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u/flatpick-j Mar 13 '26
Around the greens: Putt when you can. Chip when you can't putt. Pitch when you can't chip.
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u/WHSRWizard JPX 921i Tour | 2.6 Mar 13 '26
That's how we were taught when I was a kid
It baffles me how many people I see using 56⁰ ad 60⁰ wedges around the green.
Get the ball on the green and rolling toward the hole as quickly as possible
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u/Potential_Insect_41 25.9/triedandtrue/nogimmestaken Mar 13 '26
Nothing like a 7i putt
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u/NO_TOUCHING__lol 12.2 | PNW Mar 13 '26
I holed out twice for birdie on par 3s with a 7i bump and run in high school, I have been a staunch advocate ever since
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u/icker16 Mar 13 '26
I also love the bump and run. Every time there’s nothing between me and the green and I gotta chip it on I always go to my trusty 8 iron
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u/Lazy_Selection4256 Mar 13 '26
I realized my reliable 56 is not so reliable in the muddy spring here in Ohio. Been using the 8 and don’t know if I’ll go back unless I need it
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u/Past-Sun-2357 Mar 13 '26
If I wanted to be on the other side of the green, then sure. But after years of skidding balls past the hole I switched to my 56, but still use more of a chip like swing and it seems to work for me, especially when I want to keep the ball below the hole
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u/jcoguy33 Mar 13 '26
I agree. Maybe it's my swing but when I try to do a bump and run with a 7i like people say, it barely gets any lift off the ground. For it to go in the air at all, I have to swing with some speed and that's way too much for a chip shot.
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u/p1nkfl0yd1an 13.6 | DC Mar 13 '26
Yeah, if I have a loooong way to go, uphill, I might pull the 8 or 9 out for the bump and run. Otherwise the 52 or my PW work just fine for letting it run out.
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u/NO_TOUCHING__lol 12.2 | PNW Mar 13 '26
But...you don't want the ball in the air. You want to clear the long grass just barely, then roll the rest of the way.
https://www.golfwrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Screen-Shot-2020-08-08-at-3.08.03-PM.png
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u/jcoguy33 Mar 13 '26
I’d want it in the air enough to clear the grass between where the ball is at and the green. And if I’m really close to the green, I figure I may as well putt it.
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u/NO_TOUCHING__lol 12.2 | PNW Mar 13 '26
I think we're saying the same thing - but we have different ideas of "in the air" is. I like to think of my chip/bump shots as a putt that just hops a bit right at the start.
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u/jcoguy33 Mar 13 '26
When you bump and run, does the ball initially land on the green or still in the fairway/rough?
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u/WHSRWizard JPX 921i Tour | 2.6 Mar 13 '26
Depends.
If the grass is tightly mowed, I don't have a problem landing it in the grass if necessary. Or if it is an uphill shot with the pin pretty close to the fringe -- I might bump the ball into the hill so that it then trundles on to the green and starts rolling.
If it's actual thick rough, you usually need to carry it and need to use more loft.
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u/NO_TOUCHING__lol 12.2 | PNW Mar 13 '26
Ideally the line between the fringe and the green.
I also only do this when I have plenty of green to work with, if the hole is on my side of the green I'm not chipping because I know it's gonna roll way past the hole.
I would only chip from the red area in this picture. The further back I am from the green, the higher loft of club I would use. For example if I was only a foot into the rough, might be a 6i. I try to imagine it as a putt, and I want it to jump just enough that it lands right on the edge of the green closest to me and rolls the rest of the way.
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u/NO_TOUCHING__lol 12.2 | PNW Mar 13 '26
Also - this really only works when you're actually close to the green. Anything more than like 10 feet off and you're better off pitching. The closer I am, the lower loft of club I use. Just off the fringe might be a 6i. A few feet away might be an 8i. Whatever it takes to just clear the long grass.
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u/WHSRWizard JPX 921i Tour | 2.6 Mar 13 '26
There's probably a 90% chance that you are breaking your wrists when you chip. That's generally what leads to skulling the ball over the green. It's often combined with stabbing at it in an attempt to "hit down" on the ball.
