When to putt from the fringe

Top 25 Coach Neil Marr discusses when to get the flat-stick out and how important it is to practise this useful shot

When not to putt

Putting may not be wise on undulating fringes or if there’s long grass behind the ball – a belly wedge or hybrid chip will be better choices here. Many golfers who do putt from well off the green might be better off improving their chipping and pitching, as flying it on to the green takes out the humps and hollows that make these putts hard to judge.

Practice makes perfect

If you like the idea of putting from more than a couple of feet off the green, you’ll need to practise these shots a little more to get used to the change in speed once the ball exits the fringe. I would recommend adding this shot to your practice regime, and then taking a few more practice swings than usual out on the course to really get a feel for what is needed.

When to putt

It’s a handy shot on firm links-type courses, but you must assess each situation carefully to gauge how good the fringe is and whether any wetness could make it tricky to judge, particularly when putting through quite a bit of fringe. But it takes the club/ turf interaction out of the equation, and most golfers strike putts better than chips.