around the green

**agengo02** · July 28, 2008

im pretty new to golf but not too bad (+15 for 9 holes). my tee shots are either solid or a low line drive, but almost always on the fairway. i can crush my fairway shots using my hybrids or regular irons. my problems start when i get around the green. i just cant get the ball up and down onto the green. i absolutely HATE overshooting the green so i usually end up hitting too high on the ball and it just sails over the green about 3-5 foot high, or i hit it too underpowered and it just dribbles in front of me. i cant seem to find the happy medium. ive tried to put the ball further back in my stance and angling down to it, using my regular swing but slower club head speed, etc. im sure most of my problem is that im not confident enough with the ball further back in my stance and it shows on my shot. im 6'3" with long arms so i have the potential to really put some leverage down on the ball. should i spend more time at the putting green next time im at the range working on fringe shots? it just seems unrealistic to me though because its always perfectly flat all around it which i never see at my local course. my girlfriend got me one of those chipping nets for my bday maybe ill break that out more. thanks for any help or advice.

**jrode** · July 28, 2008

It's all just distance control. It's not something that comes natural to most people. I had similar troubles for the longest time, but once you play enough, you know how much you need to put on certain shots, etc.

**agengo02** · July 28, 2008

you think i should invest in a sand wedge or lob wedge (currently only use a pw) to help get it up and down softer on the green?

**GaijinGolfer** · July 28, 2008

Try playing the ball back in your stance and rotating though the shot.
If you want to hit a flop shot that goes high and lands soft, try playing the ball foreward in your stance and opening up your stance.
A lot of golf is confidence and confidence comes with practice, practice and more practice.
A sand wedge would be a great idea.

**zripp3** · July 28, 2008

my advice is to leave the wedge in your bag for relatively flat fringe shots and use an 8I with a closed face - similar to a putter stroke - and let it roll to the cup. A buddy "taught" me that a few months ago and my scores have been dropping ever since. Sure, it'd be nice to have the touch to use a wedge and drop it close but until I have time to practice that and have confidence in it, I'll stick with the 8I.

**GaijinGolfer** · July 28, 2008

That works fine when you are on the fringe, but what about if you have 20' of rough between you and the green?

**zripp3** · July 28, 2008

different circumstances in that case. OP asked about fringe shots and I don't consider fringe to be 20' from the green. I agree that from 20' you should definitely be using some wedge, as you stated.

**agengo02** · July 28, 2008

zrip i thought about using a 3 iron or something for when im on the fringe so itll give a little lift then lots of roll, but i always talk myself out of it. in my mind thats the only chance i have at that particular shot so i dont wanna use something im not used to for that range. ive also heard that a lofty driver works well for these types of shots. but i need help for the fringe and up to 20' out!

**Big_M** · July 28, 2008

as a beginner I would use the lowest lofted club possible to land the ball on the green and have it stop at the hole... practice hitting shots from fringe, 2' off, 5' off, 10', off and 20' off to holes that are 5', 10' 20', 30' on, etc. and eventually you will develop a feel. I would use everything from a long iron to a SW, and just feel how the trajectory is diffrent with different clubs.

**m11** · July 28, 2008

I feel the previous posts have all basically been true ( I personally think putting the ball further in your stance to create loft isnt a good idea. It creates an inate feeling to "reach" at the ball...creating too high of a risk of skulling the shot. Although you can hit some high, beautiful shots by doing it, in my opinion, its not a repeatable enough technique to be useful). Besides that, the advice has been good.

I feel though it isnt very useful if you dont understand how the wedges actually function. Check out Stan Utley's and Dave Pelz's short game books. They are discussed in the book portion of the forum.

The short game swing is very easy to learn and once you get the technique down, its all feel from there. You never should be mishitting the shots...the only errors in this shot should occur from misreading the green or not having a developed enough touch. You can become very proficient however in your short game if you get the fundametals down because the touch comes with practice.
If you arent confident with what you specifically need to do when you set up, you wont get better. Also, if you are skulling shots (hitting them really low across the green and much further than you'd like) or you are chunking your shots, clearly your setup and stroke arent correct...so you need to get those fixed.

**mellojoe** · July 28, 2008

Don't be afraid of the "bump and run" 8-iron off the fringe. I suck at this game, but I've used this one before fairly successfully. You don't have to swing hard, so there is less chance of mishitting the ball. You just have to get it close, so let it roll. You just want some loft to get over the rough bits and land on the green. The less loft, the more roll. ie: Use a 7-iron will roll more than using a PW. Aim for about 3 to 5 feet onto the green. That's your landing zone. Just get it onto the green, and let it roll the rest of the way.

