Chipping within 80 yards

[Lihu]

Just now, sirhacksalot said:

Once time changes i hope to play a few holes a day if possible.  The comfortable thing is there, i am comfortable doing it, 9/10 times will have a better or equal result as going high, or low.  I even got rid of Game golf because i convinced myself practicing that i would be using 8 and 9 irons from 80 - 100 yards out if not having to carry anything.  But I go to play and i just forget. and don't remember until after the round or i see something on here like today and it just baffles me.  Some of my best shots of a round are punch shots under limbs that have just enough to get to the green and release on.  I have tried to convince myself to play that way but then i forget.

Practice rounds are a great way to experiment with stuff and try things out.

I still use GG when I am playing with other people for the entire round. I also post to GHIN when they are willing to "sign". Haven't done that for a while primarily because of mixed up schedules and many people I partner up with don't stick around for the entire round or visa versa if play is too slow. Of course, my club really shuns on this practice, but I honestly have not had a chance to post any rounds lately.

[mdl]

What you describe is a totally legit option.  I wouldn't recommend that being your only option going forward, but it's a good shot to have in the bag.  Search TST for "quickie pitching video".  I've worked my own pitching technique off that video, especially the float-load/brush feeling, and I've found that I can use that method successfully with my 60˚ out to 60, even 70 yards or so, and my full swing 60˚ only goes 90 yards.

I like it more than the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 shots style because it sort of works backwards.  With the former, you have a full swing distance, then you try to get consistent with a full effort version of the swing from 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4, and see how far that goes with different clubs.  What I've done is figure out how to control distance in the greenside range, like 5-20 yards, then expanded from there.  So if I've figured out that a "stock" greenside pitch – say that's one I want to fly 12-15 yards – has a certain feel and distance my hands go back, then I can go practice 25 yards and get it decently accurate just by going back a tick from my "stock" pitch.  And so on.  

[Lihu]

32 minutes ago, mdl said:

I like it more than the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 shots style because it sort of works backwards.  With the former, you have a full swing distance, then you try to get consistent with a full effort version of the swing from 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4, and see how far that goes with different clubs.  What I've done is figure out how to control distance in the greenside range, like 5-20 yards, then expanded from there.  So if I've figured out that a "stock" greenside pitch – say that's one I want to fly 12-15 yards – has a certain feel and distance my hands go back, then I can go practice 25 yards and get it decently accurate just by going back a tick from my "stock" pitch.  And so on.  

This is a good idea.

I try to practice around the greens whenever there is time since I've found that doing this in a practice area does not translate exactly to the course. You really want to end within 5 yards from 15 to 20 yards, and that's still really hard. From a good lie, I can land in that error zone maybe a bit more than half the time, but invariably the ball rolls wherever it wants. I think that takes a lot of practice on the course to develop that feel to be able to roll it like the seniors.