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Short game: Committing to a shot, when does it occur

Tadashi70

Tadashi70

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When do you commit to a particular shot around the green? Is as you exit the cart? Once you are standing over the shot? Or do you hit and hope?

If you walk, I feel you have an advantage over the golfer that rides. You can see the ball as you approach and make an educated assessment of the situation as you get closer the green complex. Riders really have to wait until they get green side to see the complex and what shot will be required.

I wonder though, when you step from the cart, are you grabbing one club or a couple? Do you know what shot your going to play before you even get over it? I tend to see things from the cart and I know pretty much what I need to do to get it close. But sometimes as I get closer I see a better way to play the shot. I may a scoring chance if I can get the ball on the right line. This all happen in a matter of seconds. I don't think I am every pot committed until I am standing over the shot and getting ready to execute.

What do you do?
 
I absolutely agree that I feel that I have a big advantage on the mid-range shots (or even longer approaches) when I'm walking. It lets me see the shape of the hole/undulations/etc, and see the green from a few different positions. When I'm in a cart, I usually take what my wife refers to as a "bouquet" of clubs when I head to my ball, and I'll usually make the decision on what shot to play when I get there.
 
If you are talking about parking the cart and walk to your ball, then it's usually when I'm over it and have a chance to survey everything. I will typically bring my 58*, 52*, and PW so I don't have to walk back to the cart or force something. It does get annoying walking around with extra clubs sometimes, but I would rather deal with that than the alternative.
 
Under normal circumstances I like to walk up to the green and take a closer look to confirm what I'm thinking. That's the point where I've committed. If I'm playing in a cart that means I take more than one club with me. But if I've checked out of the round mentally I fall into the hit and hope zone.
 
I usually ride, so unless it's a straight forward shot I take a couple of clubs with me just in case. I try to assess the situation as I'm walking to the ball though and have a pretty good idea what I need to do once I'm there. I rarely hit and hope, and tend to have pretty high confidence around the green unless I'm in a really tricky lie. I fully commit to any shot I take around the green.
 
After hitting the approach shot I know pretty much what I'm going to do. Riding up I'll look at the situation and quickly asses.

- Bunker means I get my 58*, green side or short it depends on the trouble.

- If I gave a clear path it's usually a bump and run paying attention to the slope to get it close to the hole.

- If I'm short sided or grenside it will usually be my 52* or 54* depending on how the ball is sitting down.

The only shot I'm 100% committed to prior to getting over it is my bunker shot. Anything else is subject to change based on the lie.
 
8 out of 10 times I know which club to bring from the cart...either 54 or 58 wedge...the other 2 times I just bring both. I don't think walking would give me any advantage as I can figure out what shot I want to hit fairly quickly. Sometimes you don't exactly know where your ball is and that is pretty uncomfortable when you drive up to the green but I have found that once I find out it doesn't take long to decide. of course, I have tried to simplify my short game so that could just be me.

As for committed...after about 3 practice strokes in quick succession I am ready to go. Another part of simplifying for me is to not overthink and get the shot off before doubts creep in and deceleration happens.
 
Like you said it can depend on riding vs walking. Definitely a lot of times I will take several clubs from the cart, especially if my riding partner is dropping me off and taking the cart to his ball. It also depends on the shot for me. Some will be completely obvious even from a distance. Some may take some strategery once up by the ball.
 
I almost always take multiple clubs with me from the cart. Even if I'm pretty sure what I'm going to play, I might change my mind once I get there, and I don't like to delay play.

I certainly agree walking gives an advantage because of the ability to see the overall picture of the green.

What REALLY frosts me is when I walk directly from my cart to the ball, play my shot, run it 15 feet by, and then when I walk around to the other side of the green I go "Oh....that's why it went 15 feet by. You can see how downhill it is from this side." So unless I've gotten a good look at it from in front of the green, it's always useful to take a quick walk to the other side before committing, if your ball is in-between the cart and the green.
 
I walk, and try not to pull a club until I know what shot I want / can hit. I'm not committed until I'm taking a practice swing, and at that point I'd better be committed or the shot's not going to go well.
If I'm riding, I'll grab the couple clubs most likely to be used...usually some combo of 7i/PW/52/56 depending on the shot.

And I'll still on occasion find myself thinking "this is the wrong club for this". The results tend to bear that out when it happens.
 
I totally agree that walking would give you the edge. I typically ride and I know that I will usually grab 2 clubs plus putter if I can't see the ball wen I pull up. Otherwise if I have an idea of the lie, I will go with whatever I feel most comfortable with.
 
As I have gotten older, I have missed slops that have caused the ball to run out and leave me longer putts. Sometimes it pays to walk around the shot and get two angles.
wadesworld said:
I almost always take multiple clubs with me from the cart. Even if I'm pretty sure what I'm going to play, I might change my mind once I get there, and I don't like to delay play.

I certainly agree walking gives an advantage because of the ability to see the overall picture of the green.

What REALLY frosts me is when I walk directly from my cart to the ball, play my shot, run it 15 feet by, and then when I walk around to the other side of the green I go "Oh....that's why it went 15 feet by. You can see how downhill it is from this side." So unless I've gotten a good look at it from in front of the green, it's always useful to take a quick walk to the other side before committing, if your ball is in-between the cart and the green.
Click to expand...
 
