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Pitching from tight, soft lies?

Stretch
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Stretch Super Member

Stretch

I've spent the last week working hard on pitching and chipping and one particular shot is giving me conniptions -- what should, theoretically, be an easy pitch from the fairway. Thing is, they get a lot of rain in the winter here, so the cut is very short and the turf beneath is very soft. I'm using a 56* wedge with 13* of bounce, but still find myself frequently sliding right under the ball and dumping it right in front of my feet. By contrast, I have no problems pitching from the short rough, which is kikuyu and holds the ball up rather nicely.

Right now I'm chipping where possible to avoid the complete flub, but wondered if there's a higher percentage shot when you have to get the ball up higher around the green in these conditions?

Stretch.

"In the process of trial and error, our failed attempts are meant to destroy arrogance and provoke humility." -- Master Jin Kwon

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JML22 Great Member

JML22

Hinge and hold and make sure you dont decelerate to teh target line
Mickelson has a good video on it

My Clubs:
Ping I3 + blade 3-pw
9.5 09 Burner with prolaunch red
Nickent 4dx driver
Taylormade Z tp 52, 56, 60
YES Carolyne putter

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brgolf Dedicated Member

brgolf

Normally my pitching action will involve no divot or sometimes a shallow divot but whenever the ground is wet as you described I am definitely aim to take ball first and at least a medium sized divot with it. It is also the time for a quite forceful swing usually so a little more pressure on the grip is a good idea because I don't want the mud or soft ground to cushion my swing at the worst possible time.
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saevel25 Incredible Member

saevel25

Depends on the shot..

Tight lie over a bunker or water, lob wedge and try to keep the clubhead low and accelerating. Never try to hold onto the shot and help it up in the air.
Soft lie, usually take a sandwedge with more bounce, choke up on the club a bit and just try to hit the ball first with a descending blow.

Tight lies around the green with no obstacle, i will take a 9 or PW and just do a normal pitch shot, its not that hard striking the ball first in that case.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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acegolfer Well Established Member

acegolfer

This is my nightmare shot as well. I don't think it's an easy pitch shot.

If the turf is wet, the club bounce will be no help. In addition, it's likely the ball is sitting down. This means there's practically no margin for error. The club head must strike the ball first, otherwise, it's chunk or skull. Imagine a 56* wedge trying to hit the ball cleanly without chunking or skulling when the ball is sitting down. It's almost impossible. You need a less loft club such as PW. Of course, you will need to play bump and run.

When the turf is firm, the club bounce will increase margin for error. You can hit the behind the ball as long as you are coming from a shallow angle. Your club will not dig and hit the ball somewhat cleanly.

But what I do I know. I chunked 4 times today inside 100 yards.

My Clubs
Driver - Nike SUMO 13* R flex
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Paradox Great Member

Paradox

just move the ball back about a ball width and make your same swing.

When I play soft fairways, i AIM to take a deeper divot and really focus on getting my club down on the back of the ball and then through the turf. Sometimes I almost play it like a chunk and run shot where my club barely even moves past impact.

I would rather chip and pitch from a soft fairway than a firm one any day of the week.

My philosophy on golf "We're not doing rocket science, here."

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brgolf Dedicated Member

brgolf

Paradox

I agree with the way you play the shots but you lose a lot of control on wet, soft surfaces as the ball flight tends to be lower with less spin.
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Paradox Great Member

Paradox

Paradox

I tend to get MORE spin playing this shot than trying to pick it clean. I am still making ball first contact, I'm just driving down on it instead of trying to finesse it.

My philosophy on golf "We're not doing rocket science, here."

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iacas Hall of Fame Member

iacas

  • Administrator
Use the bounce. Almost always. There's almost never a time to use the leading edge.

Erik J. Barzeski — ⛳ I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • Author, Lowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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Blades4me Dedicated Member

Blades4me

I've spent the last week working hard on pitching and chipping and one particular shot is giving me conniptions -- what should, theoretically, be an easy pitch from the fairway. Thing is, they get a lot of rain in the winter here, so the cut is very short and the turf beneath is very soft. I'm using a 56* wedge with 13* of bounce, but still find myself frequently sliding right under the ball and dumping it right in front of my feet. By contrast, I have no problems pitching from the short rough, which is kikuyu and holds the ball up rather nicely.

