Situation: sticky.
Your approach came up short, leaving you with as much grass between you and the edge of the green as there is between the edge and the pin. Do you fly it all the way to the hole or just to the apron? It’s a tough shot either way.
My typical advice on any short-game shot is to favor roll over flight when you don’t have an obstacle looming in front of you. Here, since you’ve got a good chunk of grass to deal with, your roll’s going to need some extra oomph.
Enter the wood chip. Using a fairway wood (or even a hybrid) to hit short-game shots is widely undervalued. The larger, smoother sole of a wood means the club isn’t as prone to stick to the turf, and its extra heft helps power the ball a good ways with minimal effort.
Simply set up like a normal putt (choking down a bit to accommodate the longer shaft length) and make your normal putting stroke.
Tip: Use a bit more hinge going back and through. A little wrist action is all you need to roll the ball through the grass and the full distance.
Bernie Najar is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and is the director of instruction at Caves Valley GC in Owings Mills, Md.