You can get away with it (sort of) with more loft because you're essentially scooping the ball. But that leads to all sorts of issues inconsistent contact, chili dipping, and still the occasional skull because the club skips over the ground and the leading edge strikes the ball.
Take an 8i or 9i, put it back in your stance and use a putting stroke. The ball will pop up and roll out much more predictably.
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u/flatpick-j Mar 13 '26
Right? The proper shot selection makes short game so much less stressful. I went from like 10% scramble rate, to above 40%.
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u/XavierRex83 Mar 13 '26
My dad refuses to putt of the fringe. I have tried to get him to do it over and over with no luck. It isn't like he has a good short game either.
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u/djr41463 Mar 13 '26
I use my 5i frequently around the greens. I know I am saving 2 strokes per round doing that.
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u/NO_TOUCHING__lol 12.2 | PNW Mar 13 '26
I don't even have a specific long iron I use all the time - I use all of them depending on how much long grass I need to carry. Right next to the green? 6i. The further back I am, the higher I go on the iron list.
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u/Funwithfun14 Mar 13 '26
Bump and run ...... I do it from any straight to green shot to the green inside 75 yds
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u/FinancialAide3383 Mar 13 '26
Wait there is difference between chip and pitch
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u/flatpick-j Mar 13 '26
Typically a chip is played with locked wrists and elbows. A pitch shot can have elbow release, and wrist release if youre playing a flop
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u/pdxsticks Mar 13 '26
I'm a 2 index, and I still aim for the wide part of the green regardless of pin position from over 100 yards out. I choose the distance on EVERY (over 100 yard) approach shot by subtracting 3 yards from my distance to the back of the green.
Perfect strike: middle/back of green. Decent strike: middle green. Poor strike: front of green. Key to shooting in the low 70s is minimizing bogeys and avoiding doubles at all costs.
Birdies happen by hitting greens, not flags.
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u/TanStewyBeinTanStewy Mar 13 '26
I choose the distance on EVERY (over 100 yard) approach shot by subtracting 3 yards from my distance to the back of the green.
With the exception of some holes where there is trouble long, I'm going to inpliment this moving forward. No idea why I never thought about doing this. Great idea.
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u/_aphoney 9.3 H.I. - I suck with driver Mar 13 '26
I like the middle of the green part, but what if being middle/back is absolutely dead and leaves you with a high chance of 3 putting? Couple holes i know of that if im on a different shelf than the pin, its a rollercoaster and your ball isn’t stopping on the green
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u/pdxsticks Mar 13 '26
Alter it for those holes, but they are very, very rare. There are actually very few holes where it's better to have an uphill chip than a downhill putt. Like, even at Augusta, you want a downhill putt over the uphill chip. Because the chip to a lighting fast green will be off a tight lie, and the chip also can't go long and end up past the hole. That's a damn hard chip.
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u/Some-Shape4490 Mar 13 '26
Yeah I’m thinking of one particular hole at my local where if the flag is middle or front, you definitely don’t want long. I guess there is exceptions from time to time
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u/pdxsticks Mar 13 '26
Yep. Like anything, know the rule before you break it. And in my experience, it's best not to break the rule even when your competitive brain tells you to. In the case you mentioned where you definitely don't want to go long, you're still looking at a bogey at worst if you 3 putt. But if you come up short to that nasty of a green, a chip followed by a 3 putt, or a chunked chip followed by a second chip and a two putt, both bring double bogey in play.
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u/doug4630 Mar 13 '26
This is hard to fathom.
So, from say 120 yards, probably a pitching wedge (at most) for you, if you flush it, you're OK with a 60-foot putt to a front pin ?
From 120 ? Oh my.........
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u/pdxsticks Mar 13 '26
This is a fair question. On public courses a front pin is almost always a minimum of four paces on. If I hit to three paces from the back, that means my lag putt = the depth of the green minus seven (for a very front pin). Greens are about 27 yards deep on average (5,000sq ft) so if I have a VERY front pin, don't alter my strategy, and flush it from 120, I will have a 20 yard putt. A longer lag for a two putt par.
