What Time Is It?

BigForeGolf

When hitting pitch and chip shots, most golfers look right at the hole and just try to knock it close. Sometimes holes are cut on a hill or slope of a green and leaving the ball in the right spot around the hole will leave the best putt to have to make. Many times we hit a great chip that rolls a few feet past the hole and the putt left is on a side hill that breaks or a fast downhill putt coming back and these are lower percentage putts. Try this drill a few times when practicing and you'll make more up and downs on the course.

 

  • You first need to analyze the green around the hole. It might be flat making it easy or it could be on a slope making some of the putts around the hole difficult. You are most likely more comfortable making a 3 footer straight up a little hill over a sidehill slider so think about where you want to leave the ball around the hole!

  • Now picture a clock around the cup making a circle about 3-5 feet around the hole. For example, if the green around the hole slopes from your left to your right, or 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock, then you will want to chip the ball inside the circle with the ball stopping at 3 o'clock so you are left with an uphill putt.

  • This drill will help you to read greens while improving your distance control and accuracy of your pitch and chip shots. When you leave the ball in the right spot to make more putts it only leads to lower scores. So remember to think about the clock and figure out what time it is!