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30 yards out.

post #1 of 45
10/20/08 at 2:08pm
Thread Starter 
Slightly elevated green, no availability to putt, no bunker in the way.

How do you play the shot?.

Always a problem distance for me chipping into a green at 30 yards, sooner be 50/70/90 yards out than 30 yards.

Might have entered this post in the wrong section, soz.
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post #2 of 45
10/20/08 at 2:12pm

Re: 30 yards out.

I find 30 yards a relatively easy distance to flop a shot into. Weight on back foot, an exaggeratedly smooth-slow backswing, smooth follow through.
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post #3 of 45
10/20/08 at 2:31pm

Re: 30 yards out.

I'm with Jay Bird....I usually either use the lob wedge for a flop shot if I'm feeling it.....or use a pitching wedge bump-n-run to the front of the green and let it release and roll back to the pin.

It just comes down to what shot I feel solid about.
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post #4 of 45
10/20/08 at 2:35pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 30 yards out.

Very easy to get overactive with the right hand and bottom blade the ball straight over the green is it not?. Surely the flop is high risk?. Necessary with a bunker in the way in some respects but no bunker in this scenario.

weight on the front foot, don't break wrists on back swing, keep club moving (acelerating) through impact with a reduced backswing, thats what a few people are saying, not sure personally.
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post #5 of 45
10/20/08 at 2:36pm

Re: 30 yards out.

30 yards? I might chip a 6-7 iron.
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post #6 of 45
10/20/08 at 3:49pm

Re: 30 yards out.

Originally Posted by Sandy Sammy View Post
weight on the front foot, don't break wrists on back swing, keep club moving (acelerating) through impact with a reduced backswing, thats what a few people are saying, not sure personally.
That's all me right there. I'll setup like a chip but instead of making a putting stroke I hit down hard on the ball and continue to accelerate as hard as I can through the ball. I control my backswing by keeping my feet really close together in an open stance, and I place my right hand in a weak position (facing the target more) to keep the loft on the club. I'll preset the wrists with a forward press of the but toward the target, then there is no wrist action during the swing.

With a smaller backswing and a nice waist high follow through, the ball should jump up with a higher trajectory than a a chip and with less roll out. I play this shot from 40 yards in and just switch the club I use for the distance. For me, with this shot, I carry about:
50* - 40 paces
55* - 35
60* - 28
64* - 20 (less yards I'll choke down and/or open the face a little)

And of course each club rolls out a touch more than the last.
Good luck!
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post #7 of 45
10/20/08 at 4:00pm

Re: 30 yards out.

This is typically 56* territory for me. I stand in front of the ball with my feet close together and take great care to have a slow and controlled swing. If I rush it on the down stroke I'll skull it 100yds.
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post #8 of 45
10/20/08 at 4:29pm

Re: 30 yards out.

Up here in the Northwest, if the lie is good, that typically calls for a routine pitch shot, flown about 10-15 feet short of the pin. I'll normally use my lob wedge for this. Not a flop, not a chip, but right in between. One bounce and grab.

In firmer conditions I might chip a 9 iron and roll it up.
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post #9 of 45
10/20/08 at 4:40pm

Re: 30 yards out.

Originally Posted by Sandy Sammy View Post
Slightly elevated green, no availability to putt, no bunker in the way.

How do you play the shot?.

Always a problem distance for me chipping into a green at 30 yards, sooner be 50/70/90 yards out than 30 yards.

Might have entered this post in the wrong section, soz.
30 yards for me is either 1/4 swing with the PW or 1/2 swing with the SW.

My game improved significantly when I went out one morning and determined my 1/4 and 1/2 swing distances with my three wedges. That you have a problem with a 30-yard chip tells me you should go measure this too.

Keep in mind these will be guidelines, so I'm not mechanically measuring 30 yards and then bringing my arms or the shaft to exactly the same position. It's a good guideline for a feel shot, and after you play it mechanically a few times, you'll start to get a feel for how much more or less to play each one for different circumstances.
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post #10 of 45
10/20/08 at 5:04pm

Re: 30 yards out.

