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Using a wedge on the Green

• 13danmarino13 4 Posts

  Wed, Jun 6 2012 2:30 AM

          All good here                                              replay.aspx?ID=436adf64 3709 4d09 bcd0 a068008a0dd9

• srellim234 2,077 Posts

  Wed, Jun 6 2012 8:49 AM

  Greenside bunker spin comes from the sand passing under the ball to spin the ball backwards. There is a reason that they use sand to make sandpaper. Totally different cause and affect than the wedge shots being discussed here.

  The whole groove argument within the golf regulations occurred because the clubs were getting too much "bite". There are nonconforming wedges out there that have sandpaper-type and diamond shapes on the faces. They can spin the ball like crazy but they are nonconforming and not approved for play by the rulemaking bodies of golf. 

• MBaggese 15,367 Posts

  Wed, Jun 6 2012 11:19 AM

  srellim234:

  Greenside bunker spin comes from the sand passing under the ball to spin the ball backwards.

  I brought it up due to everyone bringing up Phil's shot, his flop was essentially the same thing, without compressing the ball into the ground..he imparted spin on the ball with a few feet of roll out.

  There's probably just a handful of players on tour that can make a shot like that (without eating up the green), the majority of players would have picked it up in a "pitch" type of shot with much more roll out, similar to what we have now.

   

• TracyMax 2,361 Posts

  Thu, Jun 21 2012 10:26 AM

  piztaker:

  weejohn5:

  I agree, no decent golfer would take a divot out of a green when other players have to follow 

   

  Then I'm an indecent golfer. :-)

  Guess Phil Mickelson is too since I've seen replay of him doing it quite well

   

• srellim234 2,077 Posts

  Thu, Jun 21 2012 11:34 AM

  Only time I'm aware of Mickelson actually taking a divot out of the green is the 2002 Ryder Cup, 10 years ago. All the other replays I find of him using a wedge on the green show him picking the ball clean with very little spin on it. No divot.

  Please provide the link to the replay you saw that shows him putting the divot in the green. It would be fun to review it.

• TracyMax 2,361 Posts

  Thu, Jun 21 2012 3:55 PM

  srellim234:

  Only time I'm aware of Mickelson actually taking a divot out of the green is the 2002 Ryder Cup, 10 years ago. All the other replays I find of him using a wedge on the green show him picking the ball clean with very little spin on it. No divot.

  Please provide the link to the replay you saw that shows him putting the divot in the green. It would be fun to review it.

  Apparently I did not convey my message well, as I was saying I've seen Phil hit off the green quite well, I saw no divit. That takes skill to me to be that precise

• srellim234 2,077 Posts

  Thu, Jun 21 2012 6:14 PM

  Oh. Okay. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

  Phil carries a wedge that has virtually no bounce at all so he can slip it that precisely under the ball. Something we don't have here.

• Romax 1,876 Posts

  Sat, Jun 23 2012 9:32 AM

  http://www.wgt.com/replay.aspx?ID=4e32680e-397a-4e04-a07c-a07900ed7a0c  If anyone sees a divot here just let me know and I will never do this shot again !! If ya think it's easy--- Try it !   

• TarheelsRule 5,551 Posts

  Sat, Jun 23 2012 9:48 AM

  I have seen a number of pros use this shot from time to time.  I played a course a few years back with a large bunker in the center of the green, if you hit to the wrong spot you basically had no choice but to attempt to pitch or flop it off the green if you wanted to get close.  However in a friendly game, I am not going to take a chunk out of the green for something like that.  Just putt around it when it doesnt matter.

  In WGT the greens aren't real.....I know what shocks some of you like the Easter Bunny not being real.....so there is no real divot.

  I would like WGT to ban this shot by just making the only option on the green a putter.  In today's game using a wedge is just a way to avoid a break, an uphill putt etc.  I know they took the spin off it but let's just do away with it WGT.

   

• Romax 1,876 Posts

  Sat, Jun 23 2012 12:20 PM

  Excuse my ignorance Tarheels, but I always thought the object of the game was to get the ball in the cup with the fewest strokes possible.As you correctly pointed out--"In todays' game using a wedge is just a way to avoid a break, an uphill putt etc." That is exactly the point. Avoiding a killer break will likely result in fewer strokes to drop the ball in the hole.So my question is---- If I have a 65ft putt with a killer break that I am confident I can get very close with my wedge, do I putt it and hope the conditions are really what is shown  or just drop it close with the wedge? ------ awww never mind.I already know the answer!