Help me control my balls!

[Tiger]

Given my monniker and the title of this post I'm anticipating a healthy blend of innuendo and advice.

I'm now playing 9 hole courses, out again this weekend weather permitting, but being new to the game I'm having a few issues with my balls. I hope you can help.

1. Should I be assuming my ball is not going to roll much on landing and therefore base my club selection on just carry distance or carry distance + x? I'm getting caught short quite a lot.

2. How can I get my balls to drop and stop when pitching over obstacles. I'm currently assuming I need to strike them more firmly to get more spin but I'm either thinning them (too much wrist I think) or they are landing roughly where I want them but tend to run on and end up in the rough.

Thanks in advance for your help

Tiger

 

[dangermouse]

you seem to be using some pretty advanced kit based on your signature - maybe check with a pro whether it is right for you?

I know I have issues controlling my Vokey wedges, and only use them when I am swinging well.

It is pretty difficult to say why your shots are shaped as they are - the only useful advice is to go see a pro, who can help you strike the ball much better, and therefore achieve the results you want.

 

[Deke]

Hi Tiger,thought I would give you my 2 cents worth.The amount of roll you get is based on the loft of the club you are using and the shape vertically of the ball flight.If you want the ball to land soft and not roll much,pick a higher lofted club and go for a high ball flight.If you want more roll,then pick a club with less loft and hit a low,penetrating shot.Obviously the wind can limit your options with higher ball flight,but moving the ball position is also an option to affect shot height.Hope this helps!

 

[pokerjoke]

when controlling spin or roll as you probably can appreciate knowing the condition of the greens can certainly help,on my course there are generally 4 greens that are harder than the others and therefore give more roll on landing,the others are softer so give less roll.also when using your vokey wedges if you put the ball more forward in ur stance this will give a higher ball flight and a softer landing giving less roll,hope ive helped

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I base my club selection on how much I need to carry. If I want to carry 25% of the distance and roll the rest I use a 7 iron, a 50:50 shot is a 9 iron and a 75% carry and 25% roll is a sand wedge. I'm not good enough to be getting check spin regularly so I normally play a chip and run as it's the most reliable shot for me, but change the ratio of 'chip' to 'run' depending on the shot.

Good luck

 

[USER1999]

This is a boring answer. Practice. It is the only way. It isn't technique, or advice, it is just knowing how the ball will run out. At this time of year, not much, in the summer, maybe more. All you can do is find a quiet green on the course, or your practice chipping area, and spend hours there with a bag of the balls you are going to use, and a selection of clubs. You can hit off the front foot for height, off the back foot for low and spinny, with any club This is one of the hardest things to learn about in golf, and there are no short cuts to a good short game.

Ask Lee Westwood, he is still rubbish at it.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
If you are striking the ball well with 7 iron up you will be getting very little run when u hit the green on full shots it should be stop dead with a wedge to maybe 3 yards with a 7 iron most of the trouble is at the front of the green so you have to know how far u hit each club and take plenty of club to get back to the pin not just to the front of the green most amatures miss short because they think they hit there clubs farther that they actually so find out how far u hit your 9 iron and add about 12 yards on for each club, on the short shots pratice is the only thing that will help the low shot that checks is very hard to hit remember to always keep your hands ahead of the club head on all your chips there is enough loft on your clubs without having to flick at it to get it in the air.
Mike

 

[Doh]

The thing to remember about chipping is that you want to get the ball onto the green as soon as possible and then let it role out. As murph says you will need to practice this often to become any good.
Depending how far off the green you are you could use anything from a SW to a 6iron there are plenty of options it's just a case of practice.

 

[viscount17]

the pro I'm going to said to find out two or three distances with each club, the 7.30, 9 and 10.30 shots. then write them down and tape them to the shafts. might not look pretty but easier than remembering 12 or more club/swing/distance combinations.

 

[Tiger]

Thanks guys loads of useful tips and surprisingly no smut! In response to your comments. Clubs I have were all recommended and fitted by my pro except the putter which was personal preference.

Scouts honour I will be practising a lot especially over the Xmas period. I work from home 2 days a week and can get out on the Heath every lunch time for 45 mins.

The tip of having it forward in my stance will definitely try as I have been delofting to a degree by keeping the ball in the middle. I use an 8 iron when there are no obstacles but my approach shots are dropping short at the moment and I'm then needing to get over bunkers and try and stop quite quickly. Thing is when I club up I'm over hitting! I suppose I just need more range time to know my distances and improve my ball striking consistency.

Anyway loads of great advice as always will be putting it into practice this weekend.

T

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A lot of it is oractice especially from <100 yards and in and learning how your wedges will reaact. Around the green the lower the loft the greater the run. Have a look at the ball you are using too. A premium make (Pro V TP black/Red, Z star etc) will have a lot of spin and so have less roll on landing. With regards to pitching over an obstacle or hitting it high to get check then its really only something that can be learnt and honed with practice.

If you are coming up short with every approach shot including the longer irons then you might need to go out and find out how far you hit on AVERAGE. Take ten balls with every club and ignoring any obvious poor shots measure the distance of the shorted and furthest of each group of 10 to get an average. It might be simply a case of being overly optimistic with how far you hit them.

 

[Split_Fairway]

dont worry too much about getting the ball to check on the pitch shots at the moment, just work on hitting the ball consistently and then you can think about technique for the different shots.