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how far off the green do you/would you still putt vs chip

rollin

rollin

"Just playin golf pally"
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assuming you've got good enough conditions without bare spots, clumpy grass, weeds, holes, whatever the case. And so its a decent enough fairway/apron. What determines a putt vs chipping. And just how far do you get before saying its time to chp this one?

For me...I tend to putt from only a few feet. A couple yards at most and then its most always a chip. I don't know why exactly but part of the reason is that sometimes I like to chip and honestly if Im not chipping well I tend to chip even more just to practice it and get it right. Im kind of stubborn with myself like that.
 
I’ve been about 15 yards a few times I’ve also putted out of a few bunkers.
 
Scrap Iron said:
I’ve been about 15 yards a few times I’ve also putted out of a few bunkers.
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Im assuming very shallow bunker? Ive yet to come across a greenside bunker I can putt from on my courses. Usually a very significant enough of a hill up front.
 
Just depends but typically I would say inside 5 feet I putt. Really depends on how crazy the greens are and if there are contours I would like to avoid. Every once in a while I will use a wedge from on the green. Much more likely to putt if I haven't been playing much lately.
 
It's not just one thing but assuming the lie doesn't dictate the approach:

1) if I'm worried that the ball can get away (strong downhill) I'd putt rather than chip as usually you have to hit the spot perfectly with a chip
2) if there's a lot of break/multiple breaks and/or the grade isn't consistent, I'll chip rather than putt to simplify the read and eliminate a lot of the trouble.
3) if the chip is straightforward I'm more likely to chip as I do hole out frequently (and more than I would if I putted)
 
When I miss the green I still carry the mindset of putting but simply use the tool to carry the ball to the putting surface and get it rolling asap. I will use a putting stroke but change the loft on down to an 8 iron depending on how close i am and how lonf the carry is. I will read the break, make my practiuce stroke for distance and keep the motion as simple as can be. I will do this up to about 12 feet or so off the green, but it's never actually with a putter. The right tool for the job.

I don't tend to miss all that many of these up and downs.



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If I'm on good tight turf, I often use a hybrid with my putting grip to play the shot, but rarely use a putter off the green.
 
surface has to be really pristine for me to do it. assuming it is, no more than a few yards.


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Depends on the lie and the conditions. I've putted out of hard packed bunkers and from as far out as 15 yards. I've also been on courses where I wouldn't putt from any more than 1 foot off the green.
 
I almost always chip. I am much better at chippng than putting.
 
A couple of feet at the most.
 
It really depends on a lot of factors including how tightly mown and wet the apron is, speed of the greens, and the steepness of the slope. At my home course the aprons are very smooth and fast which often allows me to use my 4 wood to putt from 20+ feet off the green, especially where their is a false front to an elevated green.
 
Rarely beyond the standard fringe unless I'm dealing with a severe downhill slope.
 
I always chip. I’m more comfortable chipping from off the green than putting. I’ve been known to hole out quite often as well.


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5-6 feet from the green. I think the longest I've done was about 10ft and that was because the area was really flat and open.
 
Rarely putt when i can chip. Maybe 6"-12" on the cuff might consider putting depending on contour etc.

OTOH, played regularly with a guy in FL when i lived there who would use his Rife 2-bar from 100 yards in. Could not hit a wedge to save his life, lol
 
If the conditions are good enough I'll always putt rather that chip. I've probably putted from as far as 20 feet in the past.
 
The bermuda fringe around here can be very grabby so I find putting through any more than just a few feet to be a complete guess.

Whereas up north, 20' was very doable in good conditions.
 
one the reasons I brought this up was yesterdays round where (due to little play or practice this month) I was chipping poorly. So there were times I could have putted but insisted on chipping just for sake of getting it right. So even down to last hole (par5) of the day in basically darkness I had about an 9ish foot putt or chip to make for eagle from the apron. About 3,4 feet of grass then another 5ish of green..... I chipped to tap in distance and birded the hole. Just made me feel good to finish with the good chip. Would I have made the putt for eagle? who knows? unlikely I suppose but I just had to make a good chip to satisfy myself after a bunch of poorer ones that day.
 
rollin said:
one the reasons I brought this up was yesterdays round where (due to little play or practice this month) I was chipping poorly. So there were times I could have putted but insisted on chipping just for sake of getting it right. So even down to last hole (par5) of the day in basically darkness I had about an 9ish foot putt or chip to make for eagle from the apron. About 3,4 feet of grass then another 5ish of green..... I chipped to tap in distance and birded the hole. Just made me feel good to finish with the good chip. Would I have made the putt for eagle? who knows? unlikely I suppose but I just had to make a good chip to satisfy myself after a bunch of poorer ones that day.
Click to expand...

One of the things that I love when putting with my 4 wood or a hybrid is the extra length of the shaft give you the extra distance needed to offset the slowing effect of the longer grass. It doesn't take very much practice, much less for me than executing the proper distance with a wedge. I get some strange looks when putting from 20+ feet off the green with a 4 wood but very rarely does the ball finish outside a 5-foot circle around the hole. If I've been playing and practicing a lot, I'm more likely to take a SW or GW for that shot, but it's a very safe shot that you'll neve chilly dip or skull.
 
I generally always chip if I'm any more than a couple feet off the green. The only exception is when I'm playing a course with really big, tightly mowed collars, then I'll put from much further off.
 
I can't get a feel for putting off of the collar... So anything more than a foot or two and I'm usually grabbing and 9 iron or something
 
If it's over 3 feet to the pin, I'll chip it even if it's only on the fringe by an inch. I just feel really comfortable chipping in that aspect. Of course some things could change that (up hill/downhill/etc...) but for the most part, if I can chip it, I'm all in.
 
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