Tips on adjusting your shortgame for frosty conditions.

[Oddsocks]

Having struggled to score today, it would seem my technique for approaching frosty conditions needs rethink. I was hitting the ball well from the tee and my approaches seemed ok, but where i struggled loads was around the greens.

when we teed off things were frozen solid, i reckon atleast a 4 inch frost in the greens, and even after 4 hours+ of sun, the greens had only defrosted afround 10mm ish. my back 9 was OK, but the front 9 when the frost was in its prime was bad. pitches rolling a long way through, bump and runs running miles, putts were inconsistent.

any tips that people find usefull when adjusting their shortgame for frosty conditions around the greens would no doubt help a few on here.. or at worse give nother option to consider.

 

[Lump]

As with normal chipping. Get it on the floor quickly and don't use too much loft

 

[Oddsocks]

i tried bump and runs with a 46* wedge through to a 7I... just couldnt seem to get any control.. everythng was long.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't really know that you can worry too much. If its frozen anything from a height will just bounce and catapault. If you play it along the ground as a chip and run it is at the mercy of skidding at a weird angle on the firm ground, pulling up short as frsot attaches itself to the ball or it just runs and runs. Take it all with a pinch of salt and rely on your natural short game talent once you get back onto normal greens

 

[Lump]

How do you assess your chips? Do you pick a point to aim at?

I like to find the point I want to land the ball and visualize putting from that point. Knowing the ball will take a real hop on the first bounce I just adjust my landing spot to a little further away.

 

[Dreamer2]

i played today in a 3 ball it was interesting at first but then it got tiresome couldn't wait to finish the round my advise is don't change what you already know for acouple of frosty days

 

[Lump]

i played today in a 3 ball it was interesting at first but then it got tiresome couldn't wait to finish the round my advise is don't change what you already know for acouple of frosty days

I don't sign up for that. If you let a weather condition rattle you/putt you off your game your playing in the wrong country. Its the same principle for playing in wind or a day its raining cats'n'dogs. You have to be able to adapt.

 

[G1BB0]

I adjust my game if its raining cats & dogs... I stay at home

 

[SocketRocket]

Generally you need to keep the ball low in frost. The problem with chiping and putting is the ball gathers frost and rolls and slows at an unpredictable rate.

You can but try your best and not beat yourself up too much.

 

[chrisd]

I played in it too OS. In my opinion its just the same as any other day round the green. You assess the lie, you plan the trajectory, where you want the ball to land and how far you want it to run out then swear when it does none of those things no matter how well you execute the shot. I did however chip in for a bogey on our 16th today!

Seriously OS the others are right - it's a total lottery and if you were an expert short gamer in frost, think of all the days of the year you'd be crap when it isn't frosty!


Chris

 

[Oddsocks]

The only plus side is although it was frozen, the surface frost had gone so putts were not picking up any rolling frost, this was the same for fairways and greens, I tried a little bump and run with an 8i, pitched exactly where I wanted yet it still run about 20ft past

 

[Imurg]

When it's icy like this you can't control chips with any degree of certainty. Little chips and pitches are delicate shots needing spin to help the ball stop where you want it. You can't stop a ball on ice.
Tee to green it sounds like things worked - take that from the round and forget what happened from 10 yards in - you can't control the ball in these conditions.
The short game is a lottery when greens are frozen.

 

[Oddsocks]

See the points made, my iron play was slot better if we excuse the 90 yard shanked pw up 4th, but atleast it was a pin high shank :Rolf:

 

[brendy]

Frozen golf is a lottery and can be dangerous on the teeboxes. Our fourball made the decision not to play on temp greens this year. The high handicappers love it, the low men hate it.
As for actually chipping on them, I find I am better using the putter from anywhere within 30 feet of the green as it can work well if the course is still frozen throughout.

 

[One Planer]

We had it similar at our track at the weekend.

Frozen tee boxes, fairways matts and frozen temp greens all make for crap golf.

My main problem was my footing on the tee box (as Brendy aluded to). I had no confidence in my footing, even when standing on the grass to the side of the matt. I pretty much gave up after the 3rd hole.

 

[Monty_Brown]

I chipped and putted better on frozen temps that on normal greens this weekend. Worrying.

It may be becasue I had no expectations of making up and downs so just let things flow a bit more. A lesson to take into normal conditions next time I think.

 

[Oddsocks]

Its funny you mention footings on tees. on the first my partner and a very experienced player who has been has low as 9 took the honours, couple of practice swipes.. took stance, slipped on the back swing almost missed the ball and skyed it about 40ft in the air and about 20 yards long, me up next, and i purposely looked for anywhere on the tee that had some turf to get some grip on... my footing didnt feel stable for the first 6 holes, it has mad me question about getting metal spikes for conditions like this.,

 

[One Planer]

it has mad me question about getting metal spikes for conditions like this.,

They're recommending them at our place.

 

[Oddsocks]

not sure if you can get them for foot joys

 

[One Planer]

not sure if you can get them for foot joys

Don't Champ do a range of softspikes with a metal pin in the middle?

Edit: Just checked Google

http://www.golfonline.co.uk/champ-pro-stinger-metal-tip-spikes-on-tour-p-2270.html