Choosing the right Greenside shot

I often ask students, “If you were to throw it from here, what trajectory would you see?” Then you can choose the club accordingly – maybe a 7-iron to run it up a tier, or a 9-iron or wedge for a more straightforward chip.

The other big thing is the lie. This determines what kind of club you can get on it. If it’s sitting up nicely, as here, you have a free hand, but from a bare lie, a putter or hybrid might be safer.

1

The putter can be a great option if you’ve got a nice cut of fringe, even from five yards off the green. It’s a percentage shot for many. You’ll often get that closer than chipping as strike becomes less critical with no club/turf interaction to factor in. 2

With the ball sitting down and little green to work with, the danger with a wedge is you feel you have to hit it too hard, opening the door to the dreaded deceleration. With a hybrid, you can make a putting stroke to pop the ball up and out. 3

Even when height is essential, stick to the shorter chipping stroke with a lofted club. With no wrist break and fewer moving parts, there’s less to go wrong. Rather than releasing through impact, play it dead-arm, as here.