Best Way to Choose Your Golf Club While Playing in Various Situations

Having learnt to putt, chip and play short pitches, you need to decide which shot to play in various situations. Putting is usually the easiest shot, chipping the next easiest and pitching with a wedge by far the most difficult. A thoroughly bad putt from just off the green is usually better than a not quite perfect pitch! So the golden rule for club golfers is to use your putter whenever you can.

It is perfectly possible to putt the ball through fluffy and wet grass. A ball first slides, then rolls and then wobbles as it slows down. It is easier to putt through fluffy grass when going a long distance than a short distance. The speed of a longer shot allows it to slide through or over the grass without getting caught. On a shorter shot the ball is more likely to be trapped in the grass.

A little chip played from the toe of a 7 iron always has a little backspin. If playing a downhill shot, the short chip can be easier to pull to a halt than a putt. The over spin of a putt keeps the ball rolling and may make it roll too far. The back spin of a little chip allows you to judge distance better. Conversely, when going uphill a putt will keep rolling and a chip may stop short. So from just off the edge of the green, if both your putting and chipping are good, putt uphill and chip downhill.

Sometimes a chip with a 7 iron just isn’t the right shot. You need to assess the ratio of hop to run. On an ordinary chip the ball may, for example, hop one-sixth and run five-sixths of the distance. It depends on the speed of the green. If there is more fluffy grass to negotiate, the ratio may be one-third hop and two-thirds run. In this case you may need to choose an 8 iron, 9 iron, or even a pitching wedge to create the right ratio. Play the shot just like your 7 iron chip – slightly on the toe for a very short shot and with the club sitting flatter, hands forward for a longer shot.

In theory, the correct way of playing a short pitch is to choose where you want the ball to land. There are two dangers to this. Firstly, most people choose a spot that is too short. Secondly, they then pitch short of the spot they have chosen. If you use an 8, 9 iron or wedge to negotiate the grass, choose the right club to land on the green but continue to think of the overall length of the shot rather than your landing spot. If you think of the overall length, you are more likely to keep your head down long enough.

For a short pitch or chip, think of getting the ball in the hole. Focus on hitting it far enough. Take the flag out to focus your attention on where the ball will finish.

The length of swing with a putter or 7 iron is much shorter than with a wedge with far less to go wrong. A poorly struck putt or 7 iron will usually travel the right distance. The wedge requires a longer swing with more to go wrong.