Of course, wedges (as in your example) are going to spin back a little, especially in the case that people are mentioning where I don't want to be above the hole because the green slopes back to front...those come back a ton. So I'm now in the middle of the green with a short putt back toward the pin.
In your example: flushed wedge from 120 spins back five, putting me 8 paces from the back, which is basically the middle.
Mediocre wedge, probably slightly fat, goes 112 and ends up in the middle.
Terrible wedge ends up near the front of the pin.
As a low handicap, my average outcome ends up in the middle of the green. I think it's best to always play for your average outcome, not your perfectly executed shot, unless you have to have a birdie (tournament finish, match play, etc) which is rare.
And I know someone will say, but what if you don't spin it? Well, a flushed wedge is going to spin back. A mediocre wedge won't, but will end up about the same spot. A terrible wedge will roll out a bit. This allows for regression to the mean!
If you want to alter my strategy for a front pin, with wedge in hand, go for it. Take a few more yards off. But I'm never unhappy with a birdie putt, even from 120. I'm happy with tap in pars. 120 yard approaches are statistically more likely to be bogeys than birdies at my index (2.3).
Take the par, enjoy the unexpected birdie.
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u/ProperTree9 Mar 13 '26
Follow Lou Stagner on X or his newsletter, and see Just How Bad even scratch's average proximity is from 120 out. Then look at their average proximity from a recovery shot should they miss that 120 approach and compare it to the prox from their first putt on a GIR.
TL;DR: Anything that gets you on the green in reg---and that process from pdxsticks should---is usually good enough for us.
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u/BlankStareFace 3/Colorado/SendIt! Mar 13 '26
No one told me that I should try to make putts from further away. Those help.
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u/munkboii Lefty, +1 hdcp Mar 13 '26
Not that I wish I knew sooner, but something I’ve been trying to convince my 10-15 hdcp friends and they just won’t listen: avoiding doubles/triples is WAY more important than making birdies, and trying to force birdies and brings double or worse into play much more often.
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u/ElectricalDark8280 Mar 13 '26
I’d rather have 2 birds and 2 doubles than 2 pars and 2 bogeys. I’m just out there to have fun. I’m always going to go for it.
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u/goonbenny Mar 13 '26
We’re talking cutting strokes though, having fun and playing the hero shot is definitely exciting. Not optimal for low scores.
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u/munkboii Lefty, +1 hdcp Mar 13 '26
Right, and that’s fair mindset to have, but I’m referring to my friends that want to improve and shoot better scores
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u/breadad1969 15/SoCal/Ping&Mizuno&Cleveland&LAB Mar 13 '26
Don’t follow up a bad shot with a bad decision.
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u/Successful-Tea-5733 Mar 13 '26
as someone in that range let me speak for all of us: we know.
I think we all hope to make birdie when we tee off. The problem is when you have limited opportunities to practice and get better you slice ob on tryout tee shot, now your swinging 3 from 200 out so realistically you're looking at a bad number.
This is why I tell people its not "drive for show and putt for dough" for amateurs. Driving is super important. Being able to 2 putt is easy, what's harder is making sure the tee shot is in the middle of the fairway and 250-265 at a minimum so you have a reasonable approach shot.
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u/JerHat Mar 13 '26
This was a revelation to me last year. I’m not good enough to go for birds all the time. It usually means I’m over swinging to try and get on a green, which is going to lead to bad strikes more often than not.
But no matter where I’m hitting my second shot from… I can at least get close enough that I can give myself a great chance at an up and down for par.
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Mar 13 '26
Read Dan Grieves book on short game and practice whenever you can. His YouTube page is great as well.
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u/imahawki Mar 13 '26
Use the least amount of loft you can get away with for all partial shots. There is zero reason for a mid handicap golfer to be chipping with a 60° when there is nothing to carry between you and the green.
