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

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Faced this shot yesterday and I chose to putt it, within 2 feet and got up and down to save bogey. After holing out I played it again but tried a chip with the PW I carried to the spot with my putter. Not even close, would have left a 6-7 foot putt.

i do this kind of thing frequently (if it's not busy).  glad i'm not alone in it.  It demonstrates a LOT to me.

All it demonstrates to me is that you need a lot more practice chipping.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

All it demonstrates to me is that you need a lot more practice chipping.

((all it demonstrates to me is that I need to practice my approach shots more often and just keep it on the green))

You're right though.  More chipping practice would be a quick win for me (short chipping has been paying off more and more lately) - I'm thinking a good chipper, when hitting a little low lofted chip shot, should start getting results close to putting from a similar distance.  The bonus is being able to carry the fringe and avoid those random imperfections there, yet still roll it on the green.

[Dave2512]

I don't see it as a good vs. bad chipper scenario as much as why take the chance if you don't need to. We've all duffed a chip but it's tough to totally blow a putt. Five feet is less than two yards, the fringe is nearly five feet at my home course. The ground would have to be pretty chewed up between there and the hole to make it worth it. A good chip for me is leaving a putt of 10 feet or less. A terrible putt is one that's just outside of tap in range.

[chriskzoo]

Originally Posted by turtleback

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.

This.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

I don't see it as a good vs. bad chipper scenario as much as why take the chance if you don't need to. We've all duffed a chip but it's tough to totally blow a putt. Five feet is less than two yards, the fringe is nearly five feet at my home course. The ground would have to be pretty chewed up between there and the hole to make it worth it. A good chip for me is leaving a putt of 10 feet or less. A terrible putt is one that's just outside of tap in range.

For me, it's harder to guess at the speed for a putt through more than a couple of feet of fringe than it is to hit a good chip.  I almost never miss hit a chip like this because I don't use lofted clubs from fairway lies.  If there is more fairway than I can properly carry with a PW or GW without getting too much roll, then I'll play the PW, or maybe an 8I, and one hop it to the putting surface.  For me that's an easier shot than putting the ball all the way.  Different strokes for different styles.  I really believe that the advent (and often overuse) of the LW is turning true chipping into a lost art.