What I found in soft conditions was that I wanted to have at least a 3/4 or full shot into the green cuz it is very difficult to do "feel" shots on soft, wet ground. When on soft, wet ground I'll do one of 3 things; 1) put the ball back in my stance a little so I hit the ball first with a steeper angle of attack, or 2) use a lower lofted club so I'm not as apted to slid under the ball and 3) lay up to a distance where I was doing either a 3/4 or full swing to the green, (this is my first choice).

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  • 4 years later...
TheMadness Member

TheMadness

Use the bounce. Almost always. There's almost never a time to use the leading edge.


Can you expound on this?  I've been posting on the long pitch thread, but this shot is driving me crazy and I really want to understand the mechanics of it.  How do I ensure that the leading edge stays out of the shot on a really tight lie, particularly where it's wet (mud or a bare area of some kind)?  The only solution I've been able to come up with so far if I want to avoid the leading edge (i.e., not more of a traditional chip shot) is to put the shaft in a neutral position and conduct several practice shots right by the ball to ensure that I'm bottoming out just behind the ball.  If the club hits the ball first, it seems to always result in a skull.  When you are trying to use the bounce rather than the leading edge, are you hitting ball first or just behind the ball?  And in your opinion, is the skull shot one where the bounce is causing the club to hit the ball above the equator or is it instead just the leading edge contacting the ball at a bad angle?

I'm just trying to understand the misses better so that I can master the bounce-wedge, because when you hit it, it's a really nice feeling.

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Dr Hook Member

Dr Hook

[QUOTE][/QUOTE][quote name="Stretch" url="/t/37328/pitching-from-tight-soft-lies#post_483811"]I've spent the last week working hard on pitching and chipping and one particular shot is giving me conniptions -- what should, theoretically, be an easy pitch from the fairway. Thing is, they get a lot of rain in the winter here, so the cut is very short and the turf beneath is very soft. I'm using a 56* wedge with 13* of bounce, but still find myself frequently sliding right under the ball and dumping it right in front of my feet. By contrast, I have no problems pitching from the short rough, which is kikuyu and holds the ball up rather nicely. Right now I'm chipping where possible to avoid the complete flub, but wondered if there's a higher percentage shot when you have to get the ball up higher around the green in these conditions?[/quote] I feel your pain....Are the fairways where you play at Bermuda grass or Fescue? Appreciate the solid. Joe Sterriker
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iacas Hall of Fame Member

iacas

  • Administrator

Can you expound on this?  I've been posting on the long pitch thread

A lot of it's there. At this point, because feel is often not real, video may be the best way to see what you're actually doing on some pitch shots. Start a My Swing thread with video of your pitching motion.

How do I ensure that the leading edge stays out of the shot on a really tight lie, particularly where it's wet (mud or a bare area of some kind)?

If it's to wet, honestly, that's when you use the leading edge and just try to hit it solidly and good. You have no real margin of error. Glide is about using the margin of error, but it has to be available: a wet, muddy lie doesn't really have any available.

Erik J. Barzeski — ⛳ I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • Author, Lowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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vangator Great Member

vangator

When it's easy to dig into the turf, I pick it also. Same for long bunker shots from sugar sand. I pick it with real quiet lower body.

Driver.......Ping K15 9.5* stiff 3 wood.....Ping K15 16* stiff 5 wood.....Ping K15 19* stiff 4 Hybrid...Cleveland Gliderail 23* stiff 5 - PW......Pinhawk SL GW...........Tommy Armour 52* SW...........Tommy Armour 56* LW...........Tommy Armour 60* FW...........Diamond Tour 68* Putter.......Golfsmith Dyna Mite Ball..........Volvik Vista iV Green Bag..........Bennington Quiet Organizer Shoes.... ..Crocs

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