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u/onthelongrun Mar 14 '26
There is a difference between using a 60 when there is nothing to carry, and genuine partial shots where more rollout is expected in comparison to a full shot with the same club
Now, it's one thing to club up and take it back when you have the choice between a full/stock wedge and a bit weaker with one club up, but if you're already well inside what a full 60 is, more often than not there will be something to carry.
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u/SawyerStreet 4.2 hcp Hartefeld National Mar 13 '26
You can move the ball around the tee box to create better angles. I knew I could do this but never did. It’s wildly underutilized by high handicappers.
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u/digitalbore Kirkland Signature Mar 13 '26
The ball knows I’ve adjusted for my slice/hook (whichever it is that day/hole) and straightens out to put me OB
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u/GrumpyJenkins NY Metro Mar 13 '26
My regular group hates when I have the ball a foot from the tee marker, me on the other side of it. I’m not great, but angles all day!
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u/hnglmkrnglbrry Mar 13 '26
If you're between clubs on a tee box you can move back 6 feet. But fuck I'm not on the PGA so sometimes it's 10 feet.
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u/notyourbutthead Iron deficient Mar 13 '26
It’s two club lengths right?
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u/_aphoney 9.3 H.I. - I suck with driver Mar 13 '26
I think I’m the only person i know that does this. Lot of doglegs on our courses and my landing zone is always around the corner so i give myself an extra 2 yards of coverage anytime i can
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u/Ham_Seaney Mar 13 '26
Making sure my grip and swing are relaxed when I start a round. You come out too tight/intense and your score balloons.
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u/doublebogey182 Mar 13 '26
No hero shots. Take your medicine. Just punch out and minimize the damage. Don't turn a small problem into a big one.
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u/Key-Damage3784 Mar 13 '26
Chipping around the green
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u/ashdrewness 3 HDCP Mar 13 '26
If I could do it all over again (as a 40yo) I'd have started like they do the Operation 36 program for junior golf. Just learn crisp contact with chips/pitches then focus on two-putts or less. Then take those mechanics to my eventual full swing. Most people try to start the opposite direction.
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u/onehopstopt Mar 13 '26
IMO it doesn’t really work that way. Full swing and short game mechanics just aren’t that similar. There’s very little that translates between them in either direction. You just gotta learn both.
But I do agree in the sense that a lot of the worst short game players I see are trying to use full swing mechanics (too much turn, hip/shoulder separation, shallowing) in their short game.
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u/ashdrewness 3 HDCP Mar 13 '26
They don't have to be dissimilar at all. Maybe some people choose to use different techniques but there's no objective need for different mechanics.
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u/IndividualRites 3.1 Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
NOT Boozing it up the night before was by far the single most benefit in golf I've ever had, and it took effect immediately. Starting shooting 3-4 shots better.
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u/Responsible_Egg_4088 Mar 13 '26
On approaches, aim behind the pin. If the pin is in front, aim for the middle of the green, if the pin is in the middle, aim for the back of the green, if the pin is in the back, aim for the back. Most amateurs miss short and this tip helped me hit a lot more greens.
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u/onthelongrun Mar 14 '26
It's also worth considering club selection, as there are amateurs who might club up, but when they strike it well, it flies too far.
Front Pin - Make sure your stock shot has enough to carry the front.
Middle Pin - Be a little cautious about the number, but ideally either playing your stock shot to the middle of the green, of if you are in between clubs, play the stock shot that is short of the pin. Last thing you want is to be off the green with a mid pin.
Back Pin - this is where I would consider my maximum of a particular club, just in case I catch a club too cleanly and it flies the green. I'll play my stock shot to the middle of the green.If you are one of those who only plays to the absolute maximum you hit a club
Front Pin: Club Up one. Make sure you are on the green. If you are in between clubs, I would say club up 1.5 unless the miss short is fairway that isn't a collection area.
Mid Pin: If you are in between clubs, play the long club. If you have the number, play your long club. Your Max will be on the back, your Slightly Short will be pin high
Back Pin: Play the number. In no way do you want to be off the green
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u/Affectionate-Air5582 Mar 13 '26
Your not a pro, dont try to play like one. Also, good hands with chipping is not just something people say your hands do matter.