I ride...but on my way from the cart to the green I am surveying the green and surrounding terrain. I don't fully commit to the shot until I see it just before I address it. I always take a couple clubs with me even when I can see the ball before I get to it- sometimes you expect the ball to be sitting a certain way but it really isn't, there's a divot or thin patch in front of it, etc. Once I settle on a shot though, there is no second guessing.
 
When I ride I grab a couple clubs and decide my shot as I stand over the ball. When I'm walking I have plenty of time to assess what I'm going to do and commit to when I'm by my ball.
 
I agree that walkers have an advantage as they get longer time to look at the ball and the types of shot they will have.

I start my thought process as the cart approaches the shot and depending on where my ball is and whats around I will grab a couple clubs and decide what shot i will play once i get up to the ball.
 
I walk 90% of the time. It gives me a great look at whats needed and the clubs are right there if i change my mind. Once im over the ball and looking at my line im committed. I just wish that I could commit 100% on the downswing. Every once in awhile as the club goes towards the ball my mind yells NOT SO HARD and then deceleration... ugh
 
Tadashi70 said:
When do you commit to a particular shot around the green? Is as you exit the cart? Once you are standing over the shot? Or do you hit and hope?

If you walk, I feel you have an advantage over the golfer that rides. You can see the ball as you approach and make an educated assessment of the situation as you get closer the green complex. Riders really have to wait until they get green side to see the complex and what shot will be required.

I wonder though, when you step from the cart, are you grabbing one club or a couple? Do you know what shot your going to play before you even get over it? I tend to see things from the cart and I know pretty much what I need to do to get it close. But sometimes as I get closer I see a better way to play the shot. I may a scoring chance if I can get the ball on the right line. This all happen in a matter of seconds. I don't think I am every pot committed until I am standing over the shot and getting ready to execute.

What do you do?
Click to expand...

I always bring at least a couple. Sometimes (anyone I play with would say almost always) I bring four clubs or more besides the putter to the green. Especially if I can't actually see the ball until I get there. If there is a trap, I will always bring my sand club, in case it happens to be in there, or if it isn't, just in case I flub one in there. I HATE having to walk back to get another club.

It's part of why I detest a 14 way bag. putting back a bunch of clubs into individual slots sucks.
 
chillyballer said:
I walk 90% of the time. It gives me a great look at whats needed and the clubs are right there if i change my mind. Once im over the ball and looking at my line im committed. I just wish that I could commit 100% on the downswing. Every once in awhile as the club goes towards the ball my mind yells NOT SO HARD and then deceleration... ugh
Click to expand...
Yep, there's nothing quite like being 8-10 feet off of the green..... and taking 4 strokes to get there. Unfortunately, over the last 2 years it's the majority of the time for me. I'm a short hitter and the equalizer used to be my short game (still is when I can trust the shot). Now, I try to play so I have a full 9-PW shot into the green.

To answer the OP. I think walking is definitely an advantage because you can see the shot (for the most part) and become comfortable with it before you pull your club. When riding, I pull a couple of clubs, including my SW if there's a bunker anywhere around, as well as my putter so I'm not holding up the pace of play.
 
not gonna lie. I hit and hope. I typically have a plan on what to hit and hope it works.
 
Around the green I commit to a shot after I survey everything. Do I need to get it over a trap? Is the ball in the fluffy rough? Is it a tight lie? How much room to I have to work with?

I tend to bring 3 clubs with me if I am unfamiliar with the course. Usually my lob wedge, my pitching wedge and of course my putter. I can execute multiple shots with my lob and PW.
 
If I'm riding I'll take a few clubs with me (just depends, hybrid, 8 iron, pw, sw, lw...the whole bag...LOL) and see what I have when I get to my ball. I usually have an idea as I'm walking to it (from the cart or walking up to it when walking the course) as to what type of shot I want to play but when you get there, depending on the lie, that can change. I play the shot that is the most comfortable for me given the situation. For example recently I had a really good 9 hole round going and was left with an uphill chip shot where I was about 6 feet off the front of the green. Stood over it with my 56 wedge and just didn't like the options and wasn't comfortable with it. A good stroke and there is a good chance at a chip in, a bad stroke and I skull it or duff it and leave myself a long par putt. Being where I was on the scorecard, I opted to put the wedge back in the bag and take my hybrid and bump and run it to the hole. A much safer shot because it was uphill and if I missed it I still wasn't in bad shape. Another one was a recent round where I had a similar lie and wanted to hit the hybrid bump and run but didn't have much green to work with and they were fast and firm so I opted to play a 60 wedge to have less roll out. When my short game is sharp it's typically because I play the right shot for the situation. Even with good execution the wrong shot (bump and run, down hill?) can leave you in a tough spot. The challenges like that are what makes the game fun for me.
 
Obviously THPers are different animals, but when I play I rarely see anyone take more than one club other than their putter to the green. MAYBE two, but that is definitely the exception, not the rule. Once in a while someone takes three, but I gotta say I never see anyone regularly take 1/4 of their bag like I do most of the time!
 
Not until I've seen the lie. It would be impossible to make up my mind before that.
 
I bring my club for bump and run and my wedge if I feel I need I need to loft on to the green. I also have my putter, then I look and go with what I think will be best.
 
I walk almost exclusively and I don't commit until I get up to the ball and survey the area. Once I've pulled a club out of my bag I'm locked. I do feel walking gives me an edge because I don't feel rushed and can process things better in between shots.
 
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