What's your short game style..........

[Ridgecrest18]

Curious about the preferences of today's 50+ players

Traditional wisdom has always suggested that, getting the ball on the ground....... and rolling, was the best way to save shots around the green. However, given current technology, specifically the performance of today's balls and wedges, have any of the senior set broken ranks and adopted a more "aerial" approach to their short game?

I'm very curious to see if any other "old dogs" have tried to learn new trick.............

[MoGolf]

Actually I just went the other way. I'd been playing the floppers.....and struggling. Started playing the bump and run, and shot my personal best(72)a couple of days ago.

BTW, I'm 61 on an 11 hdcp.

[rony]

I was taught; no obstruction, bump & run........ Hit them very well. When the Lob Wedge came along, lots of "Ooohs and Aaahs", fun to hit........ Hit them, very well. Discretion being the better part of Valor, I came to realize, the former got "Inside The Leather" more frequently than the latter. Accordingly, if there is no obstruction.......I keep it under the Radar. ;)

[atlanta golfer]

Same here. If no obstruction, get it on the ground and running. But with today's courses, you often have sand or mounds or perhaps a short side pin. Then you have no choice but to go in the air, as soft as you can.

 

A particular challenge in the South this time of year is hitting a partial lob wedge off the washed out dormant bermuda.

 

I think the overall answer is, you have to be versatile and creative, assuming you play more than just the same course all the time.

[againstthegrain]

Even though I'm 50 as a relative beginner I learned the sand shot first so the open faced, high shot was a natural progression. Given a couple years to put together a short game I'm learning how to chip and keep the ball lower now. There really are a lot of shots to learn and perfect.

[snuffy]

I will putt from off the green with a seven iron when ever I can. But also have have four wedges. PW,SW,LW,LW. Two 60 deg wedges (totaly different bounce). Now as age and I meld (I'm only56), I may take out the SW and put a three wood back in.

[leekgolf]

I play the shot that suits my "eye". Basically, I look at the situation and whatever I visualize, I play. Sometimes I play a bump and trickle when a flop might be called for.

 

The flop is without question my best short game shot. I think I holed 5-6 flop shots last season. I avoid it whenever possible though.

[Fastmover2]

Not quite 50 yet but anyway...

 

If you can putt if not chip failing that pitch. rationale being you use a putter more than anything else so judgement is better for distance.

 

If you are struggling with short game get Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible as that is the best I have seen for teaching.

 

If you are serious about short game be prepared to spend on wedges and look at getting a sole grind to suit your style,especially if you hit lots of fats or stubs. Ball position is critical.

 

Those nice high flops are cool to hit and definitely have a place.My son, who is looking to turn pro this year, is now on at me to hit the low shot more and it used to be me telling him to get the ball low and rolling and avoid the showboat flop. Since he has gone to the low flighted approach to short game his short game ha become awesome. I have gone on to this and after a couple of years when my short game had drifted away, due to trying to hit too many of those sexy flighted lobs I am now back to being fully confident around the green.

 

Anyway you cut it the short game is where a good score is built.

[idrive]

For me...

 

I use whatever club, PW, 7 iron, 5 iron etc... that will get it just on to the green and roll it to the flag.

I like to use the same stroke as much as possible, just change the club.

I only flop when I have to.

 

I also like to Putt the ball from just off the green whenever possible as conditions allow.

[leekgolf]

I have a mental block aainst putting from off the green beyond the fringe. I have no confidence that I'll know how hard to hit the putt. Those who do it, how did you learn to adapt for the slower speed of the fairway?

[Swingtheclub]

Same here. If no obstruction, get it on the ground and running. But with today's courses, you often have sand or mounds or perhaps a short side pin. Then you have no choice but to go in the air, as soft as you can.

 

A particular challenge in the South this time of year is hitting a partial lob wedge off the washed out dormant bermuda.

 

I think the overall answer is, you have to be versatile and creative, assuming you play more than just the same course all the time.

 

very well said. A couple of weeks ago I found myself in dormant mud bermuda right behind the deepest bunker on our course and about forty foot from the flag. My frequent playing partner a guy who loves to give jabs was right next to me.

 

 

I said to him you got this shot bud I then proceeded to hit it about five feet. I could see the concern on his face.

 

Now he saw what I did. I basically laid the blade open and purposely hit behind it. Naturally the guess his how far behind it and how much harder do you hit it. Now I have screwed around with this and find depending on the softness of the ground between a half inch and inch works for me I hit it about twice as hard as I would from a good lie hitting a flop.

 

Seeing what I had done my friend tried it decelerated and chunked it right in the bunker.

 

I honestly suggest you practice this shot before you try it on the course . But honestly sometimes its the only shot you got.

 

 

As for the theme of the thread I always go low when I can with as little loft as I can. I do not want to spin it if I can help it.

 

The idea is to land the ball and get it rolling as quickly as possible.

[blade_man]

I have always used the sw or lw from off the green until late last year and started using the pw and 7 iron and find I am getting it closer now than before, more practice more practice!! go low to go lowww!

[jkumpire]

My preferred style: Up and down. :)

What happens way too often: Up, not in, then down. :)

What is happening more and more: Up, not close, not in, down. :cheesy:

[memphishorn]

Growing up I was taught to get the ball on the green and let it roll. So I got really competent with a 7 iron pitch and run.

 

But in the last few years I have gotten caught up in the multiple wedge game. Recently I went back to trying the pitch and run with my 8 iron, probably the same loft as my old MacGregors 7 iron, and have found that I'm getting up and down more frequently.

 

It has become a lost art.

[Johnny]

I play with 2 guys pretty much weekly in their 70's..both guys were low single digit hcps in their heyday and can still shot high 70's low 80's anytime.

One guys is one of the best bump and runners that I have seen. I just got him into some Tourstage MR-23's last year, because I noticed his TA 845 PW has some serious metal deformation on the face. ( concave from use I guess) The other guys put alot of spin on the ball and tends to flop, drop and stop but his distance control is sometimes not that great. Personally I'd rather learn the bump and run, but can help myself and flop it. ;)