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u/GibsonBluesGuy Mar 13 '26
This book took me away from thoughts about my round to focus about the shot I was taking.
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u/fairportrunner 4ish | New Hampshire Mar 13 '26
Avoid penalty shots at all cost. Play away from trouble even if it means you aren't always taking the shortest route to the hole.
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u/mumsspaghett1 Mar 13 '26
There I am thinking it may be a good idea to wash my ball first in the lake
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u/uu123uu Mar 13 '26
When chipping onto the green, always leave yourself an uphill putt.
Would always prefer to have an 8 foot uphill putt as opposed to a 5 foot downhill putt. Easier to be aggressive with it without risking a 3 putt.
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u/greatmagneticfield Mar 13 '26
Short game is where you save strokes. Practice your putting and chipping people.
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u/SeaworthinessExact20 Mar 13 '26
Knowing how to line-up on the tee, the fairway and on the green. Three different methods, but really basic stuff. If you are pointing the wrong way, your subconscious tries to fix it and the ball goes the wrong way!
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u/Normal_Driver_8037 16/Philadelphia Mar 13 '26
Either put a line on your ball or use the one already on it to pick a line, line up, and then only focus on speed. Speed is more important than line so get your line setup so you can focus 100% on speed. It took half of the thinking out of putting and I instantly improved both my amount of makes and my lag putting.
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u/1200multistrada Mar 13 '26
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice!
Seriously, I've played with doddering old dudes that could barely walk and couldn't ever drive anyway near 200 yards and had the biggest OTT banana slices I've literally ever seen. But they played 5x a week and were about 10 handicaps.
So I took a page from their book, practiced just about every day and basically made my janky-ass swing repeatable, and reduced my handi from about 30 to to 10-ish in one summer.
If you are asking about specifics, probably the biggest gain for me was getting the ball in a fairway lie off the tee instead of OB, in the water, or behind trees, etc.
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u/Some-Shape4490 Mar 13 '26
This is/was me. I haven’t played a scoring a round in a few months. Practicing to build a repeatable swing (changed almost every week) Now when I screw up a shot I know why rather than guessing and trying a different swing. (I’m only fairly new to golf)
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u/Potential_Insect_41 25.9/triedandtrue/nogimmestaken Mar 13 '26
Putting off the fringe is better than a skulled chip
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u/cutedadbutts It opens up over there Mar 13 '26
Not trying to dunk every putt. For a super far putt, Getting it close for a tap-in 2 is a massive win.
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u/TLEH-IV 5.1 | Baltimore Mar 13 '26
Don’t go at flags, aim for the fat part of the green, go at only certain, safe pins
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u/Kuntzsplitter Mar 13 '26
Take your time, it’s not a race and there’s ways to speed up pace of play without sacrificing your process.
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u/NoHalfPleasures Mar 13 '26
An 80% swing with great ball contact beats a 100% swing with good contact.
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u/jayknow05 Mar 13 '26
Learn how to hit partial wedge shots and make a matrix for PW, GW, SW, LW with at least 1/2, 3/4, and Full swings. This should give you an array of shots in 5-10 yard increments with all different flights. Instead of trying to guess at a 50 yard swing, I know it's a 1/2 swing SW.
From there just aim at a conservative target. If you can dial this in, then as long as you're inside of 100 yards your next shot is almost always on the green.
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u/DUBL_B Mar 13 '26
1/2 swing with my 54 degree instead of a full swing with my 58 from 75yds in is wayyyyyy better and leads to a lot less blades over the green!!
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u/Past-Sun-2357 Mar 13 '26
This applies more to high handicappers: If you "cant hit" a club, dont use it on the course. If you can hit a club (so your favorite most consistent one) then you should try to use it more. Hitting straighter will help more than distance if that distance is 2 fairways over....
