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Around the Green: Bump & Run or High & Soft?

Ideal conditions like you described, I am going 8-9 iron and keeping it low. Whenever I try to fly it back to the hole I end up stopping it too quick and come up WAY short!
 
The high soft shot is certianly the more beautiful of the two but the low shot is the most consistent. The lower lofted club demands a smaller swing that is easier to controll and is less sensitive to slightly fat or thin contact. That is why the pros tend to keep it low unless they have no other option. Dial your clubs in so you know the proportion of carry vs. roll and distance controll is a cinch. A good rule of thumb is the PW is 1:1, 9i 2:1, 8i 3:1 etc...
 
I chip it and keep it 2d. The flop/lob is a 3d shot and I never hole out with a flop. I do blade/shank the lob shot quite often though.
 
I usually try to fly it but sometimes I will do a punch and run if I'm not feeling confident with my iron shots that day. I played in a scramble yesterday and stuck one to two feet flying it from 61 yards out and got a birdie but tried it again and didn't finish my shot properly and hit a bad shot. After that I hit a bump and run the next time and ending up on the edge of the green and we made par from there. I really need more consistency with these shots. I'm working on it.
 
I have always been a lot more comfortable hitting it high and let it land soft a few feet from the hole. If I cant use my putter I will try to lob it in there. I cant control my distance very well with a bump and run.
 
It really just depends, but I prefer a softer landing shot to a bump and run many times. I seem to be able to control my distance better that way.
 
I run it. I like to roll it out and get a read on the green for my putt. Checking up these little shots greatly reduces the chance I might roll one in. Club of choice would be GW a little back in my stance. Club could change based on my lie.
 
I'd play a bit of an in between if that makes sense, not high that lands soft and not a runner either.
 
griff said:
I run it. I like to roll it out and get a read on the green for my putt. Checking up these little shots greatly reduces the chance I might roll one in. Club of choice would be GW a little back in my stance. Club could change based on my lie.
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Very good point to get a read. I may start to practice my bumps for closer shots while I am getting comfortable to help read.
 
Folks who have played with me will verify that I always carry at least 3 clubs with me for short shots because the shot may be different than my initial thought so I am never sure what shot I will play until I am actually seeing the lie, the break, and which shot will be easier to execute. Just as a driver is not always the club to use off of the tee, the sand wedge or 7 iron (these seem the most popular choices for someone who chips with one club only) is not always the club for a chip shot. From 25 yards the idea is close not in, in would be nice but that isn't going to happen very often.
 
DawgDaddy said:
Folks who have played with me will verify that I always carry at least 3 clubs with me for short shots because the shot may be different than my initial thought so I am never sure what shot I will play until I am actually seeing the lie, the break, and which shot will be easier to execute. Just as a driver is not always the club to use off of the tee, the sand wedge or 7 iron (these seem the most popular choices for someone who chips with one club only) is not always the club for a chip shot. From 25 yards the idea is close not in, in would be nice but that isn't going to happen very often.
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I'm completley agree with you. If I'm hitting a 30-50 foot shot from the edge and its uphill I'm going to bump and run. But I think the lie is extremley important factor to this question. I prefer high and soft out of softer better lies.
 
In general like Hanks and others have said I like to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible but 25 yards is outside that range for me. I would use my 60* wedge here and pitch it close.
 
I remember when I first saw Tiger and other pros bumping from the rough with a 3 wood. I immediately used that shot for a while. I haven't seen that approach in quite a while but I still use it if I'm in the rough a few feet off the green, but I also mix in the flop too.

I am a lot like DawgDaddy and take 3 clubs and a putter with me if I'm off the green, SW, LW, 8i, too. So many variables that you can't see from the cart especially if you go long.
 
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