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TO WEDGE PUTT or NOT TO WEDGE PUTT ?

• ct690911 7,195 Posts

  Thu, Feb 7 2019 3:15 PM

  I don't think I've ever seen so much written about the use of a wedge on the green...oi vey

• whooshdangit 1,246 Posts

  Thu, Feb 7 2019 3:34 PM

  Hi Guys

  Speaking here as someone who favours the "lofted putter" now and again, it seems to me that the question can be broken into two parts.

  "Wedging one" can be very erratic, dependent on green speed and wind. The difference between fast8 and fast9 for example, Best of Putting, is large. Factor in Champ13s or T12s and it's not something I use on a regular basis, aside from the p*ssing people off factor in multi player.

  Wether using spin would help I'm not sure. On the faster greens maybe but with my wedges (ATVs) any hint of spin would see my ball coming back past me faster than it left. Aside from that, some courses take spin better than others. St Andrews for example, wedging one can see the club whoosh through under the ball, resulting in a "hop" of a couple of feet. Chambers Bay works much better.

  Just my thoughts . .

  Cheers!

  Rich

• Kenher01 1,151 Posts

  Thu, Feb 7 2019 3:53 PM

  el3n1:

  #ken - I agree with #Myth but I would have to picture the putt on Kiawah... and if it did arise, I would say it would need to be C14 greens or more to be a factor... While Kiawah greens seem to have some funny breaks you are not in nearly as many dangerous potential 3 putt positions as other courses… but again, I haven't putted Kiawah much in C14 speeds.

  I felt your examples of Chambers were very plausible and C13 or C14 greens would dramatically alter how you can approach the driveable par 4 in a tail wind.

  I can't remember if it was a ready go, random tourn or the VT event last month but I recall having a dreaded putt on that hole... I took the smart play and thought I was laying up with 3 wd but it carried onto the front of the green.  That isn't a bad spot unless you also catch the right slope that prevents a good line to the hole... then it is a very tricky putt... the wedge would be perfect for that... however, I tried to putt using the slopes but not nearly as well.

  I did watch the most amazing putt I have ever seen by Fmagnets on that hole by actually throwing the ball onto the back slope well beyond the pin and letting it funnel back to the hole for a lag putt birdie... Most creative thing I ever saw, took him nearly 3 minutes of his 12 minute round to think it thru before hitting it... a wedge putt could be done in a fraction of the time and much easier and done by about anyone... I would wager more like a handful of people would have pulled off the same putt as Mags... so it alters how the game is played without a doubt!

  Hi el3n1,

                 Yes when someone like mags or whoever makes one of them 1 In a million putts we can but applaud & I'm someone who not just putts 98% +/- of the time from the green (Would use the FBS Wedge a lot when called for  If I played Mobile but I'm strictly a PC player) but I also putt a lot from the fringe, Most would say "Pitch It" but I like to putt & do If It's on but will pitch If It's a Hail Mary putt.

  Just thinking about It, Hole 5 at St Andy's, Tailwind for 2nd shot & you do everything correct with approach shot except one thing "Damn I forgot to add spin, Oh Noooooooo"

  So we'll say It's the front pin & we end up past the middle of the green & outside the range of the 60 yd Wedge, I presume you could use the 80 Yd Wedge with FBS & take then hump out of play & fly It there with minimal roll out ?

  Ken

• Kenher01 1,151 Posts

  Thu, Feb 7 2019 3:56 PM

  Hi Rich,

               Phew thankfully you didn't mention The Big Bertha 3 Wood ("lofted putter") by name, Otherwise there would be uproar! ;)

  Ken

• Mythanatos 2,203 Posts

  Thu, Feb 7 2019 4:02 PM

  Kenher01:

  Mythanatos:

   

  Bottom line as i said, it saves me a stroke here or there. that's the only thing that matters. a stroke here or there is going to make me credits in a RG. 

  Hi Mythanatos,

                           As you are speaking from experience of It saving you a stroke here or there (I can certainly see how It could) & earlier on a previous page I gave extreme examples of where It could be used It got me thinking about non-extreme examples where I thought that If I played through the Mobile platform I'd use It (FBS wedge on green)

  Say If I were to get out of position on any on the many greens at Kiawah & leave myself a mid-range putt that has only have two camera views & both are badly skewed, I'd probably just take out my wedge & hit It.

  Sticking with Kiawah & again with a mid-range putt that has say a lot of break at the feet, Straightens out mid way & then breaks again at the hole I can picture myself taking out the wedge & only worrying about the last 1/2 a yd & cos of the BS I If I miss-ding/miss holing It I don't have to worry about It getting away from me & missing the return putt.

