Wedge Strategy

[Bonvivant]

40 minutes ago, RickK said:

One of the reasons I like having a GPS device is knowing yardage to front edge of the green and back edge of the green as well as the middle.  I know my yardages pretty well.  I do not want to come up short of the green and I do not want to hit it long and over.  So, armed with that info, I try to hit the club which will get me closest to where the pin is without coming up short or going over the green.  I do play some courses that have huge, really huge greens.  There can be a full 4 club difference between the front and back of the greens or maybe even a bit more.  One thing I really don't try to do is hit a let up shot or stand on it try and get just a bit more.  That usually never works well for me.  

So, let's say the pin is 100 yards but the back edge of the green is 110.  I am going to hit my SW and probably come up just a little short (95) instead of trying to hit GW (110) and possibly going off the back of the green.  Easier to putt 15 feet than to have to chip out of 2inch grass with the pin so close.  

This is good stuff and interesting to hear from someone that plays on such big greens. I have never had that luxury/challenge, depending on the green. I find it so interesting that some people love partial shots (could be full swing but reduced power), and others don't want any part of it.

For me, in that same situation of 100 yards with back edge at 110, this is how I would take it. Full shots are 80-85 yards for 53^o, 95-100 yards for PW, 110 yards for 9I. I would almost always take a 9I into this green, unless there is serious trouble long. A 85-95% 9 iron is going to leave me on the green almost all of the time, barring L-R miss. If I hit it super pure, or I have some extra adrenaline pumping, I'm over for sure, but close. If it is sloping toward the back, then its a pitching wedge, and an almost certain downhill putt, but that's the nature of the beast.

I use a Garmin approach S20, which is fairly basic, but has done a really good job of telling me center, front and back of the greens when I have played. When I know the pin layout for the day, I do cater to that, but if I have any doubt, or it is scary at all, I play for the center