Agreed. I can't tell you how many times I see someone chip from just off the green and they strike it crisp and it almost goes in and rolls 7 feet by. Or it hits and checks up. Or they blade it or lay the sod over it.

Meanwhile, i just putt it to a foot everytime. I think even the pros chip too much, to be honest. I mean they usually make the unnecessary 4 footer they left themselves so usually no harm/no foul, but I don't really think your chances of making a chip are really that much greater than putting through some grass. I think it's just the "randomness" of how the ball squirts through the grass that drives pros nuts.

NxtWrldChamp is probably right, I play with a bunch of lads and we are all terrible 20 + handicap but I have the best short game by far. They have all the wedges but I only use a 50 degree PW for everything cause that's all I have.

Depends on the course, like schu said.

I play a lot of public muni courses and the ground/fairway can be extremely rugged and inconsistent.

I'm a 9 and use my 56 for just about all of my pitch/chip shots. It's a club I practiced a ton with and got a great feel for. Like someone else said, ball position in your stance can allow you to hit different trajectories depending on what the shot needs.

I never did work much on 7-8-9 iron bump and runs. Might be something useful I could add to my short game.

I don't understand the sentiment that using 1 wedge is better than 3 (or 4).

How is it easier for a hack to control a range of distances between like 10 yards and 125 yards with just a PW?

Just get 4 wedges and use Pelz' 7:30/9:00/10:30 swing motions. Really I almost never hit a full (10:30) lob wedge, I just hit a 9:00 SW or whatever.

I did have to hit a full LW last time out as a tree was in front of me and so I had to clear the tree and a lake to get to the close green. So I needed the loft of the LW to get over the tree but I also needed a full swing to clear the lake. Didn't think my SW could clear the tree.

Also how do you hit out of sand with PW bounce?

Because when you use 4 wedges, you have to know how far they all go when you hit them, and it gets complicated fast. One wedge, you hit it harder or softer based on the distance. Also, each wedge has a very slightly different feel.

Precisely.

How does a hack get a green to hold a knock down PW?

And that's why they'll chip it. If you have a good enough short game to be able to chip to a precise spot the majority of the time*, you'd be nuts not to chip rather than take your chances with a putt that could take a random bounce or two.

*That, of course, does not describe most amateurs.

I see merits for both "systems" but I think the "oh it's too complicated" angle isn't really a good one.

If I set a wall up in front of you at 3 feet and asked you to lob a ball over it to a given target you could do it no problem. Same thing with a 4 foot wall, a 5 foot wall, etc. Your body just "feels" it.

It's the same thing with wedges or any club. You subconsciously know how hard to hit different clubs to go a different distance. Like, I have never ever chipped with my 3 iron, but I'm pretty sure I could bump and run it pretty effectively right now without practice.

If someone only uses a PW what clubs do they add to their bag? Long irons that they rarely swing and can't hit straight for 200 yards anyway?

There is nothing precise in that statement. Sub-optimal would be more apt description.

- Sub-optimal because you are more likely to not to be able to hit the ideal trajectory.

- Sub-optimal because you cannot take full advantage of the best lie as often by having to play it back or forward due to the adjustment in face angle you must employ.

- Sub-optimal because you "think" you can adjust a face angle in your mind more accurately than one that is factory measured and stated right on the club....

I'll stick with my original number of 20% of your upside in chipping could be lost here. Some will do better and better club configurations will help but no one is making up the full 20% chipping with one club.

Wow yea I completely forgot to account for the fact that amateurs are fully capable of deciphering what the optimal club choice, optimal shot selection, optimal trajectory, and optimal ball position is based on every individual scenario they find themselves in around the green.

The only clubs I have are some crap hand me downs which consist of a driver, 4-9 irons, PW and a putter.

I'm only a weekend player so cant justify the price of clubs, not like it would make a difference having new shiny clubs that I cant hit anyway.

Upside bro'. Take it.

LOL your analysis above applies just as much or more to your method. You do realize that right?

Nothing wrong with that. I was lucky to be given an old set of Callaways with a nice bag. I've never purchased a golf club in my life and just use what I have.

If you got good with just your PW for a 120 yard range of shots due to that's all you have that is one thing but I don't see why a newbie would forgo 2 extra wedges for another hybrid or a 2i or something. Short game is the most important aspect of going from a 30 to a bogey golfer imo. I think it makes sense to good good and comfortable with a few wedges.

I've got a gap wedge but honestly I hit it maybe once every 2 rounds. I just don't seem to be in that range (105ish) too often I guess. And I do like the feel of my SW so I would tend to opt for a full SW shot in those spots. Besides from that far out I'm not trying to flag hunt and get a legit birdie putt. I'm trying to hit the green only and the greens should be a couple clubs deep anyhow. But I got this set from a good player.