How should you play this pitch shot?

[dchoye]

I play a low trajectory spinny wedge shot into the middle part of the green and leave myself a short uphill putt

At my club on the 4th hole is something like the hole you describe, its tough, trouble back and around the green , a good drive will leave you 60 yards in front of the green, but there is a  tree 40 yards in front of the green(I m serious) so usually a layup 100 yards or its possible to wedge it over the trees However if I am too close to the trees, I had to develop a slice-chip shot with 5 iron or 4 iron that goes under the branches and runs into the green. This shot seems easier than for me than an 9 iron chip and run.

[Shorty]

I think very few of the answers are taking into account the possibility of the skulled or chunked shot which I'm gathering is kind of the point pif the OP.

In a perfect world, yes, of course a wedge 15 ft short and run it to the cup.

But to avoid the big number, especially off a hard fairway, a bump and run is the go for me.

[dchoye]

I think very few of the answers are taking into account the possibility of the skulled or chunked shot which I'm gathering is kind of the point pif the OP.

In a perfect world, yes, of course a wedge 15 ft short and run it to the cup.

But to avoid the big number, especially off a hard fairway, a bump and run is the go for me.

Good point Shorty.

Thankfully my home course is watered well, but some muni courses have poor course maintanence with dry hard fairways, the bump shot is a must.

The other thing that I have problems with is sidehill stance with ball below the feet with short wedge shots, I tend to chunk/blade , so I also take that into consideration

[cipher]

I think very few of the answers are taking into account the possibility of the skulled or chunked shot which I'm gathering is kind of the point pif the OP. In a perfect world, yes, of course a wedge 15 ft short and run it to the cup. But to avoid the big number, especially off a hard fairway, a bump and run is the go for me.

I pretty much agree. Conditions are pretty hard as mentioned, so I was afraid even to try and land it in the middle of the green. Catch it slightly thin or swing with a bit too much speed and you are done. Maybe the safest thing for MOST of us is a bump and run. I am definitely going to try it next time on this course. One of the guys we were playing against would hit a low 180 yard slice off every tee, advance the ball with a hybrid or long iron, then bump and run it on, take his two putts and get out of there. It kept them in the match when they had a bunch of free strokes anyway. The course we played is very nice they just keep it hard and fast to make it tougher, and I am not used to those conditions at all.

[Jakester23]

You can't play scared nate;-). Just go for the make or break shot. You're more than capable of hitting the wedge shot. I bet if you hit 10 wedges and 10 8i it would be obvious that you should hit the wedge.

[billchao]

I pretty much agree. Conditions are pretty hard as mentioned, so I was afraid even to try and land it in the middle of the green. Catch it slightly thin or swing with a bit too much speed and you are done. Maybe the safest thing for MOST of us is a bump and run.

I have never hit a bump and run, unless you count trouble shots. I'm not even entirely sure how it would behave or where the ball will end up. I think I'd still rather hit my pitch.

[dchoye]

I think ciper is playing smart rather than scared. If the conditions on the fairways was soft then the spiny wedge shots is the choice If you ever played in Texas hard pan then it's easier to bump and run

[Jakester23]

I was joking with him. No I haven't played on Texas nate and I are in WI. Bump and run shots have a much better chance of take a funny hop then a wedge that lands on the green. Besides if it's a shot you don't hit a lot its hard to know how far to fly it in order keep it on the green. Maybe if we knew what was behind the green it would change my opinion though.

[cipher]

I was joking with him. No I haven't played on Texas nate and I are in WI. Bump and run shots have a much better chance of take a funny hop then a wedge that lands on the green. Besides if it's a shot you don't hit a lot its hard to know how far to fly it in order keep it on the green. Maybe if we knew what was behind the green it would change my opinion though.

The course is Watertown, it plays very different than many of our courses here. You are probably right about if I hit 10 wedges I am closer most of the time. But maybe one of them bounces over for some trouble.

[MS256]

Around here I'm actually much more likely to hit a higher more spinning shot if the ground is very hard. The softer the ground gets the less effective loft I am likely to use. Off of hard pan there is very little way for me to mess it up, even on a flop shot. In fact my ball striking consistency with all clubs improves fairly dramatically off of hard pan. Sometimes if the ground is hard enough, and the grass is short enough, I even vaguely resemble a real golfer. ;-)

[Shorty]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but the OP didn't simply ask:

"What would you play if you were about 60 yards from the flag?"