Run Shot Versus Lob Shot

Video Transcript

I am just off the green, playing my shot from the fairway and I am faced with the situation where I can either run the golf ball down to the pin or I can pitch it in the air. This is a situation that golfers are constantly faced with throughout their round. They have to make a decision whether to lob the ball in the air all the way to the hole or they want to get it on the ground as fast as possible and run it up there. Conventional wisdom says get the ball on the ground as soon as possible and run the ball up to the hole. But you have to play to your strengths, so some people are better at chipping the ball up to the hole, some people are better at lobbing the ball up to the hole. Let's see how I do here. I have a 9-iron, I am going to run it first. I am going to put the ball back in my stance, stand the club up a little taller, lean to my left side, hit the ball with a little chipping motion and run it down a little ridge to the hole. That was very good, I will take that shot any time. Let's see how I do with my 60 degree wedge. Here I have to put my stance a little bit wider, I am going to put the ball a little more in the center of my stance, make a little bit bigger swing. Ah, stymied. Both shots were very good. What I would tend to play more to the run shot than to pitch the ball up in the air. I find that when I have the ball on the ground I have more control over it than when it is up in the air. You have to play to your strengths, remember that, but it is best to develop both of those shots to be the most successful around greens.