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large green, would you rather be on with a long putt or off with shorter chip?

rollin

rollin

"Just playin golf pally"
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I was thinking about this today on large green which I missed an approach bad enough to the left. I was on the green but considering the very large green and that the pin was so far right I didn't consider it a good shot. I actually did make a great really long double breaking sloped putt to (almost sunk it) tap in distance. But as I watched my initial approach shot I said to myself id almost rather had been a lot closer and even if meant I was chipping.

of course you never know what kind of lie you can end up with for a chip so that's always a gamble. I mean the old expression "your on the dance floor" or "your dancing" always does have some comfort built into it. And in general hitting greens is usually better than not. I think that's pretty universally accepted. But there are times imo when the better miss might be the missed green and chip scenario.

Unfortunately very many mid and high cappers simply end up where they end up and its not like we are always in such good control and hence why one may be a mid or high capper to begin with and not a low capper. So while this wasn't exactly my plan I wasn't upset I was on the green of course and even made a great very long putt to tap in but just had me questioning if I would rather instead had been closer and chipping. As if I had a choice...lol
 
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I would rather chip every single time over a really long putt. I have way more confidence chipping.
 
Closer especially it is a closely mown area. Good lie in the rough as long as it is 5 feet closer I take as well.
 
My putting > my chipping I'll take the long one
 
I just pick up, card a 7 wave down the cart person two cold beers and a couple shots and move on to the next hole
 
Off the green with a shorter chip in 99% of cases. If I’m just off but it’s short sided and down hill, I’d much rather have a long putt, because that’s probably going to be the result in that scenario anyway after the chip haha.
 
When we say closer but chipping, are we referring to short siding ourselves, or just closer in relation to the hole but off the green?

My lag putting is horrible, but if I have short sided myself I would rather be putting. My chipping has saved me more than once, but I usually do something stupid when there is little room chipping
 
slimjim32 said:
When we say closer but chipping, are we referring to short siding ourselves, or just closer in relation to the hole but off the green?

My lag putting is horrible, but if I have short sided myself I would rather be putting. My chipping has saved me more than once, but I usually do something stupid when there is little room chipping
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no, not talking any real special or mosot difficult very touchy chip but just much closer chip vs the very long putt.
 
I will use my putter almost every time from 15 yards out in the fairway and will often use it from 30 or 40 yards out. So yeah, I'd always rather be putting. Being on the green is definitely a bonus.

There's a guy I frequently play with who will chip with his PW from literally 6" off the green on a tight lie in the fringe. Even if he's only 20 feet from the hole. I wish I had nerves like that, although I'd still probably putt those anyway ;-)
 
Long putts don't particularly scare me and I've become proficient enough with the PM 2.0 60° wedge that even being short-sided isn't the worst thing. So I'll deal with whatever my swing left me. :golf:
 
It doesn't matter as long as I am below the hole. I read a lot about people saying take back of green distance to greens for amateurs because we miss short too often. Well at my course almost every green slants toward the fairway in some shape form or fashion. Going long is death. I feel like a lot of courses are similar so maybe we aren't as dumb as the "experts" think we are LOL!
 
I’ll take the chip shot almost every time. When I’m walking up I’m already planning how I want to hit it. Doesn’t mean I’ll score any better, maybe 60% of the time. Conversely, I see those 60’ plus put and just hope don’t 4 Jack the thing.


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Really depends on the situation, but I would prefer to putt if at all possible. There are some situations I will chip, just depends.
 
Short chip every time. With a lag putt theres so many things that can go wrong: hitting it too hard, leaving it short, misreading the break, misreading the slope; that you can leave yourself with a tough 2nd putt and easily be looking at a 3-putt.
A short chip takes much of that out of the equation.
 
Badger_Golfer said:
Short chip every time. With a lag putt theres so many things that can go wrong: hitting it too hard, leaving it short, misreading the break, misreading the slope; that you can leave yourself with a tough 2nd putt and easily be looking at a 3-putt.
A short chip takes much of that out of the equation.
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???

Are you saying you never hit chip shots too long or leave them short?
 
Badger_Golfer said:
Short chip every time. With a lag putt theres so many things that can go wrong: hitting it too hard, leaving it short, misreading the break, misreading the slope; that you can leave yourself with a tough 2nd putt and easily be looking at a 3-putt.
A short chip takes much of that out of the equation.
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I much prefer the consistency of a green surface to the vagaries of a lie I have to hit an iron from. Is it going to come off the club hot or soft. Then there is loft and spin which will affect distance. Is my landing area for the chip uphill or downhill. The worst I am going to do with a putt is 3-putt. A bad chip can still leave me with a 3-putt adding up to 4 strokes.
 
Phil75070 said:
I much prefer the consistency of a green surface to the vagaries of a lie I have to hit an iron from. Is it going to come off the club hot or soft. Then there is loft and spin which will affect distance. Is my landing area for the chip uphill or downhill. The worst I am going to do with a putt is 3-putt. A bad chip can still leave me with a 3-putt adding up to 4 strokes.
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Same here.

I've never gotten a bad lie on the green, or too fluffly of a lie or misjudged where to land my ball, or played it too high or too low.

I'm just a much better lag putter than i am a chipper or pitcher of the ball.
 
A few weeks ago I would have said putter. Now that I’m regaining confidence with my wedges, I would much rather chip the ball.
 
I'd rather be on the green, where I know the lie is going to be perfect.

I might pitch the ball to the hole from there, depending on the length and slopes etc
 
A lot of variables with the short chip / just off the green scenario. Uphill? downhill? sidehill? rough vs. close cut, etc... If I can putt from off the green I'd take the shorter shot, otherwise I'm taking the longer putt.
 
I’d lean toward the chip, but use the Texas wedge.
 
Every situation will be different of course, but apples to apples, I'll usually take a straight forward easy chip over a much longer putt. A couple days ago we missed placing in a charity scramble by 1 stroke because of this very situation. I couldn't convince the other 3 guys that our uphill 18-20 foot chip (greenside rough but preferred lies in a scramble, 4-5 feet from edge of green) was the easier play than the 45-50 foot undulating (downhill at the end) putt from the fringe. They were high handicappers and said they were more confident with their putters. We all botched the 'fringe putt' and needed 3 shots to hole out. Since it was backed up in front of us, but not behind, we played the chip too just for grins. One of the high caps holed it (would've been an eagle) and we had 2 other balls inside 2 feet for a sure birdie.
 
Daddio said:
Every situation will be different of course, but apples to apples, I'll usually take a straight forward easy chip over a much longer putt. A couple days ago we missed placing in a charity scramble by 1 stroke because of this very situation. I couldn't convince the other 3 guys that our uphill 18 foot chip (second cut, but preferred lies in a scramble, 4-5 feet from edge of green) was the easier play than the 45-50 foot undulating (downhill at the end) putt from the fringe. They were high handicappers and said they were more confident with putter. We all botched the 'fringe putt' and needed 3 shots to hole out. Since it was backed up in front of us, but not behind, we played the chip too just for grins. One of the high caps holed it (would've been an eagle) and we had 2 other balls inside 2 feet for a sure birdie.
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That's just like pulling the ball back after missing a putt and making the next. Totally different scenario when there is no pressure. :act-up:
 
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