I think people view a chip to 8 feet as a success and a putt to 4 feet as a failure so they trick themselves into believing they are a better chipper than putter.

Rather than waffle on, I shall put it to the test.

I'm a 13 handicapper who is an OK chipper (relative of course) who would regard a chip to 8 feet as a failure and a far too frequent three putter....

Perhaps it is in my mind ie confidence thing.

Cheers

Steve

I started putting more often the last few rounds, probably because of this thread. I was one who thought that I could chip better than I could lag putt. I think that may have been true last summer when for some reason I was awesome at chipping and terrible at lagging (still am terrible at lagging) but for some reason I lost touch on my chipping this year so I have no confidence in it anymore and now I am putting more often. Because my results are better. Putting from the fringe, from off the green, and even from the grass in at least one instance.

I have also incorporated ship---this's philosophy of "aim for the middle of the green if you suck" and I think I'm hitting more greens. I also feel like the mental aspect of my approach shots has gotten easier since I now ignore the flag entirely and look at just the green and the bunkers and berms around it. I wouldn't say I aim dead center of green. But I do pick a point in which I feel like I'm least likely to hit into trouble (short side bunker or long over a berm, etc.)

I also notice how much more relaxing it is to be on in regulation than to be ANYWHERE off say the fringe. It's a fine line but my worrying goes up dramatically when I have to pull off some tough chip/flop/pitch now with touch, in hopes of getting up and down. That is so huge for my composure and confidence. I'm a 29 HC though so I always should have been doing this but of course I just default assumed you are supposed to aim at the flag.

Hi A Rod,

I actually just try & play bogey golf & let the par's & occassional birdie take care of themselves. Once I get down to the magical single figures I might change my approach, but this has in part led to h-cap dropping over past few months from 19 to 13

If when inside 100 I consider it misson accomplished if I get up & down in 3 and a bonus for 2.

Whilst chipping from the fringe I can get up & down most times & I expect to get up & down, when pitching I'm not so good and tend to be in the 10 foot-15 foot range, when chipping I try & hole it when pitching I aim for "fat side"of the pin.

I normally get up & down 5-6 times a round, my iron is not so good though and my GIR stat's suck big time, which in conjunction with the golf doc's practise program I am working on.

Cheers

Steve

That is well-stated.

Just reread chunks of this thread and wanted to add to the above thought. I think that amateurs/recreational players feel this way. I was practicing the other day and was really struggling with 30 foot chips to a 3 foot circle. Was only getting about 3 out of 10 inside the circle and was starting to get frustrated.

Then I stepped away for a second to stretch and get some water and then turned back to the green and realized that I was making 10 of 10 inside 6 feet, which really doesn't suck terribly, but I have internalized that to be an acceptable shot it has to be a putt I can make 25 out of 25, which is inside 3 feet. But I really think that if I were to get paired up with 90% of recreational golfers (people who never practice other than to bang balls at the range) and I were to hit those shots on the course, they would say "great shot" each time.

So I really think there is some disconnect between what people view as a good chip and what people view as a good putt and it leads to people saying things like "I am a much better chipper" and I totally agree with Your Boss that if people had detailed stats of their up and downs with a wedge vs. a putter from reasonable lies off the green they would never ever say they are better at chipping than putting.

If I'm playing with a 20 handicap who chips it from the fringe to within 6 feet I will always say "nice shot", because that is a good result for a hack with a wedge in his hands. What I'm really thinking is "good result, bad decision", but I am not going to say that.

Along the same lines, whenever I'm playing with a beginner and they ask me if they should putt from just off the green my answer is always YES. I will usually even say something like, "Yes, the answer is always yes. If the question is even entering your mind, then putting is the right answer."

I can chip like a demon and putt like a ****. Frankly I do better using a 6 iron from 4 ft than a putter but it upsets the greenkeepers.

It works the other way too. Given the option I will always bump and run from 50 yards in than pitch it. I just have a knack for feeling the distances involved with that kind of shot. Pity the rest of my game is so dire.

Hi KVL

Interestingly we have have similar stat's for Up & Down & I can count on one hand how many times I have putted from off the green ever.

I may be one of the rare one's who can chip it close though on a consistent basis, I loose my shots due to a crappy long game though.

