Reading Chips/Pitches

[Patch]

Reading greens prior to chips/pitches is probably well known on this forum, but in the past couple of weeks, I have played with folks who  arbitrarily just aimed at the pin with their chips/pitches, without regards to the roll of the green after their shot landed.

Of course, just aiming at the pin works too, on level greens. Then again,  how often do we putt on totally level greens.

In a lot of instances, these folks left themselves much longer first putts than needed. They never really thought to read their chips/pitches like they do their putts. 

After they ask, I would explain why my chips/pitches were winding up closer to the pin, than theirs. In every instance they started saving a stroke here, and there by reading the roll of the green prior to their green side shots. 

So I post this for the folks who never thought about it. Folks who sometimes scratch their heads after hitting a good green side shot. 

[Buckeyebowman]

I also think it's important to pick as definite a landing spot as you can. Then read the green like you were putting from that spot. As far as the style of shot, I prefer to get the ball on the green and rolling ASAP, especially when fairly close to the green. My buddy prefers to get the ball in the air and fly it closer to the hole. He's better at judging how far he will carry the ball and I'm better at judging how far I will roll it. 

[Club Rat]

On 8/4/2019 at 11:07 AM, Patch said:

without regards to the roll of the green after their shot landed.

Tiger was pretty good at it. His hole out at the Masters when he threw the ball above the hole and with the slope it rolled downhill to the hole.

It ranks right up there with my hole out from the fringe at the on the 18th hole during the Newport Cup …. 

That chip shot was slicker than snot and had 15 feet of bend in it ….

It's all about having the imagination and the ability to control the little white ball ….

[Cantankerish]

I seem to constantly read too much break in these shots.  And I am still getting a feel for the roll of each club.  But I am getting closer.  I still only get up and down about 25% of the time.

Patch, what clubs do you chip with and under which circumstances?

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

I seem to constantly read too much break in these shots.  And I am still getting a feel for the roll of each club.  But I am getting closer.  I still only get up and down about 25% of the time.

Patch, what clubs do you chip with and under which circumstances?

Read the chip/pitch from the landing spot on and factor in a bounce or two. You can practice this by tossing the ball to the landing spot and watching the break. Then chip/pitch to that spot.

[saevel25]

It's like reading a putt, but also combining knowledge of how your chips bounce and roll out. It's a bit more complicated, that is why I think putting is a much better option when possible.

[billchao]

I don't read a pitch/chip the same way as a putt, but I do pay attention to the general shape of the green and how the ball might behave at the spot where I want it to land and where it might roll from there. 

[Cantankerish]

5 hours ago, saevel25 said:

It's like reading a putt, but also combining knowledge of how your chips bounce and roll out. It's a bit more complicated, that is why I think putting is a much better option when possible.

Right now this is generally true for me also.  I want to get to the point where putting is usually not the better option.  It has been fun learning this ever since I figured out how to chip properly.

[TN94z]

1 hour ago, Cantankerish said:

Right now this is generally true for me also.  I want to get to the point where putting is usually not the better option.  It has been fun learning this ever since I figured out how to chip properly.

I will take a putt from off the green over a chip any day though...

I also feel like when people focus solely on the flag, they end up flying it to the flag and going too far as opposed to picking a landing spot and trying to have it finish at the stick. Ask me how I know...haha

Edited August 6, 2019 by TN94z

[billchao]

2 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

I want to get to the point where putting is usually not the better option.

When putting is a viable option (I don't mean putting through 50' of fairway or something), putting is usually going to be the better option.

[Shindig]

I really should start thinking about where I want the ball to land when I chip and reading break accordingly.  I've been focused on mechanics and the distance of the shot, not much more.  Only recently did I discover that my quarter shots go further if they land on the green and I should account for it.  Now when I'm close enough, I should start thinking about how a chip is going to roll out. 

[boogielicious]

14 hours ago, billchao said:

When putting is a viable option (I don't mean putting through 50' of fairway or something), putting is usually going to be the better option.

I will putt in light rough if I'm less than a foot from the fringe and I have a good lie.

[Patch]

I agree to the old saying ""putt when you can, chip when you can't". The other part being "pitch when you can't chip". Always take the higher percentage stroke. 

Sometimes that higher percentage stroke can be a flop shot......when you can't putt, chip, or pitch. 

Regardless of the type of stroke taken, (putt, chip, or pitch) the roll of the green should be read. Even if just a little. 

The idea in golf is to shoot your lowest score possible. The more knowledge a golfer has on ball movement, the easier it will be to shoot those lower scores.

[pganapathy]

I know that putting from off the green is a better alternative if you have a decent lie.  However, I struggle with the putter for gauging long distances.  I am able to chip/pitch it closer than putting it.  My go-to club is the PW for most things around the green unless I need more loft

[billchao]

7 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I will putt in light rough if I'm less than a foot from the fringe and I have a good lie.

I have also putt through small amounts of rough. It really depends on the lie and the situation. Last time I did it I was short-sided on a downhill lie. If I chipped it, it was probably going to end up 20' from the hole. I putt it instead and got it to tap-in distance.

That was with my old putter, though. Too much loft for my stroke, made it inconsistent on the greens but easier to pop the ball up out of the rough. My current putter is fit for putting on the green. It probably goes nowhere in the rough.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 8/6/2019 at 5:14 PM, TN94z said:

I will take a putt from off the green over a chip any day though...

I also feel like when people focus solely on the flag, they end up flying it to the flag and going too far as opposed to picking a landing spot and trying to have it finish at the stick. Ask me how I know...haha

Some people have an amazing knack for that. That does not describe my situation. I have a devil of a time putting through fringe. I'd rather fly the ball over it!

[TN94z]

13 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Some people have an amazing knack for that. That does not describe my situation. I have a devil of a time putting through fringe. I'd rather fly the ball over it!

Fair point. For myself, I always felt like my worst putt was much better than my worst chip

[amished]

Depending on the amount of fluff to go through, my worst chip is equal to my worst putt, and I feel more likely to hit a bad putt than a bad chip (due to my work on my chipping/pitching, especially recently).

If I'm not on the fringe/fairway type grass, I never putt it anymore.  I've tried, and I either seem to barely make it out of the thicker stuff or crush it beyond the hole.