In this lesson, we will focus on the following points of your golf game:
• How to read the green before your wedge approach shot,
• When to use different wedge lofts,
• When to use a 7- or 8-iron from 75 yards out
• What is the “Sucker Pin”
So you have been to the range, tested your distances and practiced with your feet together with a 75-percent swing. Many Tour players will use this “feet together” drill to establish tempo.
Now, let’s take a look at using your head and your “sticks” to learn how to makesome birdies. But first, let’s talk about the sucker pin! We’ve all heard the word and some even know the drill. You are coming in, and the pin is placed just a few feet beyond a bunker, or on a crown near the edge or perhaps even tucked in a corner near water. You want to be close, but are you willing to risk it?
A SUCKER PIN CAN BE:
a) A pin that’s tucked behind a bunker,
b) A pin that is on a small crown just a couple of paces from the edge, so the ball trickles off the green onto the fringe,
c) A pin on an area around the hole that looks flat but has a subtle double grainbreak or
d) On a fast down-grain, similar to an airplane runaway.
Are amateurs unnecessary risk takers? From my place in the booth, the answer seems to be always YES but should be a resounding NO. Why? The amateur may try the once-in-a-lifetime 10-percent shot versus the 90-percent safe approach. It is simple — why risk a high number when you can hit safely to the middle and get down in two? The likelihood of you getting close enough for a one-putt is just not in the cards, but a bogey or worse is certainly ready to happen as you stand over your shot. The water hazard or bunker is certainly in your mind, and the risk may be more prominent in your thinking than it really is.
As we all know, however, is that what the mind is focused on is most likely to happen. There you go, right into the hazard. Take a drop or two out because you are so mad and bingo — the dreaded double or triple bogey. Never take a double bogey by using poor judgment. In last week’s lesson, we determined that your 56-degree wedge is good for 80 yards. Now, let’s look at the various types of green you may be hitting onto. If it is sloped back to the front, your shot hopefully will not go anywhere after landing if you’ve learned your distance and ball-flight. So you might want to think about going one loft lower (54 or 52 degrees) to take it all the way, or even past, the pin. Or, if you don’t have to navigate any bunkers or rough en route to the pin, you might even consider bumping up to a 7- or 8-iron and let it run up by using an overgrown putting stroke, just like the European players do so well. The object is to ALWAYS keep the ball on the ground if you can.
SOME RULES OF THUMB TO REMEMBER ARE:
a) Chip when you can’t Putt
b) Pitch when you can’t Chip
c) If you’re a couple feet off the green, use a hybrid or fairway wood to putt with, especially if the fringe can grab an iron.
d) As your distance increases away from the green, various iron lofts can be used.
e) The object is to have the ball land on the green as soon as you can and let it run to the hole.
f) Practice with one or two of your wedges, grab the 6- and 7-irons, or even the 4- or 5-irons to see what distance the ball will land barely onto the green.
Now see how far the roll for each will be when just using your putting stroke. You’ll see a much better up-and-down rate and less bogeys. Now take the reverse. You’re facing a shot onto a green that’s sloped from front to the back. For this shot, you need to take it on a high, yet soft-landing trajectory. A bump and run may give it the best chance of stopping since it will check and run only a bit on landing.
You should take into account the way the greens are playing. Take a walk up to the green if you’re not too familiar with the course and check it out. Is it soft, mushy or hard, and which way is the grain running? Is it holding or are shots running away from you? Simply put, you have to think before selecting your club. It is not “just” a distance decision.
A top player in his good “A-Swing” days will have about 10 shots difference from scores on his “B-” or “C-swing” days. Once your wedge game is under control and improving, use the 10-stroke “Rule of Thumb” to gauge your own progress.
So take in these suggestions and apply them to your short game. Once they are understood, you are sure to lower your scores.
Filed under: Tips
