Proximity to the Hole

The Mental Side of Things
#16

Two different concepts are being discussed here:

  1. I am better at chipping than putting

  2. really tricky green setups may affect proximity and or penalties (two tier green that feeds away from certain pin locations

In response to point #1, the data clearer tells us that you need to get your ball as close to the pin as possible while avoiding hazards. There is a very reliable algorithm you can use when looking at a green on satellite and comparing your shot pattern that will show you how to pick the best target

In response to #2, sometimes we do adjust our aim because a very tricky green is BASICALLY A HAZARD THAT KILLS PROXIMITY

A back pin with a severe fall off into junk behind the green makes us biased for a middle green yardage

Water on the left side of the green may have us shift our target off the right side of the green if it’s especially narrow.

There’s an optimal target for each approach shot and you have to kind of accept the randomness. Sometimes this means getting a really bad break on tricky green and having an extremely challenging two putt

Unfortunately you have to accept that cause we are concerned with the average score of ALL OF OUR SHOTS from a given target

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#17

For example, I play a par 3 with water right (like 12 at Augusta, green runs away and right from a rh golfer) and it is a small green that is very steep in spots (two tiers)

Regardless of where they put the pin, I aim at the saddle, on the left edge. Sometimes I get lucky with my dispersion and end up on the correct tier, often I do not. But there is no “good miss” because at the end of the day my dispersion is too large to pick 1/2 of the green and I have to steer clear of the hazard to make my lowest avg score over the long term

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#18

Played again today. 14th hole 420m Par 5. Uphill for about 200m then dogleg left downhill then uphill to green. Wormburner drive about 160m,hooking 7i so low that after 50m it was on the ground running, 6i to about 60m with a two tier green back to front and a drop off over the back. Missed the green right by about 1m with my sw and in lite rough on the edge of going over, Chipped 1 ball width to the right of the hole to just land on to a close pin and it went in for par. 52 chip ins or once every 5.32 rounds. I chip from everywhere, even the edge of the green. Sometimes my playing partners can’t believe I am not using putter but are then amazed by my ability to hit dainty chips. People who watch me say I use a putting stroke with my sw. I have my hands forward and keep my left wrist flat not letting the club pass my hands. Having my hands forward takes out the risk of blading the ball as when the club passes the hands it presents with the leading edge off the ground due to the bounce of the club. For me it is a struggle to know how big a swing to putt on a putter vs chipping where I can pick a spot and visualize how it will roll to the hole. Then I am good enough to hit soft chips that land on or nearly on the spot. Chipping is the only part of my game I practice and is the part of my game that gets me out of trouble and saves me the most strokes. Best round was 1 chip in and 11 1putts for 24 putts. Especially when my best ball striking round is about 5-6 greens in regulation. Usual round 2-3 gir. Takes the pressure of having to hit greens away.

#19

I’m going to have to call you Phil @okiwiz

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#20

Not even close. He does it every hole not just once every 5.32 rounds! Seriously Phil uses a completely different technique that I can’t even begin to try to imitate. Lob shots are not my forte. My specialty is the bump and run.

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#21

Average bogey golfer here… I am, of course, happy to hit a green anywhere when I make an approach shot - trying to drop the ball into a certain zone on the green is not quite yet in my repertoire.

And more times than not you’ll see me laying up to a safe spot short of the green.

And, of course, when I do attempt an approach sometimes I’ll miss and have to scramble…

…it’s at this point that I start to think about proximity to the hole - that is: my goal is to try to chip it close in order to try to give myself an opportunity at a 1 putt.

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#22

That’s another ping that sets the guys on your apart from us. They get up and done most of the time.

#23

Just barely “most of the time”. PGA tour average last year for all scrambling (par or better with a missed GIR) was 58%. Scrambling percentage from further than 30 yards away is less than 30%.

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#24

From a strokes gained standpoint my short game consistently grades out better than my putting. That being said, if I can putt it, I’m putting it. My results putting are still better than my results chipping.

I will also deliberately try to miss certain greens but those are because I’m far away and there is a hazard on one side of the green. For example, it’s not uncommon for me to aim into the right rough from 200+ into the green with water left.

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#25

That surprises me!

I guess like someone mentioned earlier, we’re used to seeing the fantastic saves on the TV highlights … so our (at least my) perception of what that level of player can -consistently- pull off is a bit skewed…

#26

To be fair, generally for those pros if they are scrambling from further than 30 yards out, that means something really bad happened. That said, add another shot to that (so getting up and down for bogey) and I’m sure the percentage would be like 80% or higher where as even good amateurs will wind up with a double from the same scenario.

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#27

@greenOak

I know I am being a stickler, but you actually aren’t deliberately missing the green. You are moving your aim point to the proper spot based on a hazard!

Some % of your shots hit the green, some % land off the green, but what you are really doing is taking the 1 stroke penalty out of play!

You are doing the right thing by committing to that conservative target and not falling prey to the “maybe I’ll just pull it a hair over left and onto the pin”!

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#28

True. More accurate to say I deliberately center my shots at a point not on the green.

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#29

Hah, I was fairly certain that’s what you meant, but I guess I am insufferable.

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#30

Figured I’d throw this here. Maybe not so good for some of you, but for me this is fantastic. Chipping is my Achilles heel and I work tirelessly on it to be better. Until this week, I would hit at least 50% or greater of my chips dead off the hosel or toe. This week I’ve had a breakthrough and have figured out a feel and this is the result. Six balls from six different distances and lies, none outside of 25 yards, none inside of 10 yards.

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image1512×2016 1.97 MB

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#31

i really need to check out Decade…if i am 160 yards or in (8 iron for me stock 160)…i am going at the flag unless there is a disaster around…outside of 160 i am looking middle of the green and trying to work the ball to the target.

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#32

Good job @Gisclairj. But be careful saying you’ve figured something out. The golf gods are fickle.

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#33

What’s your handicap? I’ve always been aggressive on pins, but I think it’s hurting my scores.

#34

Hahahaha, that’s true, but it’s more of a mental thing.

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#35

I think if you learn DECADE, you’ll see why both of those strategies are likely costing you more strokes than they’re saving you :wink:

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