Hitting to the middle of the Green

[Golfingdad]

I was only considering chipping from the short grass.  I certainly would rather putt than chip from the rough.

Regardless, I'll concede I don't have stats; my opinion was conjecture.

I still can't understand this.  If you're on short grass and you only have 20', then why not putt it?  (Unless there is a sprinkler head in the way - which has happened to me once in the last few years that I can remember)

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mugs050

Actually kind of funny but reading the responses I see it more or less like this as far as the people that responded:

-Middle of the green or a slight variation of middle of the green

9.5

6.3

+0.1

14.8

+2.7

At the flag or not the middle

5

17.6

20

14.9

Then there were some that didn't give a definitive answer. If you take everyone's handicap at face value on here then that shows that generally speaking the lower handicap players play to the middle of the green or some sort of variation that takes the middle into account, like middle on shots outside x distance. hmm

Add me to the first group. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdsandy

It depends, I'd rather have a 20 foot chip from the rough than a 60 foot putt.

That's nuts.

There was a time when I'd have agreed with this, but I haven't always been very intelligent about how I approached my game either.  Some of those impressions you get that tell you the chip is better than the putt come from selective memory.  It seems to be easier to remember a chip for an up and down than it does a conventional 2 putt.  The 2 putt just doesn't stick in your head.

Then too, most players have an inflated idea of how long a given putt really is.  Unless you play a course with very large greens, 60 foot putts are rare.  A typical green on my old course is about 75 feet on the longest dimension.  The deepest green is 101 feet from front to back.  If I hit the middle of that green, the longest putt I'll face is about 40-45 feet, and most will be considerably shorter.  I definitely want to be on the green and putting if at all possible, no matter how far from the hole.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakester23

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdsandy

It depends, I'd rather have a 20 foot chip from the rough than a 60 foot putt.

Would you rather have a 60 ft putt or a 20 ft bunker shots? Or how about a 35 ft putt or a 20 ft chip? Come on its not scenario specific it's a rule of thumb. Your typically going to score better when your on the green.

I'd rather have the bunker shot and the chip. I'd rather be closer to the hole, yes there will be exceptions (plugged bunker, knarly rough) but overall I'll take closer.

I love when people unwittingly give us insight to their golf game.

Yeah... you get the impression that he's a lousy putter, don't you?

[RFKFREAK]

Yeah... you get the impression that he's a lousy putter, don't you?

I get the impression that he's not confident in his putting and if he put more time into it at the expense of the time he puts into his short game, then he would see improvement sufficient enough to gain that confidence.

[Pretzel]

Unless there's an oddly shaped green with a pin sticking out on some sort of knob, I tend to find the distance to the flag and hit that distance to the biggest part of the green with a few considerations: Front pin: If in any doubt about club/shot selection, I take the longer option to make sure I get to the green. Back pin: If in any doubt about club/shot selection, I take the shorter option to make sure I don't fly the green. Dead center pin: I go flag hunting Left and right variation is less important than distance to me. Many greens are deeper than they are wide, so if I hit the correct distance and hit my target of the center of the green I shouldn't have much longer than a 30' putt for birdie, if I miss to the wrong side but am still on I have about a 50' putt, and if I get lucky and miss towards the pin I have a really short putt.

[Golfingdad]

Unless there's an oddly shaped green with a pin sticking out on some sort of knob, I tend to find the distance to the flag and hit that distance to the biggest part of the green with a few considerations:

Front pin: If in any doubt about club/shot selection, I take the longer option to make sure I get to the green.

Back pin: If in any doubt about club/shot selection, I take the shorter option to make sure I don't fly the green.

Dead center pin: I go flag hunting

Left and right variation is less important than distance to me. Many greens are deeper than they are wide, so if I hit the correct distance and hit my target of the center of the green I shouldn't have much longer than a 30' putt for birdie, if I miss to the wrong side but am still on I have about a 50' putt, and if I get lucky and miss towards the pin I have a really short putt.

I play it EXACTLY like this as well.

[GHIN0011458]

I just try to get it in the hole off the tee like Happy Gilmore.

[RFKFREAK]

Unless there's an oddly shaped green with a pin sticking out on some sort of knob, I tend to find the distance to the flag and hit that distance to the biggest part of the green with a few considerations:

Front pin: If in any doubt about club/shot selection, I take the longer option to make sure I get to the green.

Back pin: If in any doubt about club/shot selection, I take the shorter option to make sure I don't fly the green.

Dead center pin: I go flag hunting

Left and right variation is less important than distance to me. Many greens are deeper than they are wide, so if I hit the correct distance and hit my target of the center of the green I shouldn't have much longer than a 30' putt for birdie, if I miss to the wrong side but am still on I have about a 50' putt, and if I get lucky and miss towards the pin I have a really short putt.

I play it EXACTLY like this as well.

And I'm the idiot that if the pin is in front or back, I hit is shorter because I think it has a chance to roll up that way.

[Jakester23]

And I'm the idiot that if the pin is in front or back, I hit is shorter because I think it has a chance to roll up that way. :no:

Not if your hitting a hybrid into the green

[RFKFREAK]

Not if your hitting a hybrid into the green

Christian

     

[ChrisWev]

Man, I drive the ball so well, I'm always hitting my 60* wedge into the green.

It'll get there if you thin it

[RFKFREAK]

It'll get there if you thin it

And that's the only way.

[rdsandy]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdsandy

It depends, I'd rather have a 20 foot chip from the rough than a 60 foot putt.

Would you rather have a 60 ft putt or a 20 ft bunker shots? Or how about a 35 ft putt or a 20 ft chip? Come on its not scenario specific it's a rule of thumb. Your typically going to score better when your on the green.

I'd rather have the bunker shot and the chip. I'd rather be closer to the hole, yes there will be exceptions (plugged bunker, knarly rough) but overall I'll take closer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

I love when people unwittingly give us insight to their golf game.

Yeah... you get the impression that he's a lousy putter, don't you?

Yes, if I was a better putter I'd be a 5.0 instead of a 9.0.

While you guys were psychoanalysing me today I was playing golf. Had 38 putts, not good. 3-3 putts, one 4-putt, 3-1 putts. To be fair, I was trying a new putting technique that I probably should have practiced first. One chip in from the fringe, one sand save from 15 yards.

13.6 differential

[Phil McGleno]

Yes, if I was a better putter I'd be a 5.0 instead of a 9.0.

Then take the twenty or thirty minutes it takes to become a competent putter.

[RFKFREAK]

While you guys were at work today I was playing golf.

Fixed that for you.