Today, I hit my 8i, 9i, 52D, 60D, with about 130 balls at 15, 30, 40, and 55 yards from edge of the Green. My Alignment Rods marked out the yardages. Many shots were uphill to the Green. I seemed to do the best shots with the 8i out 15 yds and the 52D at 55 yds. In between was so-so. Hoping to find the right clubs to make me comfortable. It was a challenge to rotate my body before the arms and come down on the ball and not decelerate. I did get ball/divot contact with the 52D club and clipping with the 8i/9i. At the end of the practice, balls at 55 yds were 8-12 feet from the hole. All the yardages listed above, did not take into account 90 yards across the green!. It was fun and I enjoyed myself but need much more practice for finding the right clubs and getting the right feel.
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Yesterday, I sharpened my Short Game skills with PAS - Pitching, Approach, and Sand Wedges. Hit from 15, 25, and 35 Yards from the Pin. Pitching W was good with 11 out of 14 close to the Pin; Approach W was shots landing everywhere; Sand W was average. Will start new regimen- Pitching Wedge at 15; Sand at 25; and 60 W at 35. I am still experimenting with many clubs. Also, did Putting today which was pretty good. Came close to holes….goal to Putt in 2. Extending my practice through July because of gas prices. Fun days ahead.
I tried using Ray Floyd's Chipping distance iron selections into practice and it didn't work for me. For example, based on distance, using 5i, 7i, 9i, 56, out 30 feet from the flag. The ball took off with great vigor. I used 8i, 9i, and the 56W. "Different strokes for different folks" applies. Per Floyd, placing the ball on the green fringe and the letting the ball roll out to the hole is easier said than done. Inspite of it all, it was fun experimenting around to get my "groove" with the right clubs.
One of the best Short Game Chippers of all time - Ray Floyd. I have been reading his book, ‘From 60 Yards In.” Floyd holed many shots off the Green, so he is worth listening to. I bought the book for $4.00 off ThriftBooks. pp. 90-91 are are worth your time reading. Now you have to buy the book to find out what it says!
Well, I am back at it with the Short Game. Practiced with hitting around 120 balls today. Used the Putt/Chip method which seemed to work pretty well with the 8i at 15 yeards and the 9i at 30 yards. I don’t know what I will use beyond 30 yards. 56W, 60W? From 70-80 yards, I already have the system down by yardage from Dave Pelz, the Short Game Specialist. I was able to get within 8-10 yards of the holes which seems good to me if 2-putting. I am a work in progress.
@Patrick Anlauf - In the long run this type of work is going to yield tremendous dividends!
@Patrick Anlauf - Great idea for short game practice. The key word in all this is "COMFORTABLE". There is not a right or wrong answer to short game strategy. You hit the shots you know you can execute whether it be bump and run, lob shots, or putting from off the green.
It's a good idea to practice different shot and styles, but I will say that on the course can sometimes be different because of nerves. Usually, you'll find "THAT CLUB" that you will go to almost every time. For me, it's a Sand wedge.