Chipping vs. Putting
Note: Apologies for the late post. This is an oldie but a goodie from way back in Edition #2. Enjoy the weekend!
There is not a round that goes by where I don’t see a fellow golfer that’s just off the green, walking up to the ball with a wedge in their hand. I cover my eyes in horror at what’s about to happen.
Just putt it! Fringe, fairway, light rough. If you are just off the green putting is almost always the best option for mid to higher handicap players.
Yes, there are exceptions to this, and yes, I’ve made this same mistake many times. Here are the stats from Lou Stagner himself:
In this example, a 10-handicap player averages the same amount of strokes to get it in the hole for a 5-yard chip as a 58-foot putt. As I said, there are exceptions: bad lies, sprinkler heads, no path to the hole for a putt, etc., but by and large, putting will win out on average.
The other exception is if you are close to a scratch golfer, the calculus of chipping vs putting begins to narrow.
I think we make this mistake for a couple of reasons. One, hitting a good chip is just more satisfying. It’s impressive, it feels damn good when it works. Two, we overestimate the quality of our shots vs. the result of the shot.
Meaning a so-called bad putt might FEEL bad, but very rarely does it leave you in much trouble. But a lousy chip could end up 2 inches in front of the original spot or skulled across the green into a bunker (or in the woods).
Even a “good chip” we overestimate. It feels good and looks good, but we might be 10 feet short of the hole still worse off than an average putt.
Watch Lou’s explanation below (4 min):
Remember, the way to lower scores is by avoiding big scores. So next time you're unsure around the greens, pick the good Ole Texas Wedge instead of chipping it.
Til next week.
