I think a good way of looking at it is if you had to throw the same ball at three different length targets it wouldn't take long before you would be hitting them with ease.

Now if you had to throw three different weight balls at those three targets it would take time to work out how hard to throw each ball, plus if you had to switch ball and target each time your accuracy would be terrible.

I really hate when people not only do this, but feel the need to tell everyone else about it every time they're on the course.

When you hit a poor chip that could have been putted, they drop the "see, I told you. even your worst putt would be better than that chip hurr durr"

Then I hit them with my wedge in the forehead and leave them to die while I finish my round.

Even the worst hit with your putter would kill them off better than the wedge.

"When debating between chipping and putting, most amateurs would be better off putting."

are people saying its easier for amateurs to hit one club from 120 yards (or some yardage around 100 yards) and in than to carry multiple wedges and just hit a stock shot with each at 120-100-80 yards or w/e? lol at that, i can understand learning how to hit shots around the green with one club but your average weekend golfer has almost no chance at being effective if hes pulling a PW at any yardage inside 120 yards compared to the guy who has a 46-50-54-58 type setup

Your analogy completely ignores spin, trajectory and lie as factors.

I feel like this advice applies more and more as your handicap goes up. Now for my rant:


Every 2p2er is always trying to find the breakeven point where anything goes, and trying to establish where that point is... Good players explaining how golf is best done with 1 club and other players say 1 technique w/ different clubs.... you all need to get out in the real world where in about 30 seconds a human with real experience will tell you "different strokes for different folks"


As for the always putt rule: WELL **** IT if you're scratch you probably have a great short game and this rule doesn't always apply to you. We know that if you're a 20 handicap and shoot 85-105 and you leave some chips at your feet, and you blade some across the green, and you really don't aim well with chip shots then you should definitely use the technique that you know the best which is putting. From 40' there's no risk of leaving yourself a 38' shot with the putter, but for a 20 handicapper or even a 10 with a bad short game, that probably happens once a round for the guys who always use a sand wedge.

IF you doubt me, do yourself a favor and take 6 balls and a putter to the edge of a putting green, about 25-40' from your target with 5-10 feet of fringe and even a few with a foot or two into the longer grass... I'll bet that all of them are acceptable, like within 10 feet, and none of them will make you want to Bo Jackson your sand wedge.

Also, for the 10 handicaps who struggle from 30' off the green with the wedge, I know a lot of you do.... try a ****ing putter. I guarantee you can get it on the green- something you can't put money on with a sand wedge in your hand.



IN SHORT:

Using a putter will definitely take four out of the equation. Unless you expect you'll make 2 with a wedge better than 2/3 times, Using a putter is a better choice for that reason alone.(forget all the bitchass exceptions.. if you practice putting thru 10 yards of rough, you will develop some feel for it)

I'm talking chipping/pitching around the greens. Def not full shots as you describe above although the analogy works quite well for my argument. So thanks!

Perfect.

Agreed! with Hunterdreamer

I have tried to chip with different clubs, and it flat out doesn't work for me. I hit it crisp and it goes 20 feet by or 20 feet short, and it's because I don't practice at it, nor do I have time to practice at it. I know my 52 and my 58, and know how hard to hit it. I've had my 58 forever and I had my 53 forever and switching to a 52 only caused a very slight adjustment. It's like trying to chip it into a hill and have it run up it....pretty much never works for me. Much rather hit a 58 high and land it over the hill. The average amateur, in my opinion, is better at mastering one club. Maybe it's a mental/feel thing. To me, I am much better at manipulating myself to do things rather than doing one movement very well and trying to match something I have no control of to that movement. (although to truly get better at golf, I agree you have to do both.)

If you made me bump and run my 3 iron I couldn't get it within 20 feet of the hole. If you made me putt from 40 yards, I would probably get it within 20 feet of the hole easily.


Okay, I am unqualified to actually do this mathematically in any way. But say I miss 11 greens and I have the option to putt or chip on all of them. If I chip the ball on all 11, I am going to hit a great chip to tap in range maybe 4 times, to a 4-5 footer maybe 4 times, and I will hit it too hard or too soft maybe twice, and I will flub or blade one once.

My score on those holes is probably 6 or 7 over, and that's assuming I knock it stone dead 4 times in a round, which is probably not realistic. Also if I chip 11 times, I am probably going to flub or blade more than one, even though I am much improved.

If I putt the ball on all 11 holes, I am probably going to knock it to tap in range twice, to 4-5 feet probably 5 times, and hit one to 10 feet 3 times, and maybe 15 feet once.

My score on those holes is probably going to 3 or 4 over.

This probably applies to MOST amateurs, although my thinking is that I probably putt from more insane places than most. I think there is some weird measure of control that golfers desire that chipping gives them, even though it is short sighted. I can't tell you how many times you see a guy putt from the fringe on tour, it squirts offline, and ends up 6 inches from the hole and the announcer bemoans the decision. The ball can easily squirt online and go in the hole or take a bad bounce if you chip. Then you see Mickelson pull the pin out, chip from 1 foot off the green, hits it with too much pace but almost holes it, 360 lipout from 5 feet, and you never hear a word about why the hell didn't he just putt it.

I feel you should be putting around the green if the line is right for a two putt, but not 60 yards out with fairway in between you and edge of the green, thats what a bump n run is for.

just looking at the "lag putting"comments in the Doc's ultimate practise routine, those who cant lag put (ie me & most others who have used doc's routine) are probably better off chipping, I am more likely to leave the chip closer than putting it.

then again those who can lag put well are better off putting.

I guess it is best to go with what ever shot you are most confident in.

Cheers

Steve

This has been mentioned over and over itt, but there is essentially a 0% chance your average chip is better than your average putt. None, zip, zero, nada. You may have convinced yourself in your head that it's true, but I am absolutely sure that empirically it is false.