There are a couple of scenarios around the greens when pulling out a wood to chip or putt the ball is a smart play. But ONLY if you’ve practiced these shots enough to be comfortable using them during a round.

Scenario #1: Ball Against Collar

Few shots are tougher than a putt when the ball rests against the collar surrounding the green between the first cut and the rough. If the rough is especially long, using a putter runs a serious risk of getting the clubhead caught in the thick stuff and duffing the stroke completely.

The solution is to pull out your 3-wood or 5-wood. The larger head will move through the thicker grass without snagging, and its greater weight will help you keep the face square. Just move your hands forward at address to remove the slight loft. That way the face will more closely resemble the putter’s face. Again, you need to practice this shot a lot to become comfortable with it in real situations, but once you do, it can be a real round saver!

Scenario #2: Ball in Rough Close to Hole

Talk about a scary situation! Your ball lies 3-4 feet from the hole, but it’s on the short side of the green and in the rough. Ouch! Putter is not an option, and any wedge you use runs a serious risk of flying out or being left in the cabbage. What to do? That’s right, pull out the trusty 3 or 5. Again, this shot takes lots of practice, but can easily save you a couple of shots each round.

The key is to keep your hands back, as you would normally for a long wood shot on the fairway. The motion should be with a short backswing and a stabbing downswing. Be careful not to remove loft. Keep your hands back, in the normal wood position. Don’t be surprised if the ball rolls well past the hole, but under these circumstances, a long comeback putt is far preferable to leaving it in the rough or flying over the green! Oh, and next time, take the short side out of play, Einstein! :-)