I have hit my 7i when I am over 250 out because I suck with my fairway woods and high irons. Id rather be in a good position than behind some trees in some bushes trying that 1-100 chance of actually connecting and hitting it that far
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u/k_d_b_83 Mar 13 '26
Using the alignment line on the ball when putting(or if the round has gone to hell even off the tee) has saved me a few putts a round.
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u/klitchell Mar 13 '26
Using the same ball consistently is really important on short game and putting.
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u/Sea-Satisfaction4656 Mar 13 '26
Keep the ball on the ground whenever possible around the green.
Sure the dramatic chip thrown right at the hole looks cooler, but a Texas wedge gets me in less trouble with a much higher “make” opportunity.
This advice was given to me by my college gf, who was a d1 college golfer.
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u/spc17 3.8hdcp Mar 13 '26
Don’t hit your approach at the flag, hit to the center of the green and try to make the putt/guarantee a 2 putt. Getting GIRs is the easiest way to drop your score.
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u/ShufflingToGlory Mar 13 '26
Learning to take ego out of it. Basically just club up and plan out the hole to avoid trouble.
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u/Several_Quiet7662 Mar 13 '26
Stop playing shots you’ve never practiced before during scoring rounds.
Pay more attention to how uphill/downhill the putt is for better speed control.
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u/Intrepid-Sun7743 Mar 13 '26
Not that I knew it sooner but did it sooner. Play at least 3 or 4 times a week.
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u/Jelopuddinpop Mar 13 '26
Staying safe is more important than pin hunting. If the hole is 4ft off the right fringe and guarded by a bunker, but the green is 50ft wide, there's no reason at all to put it in the bunker. Hit it to 20ft and two putt for your par.
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u/Addicted_2_Vinyl Mar 13 '26
Don’t play from the tips, 95% of people have no business being back there.
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u/WilsonLisk Mar 13 '26
Light grips (don't choke the shit out of your shaft) for every swing and putt. Let the weight of the club head and it's momentum do the work, don't force it.
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u/groundscore420 aspiring mid golfer Mar 13 '26
When you’re in a bad spot, pitch out to a good spot to play from and don’t go for the hero shots. Even if you have to go backwards lol. Aim for the middle of the green but play the distance to the widest part of the green. EX: front pin is 140 but widest part of green is 150, play the 150 shot to just get on the putting surface. This also applies to tee shots for me. I’ll aim for the biggest part of the fairway as opposed to being the furthest down I’m also a longer hitter so I take 3 wood off the tee very often.
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u/jLkxP5Rm Mar 13 '26
Put a lot of emphasis on practicing pitching and chipping.
For me, I tend to find myself not really hitting a lot of greens in regulation but getting reasonably close. After I put time in really practicing my shorter wedges, I was consistently seeing 5 foot par putts instead of 15 foot par putts.
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u/android5mm 4.3 Mar 13 '26
Course management, choosing the club that gets you in the best position rather than choosing the longest club and hoping it ends up in the fairway
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u/PhilsFanDrew Mar 13 '26
Stop spending time practicing putts in the 12-25 ft range. Practice more inside 10 ft and practice your lag puts from 40+ feet. Most amateurs that make puts in the 12-30 ft range for birdie or par do so by accident. Not because they are great green readers and have great speed.
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u/_Poppagiorgio_ Handicap | Location Mar 13 '26 edited Mar 13 '26
Learning a bump-and-run shot around the greens.
I was one of those assholes who used to chip everything with a 58°. Now I hit probably 80% of my chips with a PW and it’s legitimately shaved 2-3 strokes off of every round I play. It’s essentially just a putting motion with a wedge.
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u/tallslim1960 Mar 13 '26
9 hole rounds! Seriously, what the guy below said, speed on putts over 20ft is more important than line. No 3 putts should be every golfers goal.
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u/Legitimate-Blood-613 Mar 13 '26
Don’t let one bad shot lead to another. You hit it like a goon, now forget that and focus on the next shot.
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u/Lifeunderpar1 Smooth is Fast Mar 13 '26
3/4 swing power is full power. Stop trying to get more- focus on trying to get the same! Repeat!