  Just curious, Looking for your opinion on the above from the point of view of someone who wields It (FBS  Wedge) Would you (Maybe you have) use the FBS Wedge In those situations (I know I would) & kudos to you If you do for using all the clubs at your disposal, It's like having a 15th club In the bag

  Ken

  ive  used it in all those examples. 

   

  if you were to play in Bellagio coin room as example it's very unusual now to see a player hit a putt that's over 30 feet with a putter. such a long putt reading the break has to be perfect or lucky. a wedge just adjust slightly for wind or break at the hole and odds are it's going to be within a foot. and the % chance of holing  it is higher.

  or a mid range putt of lets say 32 feet with 6-7 feet of break on it. and if you read it wrong on the low side it burns past 5-7 feet making for a harder par putt. wedge it. tap in par.

   

• Mythanatos 2,203 Posts

  Thu, Feb 7 2019 4:07 PM

  Kenher01:

  So we'll say It's the front pin & we end up past the middle of the green & outside the range of the 60 yd Wedge, I presume you could use the 80 Yd Wedge with FBS & take then hump out of play & fly It there with minimal roll out ?

   

  80 yard Cleveland performs the same as the 60 yard wedge. and the numbers are fairly linear. do the math. 60/80=.75

  so 75% mark of 80 yard wedge is the same as 100% of the 60. extrapolate upward from there.

   

• Kenher01 1,151 Posts

  Thu, Feb 7 2019 4:08 PM

  Mythanatos:

  Kenher01:

  Mythanatos:

   

  Bottom line as i said, it saves me a stroke here or there. that's the only thing that matters. a stroke here or there is going to make me credits in a RG. 

  Hi Mythanatos,

                           As you are speaking from experience of It saving you a stroke here or there (I can certainly see how It could) & earlier on a previous page I gave extreme examples of where It could be used It got me thinking about non-extreme examples where I thought that If I played through the Mobile platform I'd use It (FBS wedge on green)

  Say If I were to get out of position on any on the many greens at Kiawah & leave myself a mid-range putt that has only have two camera views & both are badly skewed, I'd probably just take out my wedge & hit It.

  Sticking with Kiawah & again with a mid-range putt that has say a lot of break at the feet, Straightens out mid way & then breaks again at the hole I can picture myself taking out the wedge & only worrying about the last 1/2 a yd & cos of the BS I If I miss-ding/miss holing It I don't have to worry about It getting away from me & missing the return putt.

  Just curious, Looking for your opinion on the above from the point of view of someone who wields It (FBS  Wedge) Would you (Maybe you have) use the FBS Wedge In those situations (I know I would) & kudos to you If you do for using all the clubs at your disposal, It's like having a 15th club In the bag

  Ken

  ive  used it in all those examples. 

   

  if you were to play in Bellagio coin room as example it's very unusual now to see a player hit a putt that's over 30 feet with a putter. such a long putt reading the break has to be perfect or lucky. a wedge just adjust slightly for wind or break at the hole and odds are it's going to be within a foot. and the % chance of holing  it is higher.

  or a mid range putt of lets say 32 feet with 6-7 feet of break on it. and if you read it wrong on the low side it burns past 5-7 feet making for a harder par putt. wedge it. tap in par.

   

  Hi Mythanatos,

                           Yes makes sense, Keep on truckin'

  Ken

• Rick6208 2,148 Posts

  Sun, Feb 24 2019 1:41 PM

  ok until becomes an illegal shot , the wedge putt is the way to go on long putts

• dchallenger 545 Posts

  Mon, Feb 25 2019 7:47 AM

  I don't care if y'all use a curling broom.  I'll STILL whoop ya!

   

  And for those that use a wedge to line up a putt...KEEP ON doing that!  It is always advantageous!!!       ...for ME!!!!!

  LMAO@You!!!!

• middbrew 318 Posts

  Tue, Feb 26 2019 12:18 PM

  alanti:

  On the moot point of an advantage as the mobile player can use spin chipping on the green in a tournament.....I would say this advantage would perhaps occur once every 10 rounds or so at the most?

  There are actually a lot of mobile players that use a wedge no matter where on the green they are and are very very good at it. I played a H2h 9 hole game that my opponent used his putter about twice just to knock in a putt sitting on the edge of the cup. 

  Is it illegal! No, if it's legal on the PGA and WGT follows those same rules  then following that logic it's ok to use.