Putt when you can,  when you can’t putt,  chip , when you can’t chip,  pitch,  for many players adopting this strategy could save them shots around the green as they try to make the score to lower their handicap.  Fundamentally this tactic means leaving the aerial route to the flag as the last option due to the difficulty in getting the judgement right through the air.  As green keeping presentation improves golf courses offer the player the option of playing along the ground as aprons and approaches are refined and cut to allow smoother surfaces.  Most courses in the locale and in particular Brora offer the links type conditions at various if not all holes which allows the low running shot to be played so the putter should be used more often as a poor putt will invariably end up closer to the hole than a poor chip or pitch.

Apart from the putter the choice of club for chipping and pitching is a personal decision, an eight iron can be good for chipping with the wedge for pitching.  Wedge lofts vary but around fifty two degrees will give the versatility needed for the various heights and distances required.   When chipping or pitching the player must always keep their hands ahead of the club head.  The shot is played trying to achieve this and therefore the club head will always be accelerating through impact avoiding the fatal mistake of slowing down or decelerating through impact.   Every time you play these shots remember the club head must be travelling at its maximum speed from impact onwards allowing the length of the backswing to control the length of the shot.   It is also worth trying to ensure when playing the shot there is no tension in your right wrist for right handed players and left wrist for left handed players, so don’t worry about the aerial route,  along the ground is OK. 

The dust has long settled on the Masters and whilst I mentioned the shot making ability of these great players it was perhaps the putter which played the key role considering Bubba Watson had eleven one putt greens in his last round,  A stunning performance en-route to a remarkable victory.  My own Choice of a winner,   Lee Westwood improved with each round but could not find the winning formula until the following week when he Won the Malaysian Open with an eighteen under par total seven shots ahead of the threesome of Bernd Wiesberger,  Louis Oosthuizen and Nicolas Colsaerts.  This Sunday is when We will launch our get into golf at Brora,  if your a new player,  or fancy coming out of retirement come along and try the game I shall be on hand to help and encourage you to  go on to the golf course and have some fun contact either myself brian@broragolfpro. co. uk  the secretary at Brora Golf Club for more information.