Texas Wedge, When and How to Play It Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles
Texas Wedge, When and How to Play It Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles

Now let's look at the Texas wedge option of using your putter when you're not actually on the putting green. Some beginners actually think there's a rule that says you can only use your putter when you're on the putting green, but that's not right at all. You can use your putter anywhere you like on the golf course.

And actually when you're on the fringe of the green or when you're around the green, using your putter is often the better or safer option. There's a couple of times when this might become noticeably the best shot to hit.

Maybe if there's a huge slope up unto the green and then a very short area of green and if that huge slope is all flat, smooth fringe and you think the ball will roll evenly over that, the putt might be the best choice. When you've got an area where maybe at the back of the green, there's a big severe down slope with a water hazard, the last thing you want to do is blade your wedge and shoot it off through to the water hazard. I would consider using a putter then as well.

If the lie is quite good, I might consider using my putter and if the grass is growing with me and it's all nicely striped towards the hole, also using my putter. Maybe if the grass is growing into me, I might not. If the grains of the grass are pointing towards the direction I'm playing, might feel that the ball is going to bubble and jump a little bit too much.

But the one reason why I would often consider using my putter (Texas Wedge) from off the green is you'll never really hit this as a top shot or as a fat shot. I can't remember the last time I got a bad strike out of my putter. Generally, I will get some form of good contact and as long as I can just take my normal approach, nudge it up unto to the green, if I've read the surface correctly and I've read the putt correctly, generally my bad putt will be better than my bad cheap shot.

So your bad cheap shot might be a duff that doesn't raise the green. It might be a thin through that races off into the bunker on the putting -- on the hazard on the far side of the putting green. But generally, your bad putt would still get up unto the green, maybe even 6 or 7 ft. away and certainly your good putts have got a real good chance of rolling stone that maybe even going in.

So don't be afraid of using your putter from off the green. Weigh up the options, see when's the right time to use the Texas Wedge and see if you can knock it up nice and close with your putter.

 2012-08-07

Now let's look at the Texas wedge option of using your putter when you're not actually on the putting green. Some beginners actually think there's a rule that says you can only use your putter when you're on the putting green, but that's not right at all. You can use your putter anywhere you like on the golf course.

And actually when you're on the fringe of the green or when you're around the green, using your putter is often the better or safer option. There's a couple of times when this might become noticeably the best shot to hit.

Maybe if there's a huge slope up unto the green and then a very short area of green and if that huge slope is all flat, smooth fringe and you think the ball will roll evenly over that, the putt might be the best choice. When you've got an area where maybe at the back of the green, there's a big severe down slope with a water hazard, the last thing you want to do is blade your wedge and shoot it off through to the water hazard. I would consider using a putter then as well.

If the lie is quite good, I might consider using my putter and if the grass is growing with me and it's all nicely striped towards the hole, also using my putter. Maybe if the grass is growing into me, I might not. If the grains of the grass are pointing towards the direction I'm playing, might feel that the ball is going to bubble and jump a little bit too much.

But the one reason why I would often consider using my putter (Texas Wedge) from off the green is you'll never really hit this as a top shot or as a fat shot. I can't remember the last time I got a bad strike out of my putter. Generally, I will get some form of good contact and as long as I can just take my normal approach, nudge it up unto to the green, if I've read the surface correctly and I've read the putt correctly, generally my bad putt will be better than my bad cheap shot.

So your bad cheap shot might be a duff that doesn't raise the green. It might be a thin through that races off into the bunker on the putting — on the hazard on the far side of the putting green. But generally, your bad putt would still get up unto the green, maybe even 6 or 7 ft. away and certainly your good putts have got a real good chance of rolling stone that maybe even going in.

So don't be afraid of using your putter from off the green. Weigh up the options, see when's the right time to use the Texas Wedge and see if you can knock it up nice and close with your putter.