Do you find yourself confused when you arrive at the green and find your ball has landed off the putting surface? What club do you turn to next, to get the ball close to the hole and give yourself the best chance of making a low score?
Choosing the correct club around the green can be difficult for beginner golfers but getting it right can save you shots and lower your score.
When deciding which club to use off the green, you can help your decision making by splitting the shot into two sections.
The first is the distance the ball must travel to reach the green and the second part of the shot is the distance from the edge of the green to the hole.
The best chip in most situations sees the ball travel in the air for the first part of the shot and travel along the ground for the second part of the shot. So, that is what you need to keep in mind when using the correct club around the green.
If you can land the ball on the green rather than on the fringe or the fairway/rough, you can predict how the ball is going to behave.
The distance the ball will run when on the green will change for each shot you play and that is why you must think about which club you need to use before playing the shot.
If the edge of the green is roughly halfway between the ball and the flag, you can use your wedge to play the shot. When using a wedge to play a chip shot, the ball is in the air for roughly 50% of the time and so when played nicely, the ball should land on the green but close to the front edge and roll onwards towards the hole.
This is assuming the lie of the ball is flat and the green is even paced. You must adjust for when this is not the case.
If your ball is closer to the edge of the green and roughly 75% of the shot will see the ball on the green, you can use a 7 iron to play the shot. This will see the ball carry for around 25% of the total shot and that is all you need given the distance you are away from the green.
If your ball is somewhere in-between these two distances, you must be flexible in your approach and be prepared to play with a different club. However, armed with the knowledge of what your wedge and 7 iron can do, it should not be a problem.
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