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Short game!!

Nardy

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Joined
May 6, 2010
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4
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Bristol
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What would you guys suggest is the best way to approach chipping and pitching?
Today on 3 holes I drove the ball within 50 yards of the green but when it came to chipping it landed on the green and then just rolled straight off again. How is the best way to stop this.

thanks
 
Drive the ball 50 yards further! :D

Seriously though, how does the grees slope? Is the ball rolling off the front or back of the green? If threre is no hazard such as bunkers in the way I would elect to chip and run the ball.
 
Lots of things,
don't hit it so hard
allow it to land shorter and run out.
Use a softer ball
hit down on the ball, squeeze it out rather than waft it (or err missus)
higher loft (requires a lot of practice)
try a change of club, if a 7 iron runs too far try a 9 iron etc.
It all comes down to two things though, practice and course awareness/ management.
 
Drive the ball 50 yards further! :D

No - drive 50 yards less and leave yourself a wedge in. You can hit it harder, generate more spin and stop it quicker.

A lot of amateurs try to hit the ball too far - this is where course management comes in. Try to leave the ball at a distance you feel comfortable hitting, 100, 120 or even 150 yards. Use a club off the tee to get you to that point.
 
Learn to play different shots. Different holes/courses will require pitch and runs, or higher softer landing approaches and to score with confidence you need to be able to play all sorts. Maybe consider a short game lesson and get your pro to teach you the basics for each type of shot and then the only real answer is to go away and work on them
 
Most of us don't practise enough. I go and hit a few on the practise ground 2 or 3 times a week at lunchtime. I cat't remember when I last had an hour on the putting green. Six rolls to warm up if you're lucky. I know my club has a practise bunker, but I've never seen it. Hence last two round out I reckon I've dropped 2 or 3 shots coming out of bunkers, similar for pitching, just not getting it near enough.
 
Most on here will know I had real issues with my short game a few months back and ended up getting a lesson. It's far from perfect but at least I have more confidence in playing the shots now. I try and practice my chipping at least once a week but need to do some work on my putting especially from short range too. Trouble is I want to play as much as I can this year too so its about finding a balance between working on your weaknesses and getting out and just playing
 
I'm starting to use our par 3 course regularly. I keep my wedges and a few balls in a pencil bag in the boot of the car and play a few holes most days - might not this week as the weather's not supposed to be too clever - but I hope to see a marked improvement soon.
 
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