04/18/2026
When I’m out here in Augusta working with players, this is one of the first things I clean up around the greens—club selection based on the situation, not habit.
Too many golfers grab the same wedge every time and try to force a shot. That doesn’t hold up, especially when you get into Southern grasses like Bermuda. Around here, the lie will dictate everything. If the ball is sitting down, the grass is going to grab the club, slow it down, and take spin off the shot. You have to account for that.
Let’s say I’ve got a ball sitting down in the rough with some distance to carry onto the green and then a good amount of green between where it lands and the hole. That is not a lob wedge shot. Trying to open up a 58 and hit something high and soft out of that lie is a low-percentage play. The grass is going to interfere too much. You’re either going to catch it thin or stick the club in the ground and leave it short.
What I’m going to do instead is take something like a 54, play the ball slightly back in my stance, and keep the face more square or even a touch closed. From there, I’m making a more descending, controlled strike—what most people would call a “chop” shot. I’m not trying to make it pretty. I’m trying to make it functional.
Out of Bermuda, that ball is going to come out lower, but it’s going to come out with more consistency and more forward energy. It will pop up enough to get onto the green and then release. That rollout is exactly what I’m planning for.
The mistake I see is players trying to hit the shot they like instead of the shot the situation calls for. Around here, that will cost you quickly.
The way I approach it is simple. I read the lie first. Then I decide how much carry I actually need versus how much I can let the ball run. From there, I pick the club that makes that shot the easiest to execute.
If the ball is sitting clean, I’ve got more options. If it’s sitting down, I’m simplifying everything—less loft, more control, get it out, get it moving, and let it release.
You don’t need more technique. You need better decisions.
For more help with your short game contact me at [email protected]