Greenside Chipping/Pitching vs Long Putts

[prutkows]

am i the only one who prefers being anywhere from a few feet to a good 10 yards off the green rather than 40feet+ away from the hole on the putting surface?

i find that i can get a short chip/pitch much closer than a long first putt. im guessing its because i have more trouble with reading greens than judging speed. anyone else experiencing the same course management issues?

[Rafcin]

not me. putter in my hand is 50% chance of holing out, even from 40ft. 2-putt is about 90%. chip - no more than 10% for hole-out, maybe 75% 2-stroke finish guarantee... however - if I'm on a fringe or just in the fairway - I prefer to chip rather than putt over "stuff". I guess it's very personal thing how you like to deal with it and what are you more comfortable with...

[gas_can]

am i the only one who prefers being anywhere from a few feet to a good 10 yards off the green rather than 40feet+ away from the hole on the putting surface?

purtkows,

What's happening with those long putts? Are you leaving them short? Sending them 10 feet past? Both? Controlling speed is the key to long putts, since the line you choose is controlled by speed.

[rembrandt]

When putting, I get the line first and then concentrate on the distance. I think distance is alot more important than line on long putts!

[J.P.]

am i the only one who prefers being anywhere from a few feet to a good 10 yards off the green rather than 40feet+ away from the hole on the putting surface?

No, you are not the only one. I too am far more comfortable with the short little chips & pitches around the green than the long putts from the wrong tier and quadrant of the green. It is very likely due to the fact that no less than half my practice time is spent with the wedges chipping & pitching and not much is spent practicing the long lag. I noticed this myself a while back and since I have spent more time on the long lag putt, the fear of it is vanishing, and closer putts are even easier!

[cdriver]

I'll take the long lag putt any day over a chip or pitch. I am pretty good around the greens, but I still have a much better chance of holing out with a putter in my hands. I only set up a general line (always higher rather than lower) for putts over 35ft and I concentrate on speed alone after that. I am a "die it in the hole" putter anyway, so speed is always my main concern. It is surprising how many of those long putts will drop when halfway there I thought I had hammered it past.

[Buran]

I'd rather chip, but I just really like hitting my wedges.

[allin]

I prefer to chip if I am more than a 6 feet off the green unless it is very down hill.

[LilPorkiePie]

not me. putter in my hand is 50% chance of holing out, even from 40ft. 2-putt is about 90%. chip - no more than 10% for hole-out, maybe 75% 2-stroke finish guarantee... however - if I'm on a fringe or just in the fairway - I prefer to chip rather than putt over "stuff". I guess it's very personal thing how you like to deal with it and what are you more comfortable with...

 

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I read this from 16 years ago and almost spit my coffee out, and no one addressed these odds?! Either this guy struggles with math or does not golf. 10% chip in and that's "bad", 50% make, and 90% 2 putt from 40 ft? LMAO. 

[saevel25]

@LilPorkiePie, you replied to a topic that was 17-years old. I think this could have been started as a new topic. 🤣

For those posting, not sure you want to quote someone from 17 years ago. The original post author hasn't posted since 2009, and the guy you referenced hasn't posted since 2006. So, yea not sure you are going to get much on this one. 

[LilPorkiePie]

@saevel25 That's ok. I just felt the need to point out how preposterous of a suggestion making 50% of putts from 40 ft is. Call me community notes. 

[bkuehn1952]

This is a relevant topic, beyond the statistical nonsense. Generally, if I can use a putter and the grass is not long or uneven, I believe my results are better with the putter than another club.  Some of the green aprons, when dry, are virtually like a slightly slower green. There are other players who swear they get better results chipping from eerywhere other than the green. I suspect a short game guru has studied this and has a general recommendation.

[snapfade]

I'll poke a dead horse here. I like chipping, always have. However, if its a relatively clean roll I'll putt. I choke down just a bit, in my head I'm taking a little flex out of the shaft seems to stay on line better because I usually need to give it some horsepower to get it rolling good. I had about a 20 yard or so chip in to save par the other night in league night. That was the end of my 4 hole even par stretch. All down hill after that. 

Edited May 18 by snapfade

[Bad Chipper]

would rather putt. My chipping needs work

[jolter1]

When in doubt as to what is in front of me, I will always chip. I have always had much better results chipping with my 7, 8, or 9 iron to get the ball close or even make.

[Maroon88]

for me it depends on several things:

how much fringe there is (if less than 3-4 ft, i usually putt)

the length of grass off the green (if tightly mown, putt > chip)

how smooth the fringe is (if bumpy--CHIP!)

how much run out i need on the green.

Either way i read it like a putt once the balls on the green. If chipping I find my landing spot and read the roll out to the hole from there.

That said, I love the creativity the short game demands.