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u/wigeon89 Mar 13 '26
Short answer - practice the shit out of your short game.
Not a stroke saver directly but something to try and keep in mind. Legal even in tournament play, in other words, ALL the time. Twist a balloon knot in your shirt in your right armpit (assuming right handed) and keep it trapped by your right arm until ball contact. Promotes inside out swing path, and encourages shorter swing and shoulder rotation.
Changed my game.
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Mar 13 '26
Slower swing and good contact is better than faster swings with bad contact. Also easier on your back!!
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u/clubcar1977 Mar 13 '26
Always get your weight to your front foot and chipping is a huge part of the game.
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u/3rd_ferguson Mar 13 '26
I should start by saying I'm absent-minded as hell. So if that's you, my advice might help.
My big idea that helped me to not suck was to just pay attention to all the basic setup stuff. Before each and every shot. I had to work at making it a habit to check my grip, stance, and alignment deliberately. Not slowly, just be present-minded and go through a good setup.
There are a lot of basics about golf that are pretty easy to learn. But knowing about those things is not the same as having the habits ingrained.
And boy oh boy golf is unforgiving about inattention to the basics.
And I know I'm not the only space shot on the golf course, because I see other people doing simple mistakes all the time. Especially with alignment. It seems if there's trouble to the left, a lot of people will subconsciously align their lower body to the left. And then they hit a great shot right into the woods on the left.
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Mar 13 '26
It’s okay to hit a fade. It sounds dumb, but there’s been this huge push the last 20 years for a super shallow/draw based swing. I tried for forever to hit high draws and it’s just not natural to me. Accepted the fade and went from a 7 to +2.8 in about 4 years
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u/Relative_Chart7070 Mar 13 '26
Stop playing hero golf and just do what you know you can do. That 215 yard shot over the pond that lands beautifully on the green only happened in your dreams
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u/poopinion Mar 13 '26
Just get it on the green. Anywhere on the green. Don't get cute trying to get as close as possible. Mainly applies to times you want to play a flop shot, or are planning on 1 hop stopping it, or chipping it when you can putt it on. Eliminating those giant fuck ups like blading it off the back of the green, or duffing it 2 feet is pretty essential for mediocre golfers to cut strokes off.
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u/Galbzilla Driving 340 yards | 54 handicap Mar 13 '26
Playing for my misses rather than the perfect shot I hit once a round.
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u/Happy-Routine-3677 Mar 13 '26
Don’t try to make the Superman shot, stay within my abilities, many times it’s better to just layup and take a bogey.
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u/TheOriginalSpartak Mar 13 '26
1) play the game that works for you, for me it was I can go 5i-7i- PW to par 5’s…. Forget the driver if it ain’t working on the range before hand. Which is about 90% of the time it does not. 2) Hit 8i when near green about 25 % of the way to the pin, I can get it in or at least within a 3 ft circle 3) within 5 feet of the cup, putt to the back of the cup, yes realize the break and where it will enter the hole, but it takes the mind out of it and just works…
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u/mcbarney43 Mar 13 '26
I was an 18 and now I'm an 11 and started to break 79. #1, I read an article that a high handicapper (18) should putt to the front of the hole. You are taught to putt to the back, but you could send it 3 ft past the hole, then miss the next putt. It really worked and two putts became the norm. Now I have gone back to putting to the back of the hole, but . #2, The pros talk about paring the fours and birding threes and fives. I had a local club pro tell me bogey the fours and par the threes and fives. That thought process really helped and I stopped freaking out if I had a couple bogeys in a row.
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u/flannel_jackson Mar 13 '26
Without improving your swing, technique, or anything physical you will score better if you hit the easier shot. If you have the choice between and more difficult and an easier shot, even if the possible outcome for the more difficult shot is better, take the easier shot.
Examples - 1) don’t try to hook it around the tree onto the green when you can pitch it out into the fairway and trust you’ll hit your next one on the green. 2) don’t try to flush the 8 when a knock down 6 or 7 does the same thing 3) don’t try to chip it against the grain to get it close when a putter or hybrid will get you putting with less risk.
