As seen on Golf Channel: Save shots greenside with an improved golf course management and chipping strategy
We’ve previously discussed the importance of golf course management and knowing your ball flight tendencies off the tee.
Equally valuable? Having a smart plan of action when you miss the green.
Especially with chipping – the putt you leave yourself can be the difference between saving par and making double bogey. So what’s the smartest strategy on these important shots?
Closer to the hole is always better
As explained in the video below, GOLFTEC Director of Teaching Quality, Zach Lambeck, recently stopped by Golf Channel’s Morning Drive and shared an anecdote of a student whose short game strategy was leaving uphill putts after every chip shot.
We often hear golf commentators talk about Tour pros purposefully leaving themselves “more makable,” straight-uphill putts. But many amateur golfers, like Lambeck’s student, overthink their chip shots and often leave more difficult putts to convert as a result.
When it comes to make-percentage stats on the PGA Tour – a great barometer of what golfers should actually focus on with their games – there’s always a better chance of holing a putt that’s closer to the hole.
For example, the current “strokes gained: putting” leader on the PGA Tour, Jason Day, holes just 66 percent of putts from 5-10 feet compared to 95 percent of putts from 3-5 feet. That’s taking into account putts that are uphill, downhill, sidehill and everywhere in between.
Point is, course management doesn’t have to be complex. When it comes to your strategy with chip shots, take a lesson from Jason Day’s putting stats and remember: getting your ball closer to the hole is always the goal.
