Around the green, golfers are overwhelmed with options. Bump it with a 9-iron. Open the face and float a lob wedge. Keep the wrists quiet. Use more hinge. Play it low. Play it high.
Depending on whom you listen to, there is always another shot you should be learning.
The result for many players is not creativity. It is confusion. Too many choices can lead to hesitation. That’s exactly the problem Patrick Cantlay was running into with his short game.
How Cantlay simplified his short game
In a video from GolfPass, Cantlay explains that he used to vary clubs constantly around the green. One shot would call for a higher-lofted wedge. Another would be played lower with a different club. He was capable of hitting all of them but the constant switching created indecision for him.
He found himself caught between choices.
To simplify the process, he began thinking of his 61-degree wedge first on almost every chip. If there was a shot available with it, that was the shot he hit. Only when the 61-degree wedge clearly could not produce the shot would he move on to another option.
What this strategy is really about
This strategy is not about saying your most-lofted wedge is the best option you have; it’s about reducing mental clutter.
By starting with a default club, Cantlay removed an entire layer of decision making. Instead of choosing a club and then choosing a shot, he focused on choosing a landing spot.
He describes working backward from the green. First, he looks for the largest and most predictable landing area such as a gentle upslope or a section of green that produces similar results even when the strike or carry is not perfect.
Once that landing area is chosen, the swing becomes simpler and more committed because he knows it’s the 61-degree wedge.
How lie and grain shape the shot
Cantlay also explains how lie and grain affect expectations. On Bermuda grass into the grain, he knows the ball will come out lower.
Instead of trying to force a high spinning shot, he plans for rollout and bounce with the 61-degree wedge. His control comes from choosing the correct landing, not trying to manufacture spin or roll on a shot that is not set up for it.
Amateur golfers often try to hit shots the turf conditions do not call for. Committing to one wedge helps you better understand how lie and grain influence the ball around the green.
My take on making this work for regular golfers
I am all for finding what works for you around the green, within reason.
There are times when my pitching wedge chip is my most consistent option. The motion is simple. The rollout is predictable. But there are also situations where it is clearly not the smartest play.
Cantlay is not ignoring those situations.
The takeaway from this tip is to reduce indecision. Get really good with one option. Use it often. Change only when the situation truly demands it. The challenge that I believe faces amateur golfers is learning to identify when the situation has changed and another shot is necessary. That takes time and practice.
That is where a professional like Patrick Cantlay separates himself. Even with fewer choices, there is still a decision-making process on every greenside shot.
How about you? How do you approach your greenside shots?
