Zapping Short Game Shots

I was waiting for the "feel" players to come rolling in with their condescension and was not surprised it did not take long. If anything the surprise was it taking more than one post. Good for you being so superior to everyone else and making sure they know it, was it great being the cool kid bully in school too?

Feel is something that requires a ton of practice to develop and the person with little to no time to practice who shows up with just time to play is not going to perform well going by feel. Much better to have a mechanical process with numbers they can count on relatively often...I would say the Pelz 4 wedges/4 swing distances/4 distances hit routine is going to suit them much better than some mystical "feel" that requires a lot more time to perfect. And if a person is doing that, yes, shooting the flag makes a ton of sense.

If I know my 1/4 swing 60 degree is 25 yards, my 1/4 swing sw 30 yards, 1/4 swing 50 degree 35 and my 1/4 swing PW is 40 yards...yeah, shooting the flag matters, especially if I am a terrible judge of distances. Furthermore, if I am a terrible judge of distances, going by feel is about the worst thing a person can do.

Hilariously, this year for no apparent reason I switched from the Pelz method to a feel method and, once I stopped shooting the flag, I have found myself in more bunkers/hazards that I used to routinely clear than ever before. On average I am a bit further from the pin. I made the switch because I went back to practicing instead of playing at every opportunity and thought the feel method would work with practice. Unfortunately for me, I have conclusively demonstrated that estimating distances is not my strong suit. I have played with some feel players who were great at it, some feel players who sucked at it. I have played with shoot the flag/be precise people who were great and those who sucked at it. I have no skin in the game which way they go other than enjoying watching a playing partner have a good round.

Upshot is, I am not going to get upset at the person for whom feel works and I am not going to get upset at the person for whom shooting the flag works. But man, the attitudes and condescension of some of the people? Happy to not be part of your foursome. I would much rather enjoy a round with people who are good with the others in the group doing what works for them.

Well said! We should tee it up sometime.
 
Zapping Short Game Shots

I was waiting for the "feel" players to come rolling in with their condescension and was not surprised it did not take long. If anything the surprise was it taking more than one post. Good for you being so superior to everyone else and making sure they know it, was it great being the cool kid bully in school too?

Feel is something that requires a ton of practice to develop and the person with little to no time to practice who shows up with just time to play is not going to perform well going by feel. Much better to have a mechanical process with numbers they can count on relatively often...I would say the Pelz 4 wedges/4 swing distances/4 distances hit routine is going to suit them much better than some mystical "feel" that requires a lot more time to perfect. And if a person is doing that, yes, shooting the flag makes a ton of sense.

If I know my 1/4 swing 60 degree is 25 yards, my 1/4 swing sw 30 yards, 1/4 swing 50 degree 35 and my 1/4 swing PW is 40 yards...yeah, shooting the flag matters, especially if I am a terrible judge of distances. Furthermore, if I am a terrible judge of distances, going by feel is about the worst thing a person can do.

Hilariously, this year for no apparent reason I switched from the Pelz method to a feel method and, once I stopped shooting the flag, I have found myself in more bunkers/hazards that I used to routinely clear than ever before. On average I am a bit further from the pin. I made the switch because I went back to practicing instead of playing at every opportunity and thought the feel method would work with practice. Unfortunately for me, I have conclusively demonstrated that estimating distances is not my strong suit. I have played with some feel players who were great at it, some feel players who sucked at it. I have played with shoot the flag/be precise people who were great and those who sucked at it. I have no skin in the game which way they go other than enjoying watching a playing partner have a good round.

Upshot is, I am not going to get upset at the person for whom feel works and I am not going to get upset at the person for whom shooting the flag works. But man, the attitudes and condescension of some of the people? Happy to not be part of your foursome. I would much rather enjoy a round with people who are good with the others in the group doing what works for them.

I’m not sure I would play the condescending card after the condescending thread about low handicaps...but hey that’s just me.

People will agree and disagree but as a community it’s important to be above the nonsense.
 
This... is the main reason I walk off many of my short game shots and almost all of my lag putts. I usually walk off to the spot where I want a putt to break or a pitch to land. I'm not good enough to hit that spot every time, but I hit it (or very near) enough to make it worth it to me.

I certainly feel knowing the slope of the green is important. I think (to me only) that is more important than knowing the relatively short yardage. That being said Im not going to walk the 30/35/40 yrs back and forth. But from closer than that I will try to get a good peak at the green by walking a few yards if practical.

Fwiw I wear a gps watch so glancing at yardage is just too easy not to do it. But of course its only back/front/rear and not pin per say. I usualy only want to know when Im abiout 50 if im 60 or say like 40. So I may decide which club to use. But anything closer I just look at the green slope (if I can) best as I can to determine just where I would like to hit the green with the short pitch and also determine which club to use. On a familiar course this is of course much easier sonce we know the greens well. But harder to do on an unfamiliar course. Ive made plenty what I thought were good short pitches only to then after the fact find out the unfamiliar green was sloped in such a way I had no real idea about. So again I feel the green slope is more meaningful than exact distance when close enough. But Im also pretty good at judging the desired strength of the swing. Being good at executing it is another story. lol But when executed well I can usually get the distance down via just seeing/feeling it. Its that slope that I want to know much more about and just where on the green I want to land and with which club to do it. Then of course execute it well :) or not :(
 
what did all you folks do before lasers? please dont tell me you paced it off.

