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A little help, please, on shots around the green..

• linksdude 1,585 Posts

  Fri, Apr 20 2012 3:38 PM

  I'm about 3 weeks into this game, and I'm doing pretty well overall except for shots just off the green. Example: I'm over the green about 3 feet into the rough, I have 11 yards back to the hole, downhill. Now in real life, I'd flop a litte pitch shot onto the green and let it run to the hole. In this game, that doesn't work. If I try to do a partial pitch shot, it just gouges out a chunk of grass and goes about a foot.  How do you guys hit those shots? If your lob wedge has a "pitch" yardage of 20 yards, how do you make it only go 5 or 10 yards without chunking it?

  If anyone has a tip that would help me with those short shots around the green, I would be most appreciative...

   

• DAZZA501 5,972 Posts

  Fri, Apr 20 2012 5:03 PM

  Ditch your Hybrid and go with 3 wedges. Get yourself the 64degree satin wedge. Your smallest wedge of 60degree is just not good enough for those shorter pitch shots. The satin wedge is great for pitching, chipping and flopping around the green. 

• Jerm65 1,413 Posts

  Fri, Apr 20 2012 5:04 PM

  If you're looking for a single tip that will help with all the short shots around the green....the best one is probably to read the topic in the FAQs titled "Chip and Pitch Tips.  --------------------------->>

  Then, set up a practice round and practice them.  Over, and over, and over, and over......lol

  Short of going into great detail on each shot...that's the best tip I can give you.

  EDIT:  well, besides what Dazza said about switching your hybrid to the Satin 64, that's the best tip.  Peek at the equipment of the top players on here, and you'll see a lot of those 64's.

• linksdude 1,585 Posts

  Fri, Apr 20 2012 6:12 PM

  Okay guys, thanx for the tip. I happened to reach level 39 today, so I just bought the Z Satin 64* wedge that is available at that level. I took the hybrid out of my bag; there's only 5 yards difference between it and the 3-iron.

  I immediately went out and played 9 holes, and man, what a difference. I've been trying those delicate shots with my Cleveland 56 and 60, and it just doesn't work. But this Satin 64 makes it a lot easier to get up and down from anywhere around the green. Thank you, guys, for the suggestion. You done good!  :-)

   

• vFiReStOrMv 51 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 5:40 AM

  Also, make sure you look at your lies. A 20/25 lie will come out rather easy even with a half powered shot. But a 30/40 or 40/50 lie will need more power than what the distance is rated at. And most times if you only need 1/3 of the power bar on those shots, add 20% power to it because if not it will likely just go 2 feet and stop. Same with flops, I always add a couple more yards than what it should take just to get me there.

• SGTBilko 1,686 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 7:06 AM

   

  1. Chip: Satin Wedge/Calloway- Fringe or under 2 feet from the hole. Average roll with a chip shot with full backspin 2-3 feet on a normal to slightly up hill lie, factor in 1.5 to 2 on a 1-2 down hill lie. Anymore than that look at flop shot.UPDATED Utilizing the cleveland wedge and Nike ball you will get about a 1-2 foot roll.

  2. Pitch: Satin Wedges/Calloway Ball -More that 2 feet away from green, ball is not below where I can see the green. Average roll with a pitch shot with full backspin 4-6 feet on a normal lie, 4-5 on uphill lie, add +3 on a downhill lie. UPDATED: Cleveland Wedges/Nike or Calloway Balls: Utilizing the these clubs this shot will stop almost dead to 1 foot roll.

  3. Flop: One of the least valued shots on here because most do not know how to use this shot. 95% of the time you should never hit the ding line but stop it at the first marker to the left of the ding line. Doing this will force the ball to go straight where you aim rather than come off the club head to the right. Great shot 15 to 24 feet from the hole. Great shot if you have a large down hill or up hill lie or where you think the shot does not favor a chip or pitch shot. Average roll 3-4, will stop dead with callaway s ball as will it with the Nike balls as well.

