Is it posible to eliminate wedge play?

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self-mastery

self-mastery

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I currently spend the majority of my time working on the short game from 100 yards and in. For at least an hour a day, I'm trying to become a master of the pitch, chip, and putt.

I was watching the golf channel late last night, Jack Nicklaus was talking about how he didn't have a good wedge game and that he didn't need one. He went on to discuss how he used his longer irons as scoring clubs. I recall Hale Irwin saying something similar. If a golfer uses expert course management, why should he ever rely on more than a simple chip shot to score par or better? Is this possible, reasonable, and worthy pursuing?

One of my problems has been hitting the ball too low, my distance is fine, but my low darts don't stick to greens. My pattern change has me hitting the ball higher, but I'm planning on using a lil technology to ensure a higher green sticking trajectory. Wood-iron hybrids?

It sucks when you hit bullets that just roll through greens, G.I.R. missed..

I want my same distance with my same draw but more height... I need wings!
 
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tank

tank

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From everything I have seen and read, Jack was an excellent medium to long range putter, and when you are knocking in 12 footers it takes a lot of pressure off of your pitching and chipping.

That being said, even if you develop a very accurate approach game, it can only help to have a great short game to back it up (T. Woods comes to mind).

I think Jack had 19 second place finishes in the Majors. Who knows how many more he might have have won if he possessed Tiger's short game.
 
mgranato

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I think the tour average is somewhere around 64% for GIR, which leaves 6 to 7 up and down scenarios a round (for that quality of a player) - if you don't like pitching and chipping, that's a LOT of Texas wedges per round, lol. Also, forget about the best players ever - what they did/could do, really has no correlation with how we go about it. Bob Ross (R.I.P.) and Michelangelo were both painters, but only one was an artist.
 
self-mastery

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mgranato said:
Also, forget about the best players ever - what they did/could do, really has no correlation with how we go about it.
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I can probably out chip half of the players on the PGA tour. My initial goal for this summer was to become an expert putter and chipper of the ball. The Texas wedge can be nasty around the greens when you learn how to control distance. I found myself putting from 20yds off the green 2 weeks ago.

I;m trying to create a low variance no nonsense short game, and approach to golf. Something that requires minimum practice, but have me shooting low with ease. I should learn how to bomb the driver 400 yards and turn golf into a drive n putt contest.
 
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Burner

Burner

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Very interesting stats on this topic

You guys might like to have a look at THIS.

Even the touring Pros are not playing for the virtual "tap-ins" at every hole as we are often led to believe.
 
birdie_man

birdie_man

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"I think Jack had 19 second place finishes in the Majors. Who knows how many more he might have have won if he possessed Tiger's short game."

That's true. And I find it weird that a guy like Jack wouldn't practice his short game much. He always seemed so prepared.....and in fact, I actually think he once said that was the most important thing to him- preparation.
 
mgranato

mgranato

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self-mastery said:
I can probably out chip half of the players on the PGA tour. My initial goal for this summer was to become an expert putter and chipper of the ball. The Texas wedge can be nasty around the greens when you learn how to control distance. I found myself putting from 20yds off the green 2 weeks ago.

I;m trying to create a low variance no nonsense short game, and approach to golf. Something that requires minimum practice, but have me shooting low with ease. I should learn how to bomb the driver 400 yards and turn golf into a drive n putt contest.
Click to expand...

For me, the short game IS golf - it's what gets the biscuit in the basket. I admire your goals, but I like some nonsense and variety in my scoring game. I carry 5 wedges and try to use 'em all as often as possible. Nothing drives an opponent crazier than getting up/down from the ball washers - I bet I have way more fun than those high fairways and GIR guys, LOL.
 
tennisdu

tennisdu

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Self-Mastery you say you can out chip of the PGA tours out there....I am curious can you outputt half of them too? If so what handicap do you play to? An by the way I will take high fairway and GIR numbers over scrambling anyday...
 
self-mastery

self-mastery

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I do not keep a USGA handicap (will have to for my future goals:)).

Here's what I score-

Golf inundation (playing multiple times per week) gives me scores in the mid 70's.

Laziness = a lot of inconsistency with scores from anywhere from the high 70's to the high 80's...

I'm in golf inundation phase right now, back from a summer where I couldn't play due to injury.

Thanksgiving- I'm thankful for being able to play golf again.

My putting is going to be one of the things that allows me to supplant JONES as the best amateur golfer of all time.

I have gong fu!!!!!!!!!!!
 
self-mastery

self-mastery

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jeffy said:
What are the specs?

Kinda off topic, but I liked this quote about long-hitting amateur Trip Kuehne (Hank's brother; whatever happened to him, btw?): "He carries five wedges and can't hit any of them!"
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Does Trip remain an amateur because of his weak wedge play?
 
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