I do practise it alot though - and doing the doc's practise rotuine I breeze through the chipping part and struggle on the lag putting.

9 up & downs in one round is my best (shot 81) and none where achieved by putting from off the green.

I hit lots of chips in practise where I know the carry to roll ratio of a club & pace out the distance to the hole & then put a tee down to where the ball should land & practise trying to hit the tee, the end result tends to take care of itself.

Having said that I have also played with a person who is deadly with a putter from off the green but he can't chip / pitch over rough to save himself, so I guess every one is different.

I still haven't had a chance to put it top the test though and rest asured if I do putt it closer on average I will be the first to change for lowering my score is the name of the game for the score card could not care a hoot how a shot is hit only where it finishes.



Cheers
Steve

I played yesterday and putted basically every chance I got, even from 3 inch grass just off the fringe a couple times. My results were very good. I had a par 3 that always beats the **** out of me that is 178 yards. I hit a good 5i that must have barely flown the left greenside bunker by a foot or so and somehow settled in the grass just off the fringe (and didn't roll downhill). I was 32 feet from the hole with a few feet of grass in between my ball and the green and the green was downhill with pin probably 3 feet lower than my ball. So it was a very tough shot (for me) regardless of what club I chose but I went with the putter and hit it to 1 foot left of the hole and saved an easy par.

I also got up and down from the grass with the putter on another hole. So far I'm liking putting as often as possible. Though I do want to use my chip shot enough to stay in practice with it.

I also continue to hit more greens by aiming "middle of green"* on every hole, like ship recommended. And picking out a specific target line on every approach shot. I always did that but now I'm focusing even more because I am hitting more greens so the benefit is there.

*adjusted a bit for staying away from bad greenside bunkers and for mounds and valleys behind the green that may affect me.

well after testing the results are actually quite confusing

In summary

worst putt better than worst chip
best chip better than best putt.

so in summary out of 20 shots 40 foot shot from 3 paces green

Chips

holed 3
left 12 within 4 foot
left 3 within 6 foot
left 2 within 10 foot

Putts

holed 0
left 8 within 4 foot
left 11 within 6 foot
left one within 10 foot

So now I'm just plan confused

So I am more likely to get up & down for one chipping and the odds are about the 50/50 for putting v chipping.

I think I will just play each shot on it's merits.

Having said all that though everyone is different and I spend alot of time practising chipping anyway so I'm not the ave range monkey who would most likely be better off putting.

If only I could hit more GIR

Cheers

Steve

Steve, you traditionally have done nothing but chip, correct? I would guess that if you spent 30 minutes doing nothing but practicing putting from the fringe, and then redid your experiment, the putting results would be even better. That time wouldn't equal all your chipping experience, but it would start to bridge the gap.

Overall those results are very good though. I'm scratch and I doubt mine would be all that much better.

i would say that doing 20 of the same shot would yield different results than actual stuff on the course. if you did 20 unique shots of both, i think putting would score better.

Within 2 feet of the green i typically will putt, but I think anything more than that and chipping is easier.

The main point being the chip is pretty much exactly as you practice it. The put is pretty much just a guess since you have little idea how the ball will roll through the grass, hit a bump, or do whatever else. If I have to go over 6 ft of fringe, there is no way I am putting it closer on average - I am totally guessing at pace and having to play for a hop.

Yes it was interesting and I guess if I did practise the putting more I guess it would improve so in fairness it wasn't a "even test".

I am very comfortable chipping and do hole out in my Sat comp every now & again.

Also doing it to random targets rather than the same shot over & over may also change the results.

My lag putting and iron play are my two main area's for improvement which keeps me on a h'cap of 13, ie Saturday I only had 3 GIR and 3 three putts for a score of 87 to again "roughly play to my handicap" desipte knocking 5 chips "stiff" on the weekend within 3 foot for easy par's.

But getting back to the thread I do think I will keep doing things the same & work on putting on the practise green, when I get similar results then I will look to incorporate into my game, but at present I have been doing the Doc's practise routine, and the 45 foot lag putt wil be the death of me I'm sure & once I conquer this I will turn my attention to the irons.

Unfortunately my practise fairway is limited to PW max so I have fallen into the habbit I guess of practising what I enoy the most - chipping and I need to make putting my favorite "game" to get myself into single figures then look out "irons".

Cheers

Steve