Paced off from the 100 yard marker to ball or from green to ball.

GPS has always sucked for short distances between being 1-4 yards off and not to the pin it is worthless on short distances. Great for drives to the wrong fairway though.
 
How short are we talking? It takes 2 seconds to laser a pin from 50y away and out, so if you want to, go for it. If you’re talking from like 20y and in... if you’re shooting that pin you have bigger issues with your short game. Timing wise if you use it right, shooting a pin takes basically no time at all.
 
From 20 yards I just pace edge of green to ball as it is running out anyways. I just want to know how far to carry the pitch. Now if I am lazy in a cart and I pull up next to the ball I might laser the same 20 yards.
 
If it helps you to know the exact distance, that is great. Some folks have great touch, and, some do not. A visual target works better for me, than, a number, but, there isn't a right way or wrong way, it is what works better for you.
 
I certainly feel knowing the slope of the green is important. I think (to me only) that is more important than knowing the relatively short yardage. That being said Im not going to walk the 30/35/40 yrs back and forth. But from closer than that I will try to get a good peak at the green by walking a few yards if practical.

Fwiw I wear a gps watch so glancing at yardage is just too easy not to do it. But of course its only back/front/rear and not pin per say. I usualy only want to know when Im abiout 50 if im 60 or say like 40. So I may decide which club to use. But anything closer I just look at the green slope (if I can) best as I can to determine just where I would like to hit the green with the short pitch and also determine which club to use. On a familiar course this is of course much easier sonce we know the greens well. But harder to do on an unfamiliar course. Ive made plenty what I thought were good short pitches only to then after the fact find out the unfamiliar green was sloped in such a way I had no real idea about. So again I feel the green slope is more meaningful than exact distance when close enough. But Im also pretty good at judging the desired strength of the swing. Being good at executing it is another story. lol But when executed well I can usually get the distance down via just seeing/feeling it. Its that slope that I want to know much more about and just where on the green I want to land and with which club to do it. Then of course execute it well :) or not :(
Lots of times, I'll walk 1/2 way to my landing area. I don't have great depth perception, but I can judge if two distances are close to equal. I can't tell you if they're 20y or 3y, but if I've walked it off, I have that part licked.

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How short are we talking? It takes 2 seconds to laser a pin from 50y away and out, so if you want to, go for it. If you’re talking from like 20y and in... if you’re shooting that pin you have bigger issues with your short game. Timing wise if you use it right, shooting a pin takes basically no time at all.
While i never complained of laser time frame in this thread nor do i care if one lsers his short shot. That being said I have and do see plenty people take a good amount of time (too much) to laser things even from close in. That happens a lot in my experiences. The worst is when another lasered it and the next player is litterally steps away from them and yet they then laser when its thier turn. I mean not only should they know the distance from the other person but why (if insisting doing your own) not just laser while the other polayer is gong when all you are is a few paces different?

It is fwiw kind of strange though how most everything and anything we all ever talk about doing …...that none of it takes any if us any time at all. I mean really, we do talk about a lot of things here that we do and always every time everyone says whatever it is we are talking about that it takes them little to no time at all.

sarcastic humor here....
lasring takes no time, pulling/manning/dealing with the pin takes no time, pick up mark and clean for every putt instead of finishing takes no time, lining up the ball line takes no time, our pre shot routine takes only minimal time, whipping down club heads take no time, walking off the greens for a putt takes no time, etc,etc,etc...we are all efficient at doing all of this and more. None of us take any or much time at all to do any of it because we do it all while others are playing and in fact we are so efficient that we are faster than we would be if we did none of these things because we play better via doing them. So not only doesn't anything take any time but we actually save time (it actually goes backwards and we get younger) by doing all these things that we do. Every one of us is so fast and efficient that no one else even realizes we are on the course. I left my house at 710 am the other day for an 8am round and I was back home at 7:05 am before I even left. I actually saw myself leave the house on my way back.:alien:and to boot,... I was pretty darn impressed with my good looks and charm. We are all so fast at everything we do that when we go to bed, we turn out the light and get in bed before the room gets dark.
 
I shot a pin from 37 yards today.

Forgive me.
 
I find it pretty amusing the speed folks either love it or hate it, the relaxed folks are the same.

We as a loose group of nuts in the tampa area can play in 3:30+/- and never rush but lazer when we want and no one seems to care.
It almost seems a lot of the folks with a short golf season get very tense about the smallest things.

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what did all you folks do before lasers? please dont tell me you paced it off.

