So since my last golf lesson, I've really begun paying attention to a few things that I think are helping me. One of them is something I wanted to share. When I'm hitting my pitch/chip shots into and around the green, I'm taking more time now to walk up to the green and read it like I do when I putt. I visualize how my golf ball will be coming in from my chip or pitch and where it will land and how it would break and roll after it lands.

In doing so I'm noticing i have chipped on twice since then (not statistically significant I know but...), and my resulting putts are generally shorter than before.

Anyone else go through the motion of reading the greens and visualizing different shots you could hit and where they need to land to get close to the hole?

Yes, at least to some degree. I always like to get a feel for how the ball will roll once it lands and then aim to land the chip at a spot that will allow the ball to cozy up to the hole. The amount of roll-out that I need will dictate the club and shot selection. I keep it pretty basic preferring to groove in a couple of stock chips -- with and without wrist hinge -- rather than attempt more advanced shots that have a higher probability of failure. If I execute the shot properly, I'm usually left with a reasonable length putt or less.

definitely, I look at the slope just like how I look at it affecting a putt...assuming chip/run to the hole, the last part of the shot is on the green just like a putt, so why not.
Oftentimes if you are off the green, you are below it and can actually see the contours a little better than when you are standing on top of it.
If someone is chipping on before me, I'll watch how their shot rolls, just like I watch other people's putts, too.
I've even used the "backstop" effect a couple of times where I'm hitting a lofted chip/flop-ish kind of shot, to make it push the ball down closer to the hole. That's a fun one.

I am the opposite of that golfer. I like to take one practice swing, aim for the spot I want and let it go. If I get more serious with the game of golf, I will try and visualize and read the green like you suggest.

If we could just figure out how to think "without thinking" we would have it made. I *think* you need to drill it into your head before hand; at the range or putting green, etc., Then on the golf course, all you have to do is... "remember."

Some has come out with a treining video on how NOT the think too much while playing golf, Name of the video is Mind Off, Golf On. Might help all those OVER thinkers out there.

So i've been thinking about my last round, and the 4 birdies I made, 2 on the 2 Par 5s of the course. In those cases, I didn't play those holes like I normally do, which is to lay up on my 2nd shot to a full wedge distance for my approach. This time, in both cases, my drive was far enough I could get at least by the green if not on. And by doing so I had a short pitch shot at the pin as opposed to trying to attack it from 120 yards. In this case, it worked out as I was able to get within about 8-10 ft of the hole and made both.

So clearly it was dependent on the initial drive but I will try and remember those shots the next time I am playing the Par 5s.

So following up on the mental strategy, how many of you approach hole or a shot and ask yourself "How is this supposed to be played?" How many times do you work backwards from the green (which I know we can't always see, but assuming you're not playing a course for the first time and you know the basics of the hole) to setup your first shot?

I'm starting to do that more, starting with the question of "if I want to birdie this hole, where do I want to be hitting my approach shot from that will give me the best chance to do that?"

And along with that, I'm trying to remember what my instructor told me as I'm looking at the green: Divide it into 4 quarters and decide whether each quarter is a

- No, don't want to hit the ball there
- HELL NO, don't hit the ball there,
- Ok, that would be doable,
- Yes, that's where I leave myself the best chance to make a putt.


So she said, this about each approach shot to the green like that to narrow down where you don't want to leave the ball. I think this helps pinpoint your focus, like not just hitting balls at the range, but choosing a target.

So the next time your out playing, try to think through the hole before you swing. If you could drop the ball somewhere on the hole or green, where would it be? Why? Analyze it and then try to execute the plan.

Except for short par 4's and par 3's, I'm often playing for bogey...since if I one-putt, I make par. So I definitely play my shots to give myself a preferred angle/distance for that last shot into the green.
When you play the same course a lot, you know how all the fairways slope, where the "speed slots" are, etc...so there are also times I'd deliberately hit a shorter club to ensure that my ball ended up on a flat area, rather than an upslope or side slope.
I also take in to consideration the likely mis-hit for a specific club. For example, I am likely to hook my hybrid...so I'll usually aim further right to make sure I don't go near trouble which may be left of my target. I never count on hitting a "perfect" shot

Lol Aimee, "... I never count on hitting a *perfect* shot..." I laugh because I always count on hitting a perfect shot; but never quite do somehow. However, I'm happy with becoming less and less "imperfect..."

I like your instructors advice on picking a section of the green to aim for and ones to avoid. Sounds like good advice to me. If you know how the green slopes and where the pin is, you can aim for a part of the green that will leave you with an uphill putt, which most golfer have the best chance of making. Leaving an uphill putt is something the talk about all the time during the TV coverage of tour events. I can see how it would be even more important for the average golfer that can't putt as well as the tour pros.

Yeah Don, sound advice. After that it comes down to our ability to execute. So many things we have to do and think about in preparing to hit a golf shot. I see why having a caddie would be helpful. Someone else to help with the whole "hey, remember, don't go for this or that part of the green". I haven't yet gotten myself trained enough to ask the right questions often enough. I am doing a better job on chips, walking up and checking out the landing area/etc. But I (we) need to really take time and go through all our steps before we decide what shot to hit and I admit, I forget steps all the time...

helps when you actually know the greens...or have a caddy to know them. On the courses I play all the time I'm pretty good at remembering the "best" areas to hit to. There is a short par 3, for example, that does slope down towards the front 1/4 of the green, so if pin is front, I'll tend to hit the shot a bit short to just get on to the green and leave an easier uphill putt. Of course, execution is another matter.

Unless of course, compensating for a mis-hit will land the perfectly struck ball in trouble.

I'm sure we all have memories of aiming left or right of the green to compensate for our ball flight and then promptly flushing the shot to end up with a "fried egg" in a green side bunker...or worse, catching a water hazard!

No doubt, can compensate for likely mis-hit and manage to hit it perfectly straight...but I give myself about a 30 degree range from right to left to get to a "safe" landing area. If the area I'm hitting to is very tight, I'll hit a club that I know I can control better and rather be short than in a bunker, for example.
Water is my nemesis, I have to hit a layup really close to the edge to have a chance of getting over. Long water carries are bad news for me (get tense and swing herky-jerky).