Any tips for short pitches w/ green above you?

[SonOfWestwood]

Any tips for short shots (20-30 yards) when the green is pretty far above you? I'm starting to get pretty decent with shots when I can see the spot I want to land. When the green is above me, not only is the distance screwy for me, but I also cannot see the landing area.

Obviously, as I am able to practice more of these shots, I'll get better, but I'm wondering if anyone has any particular tips they have for these types of shots.

Thanks.

[JackInDaCrak]

open face, take a full followthrough with backswing adjusted for distance.

Basically I play it like a short pitch, with the face/my alignment adjusted a bit less extreme adjustment than for a flop shot

[SonOfWestwood]

[ QUOTE ]
open face, take a full followthrough with backswing adjusted for distance.

Basically I play it like a short pitch, with the face/my alignment adjusted a bit less extreme adjustment than for a flop shot

[/ QUOTE ]
Any tips for how to adjust for the distance, though? Something like, if it's 5 ft above me, add 5 yards to distance? That's the part that I'm having trouble with, getting use to what distance to try to hit for.

[esad]

The general rule is 10 feet to 10 yards. So if the green is 10 feet above you then add 10 yards to the shot. This applies more to shots from the fairway though. If you're only 20 yards out, I'd probably adjust it down a bit.

With that said, you're being too technical. Are you trying to tell me that you can hit a 20 yard chip and a 25 yard chip at will just by feel? Most people don't have that kind of touch. Practice is the only answer. Short game is all about feel, trying to make tiny adjustments to some exact yardage is never going to work when you are that close to the green.

[SonOfWestwood]

[ QUOTE ]
With that said, you're being too technical. Are you trying to tell me that you can hit a 20 yard chip and a 25 yard chip at will just by feel? Most people don't have that kind of touch. Practice is the only answer. Short game is all about feel, trying to make tiny adjustments to some exact yardage is never going to work when you are that close to the green.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think my last message confused things. I gave the yardages as an example of maybe what I may want to try and do. With short shots like that, I go more by feel, and it's based more on what I see. Like I have a good idea on what kind of swing to use if I want to land the ball in a certain area. It's just that when I can't see the landing area, I'm having lots of problems.

[JackInDaCrak]

well if I'm hitting a 30 yard shot with a SW, with an opened face, I'll be taking a fairly big swing (at least 50%). I mean, take your practice swing and use feel/experience to tell how far to take it back, then step up and release that stroke on the ball.

These minute adjustments are impossible to describe (and damn hard to make, for me) so I'm happy with clean contact and leaving myself any sort of putt.

[jupiterpig]

Ive started using my gap wedge (50*) to make most of my chip shots within 30 yards, but if I am below the hole I tend to use my 60* to try to stop the ball and prevent it from rolling all over the place...it is all about what club you feel best with

[black knight]

Just learn to understand how the ball reacts on the green with different loft, spin and conditions...then you just have to learn to hit it where you want the ball to land...that's the easiest.

[sippin_criss]

if i cant see the hole i just imagine where it is and try and flop it and land it in the hole.

[JTrout]

My tendency is to be short on pitches, so I'm always trying to keep aggressive thoughts in order to get it there.

If I can only see the top half of the pin, often I try to hit the flag.


If it is a firm green that will roll out, and all I want to do is carry it onto the green, I imagine a bunker just short of the green, and I HAVE to carry the bunker.

I chip best when I imagine best.