I guesstimated by eyeballing it - and I sucked at it.


No offense to anyone here but using a laser inside 100 yds would get a few eye rolls with the groups I play with, it's a bit much, that's why a GPS is nice, just a quick glance and give or take a few yards for the hole location is all it takes.

Know your wedge distances and how they roll, practice them visually at the range, see the target and hit the target, that's the way to learn the short ones IMO. And that way if your laser craps out during a round you won't be lost.


Different strokes for different folks, I guess. My range uses completely sucky balls, and it's hard for me to see how close to the target my ball actually carried or rolled out. I guess that's not surprising, since my depth perception is horrible to begin with. For me, it's pretty hard to practice distance control if I don't know what the distance is that I'm controlling to.

Another thing to consider - there are different ways to practice & improve. Your way works well for you - awesome. But there are a ton of excellent players (in any sport you can name) that made crappy coaches because they couldn't understand why everyone else couldn't just do what they did (Ted Williams for example).

I will continue to admire feel players who can hit it close on partial shots, but I also accept that I will never have that sense of feel/visualization that many good players have - my eyesight/depth perception is too poor for me to hone it when I'm playing 9 to 18 holes a week. So...I will continue to laser when I need to. And since I can't see your group's eye rolls, I'm OK with that.
 
I shot a pin from 37 yards today.

Forgive me.

you are forgiven my son. Just ask and thou shall receive. Just don't let it happen again.
I actually tape measured a 34'7 and 1/4" inch putt. Due to double break slope it played to 42'
 
I shot a pin from 37 yards today.

Forgive me.


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I find it pretty amusing the speed folks either love it or hate it, the relaxed folks are the same.

We as a loose group of nuts in the tampa area can play in 3:30+/- and never rush but lazer when we want and no one seems to care.
It almost seems a lot of the folks with a short golf season get very tense about the smallest things.

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As long as we are moving at a decent pace and there's not a group pressing behind who cares?

I can't recall any group of (usual) locals who played in longer than 4:00 without being slowed by groups in front.

I generally don't laser inside of 75 or so unless short sided with a forced carry.

But have at it all you want as long as our group isn't holding anyone up.



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As long as we are moving at a decent pace and there's not a group pressing behind who cares?

I can't recall any group of (usual) locals who played in longer than 4:00 without being slowed by groups in front.

I generally don't laser inside of 75 or so unless short sided with a forced carry.

But have at it all you want as long as our group isn't holding anyone up.



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I swear I saw cobra shoot one from about 20 yds..

But he probably shot 74 so who cares..

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Hey and I watched Capt. Mcmuffin use the line on the ball on almost every putt and Greg spit once or twice..oh the humanity...

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Not to really pick on anyone in particular, but when I see people lasering a 40 yard pitch shot & then the chunk it or blade it over the green ... that gets old really quick. I have played with very few people that can say that they can hit the ball 40 yards on the number every time. C'mon let's be honest here ... very few players know the distances all of their wedges go and rarely hit to those numbers when called upon. And I mean you can't rely on your eyesight & visualization to tell you that is about 35 - 40 yards?? Do you have to laser everything?

I wish I could, but the fact is that a lot of people struggle with depth perception & estimating distances.

I will say that I'm getting a little better at it this year. Know why? Because I laser all these short yardages, I'm starting to get a bit more feel for what a 60 yard shot looks like vs a 40 yard shot, etc. But I still mess up a lot.

Maybe someday I will develop this to a much higher degree - but I kinda doubt it.
 
I swear I saw cobra shoot one from about 20 yds..

But he probably shot 74 so who cares..

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Haha. Maybe 75 but who's counting. He always beats me by a lot regardless.

My perspective--I forever care less as long as we're not holding up the group behind.

Wide open--hit 4 mulligans---Play un-ready golf---and talk too much.

Group behind: Be efficient but reasonable

It's just a matter of situational awareness imo.



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I shot a pin from 37 yards today.

Forgive me.

Yea but did you think it was inside or outside 50y before you did it? :alienthingy:
 
I shot a pin from 37 yards today.

Forgive me.
Question is ... did you then chunk it or blade it over the green?
If you didn't and hit it to 3+- yards then you're excused

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Question is ... did you then chunk it or blade it over the green?
If you didn't and hit it to 3+- yards then you're excused

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4 feet. Made the birdie.
 
I'll laser from around 50 yds and out. Closer than that and I go by feel. It's hard to believe that we used to break 80 by stepping off shots from the 150 yd pine tree off to the side of the fairway.

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QUESTION:
When you laser the pin-Do you shoot the flag?
I ask because I was playing with a guy the other day and I use my GPSand he used a laser. Every time he was longer. So I got to thinking, if he shoots the flag, his shot will be over the flag-CORRECT?
 
I have horrible judge of distance, so I'll laser off inside 100 often, if I have a rangefinder. I try to be quick about it, but would much rather have an accurate assessment of the distance than guessing horribly wrong and putting myself in bad position.
 
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