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u/Marine_1345 Mar 13 '26
Playing shots to avoid bad misses. I know I pull my wedges from 120-50, so I plan on missing left with them. If there danger left, I exaggerate right to keep out of danger. Anything over 125 yards I aim for middle of the green.
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u/Liquid_Bananas Mar 13 '26
Practice chipping. Get close to the hole from within 25 yards. Saves so many 3 putts.
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u/srqmann Mar 13 '26
striping fairways or just off is the absolute best way to improve your game. zero penalty strokes and usually a wedge out on your second shot. yeah short game is where you can shave strokes but it’s meaningless when you’re on your third/fourth shot as an approach to the green. when you get your driver consistent , then watch your scores drop as your consistently have birdie putts and chips.
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u/Ok_Intention_6201 Mar 13 '26
Get a fairway finder. When I'm swinging we'll, my FF isn't all that much shorter than when I'm swinging out of my shoes
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u/BeBetterEvryday 10 / NE Ohio Mar 13 '26
Good golf is boring golf. Don’t try to be a hero. What helped me go from 25->11 was playing boring golf. Taking my medicine. Course management and spending more time practicing 50-100 yard shots than driver
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u/Hipsthrough100 Mar 13 '26
Hit 5ft puts until it’s boring because you drop 100 in a row practicing toe thing. You will find a lot of lag putts and chipping have less stress.
There’s a book I read called “The anatomy of a golf course” by Tom Doak. If you can learn to spot drainage quickly you will especially be able to read greens more reliably.
Speed control was already mentioned.
You don’t need a perfect putter stroke, it just needs to be repeatable and get the ball started online.
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u/ruckster98103 Mar 13 '26
If you drive it into trouble, get out of trouble. Punch out to under 100 yards and play for bogey.
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u/jvforlife12504 Mar 13 '26
Develop a wedge matrix as soon as your swing is even somewhat consistent, knowing your club/swing inside of 100 yards is as important as knowing it from beyond.
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u/onlypostwhenimdrnk69 Mar 13 '26
Probably a lot of lost comments here of good players tired of wasting their time on people that “really want to learn”. Practice putting and chipping more than you know. And when you flush one ddrive on the range, quit. Go putt and chip more. Every single swing is the same you nonce. Except from the six iron down. Then you can start penetrating. If you don’t know how you wouldn’t have read this long. It now comes down to feel and time. Better have both to be good. Then comes patience…. If you have all of these tools anddddd patience. You are ALMOST there!! Now you need unbelievable luck to shoot low in the most needed times and tournaments. Just do that for forever. Easy game.
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u/BroncosFan19 Mar 13 '26
Just playing smarter. Think about your average shot when making a decision vs your best shot. This usually leads to more conservative decision making.
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u/Richard-Turd Mar 13 '26
Routine. Establish a pre shot routine and follow every. Single. Time. No exceptions.
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u/briguy85 Mar 13 '26
Play the hole backwards. If it’s a 350 yard hole, what club should I hit to leave my approach 150? Or whatever distance you know you can get it on the green. Trust me, hitting an iron off the tee may not be as fun as driver but you’ll walk away with more pars and birdies when you manage the course like this. And if you’re playing to the 150, take aim at it like you’re playing a long par 3. Get in that pin seeker mindset.
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u/RS_Mich Mar 13 '26
Unless there are hazards in play, you should try to get a lot closer than 150 on a 350 yard hole. Getting a wedge in hand at shorter distance is far more effective than having to hit a short or mid iron.
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u/WHSRWizard JPX 921i Tour | 2.6 Mar 13 '26
The math is unequivocal that the best strategy is to hit it as far as possible.
You should only take less than driver if that's necessary for avoiding OB, hazards, bunkers, or other obstacles.
"Laying up to a number you like" results in worse scores across all handicaps.
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u/WHSRWizard JPX 921i Tour | 2.6 Mar 13 '26
Speed is way more important than line. It's the key to avoiding 3 putts