It is a very "safe" shot and will usually get you as close as a "risky" lofted stinger lob shot arrow dart thingy.

**clemsontiger** · July 28, 2008

I have not read all of the other posts, but here is my opinon on fringe and pitch shots.

First with the stance, with chipping the stance should be slightly open. This give the arms more room to swing. The second is to keep the ball back in you stance. This insures that you hit down on the ball and not scoop the ball of the ground. Scooping will give you a tendecy to hit the ball chuncky. Third, use about the same motion as a putting stroke. Keep the wrist from controlling the shot. The arms should be doing all the work.

This is just my opinion and take it for what it is worth. I have about a 12 handicap, but that is not because of my chipping. I am actually a really good around the greens. The problem is that I play around the greens way too much and not hitting many greens. I am actually about a 10 normally. Before I took about a 5 year break to go to college and get a masters, I was a 4 and this was an area that saved my butt more than once.

**Bourbon and Coke** · July 28, 2008

I think a lot of people who aren't confident with their wedges have a tendency to decellerate their hands as they approach contact. They end up hitting the ball thin because of their attempt to avoid it, not in spite of the attempt.

Try practicing with the mindset of a short (almost unnaturally at first) backswing and really pushing to accellerate through the ball.

**YogiTKE** · July 28, 2008

I think a lot of people who aren't confident with their wedges have a tendency to decellerate their hands as they approach contact. They end up hitting the ball thin because of their attempt to avoid it, not in spite of the attempt.

Really good advice there. You are right about the confidence problem. I watch guys time and time again set up for a shot and just give up on the swing. The decelerate and chunk the ball 2-3 yards in front of them.

**Treemagnet** · July 29, 2008

you think i should invest in a sand wedge or lob wedge (currently only use a pw) to help get it up and down softer on the green?

Best thing you could do is get both 56 and a 60 will help your short game alot.

**GaijinGolfer** · July 29, 2008

zrip i thought about using a 3 iron or something for when im on the fringe so itll give a little lift then lots of roll, but i always talk myself out of it. in my mind thats the only chance i have at that particular shot so i dont wanna use something im not used to for that range. ive also heard that a lofty driver works well for these types of shots. but i need help for the fringe and up to 20' out!

as a beginner I would use the lowest lofted club possible to land the ball on the green and have it stop at the hole... practice hitting shots from fringe, 2' off, 5' off, 10', off and 20' off to holes that are 5', 10' 20', 30' on, etc. and eventually you will develop a feel. I would use everything from a long iron to a SW, and just feel how the trajectory is diffrent with different clubs.

Ive chipped with a 3-wood and a hybrid before, its just kinda tricky because of how long the club is. Now, if I want to hit a low, running chip I use a 7-iron and I just kinda bump it.

Infact, my one and only chip-in was done with a 7-iron... Ive often thought that a youth 3-wood would be a great chipping club because its short but has the big head.

**agengo02** · July 29, 2008

I have not read all of the other posts, but here is my opinon on fringe and pitch shots.

see im the opposite. i can reach the green in 2 shots on a par 5 on a somewhat consistent basis, but i then screw it up with my chipping and putting.

I think a lot of people who aren't confident with their wedges have a tendency to decellerate their hands as they approach contact. They end up hitting the ball thin because of their attempt to avoid it, not in spite of the attempt. Try practicing with the mindset of a short (almost unnaturally at first) backswing and really pushing to accellerate through the ball.

i just saw a video about this yesterday on youtube. the guy put a golf bag behind him so he could only swing back a foot or so and he really accelerated through the ball. i should be doing this because im really good at accelerating from the back swing. he said that most people do a full backswing and then slow way down before contact and thats EXACTLY what i do!?! looks like this is the option im going. thanks guys.

**Lange** · July 29, 2008

use an 8I with a closed face - similar to a putter stroke - and let it roll to the cup. A buddy "taught" me that a few months ago and my scores have been dropping ever since.

This is a popular shot when around the green for sure, though i've never heard of the 8I being used for it usually a 7I or PW. Still same thing all in all, and you place the ball just infront of your back foot and close the club face completely and take a putter stroke. This makes the ball bounce over whatever small amount of fringe/rough u have to get over and then roll on the green like a putt.

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