5 Feet Off The Green - Front Pin... What Do You Do?

[Fairway_CY]

Over the last week, I've played 4 rounds.  All of them for tournaments.  I've found myself with this scenario a number of times and have gone back and forth with it.  Ultimately, I think it's a comfort thing... but, I was wondering what you'd do.

You hit a shot to a front pin but it comes up a little short.  You're 5 feet from the front of the green in the fairway.  The pin is 6 paces on.  Providing there isn't anything that's going to FORCE you to hit a specific shot (such as spotty patches between the ball and the hole)... what shot do you prefer?

I'll go first:

A few weeks ago, I had a lot of confidence in my short game.  I felt good taking my 56 degree wedge and clipping it from the tight lie and having it finish within 3 feet of the hole.  Then... I lost that shot and began blading the shot running it 20 feet by.  So, now I'm back to putting the ball from that position.  The trouble is that the greens I play on are very inconsistent, so I'm not leaving myself easy putts afterwards.  So... now, it's back to the practice green to re-teach myself that little chip.

Anyway... what do you do?

CY

[Dave2512]

Bump an 8 or 9 iron that lands on the edge of the green and rolls 15-20 feet. Assuming by 6 paces you mean 18 feet. Though with just 5 feet and in the fairway with no rough spots I'd probably putt it.

[MEfree]

Definitely play the shot you are most comfortable with and have the highest chance of getting down in 2.  If it is smooth and/or a tight lie, I would say the putter, but might go with one of my wedges from a good lie.

[SloverUT]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Bump an 8 or 9 iron that lands on the edge of the green and rolls 15-20 feet. Assuming by 6 paces you mean 18 feet. Though with just 5 feet and in the fairway with no rough spots I'd probably putt it.

I would probably do something similar to this.  I find I often decelerate if I try to use a wedge on a short distance due to timidness.  So I will generally grab the 9 iron and do a bump and run provided there isn't a bump or anything in the way.

[mvmac]

Putt it every time

[rkim291968]

I use mostly lob wedge except when fairway is cut short and is conducive to putting without losing so much speed.   I will also consider putting if I am facing steep downhill green.   It's easier for me control putting distance than getting the ball airborne in that situation.   But at the end, it comes down to what feels comfortable (and what you practiced more ).

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by mvmac

Putt it every time

Yep.

My high school golf coach used to say, 'Your best chip is your worst putt. Putt it.'

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Fairway_CY

Over the last week, I've played 4 rounds.  All of them for tournaments.  I've found myself with this scenario a number of times and have gone back and forth with it.  Ultimately, I think it's a comfort thing... but, I was wondering what you'd do.

You hit a shot to a front pin but it comes up a little short.  You're 5 feet from the front of the green in the fairway.  The pin is 6 paces on.  Providing there isn't anything that's going to FORCE you to hit a specific shot (such as spotty patches between the ball and the hole)... what shot do you prefer?

I'll go first:

A few weeks ago, I had a lot of confidence in my short game.  I felt good taking my 56 degree wedge and clipping it from the tight lie and having it finish within 3 feet of the hole.  Then... I lost that shot and began blading the shot running it 20 feet by.  So, now I'm back to putting the ball from that position.  The trouble is that the greens I play on are very inconsistent, so I'm not leaving myself easy putts afterwards.  So... now, it's back to the practice green to re-teach myself that little chip.

Anyway... what do you do?

CY

I putt with loft.  This is something I learned from Raymond Floyd's book on scoring.  I do everything just like a putt, take off glove, putting stance, putting grip, but I use a club with a little loft, anything from a 6-iron to a 9-iron depending on the shot.  Then I use my putting stroke.

[David in FL]

Too many variables......the biggest being the slope to the green, the cut of the area between the ball and the green, and the lie. Most likely, I'm either going to putt or play a little chip with my PW.

[rustyredcab]

Advise I use from my pro:

Putt when you can...

Chip if you can't putt...

Pitch if you can't chip...

Flop if you must.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Fairway_CY

Over the last week, I've played 4 rounds.  All of them for tournaments.  I've found myself with this scenario a number of times and have gone back and forth with it.  Ultimately, I think it's a comfort thing... but, I was wondering what you'd do.

You hit a shot to a front pin but it comes up a little short.  You're 5 feet from the front of the green in the fairway.  The pin is 6 paces on.  Providing there isn't anything that's going to FORCE you to hit a specific shot (such as spotty patches between the ball and the hole)... what shot do you prefer?

I'll go first:

A few weeks ago, I had a lot of confidence in my short game.  I felt good taking my 56 degree wedge and clipping it from the tight lie and having it finish within 3 feet of the hole.  Then... I lost that shot and began blading the shot running it 20 feet by.  So, now I'm back to putting the ball from that position.  The trouble is that the greens I play on are very inconsistent, so I'm not leaving myself easy putts afterwards.  So... now, it's back to the practice green to re-teach myself that little chip.

Anyway... what do you do?

CY

It depends.  How fast is the green?  Is it uphill or downhill or level?  That all makes an impact on how I play such a shot.  I could use anything from a putter to a 56° wedge depending on the answers to those questions.  My preference would be to just carry the ball on to the green with my 51° GW and let it run to the hole, but if it was severely downhill I'd probably putt it.

[Ernest Jones]

I pick it up 'cuz that's a gimmie. ;-)

[dfreuter415]

Playing this shot is as individualistic as selecting a driver or a set of irons. You have to find the method that allows you the best chance of holing out, or, at least, getting up and down.

As for me, as long as I am sitting on shorter grass and not in the rough, I usually play this shot with a 6 iron or use the Dave Pelz "chip-putt":

• Hold your putter with your chipping grip.
• Take your normal chipping stance.

• Position the ball a little forward of the center of your stance.

• Make your normal chipping motion with dead hands.

[David in FL]

I pick it up 'cuz that's a gimmie. ;-)

Do you post that score for handicap? :-D

[newtogolf]

I putt them every time.  My short game isn't very good so I'd rather get close with my putter rather than risk thinning the ball over the green or into a bunker.

[MS256]

As some of the other guys said, it depends.

Even assuming it's a straightforward shot from fairway height grass or fringe, with nothing serious in the way, there are often obvious reasons to carry the ball at least onto the green like the smoothness of the grass, the grain, sprinkler heads, and slope up to the green. I wouldn't want to putt a ball up a steep slope of fringe against the grain with the green sloping away, and sometimes even a bump and run into the bank is hard to judge (and I would hit a little mini-flop in that case).

The rule I go by is to only use as much spin as necessary for the shot at hand and only use as much loft as necessary for the shot at hand, and depend on loft over spin when possible.

I did have to hit a flop today from 15 yards and I felt that my only chance was to flop it very high with a full swing and let it fall "down the chimney", as my playing partner said. Got lucky and it landed a few inches from the pin and stayed there. Nice when you pull those off but they are high risk, last resort shots.

[mvmac]

Seems like from Fairway_CY's post that the shot is pretty standard, no uphill or downhill steep slopes to contend with.  5ft between him and the green, tournament situation, 17 handicap, makes sense to putt it to me.

[David in FL]

[INDENT][/INDENT][quote name="mvmac" url="/t/68783/5-feet-off-the-green-front-pin-what-do-you-do#post_874349"]Seems like from Fairway_CY's post that the shot is pretty standard, no uphill or downhill steep slopes to contend with.  5ft between him and the green, tournament situation, 17 handicap, makes sense to putt it to me.   [/quote] 17 hcp, absolutely. But tell me that you're not bringing a couple of wedges with you to look at it......