Good shout Bob.
I've played with many amateurs in pro ams who hadn't a clue about yardage control.
Couldn’t agree with this more if I tried. You see it so many times out on the course people failing to commit to anything at around 60yards or less, leaving it short, thinning it or just happy to hit the green and taking up to 4 shots to get in the hole from 50yards.
Weirdly I have found that playing rounds on top tracer has helped me enormously from about 50 yards (and lower my handicap by 3 shots this year). As you have to pitch to flags between 40 and 60 yards away instead of putting, I have had much more practice at this sort of distance than I would just using the range the old fashioned way.
Thanks Mr Obvious…and you don’t always have to play a pitch from 50yds..putting is handy but …grass…
I think it’s genuinely been a good addition to the ranges for the player that wants to improve. It forces you to pick a target with the long clubs rather than just bash onto an open field and like you say the 40yards it draws the target in closer depending on potential hole score so I’m not surprised it’s improving scores as it’s an often over looked yardage.
The good old Texas wedge or bump and run very important skills to add to the arsenal.…and you don’t always have to play a pitch from 50yds..putting is handy but …grass…
Handy, especially on a links, but not in this case as the OP doesn't play links or heathland.
My point precisely…though the Texas wedge can be a handy option as it is low risk (you’ll rarely chunk or thin a shot with a putter), it can be very difficult to judge pace when using it from 10s of yards…even yards, from the putting surface when the grass is lusher or longer than you’d find on heathland or links.
Out of interest, what is your view on the benchmark for a “not bad” shot from this distance? Within 5yds(10% error) or better?
For a mid handicapper...
I'm not trying to counter your figures, but I have just had a look at the PGA stats for the season. They don't have 50 yards but they do have a stat for 30+ yards from the green. The best player this season only averages 9 feet, 1" better than Scottie. Tour average is 12' 9" and most players are in excess of 40 shots so a good selection. This would mean by your reckoning, a mid handicapper would need to play like a tour pro around the green which is very unlikely. Is this another example of us hackers having very unrealistic expectations when it comes to our games?
Of course you are.
Agreed. I've been reading plenty about this concept as well - reading the Four Foundation of Golf right now in fact, for example. From 50 yard pitch, if I'm putting that's a tick for me. Inside 15-20 feet would be a nice bonus. 5 feet is dreamland.
Not convinced it’s the rights stats to compare. A tour pro pitching from 30 yds is doing it because they missed the green (probably from a long shot distance) so they would be having a difficult lie most likely.
Do you miss the green often from this distance? If not, surely a tick would be getting it at least to the pin’s half of the green?
Of course I do - when I fat it short or knife it through the other side.Do you miss the green often from this distance? If not, surely a tick would be getting it at least to the pin’s half of the green?
