Coming up short on an approach shot is very frustrating and just when you were hoping to see your ball land nicely on the green, you are left with a short shot to reach the putting surface from the fringe.
A common fault of the beginner golfer is to take this shot too lightly and end up leaving the ball short of the green or sending it across the green, meaning a chip shot is then required from the apron.
The two main reasons why you might get this shot wrong is because firstly you are unhappy to see your ball has landed on the fringe and not the green, so your thoughts are not clear when playing the shot. Secondly, you think it is going to be an easy shot top play and so you put little thought into the execution.
You must have a clear strategy in place when playing a shot from the fringe and this means planning the shot, starting by asking yourself is it is possible to putt from your current position.
If the fringe is dry and the grass short plus there are no obstacles in your way, you may be able to eliminate the need to put any loft on the ball by using the putter. However, you need to have a clear path to the green and good lie.
As many people walk across the fringe, your lie could be less than perfect and if it is you will need to take a more lofted club as the ball will come out lower due to your downward angle of attack when playing the shot.
When considering which club to use for your shot from the fringe, you must think about where you want the ball to bounce. Look for an area of ground which is firm and flat, as this will allow you to predict how the ball is going to react once it has bounced.
Often, you will be landing the ball on the green so you should have little problem but occasionally you may need to land it on the fringe and this is when you need to check the surface carefully before playing the shot.
As you will be aiming for the ball to take one bounce and then roll along the green like a putt when playing from the fringe, you must consider the undulations of the putting surface. Depending on where your ball is landing on the green, the contours could take it away from the hole or see it roll past the hole if on a down slope.
Assess how the ball is going to roll on the green and plan your landing point accordingly.
Finally, think about the conditions. If the ground is wet then you may not generate as much spin on the ball as in dry conditions which could see your ball roll further. However, a wet green will always be slower than a dry one, so you need to keep that mind when playing from the fringe.
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