Short Game Discovery: Why You Should Putter from Off the Green
This short game discovery will transform your scores!
I’ll never forget a round I played with a friend who was a solid golfer but was struggling with his short game. We were on the 10th hole, a tricky par four, and he hit his approach shot just off the green, about 10 meters away. The lie was terrible: wet, with a few muddy divots and some patchy grass. He pulled out his lob wedge, the hero club for so many short game shots, and tried to execute a delicate chip. The club dug into the soft ground, the ball came out low and hot, and it skidded across the green and into a bunker on the other side. He ended up taking four more shots to get into the hole. I could see the frustration in his eyes.
We've all been there. We have the perfect wedge for a delicate shot around the green, but the lie is less than perfect. The fear of a fat or thin shot is real, and it can paralyze your decision-making. We've been taught that a wedge is the right tool for a shot from just off the green, and in most cases, it is. But what if the conditions are less than ideal? What if the ground is wet and muddy, and the grass is patchy? What if there's a simple, more effective solution that we've been overlooking?
It was on that same hole, after my friend's short game disaster, that I introduced him to what I call my "short game discovery." I told him to put his wedge away and use his putter. He looked at me like I was crazy. He pointed to the uneven surface, the divots, and the wet grass. He had a point—it didn’t look like a putting surface. But I convinced him to try, and the results were an eye-opener for both of us. The ball rolled up onto the green and finished just a few feet from the hole. He made a simple two-putt. That day, I learned that a putter from off the green, even in unfavorable conditions, can be a game-changer.
This is a lesson for every golfer, especially those trying to break 90 or 100. The primary goal from just off the green is not to get the ball up and down in one shot. It's to get the ball on the green so you can take a simple two-putt. A wedge, while a great tool, introduces a higher degree of error. A slight miscalculation in your swing can lead to a disastrous shot. The putter, on the other hand, is a much safer option that minimizes those big, round-ruining errors.
The Conventional Wisdom and Its Flaw
For years, we’ve been told that a wedge is the proper tool for a shot from just off the green. We practice the delicate chip, the low runner, and the flop shot, all with the goal of hitting the ball high and soft to a pin. We've been taught to open the clubface, to use the bounce, and to swing through the ball with a specific motion. When we're on a manicured practice green, with a perfect lie, this technique works beautifully. It's a satisfying feeling to hit a crisp chip that lands softly near the hole.
But golf is rarely played on a perfect practice green. The course is full of bumps, bruises, and bad lies. The very same technique that works so well on the range can become a liability when the ground is wet and the grass is patchy. The high loft of a wedge, which is meant to get the ball in the air, can cause the leading edge to dig into the ground, leading to a fat shot that goes nowhere. Conversely, the fear of hitting a fat shot can cause us to lift our bodies, resulting in a thin shot that blades the ball across the green. The margin for error with a wedge is much smaller than we are led to believe, especially in less-than-perfect conditions.
This is where the conventional wisdom fails us. It teaches us a single, specific solution for a problem that has multiple variables. It doesn't prepare us for the unpredictability of the course. It sets us up for failure and frustration when we encounter a lie that isn't perfect.
The Putter: An Unconventional Hero
My "short game discovery" is the realization that the putter is a far more reliable tool from off the green than we give it credit for. When I first started experimenting with this, I was skeptical myself. I thought the ball would bounce all over the place and be impossible to control. I had reservations about the uneven surface and the possibility of the ball going offline. [01:05]
But the results were eye-opening. I started hitting balls from about 10 meters off the green, from all sorts of challenging lies. The ball might have bounced and jumped a little bit, but the overall result was surprisingly good. Most of the shots ended up on the green, with many finishing within 4 feet of the hole. Some even went in! The worst shot I hit was still on the green, about 10 feet away.
The putter minimizes the chance of a truly disastrous shot. With a putter, there is no chance of a fat shot, a bladed shot over the green, or a duff that stays at your feet. The clubface is flat, and the swing is a simple pendulum motion. You are just trying to get the ball rolling on the ground as quickly as possible. Even if the ball bounces and jumps due to the rough surface, the putter provides more dependable results and eliminates really bad contact.
The Mindset Shift: From Up-and-Down to On-and-Two-Putt
For a golfer trying to break 90 or 100, the primary goal should not be to get up-and-down. It should be to minimize mistakes and eliminate big numbers on the scorecard. A chip shot that lands a few feet from the hole and a chip shot that lands in a bunker are both a single stroke, but they have a massive impact on your final score. The putter is the ultimate weapon for minimizing mistakes. It’s a tool for getting the ball on the green, where you can make a simple two-putt.
This is a fundamental mindset shift that can transform your short game. Instead of thinking about making a delicate, high-risk shot, you're thinking about a simple, low-risk shot. You're giving yourself a chance to make a putt, rather than just trying to save a par or a bogey. This mindset reduces pressure and allows you to play with more freedom and confidence.
Don't let doubt dictate your club choice. Even if the surface looks challenging, the putter can often navigate it better than expected. You might feel a little silly at first, pulling out your putter from off the green, but the results will speak for themselves. The ball might bounce, but the overall result can be very good.
The Pro's Secret: Using Unconventional Shots
You might be thinking, "But a pro wouldn't do that!" You would be surprised. The idea that a professional golfer would never putt from such a position is a misconception. [02:24] Professionals are masters of course management. They know when to take a risk and when to play it safe. They know that sometimes, the safest option is the most effective one. If a pro is faced with a difficult lie just off the green, they are not going to hesitate to use a putter if they think it's the highest-percentage play. They are trying to get the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible, and they will use any tool they can to do that. The putter is not a last resort; it's another weapon in their arsenal.
The video also briefly mentions that a hybrid can also be used in similar circumstances, which will be explored further. The hybrid, with its flatter face and a little more loft than a putter, is a great option for a shot that needs a little more air time but still needs to roll out. It's another example of how thinking outside the box can lead to better results.
The Practical Application: How to Use the Putter from Off the Green
So, how do you actually execute this shot? It's much simpler than a chip shot with a wedge.
Read the Putt: The first step is to treat the shot as a long putt. You need to read the line and the speed of the putt. You need to consider the slope of the green and the grass between your ball and the putting surface. The goal is to get the ball on the green and let it roll out to the hole.
A Firm Strike: The biggest mistake I see with this shot is a tentative swing. You need to hit the ball with a firm, confident stroke. The ball will not roll as far as it would on the green, so you need to account for that with a little more power.
Square Clubface: The clubface should be square to your target. You're not trying to create any loft or spin; you're just trying to get the ball rolling on the ground.
Embrace the Bounce: The ball will bounce and jump a little bit, and that's okay. You have to embrace it. You can't be afraid of a bad bounce. The putter's flat face will give the ball a better chance of going in the direction you want it to go, even with a few bumps along the way.
Practice the Shot: The best way to get comfortable with this shot is to practice it. The next time you're on the practice green, hit some balls from off the green with your putter. Find a few challenging lies and see how the ball reacts. You'll be surprised at how good the results are.
This "short game discovery" has been a game-changer for me. It's given me a new level of confidence around the greens, especially on those days when the conditions are less than perfect. It's taught me that a safe, simple shot is often a better option than a complex, high-risk one. Give it a try, and I’m confident that you’ll see the same results in your own game. It’s a simple change that can have a massive impact on your scores.
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