  4. Full Wedge: I am not sure how many utilize the Satin 50 yd wedge around the green on short shots but I tend to use it a lot and with great accuracy on shots anywhere from 20+ when I want the ball to stop almost dead or need a good backspin to the whole (works best with callaway S). With other balls it will roll 2-3 yds depending on the lie. UPDATED: After the announcement of the cleveland wedges and Nike balls this has dramatically changed how I play this shot now. Play the ball as a straight shot with either no or little backspin. Warning, utilizing full BS will cause the ball to back up 10 -25 feet depending on the green

  While I know there are more rules these are just a few of the basics ones I use. All to often I have seen some forum trolls write that you cannot use these with any accuracy and to that I say BS! I have 55+ (118 now) holed approach shots and maybe 10 were lucky shots from long distances. I think it was Avatar Lee that once wrote the great players on this game do not always shot birdies but they rarely have bogies. Some of the best players on here have scrambling and sand %'s in the high 70's to low 80's. While I have not achieved that, being in the mid 60's has allowed me to move to legend and shot under par right away.  IMO

   

• linksdude 1,585 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 7:59 AM

  Thanks guys, that is really great stuff. Most of this I am learning the hard way, but I'll print this out and keep it handy. It's so nice of you veterans to share this info with us newbies; it definitely shortens the learning curve. I've gone from Hack to Tour Pro in 21 days, so I'm coming along. And BTW, I use the flop shot a lot - I like it.

  Thanks too, Sarge, for your putter pal. I have it taped to my monitor and use it constantly...

   

• alosso 21,065 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 8:10 AM

  A great tutorial, SGT!

  May add a word or two?

  - Pitches work great from many lies well below and above the green, including bunkers with gentle rim, and also as far-distance shots from the fairway (see distance indications for the clubs), giving the opportunity to roll up heavy slopes like STAs "Valley of Sin" nicely where a punch would be stuck in the upslope. The shot must only clear any rough before landing.

   

  A question to flop shots:

  When you speak about "the first marker left of ding", is this the fourth from the left, at the beginning of the "good stroke" area, where the colour changes to light blue?

• SGTBilko 1,686 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 8:32 AM

  alosso:

  A great tutorial, SGT!

  May add a word or two?

  - Pitches work great from many lies well below and above the green, including bunkers with gentle rim, and also as far-distance shots from the fairway (see distance indications for the clubs), giving the opportunity to roll up heavy slopes like STAs "Valley of Sin" nicely where a punch would be stuck in the upslope. The shot must only clear any rough before landing.

   

  A question to flop shots:

  When you speak about "the first marker left of ding", is this the fourth from the left, at the beginning of the "good stroke" area, where the colour changes to light blue?

  You are correct, the punch is a shot I mainly use for in-between distances but the lay of the green is a great factor. I will have to say though, utilizing the clevelands when punching there is very little roll out and bs is often never required.

  right there! I will have to note that sometimes, depending on the lie of the green I will ding it because I want it to come off the club head to the right. A good example of this is if you over hit or it rolls past the pin on #2 at SA when the pin is toward the bottom-right area. By purposely dinging the shot I want it to go to the right because of the roll after the ball lands. Hope you can visualize this....

  

• SGTBilko 1,686 Posts

  Sun, Apr 22 2012 8:33 AM

  linksdude:

  Thanks guys, that is really great stuff. Most of this I am learning the hard way, but I'll print this out and keep it handy. It's so nice of you veterans to share this info with us newbies; it definitely shortens the learning curve. I've gone from Hack to Tour Pro in 21 days, so I'm coming along. And BTW, I use the flop shot a lot - I like it.

  Thanks too, Sarge, for your putter pal. I have it taped to my monitor and use it constantly...

   

  Glad I could help and that the putter pal is working.

  "I've been trying those delicate shots with my Cleveland 56 and 60, and it just doesn't work. "

  I had to laugh when I read this, to be honest when they first came out I bought the cleveland's and within 2 days I went back to the satins. I just could not get the hang of them after using the satins. Yankeejim convinced me to go back to them and trust the clubs and the distances. After 3 days I would have not traded them for the world. I will say though that the satins are a top club on here and great for anyone's first set of wedges. Cleveland's are tough to get used to and if you do not know how to use them you will get in trouble quick.