Walking Out Short Shots

[Ernest Jones]

  vangator said:

I always look for the chip first (steady wrists and brush the grass). If that's not the best shot, then I pitch because there is more variability for me in a hinged wrist shot. Since I was only carrying 13 clubs for a while, I've picked up a 68* LW that really works nice for those tight shots.

You wear a mouth guard when hitting that sucker?

[Shorty]

  Patch said:

I do it on the short chips most of the time for club selection. I'm not worried about any extra time it might take, which is usually about a minute or so. On longer shots, for the most part, I've seen enough of them them to judge the distance pretty well. I might step off a longer one if the shot is really important.

You're not worried about taking a minute or two? You should be. Stop being selfish, slowing the game down and use your eyes.

[Layton]

  Shorty said:

You're not worried about taking a minute or two? You should be. Stop being selfish, slowing the game down and use your eyes.

Maybe 30 seconds at the most every couple of holes while the other people in the group are looking over their shots anyway doesn't sound unreasonably selfish to me. That's almost along the same lines as saying that looking at a putt from both sides of the hole is selfish and slows the game down considerably as well.

[vangator]

  Ernest Jones said:

:bugout:  You wear a mouth guard when hitting that sucker?

I use it just as I would a chip with forward shaft lean and brush the grass. Just pops it up much higher without a ton of spin. Kind of lands with a thud and minimal roll out. Much easier for me to hit than a flop. I've tried flopping it and, yes, I have to duck.

[Ernest Jones]

  Layton said:

Maybe 30 seconds at the most every couple of holes while the other people in the group are looking over their shots anyway doesn't sound unreasonably selfish to me. That's almost along the same lines as saying that looking at a putt from both sides of the hole is selfish and slows the game down considerably as well.

Agree. Obviously you need to be aware of what everyone else is doing and play ready golf. I get it all done very quickly, often while others are walking their pull carts off to the side or eyeing their putts. Any time I'm adding by assessing my shot is balanced out by the fact that I may hole it or likely have a tap-in left so it all comes out in the wash so to speak. I don't think anyone (at least I'm not) is talking about 5 minutes of walking around the green and surveying from every angle and agonizing over break. I literally walk straight to the hole and back (and no @Shorty , I don't walk on peoples lines) and that's it. I do it quite briskly and will likely be done before anyone is ready to hit their shot or putt. I may pause briefly at the mid-point between my landing spot and the hole if I really think I have a chance of holing it, but again, this is very quick as I Aimpoint already so I pick up slope% very fast and never agonizing over getting it exactly right.

Shorty, I know what you mean about people spending an inordinate amount of time checking a putt or chip out from every possible angle only to leave it 5' short or blast it 10' past but I don't think any of us are doing that. I'm very quick about it and certainly have never held up any foursome I've been a part of. You really should try giving people the benefit of the doubt once in a while, you may find it easier on your nerves.

  vangator said:

I use it just as I would a chip with forward shaft lean and brush the grass. Just pops it up much higher without a ton of spin. Kind of lands with a thud and minimal roll out. Much easier for me to hit than a flop. I've tried flopping it and, yes, I have to duck.

Yeah, I hear ya. Actually sounds like fun. I love my 60* and have started to use even more than my 56* when the lie is good. If it had more bounce it would probably see a ton more action.

[Layton]

Couldn't have said it better myself @Ernest Jones

When I take the time to do this I end up with a tap in regularly if I don't hole it out. I've actually holed out at least one time each round the last 4 times I've played.

[WUTiger]

I'm mainly interested in a close-up of where the shot will land initially.  The pacing also lets me see/feel under foot if there's a damp spot near the landing point that would kill the shot, or a moon crater patch that would make the ball ricochet into the trap.

Often, I will pace from the ball to about  halfway to the flag, note the yardage (multiply paces by 2), and hit the shot.

[Ernest Jones]

  Layton said:

Couldn't have said it better myself @Ernest Jones

When I take the time to do this I end up with a tap in regularly if I don't hole it out. I've actually holed out at least one time each round the last 4 times I've played.

Well, I wish I could claim that kind of success!!! I hole them out on occasion but really I expect to get into tap-in range with regularity and generally do. Then it's me waiting around while my playing partners knock it halfway to the hole and watch it roll away from the hole for the remainder because they didn't make the right club choice and have no idea what the ball is going to do when it starts to roll.

[Ernest Jones]

  WUTiger said:

I'm mainly interested in a close-up of where the shot will land initially.  The pacing also lets me see/feel under foot if there's a damp spot near the landing point that would kill the shot, or a moon crater patch that would make the ball ricochet into the trap.

Often, I will pace from the ball to about  halfway to the flag, note the yardage (multiply paces by 2), and hit the shot.

That's not a bad idea, I might try that out. Get's me my midpoint and distance will be close enough...