By Ray Sarno
The adage in golf has always been not how, but how many. There is no set rule as to how you get the ball close to the hole when just off the green, but the decision you make could mean all the difference in your score.
Each golf shot is a unique opportunity to execute your skill. There are no style points for form and an unlimited number of possibilities for the shot and the outcome. Remember, the outcome is all that matters on the scorecard.
That said, the type of shot you play should be chosen by your skill level, the situation in the match or competition, the golf course and weather factors and, most importantly, your comfort level with what you feel you can execute successfully.
The basic choice you have when your ball is lying close to but off the green is to hit either a chip shot or a pitch shot. The difference in the two is that a chip shot rolls along the ground a longer distance than it travels in the air, while a pitch is the opposite, with more air time and less roll. The chip is played with a lower lofted club so the starting trajectory is low and the spin rate is low.
Conversely, the pitch shot is played with a high lofted club so the starting trajectory is very high, followed by a steep downward angle of descent, with a high spin rate, which will allow the ball to stop quickly.
So how do you decide which type of shot to play?
The available landing spot, the amount of “trouble” between you and that landing spot, and the amount of distance for roll determine the type of shot you should play. If there is a bunker or heavy rough between you and the green, obviously you will have to pitch it over the trouble. If you are just off the green, however, the choice is to minimize the air time and hit a low running chip that will roll out to the hole.
With either shot, whenever possible, land the ball on the putting surface instead of the fringe, as the first bounce will be more consistent and allow you to more accurately judge the amount of roll the shot will produce.
The choice may come down to which shot you can produce most often. This is a result of practice, experience and the imagination of you, the player.
Try to see all the possible ways you can make this shot happen and then pick the club and type shot you are most likely to be successful with at controlling the distance of the shot. Make a rehearsal swing that replicates what you want to execute, then hit the shot.
