the clock method

all this seems to be sucking the fun out of pitching or chipping close.........

...if you had to throw the ball the same distance would you still be thinking about it mechanically?

whats wrong with just practicing different distances until you get the 'feel' for the club of choice?
 
I was always a feel chipper until my current teacher got me to try the clock face stuff (I had been pretty doubtful of its value). Now I am walking towards a chip from around the fringe thinking this is a 5 - 7 or a 4 - 8 etc. For me, it stops me focussing on the strike and just keeping the tempo good and making the relevant distance swing. It's been a massive improvement in distance judgement and I am looking at chips with a view to holing them now rather than just getting close for a putt or two.
 
all this seems to be sucking the fun out of pitching or chipping close.........

...if you had to throw the ball the same distance would you still be thinking about it mechanically?

whats wrong with just practicing different distances until you get the 'feel' for the club of choice?



I was always a feel chipper until my current teacher got me to try the clock face stuff (I had been pretty doubtful of its value). Now I am walking towards a chip from around the fringe thinking this is a 5 - 7 or a 4 - 8 etc. For me, it stops me focussing on the strike and just keeping the tempo good and making the relevant distance swing. It's been a massive improvement in distance judgement and I am looking at chips with a view to holing them now rather than just getting close for a putt or two.

2 alternative approaches. Try both and see which one works best.

Neither necessarily better or poorer for any individual, though I'd think both the above posters would have better success with their 'chosen' style than with the other.
 
2 alternative approaches. Try both and see which one works best.

Neither necessarily better or poorer for any individual, though I'd think both the above posters would have better success with their 'chosen' style than with the other.

that's fair, I like trying new things so probably will
 
Using 3 backswing heights, then the same number but gripped down on the shaft is just too complex. If you had 4 wedges thats 24 different distances to understand and some of them must overlap. On top of this you may want to open the face at times and create a whole additional set of distances.

Pelz is a numbers man, this type of complexity suits the way he thinks. For the likes of the average Joe I believe you would do better practising a bit and getting a feel for it.
 
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I read the Pelz book, and thought it was interesting, but I don't recall it covering how/if you amend the clock-face positions based on whether you want to fade/draw the ball (e.g. against the wind on a windy day), nor do I remember it talking about working the ball once it lands on the green (rolling out, check-stop, backspin, etc). I could be wrong tho, was a few years ago now that i read it.
 
all this seems to be sucking the fun out of pitching or chipping close.........

...if you had to throw the ball the same distance would you still be thinking about it mechanically?

whats wrong with just practicing different distances until you get the 'feel' for the club of choice?

Put a mug on the floor and from 6ft throw a penny into it....

See what you think about before it leaves your finger tips... if you want it to go in.

...and most people miss because we are actually CRAP at throwing.

We can't even throw a dart straight!!


Throwing any given distance we are even LESS accurate, especially if you only have ONE chance.
 
I have 3 non-full swings and know the distance of each for each wedge.

If I haven't then got a combination for the shot I want to play I'll alter grip position, ball position or face angle to add/subtract the number I need to.
I don't know all of the distances in my head, just 3 with each club that I can adjust up or down a few yards if need be.
 
Put a mug on the floor and from 6ft throw a penny into it....

See what you think about before it leaves your finger tips... if you want it to go in.

...and most people miss because we are actually CRAP at throwing.

We can't even throw a dart straight!!


Throwing any given distance we are even LESS accurate, especially if you only have ONE chance.

you might be :rolleyes:
 
all this seems to be sucking the fun out of pitching or chipping close.........

...if you had to throw the ball the same distance would you still be thinking about it mechanically?

whats wrong with just practicing different distances until you get the 'feel' for the club of choice?
For me, this is about pitching. Chipping is more about feel. I think the least yardage I have is around 30 yards on the clock face system. Also, there is room for feel within the system. As others have mentioned, you may have in between yardages or may want to open the club face. I liked it because my feel for a yardage at say 84 yards was poor. As Pelz says, with lower lofted clubs, distance is easy, it's dispersion that's the problem. Until you get to the wedges that is. Then it's all about distance, as it is easier to hit straight. I find I can still use some feel, but I know the basic yardage is going to be right.
 
I am a huge advocate of the clock face method. It has improved my wedge play incredibly and as you can see from what's in my bag I went the whole hog with 4 specialist wedges :)

Not only does it give you the correct mechanical technique to pitch the ball the correct distance but it removes doubt and increases confidence. The more confident you are the more likely you are to make a clean strike and a positive swing all the way through the ball.

Jimbooo, why would you want to fade or draw a pitch shot? You have to allow for the wind in direction and distance but trying to whip your hands over to draw a pitch shot is going to lose any distance control whether you use feel or length of swing.
 
Jimbooo, why would you want to fade or draw a pitch shot? You have to allow for the wind in direction and distance but trying to whip your hands over to draw a pitch shot is going to lose any distance control whether you use feel or length of swing.

If I'm 80yds away and behind a tree, I might want to fade or draw the ball. I also wouldn't whip my hands over on a draw.
 
If I'm 80yds away and behind a tree, I might want to fade or draw the ball. I also wouldn't whip my hands over on a draw.

If you are trying to draw the ball with an 80 yard finesse swing I wish you luck but I don't see it happening myself. I am no expert on drawing the ball but I thought you needed a lot of action on the ball to impart spin and make it turn in the air and can't see how to do that without hitting it hard.

Probably better to play a bump and run under the branches or take your medicine and come out sideways.
 
I read the Pelz book, and thought it was interesting, but I don't recall it covering how/if you amend the clock-face positions based on whether you want to fade/draw the ball (e.g. against the wind on a windy day), nor do I remember it talking about working the ball once it lands on the green (rolling out, check-stop, backspin, etc). I could be wrong tho, was a few years ago now that i read it.



you make a really good point. sometimes with a pitch you might want the ball to release and run up a steep slope on the green. draw the ball in to fight the wind or to use the contours of the green to find a back pin that's been tucked in.
 
If you are trying to draw the ball with an 80 yard finesse swing I wish you luck but I don't see it happening myself. I am no expert on drawing the ball but I thought you needed a lot of action on the ball to impart spin and make it turn in the air and can't see how to do that without hitting it hard.

.

this is not hard at all. i'd take pins on the left all day long !
 
You can bend the ball round a tree with a finesse swing?

Can you describe how you do it without hitting with power? I can't even imagine how let alone do it but would love to be able to.

First you use the leather wedge to move from behind the tree to your desired distance, then you play your finesse swing with the golf club!:whistle:

Otherwise, I can't see it being done either. Which is probably why it wasn't in the book!
 
Tried it years ago and just did not get on with as I spent that much time thinking about how far to swing it back I forgot to swing it through properly.

I could stand on the practice range and it worked a treat. Problem I had was on the course where it isn't flat. I knew that X back swing would hit it X distance. Ok that was on the flat, but stood from the green needing say a half swing to get the correct distance is Ok, but any serious elevation change I just could not figure out where to swing it back to to allow for the green being above or below me.

I am not against, it is just not for me and at the moment my short game is probably my strongest point.
 
You can bend the ball round a tree with a finesse swing?

Can you describe how you do it without hitting with power? I can't even imagine how let alone do it but would love to be able to.


you asked draw the ball with an 80 yard pitch. that's quite different to hooking a ball around a tree.
 
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