chipping around the greens out of long rough

[Fusion]

Ok,

I've got the drive down pretty good now. I'm hitting 290-300 straight or a slight fade. I'm happy with that. Second shot is mostly 7i-SW. I get good contact with irons from 150yds out. Not the best accuracy but I'm usually set up to chip short or putt. The chipping around the green is my biggest thorn. More often than not, I'm short chipping out of long rough. I can't seem to follow through. I chicken out and it flops out 3-5 feet, leaving me short and mad.

I need to understand how to follow through. Should I hit behind the ball like a sandshot? How much backswing and how should I setup to the ball? What if the ball is sitting on a good lie, ie. fringe. I often skull the ball if its a good lie. Its these touchy feel shots that I need to master.

Currently I'm using a 56 degree SW for most of these shots around the green, or a short iron depending on the lie.

[Steven McFarlane]

I dont know if this would help..

But try and punch at the ball..or flop the shot..Now flopping a shot is just opening the club face ALOT..swining slowy up and slowy down. The ball will go Straight up in the air. Try practise at them

[schlyer]

If you are dealing with semi-heavy to heavy rough, definately treat it like a sand shot. Open the face and hit 1-2 inches behind the ball.

There is really nothing other than practice to convince yourself that making a big swing from 10 yards away is OK. You've just got to trust it enough to keep the swing moving all the way thru the ball.

If its still going to far, don't make a weaker swing, shorten it up (if you can) and open the face even farther.

[Fusion]

Thanks, I'll try that. I'm wondering if I should buy a 60 degree lobb wedge to help around the greens too. I hear alot about volkey wedges. Wondering If I should go with one of those.

[niblick]

Thanks, I'll try that. I'm wondering if I should buy a 60 degree lobb wedge to help around the greens too. I hear alot about volkey wedges. Wondering If I should go with one of those.

They're a good tool, and will give you more options from the fairway too.

[drizz]

you hit the ball 300 yards and play a 30 handicap....wha ??

[cdriver]

you hit the ball 300 yards and play a 30 handicap....wha ??

I have a friend with the same sort of game. 300+ drives, but he's got stone hands around the greens and couldn't make a putt if you held a gun on him. (Not saying that is your problem, but it certainly looks that way from your stats.)

Back to the subject. I agree that a 60 degree lob is a great tool around the greens. I suggest you get one with no more than 8 degrees of bounce. Your sandwedge probably has 12 or 14, so it makes a good club out of the sand, but a lob wedge just seems to be more useful without as much bounce. The flop shot or "sand shot" out of the rough around the greens works great. The way I play them to prevent decelerating is to shorten my backswing. If you make a full backswing, it is almost required to slow your downswing to prevent hitting it too far. If you shorten your backswing so that you feel you must follow through to get the ball out, you will start to hit it solid with a full follow-through and you will be surprised how well it is gonna work. Good luck.

[LarryK]

An pound of prevention is definitely called for here. A chip from greenside rough is, IMHO, exponentially more difficult the closer you are to the hole. I can think of few shots more difficult than sitting two or three inches down in the rough and only 10 or 15 yards from the flag.

If you are going to miss the green make sure you miss on the far side so that you can at least take a relaxed half-swing at it. Trying to "baby it out" with a tentaive nudge when you are short-sided almost never works.

[Fusion]

you hit the ball 300 yards and play a 30 handicap....wha ??

LOL. How hard is that to believe? I should say i'm down to 23-24 hdcp. I've only had an opportunity to play 9 hole courses more so than 18 and started late summer

. But I can smack the ball off the tee pretty good. Like I said, its the short game around the greens that kills my score. If I could chip out of long rough and 2 putt I would be in good shape. I failed to mention my putting needs alot of work too. Anyone have any opinions on good putters? I currently use a standard old school macgregor.