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Punching on the green

• philspace 65 Posts

  Tue, Feb 28 2012 3:42 PM

  A quick question to the guys who are more knowledgeable about WGT and real golf than me...

  I remember AvatarLee having shared a long while ago some info on his experiments about punch shots on the green (can anybody point me to the link?).

  Anyway, I just lost a match play to a very good player who used the punch shot on the green no less than 3 times on 9 holes, basically for anything outside 10ft. Not to belittle his deserved victory, but I wondered whether there is any kind of rule or conduct about when this rather exotic shot may be played on the green. Curious!

• DannyPhan 1,013 Posts

  Tue, Feb 28 2012 4:29 PM

  According to the FAQ published by both the USGA and the R&A, under Rule 14-1:

  Using Club other than Putter on Putting Green? 

  Q.  Is it permissible to use a club other than a putter to play a stroke on the putting green? 

  A.  Yes, the Rules of Golf do not stipulate the type of club that must be used for making a stroke on the putting green or anyplace else on the golf course. 

   

  In other words any club on any surface.......

  You can find NUMEROUS posts about this all listing the pros and cons of the shot.

  IMHO it should be used as an EXCEPTION not as a common shot.

   

• NeilD1972 26 Posts

  Tue, Feb 28 2012 4:31 PM

  To paraphrase the saying, "It's not how...it's how many!"  I don't totally know how to use the wedge shots on the green...I have a general idea.   However, there is no rule in golf that says you must use a putter on the green.  In real life, the average golfer who dares try this may be repairing a lot of greens and getting a little too much attention from the marshall...but there is no such danger in virtual golf.  But I digress....there are two ways to combat the wedge expert...either learn the shot yourself or improve your putting skills.

• hawgy 79 Posts

  Tue, Feb 28 2012 5:04 PM

  you must hit the ball on full swing for it to work.... say a 50yd wedge hit on full with full backspin will go 24-26yds so do the math and very little practice and its an easy shot i only use it to get over a bad break

• gatordee 281 Posts

  Tue, Feb 28 2012 6:06 PM

  hawgy:

  you must hit the ball on full swing for it to work.... say a 50yd wedge hit on full with full backspin will go 24-26yds so do the math and very little practice and its an easy shot i only use it to get over a bad break

  Are you sure of this?? I have practiced  the shot and always seemed to get better results at punching it. However, it is the weakest of all my shots.

• gr8flbob 592 Posts

  Tue, Feb 28 2012 10:58 PM

  gatordee:

  Are you sure of this?? I have practiced  the shot and always seemed to get better results at punching it. However, it is the weakest of all my shots.

  You can be successful with either a full wedge or a punched wedge - the key is those are the only shot types (other than putting - lol) that work from on the green. Chipping and flopping are a waste of time, and strokes!

  As from off the green on approaches, the difference between punching and full shots is in the trajectory of the ball flight and in what kind of roll you get upon landing.

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Wed, Feb 29 2012 5:45 AM

  My personal view is that it's unreliable and risky but it does have its uses. If you practice it alot, yes, you can make some shots easier but I dont think you will hole out alot, just get close to par situations on some holes like #17 sta or #4 rsg if you are in the wrong spot.

  -wgticon

• Yappy22 733 Posts

  Wed, Feb 29 2012 7:27 AM

  Have played people who use this shot a lot and are pretty good at it. One guy wedged in 3 shots in a row inside of 10 feet. I did find them to be poor to fair putters when they decided to putt. I think you should learn how to putt from anywhere on the green but that's just my thought, to each his own.

• TerryC74 154 Posts

  Wed, Feb 29 2012 8:13 AM

  Phil,

  We just had a very lengthy discussion on this topic in my country club forum.  We all came to the same overall agreement.  It is within the rules of the game, but not in the spirit of it.  I had described this person as a very good "player", but I was corrected to say he is a very good "gamer".

  Just my 2 cents.

• 100plus 801 Posts

  Wed, Feb 29 2012 9:15 AM

  I also use this shot from various distances,usually when multiple breaks or anything over 50 feet unless almost dead straight.I have holed a lot more of these from over 40 feet then I have made by putting from over 40 feet,but the real blessing in learning the shot is the amount of par saves you get after a terrible approach shot .Just my opinion