As I approach each green, I am always faced with the dilemma of putting (which of course is always my first choice), chipping or pitching the ball.  Of course the your choice of the next stroke will depend on many factors: your lie, the distance between the ball and the green, hazards between your ball and the hole….etc.

Ultimately, my preference is to pitch the ball.  I believe the best course of action is get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible.  The convention that I have read is use an 8 iron for the greatest percentage of success.

I on the other hand like to use a 7 iron.  The 7 iron pitches the ball lower, provides better feel and ensures that the ball rolls the greatest distance on the green.   I hold it like a putter, swing it like a putter, and strike the ball with the same strength as I would with a putter.  With practice it has helped shave 2 strokes of my score.

Off to the links tomorrow, I am a grateful golfer.