds as a pro 97, 91, 77, 74).

  One shot I don't have a clue how to play is if I am on the fringe of a raised green, where the fringe is on a steep slope (usually uphill and to the side) but the green is flat.  The default is to put, but I I always get both the borrow and the length wrong, I've tried flopping and chipping but haven't worked out how to get reasonably close. 

• alosso 21,094 Posts

  Sat, Feb 22 2014 2:40 PM

  Situations differ widely, therefore: Which hole? Which side?

  On fringes, the distance to the green as well as the green speed are decisive for the extra effort it takes. There are also greens where the sequence to the flag is fringe - fairway - green (BPB#13) - putting is almost impossible from there.

  The safe shots are chip (with limits) and pitch, or flop. Unfortunately, the Starter wedges don't play these easily. An upgrade will help a lot.

• ScottHope 10,646 Posts

  Sat, Feb 22 2014 2:53 PM

  The one good thing about being on the fringe is it allows you to apply spin, but as Alosso has stated, with the starter wedges and free ball that isn't going to help you much. 

  What you could do is take advantage of the play one hole and mulligan options to have a good practise. The play one hole option is available from the WGT COMMUNITY link above, then select GOLF COURSES from the drop down menu and then choose your desired course and hole.

• jsweetcr 1,209 Posts

  Sat, Feb 22 2014 2:54 PM

  As Alosso has already stated and i am sure has been stated earlier in this thread, you have to be aware and remember that you are using the starter kit.  The wedges are probably some of the worst in that set. They have very little precision and spin and the forgivness is minimal. Unles you hit the shot perfect you will probably find that you won't get as close as you like.

  That being said I wouldn't rush out and change them, just yet. In about 10 levels there are some ping wedges that are very good, from what I have read.

   

  As stated before you can use the practice mode and the starter ball with the mulligan feature.  Go out on a course where you know there are holes giving you challenges with your short game, ie ptiching chipping and flopping. Purposely put yourself in a position where you have had problems getting close in the past, like the one you descibed on the fringe. Choose a short game shot like the ones I mentioned and take your first shot, with no spin and see what happens, then take a mulligan and change the shot up, add topsipn or backspin or how hard you hit it and do that with one of the shots repeatedly. Then switch the shot and repeat, til you think you have a feel for what works and doesn't.

  IMO it is important to learn all the different short game shots: punch pitch chip flop and where to use them. If you can do that with the starter kit, when you get new clubs it will be that much easier to dial those new clubs in.

  Just stick with it, sounds like you are making progress. Enjoy the ride!!