I always look for the highest percentage shot. For myself, the flop shot is not the highest percentage shot most of the time. I am pretty good at flop shots but they are definately harder to hit than little chips and pitch shots. So if there was any green to work with I would go with my highest percentage shot which is my 60° wedge from the middle of my stance short backswing the ball will hop once then check up. I can hit this close a lot more often than a flop shot.
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post #11 of 45
10/20/08 at 5:08pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 30 yards out.

What do people make of these:



Appear the same shot. Tiggles obviously in the second video. Uses more wrist hinge.

Weight on the left side in both examples.

No body movement. Although a turn through the shot.

As stated the wrist hinge, hmmm I thought this was not to happen.

The club is delivered down on the ball with the arms and body. No right hand wrist movement of real note.

Both players, tiger in particular appears to want to keep his hands in front of the ball and there is a small amount of release through impact. As stated in both examples there is body turn through the shot.

I surprised slightly the wrists 'cock', the downward hit on the ball gets spin and I assume prevents the ground being hit first and taking speed off the shot.

Any thoughts. Its going to a bugger stopping the right hand overtaking or just coming down on the shot and flattening it.
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post #12 of 45
10/20/08 at 6:16pm

Re: 30 yards out.

For an uphill shot of that range, I usually play a pitch rather than a chip unless it's a really long roll. For me, that's probably a quarter backswing, wrists hinged, and then a full-strength forward and most of a follow-through. I usually play the ball forward for this with almost all my weight on the left side. Don't know how that technique stands 'theoretically,' but it's one of my more consistent shots. (Which, given my hcp idx, isn't saying much, I should add.)
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post #13 of 45
10/20/08 at 6:53pm

Re: 30 yards out.

This is EXACTLY where my game does down the tubes. Beginning of this summer, this type of shot was my strength. Now, I cannot hit them anymore. I will ALWAYS either skull it way over the green or F-ck it up and hit it 3 feet.
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post #14 of 45
10/20/08 at 7:37pm

Re: 30 yards out.

I'll play a nice pitch shot. One bounce and sit next to hole.
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post #15 of 45
10/20/08 at 8:04pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 30 yards out.

Originally Posted by AlCzervik View Post
This is EXACTLY where my game does down the tubes. Beginning of this summer, this type of shot was my strength. Now, I cannot hit them anymore. I will ALWAYS either skull it way over the green or F-ck it up and hit it 3 feet.
Same here the 'skull' is my right hand getting to active and trying to 'lift' the ball causing the blade to take over infront of the club shaft.

The duff 3 footer is either deceleration at impact (as opposed to acceration) or catching the ground before the ball and as the club is either moving slowly or decelerating due to overlong swing the ground stops the shots in its tracks.

I might practice the shot shown in the video. I like the way the hips and body move out the way of the shot at/past impact, I think this should allow the club to move through the impact area. The problem I have had is I can't get the club though it just drops straight down through the impact zone and the ball 'pops up' as opposed to 'lifts up'.
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post #16 of 45
10/20/08 at 8:40pm

Re: 30 yards out.

I strongly suggest reading Paul Runyan's book, "The Short Way to Lower Scoring." He provides an all inclusive approach to using your chipping and pitching for all sorts of situations and learning to become a short game artist, not just a one or two shot wonder. He was renowned as one of the best short game players ever. I have been working with his approach for a few months, and my short game is getting a lot better as a result.
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post #17 of 45
10/20/08 at 9:28pm

Re: 30 yards out.

30 yards out I would use a 58* back in my stance most likely.
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post #18 of 45
10/20/08 at 9:46pm

Re: 30 yards out.

Can't say anything about the book recommendation, but for me just actually taking time to practice chips/short pitches made a huge difference. I used to worry whether I was going to tap 3 feet or whack 40 yards. Now while I may not be able to hit to tap-in range, I am at least familiar with roughly what a 10-foot chip feels like versus a 30-yard pitch and I know I won't mix them up. That's key because it takes some cojones to accelerate through the chip to avoid the duff.
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