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The 30 yard dilemma - now the 57 yard dilemma

• jredasse 28 Posts

  Sat, Nov 13 2010 7:49 PM

  PUNCH SHOTS WITH WEDGES?????  NEVER TRIED IT......I HAVE BEEN PLAYING NOW FOR ALMOST 6 MONTHS AND STILL HAVE PROBLEMS AROUND THE GREENS WITH DISTANCES, ETC......PLEASE HELP??????????????  ANY SUGGESTIONS, MAN?????

• borntobesting 9,737 Posts

  Sat, Nov 13 2010 9:02 PM

  jredasse:

  PUNCH SHOTS WITH WEDGES?????  NEVER TRIED IT......I HAVE BEEN PLAYING NOW FOR ALMOST 6 MONTHS AND STILL HAVE PROBLEMS AROUND THE GREENS WITH DISTANCES, ETC......PLEASE HELP??????????????  ANY SUGGESTIONS, MAN?????

  My first suggestion might not be to your liking but get yourself some better wedges. The tour starters you are using are very inconsistent and make it extremely hard to judge distances with because with the low spin rate they have the balls tend to roll way too much. at level 40 the TM z satins and Ping tour w's are both available and make your short game so much easier. And they are only slightly more expensive than the WGT tour starters. And at level 41 you unlock some even better wedges.Get the better wedges and practice with them using the pitch instead of the chip in most cases. chip only when very close. And never in the rough higher than 20/25%. I have used the pitch punch and flop around the greens effectively for the most part. We all hit a few stinkers but that is part of the learning process.But the better wedges even perform well out of the higher rough like 35/40% . But in most cases it is much better to use the pitch. I have had quite a few pitch-ins including 1 earlier tonight for my first eagle on #4 at BPB. 

• CharlemagneRH 1,054 Posts

  Sat, Nov 13 2010 9:16 PM

  I'd play a 70% full swing shot.

• jakestanfill7 949 Posts

  Sat, Nov 13 2010 9:16 PM

  Flop shots are a last resort for me.  I look to hole shots within 60 yards and flops are too hard to gauge direction.  Previous posters are right....learn those punch shots for in between yardages.  Same drill around the green.  I try to pitch or chip whenever I can.  Flop is the last shot I look to but many times it's the only one that will work.  With over 500 holed approaches only about 15 have come on flop shots.  Probably 350+ of them were pitches, chips, or punches.

  Setting your bag up properly is crucial.  For me there is no better set up than the Ping Master wedges.

  Including PW- Full shots 115 105 85 60

  Punch shot 98 87 71 49

  Pitch 39 34 25 17

  Flop 39 29 19

  Chip 21 17 12 7

  Full array is 115 105 98 87 85 71 60 49 39 34 29 25 19 17 12 7.....not many yardage gaps with this set up.

• Infinito3010 3,689 Posts

  Sat, Nov 13 2010 9:49 PM

  Jake makes alot of great points.  Obviously he is one of the best.  However, flop shots are a very important also.  Most great players on this site have their goto shots.  Shots that they have become very proficient in. 

  Secondly, know when to make the appropriate shot, that only comes with experience and practice.  Just my 2 cents worth.

• mantis0014 8,946 Posts

  Sat, Nov 13 2010 9:53 PM

  I would always use a flop shot at that distance. I have no hybrid in my bag and use 3 wedges. If you have a good set of irons you can get away without having the hybrid. I have found with any range to the pin it's better to use the higher distance club and stop shot from full strength. Practise makes perfect though, the more you play the easier it can get...that's the theory anyway...lol

  good luck

             Roger (mantis0014)

• piztaker 5,743 Posts

  Sat, Nov 13 2010 10:52 PM

  Changing between top spin and back spin can fill the gaps too.

• LordPercy 58 Posts

  Mon, Nov 15 2010 4:05 AM

  Intersting points about the punch shot...it's something i've only ever used about twice....I've found that around the green the flop gets me out of most trouble up to 15yds from the pin. I uUse chip for close to the fringe and pin work. A lot is dependent on the individual situation.

• Longwedge 885 Posts

  Mon, Nov 15 2010 9:09 PM

  tiffer67:

  Depends what you have between the ball and the hole.

  I use the 50 yard lob and play a punch shot at about 80% for that distance frequently.

  You should get yourself a 75yard lob, that punches 62 yards and means you've got 75, 62, 50 & 41 yards between full shot and full punch with the 2 clubs.

  I have to say tiff...this is the best thing I've read in a while.  The idea to play a punch shot from the fairway with my wedges from 45 yards had never occured to me...I never thought it would play so well, it almost plays like a full lob.  The past 2 days I have been messing around in practice mode with it and I'm really very pleased...there are several distance gaps that I have filled with this shot now.  I appreciate the advice.

• gsoup 2,929 Posts

  Tue, Nov 16 2010 5:00 AM

  if there are no rivers, lakes, FESC UE, or sandtraps in the way ill punch a 2 iron, seems to keep it straight and low.

  if a ball is within 33 yards of the green i will flop it, dont forget to move or shoot to the left.

  now if i could just ding the ding and find a cure for cantfrigginputtworthadamnitis

  keep it in the short stuff

  G