Why Can’t I Get Up and Down?

How often do you get up and down? The PGA Tour average is about 60 percent. Data from Shot Scope shows that a 25-handicap golfer gets up and down about 25 percent of the time from less than 50 yards. Ever wonder why the pros make it look so easy? Sure, they have more skill and golf is their livelihood but you can still make simple tweaks and adjustments to get up and down more often.

Not utilizing the full loft of the club

Trying to get up and down typically requires a high-lofted golf club. The mistake many amateur golfers make is underutilizing the full loft of the club in their hands.

Using the maximum loft of your wedge helps you stop the ball on the green and develop more control. This is especially important for delicate chips and pitches.

Check that your hands align with the ball (but not too far forward). Excessive shaft lean delofts the club, making it very difficult to stop the ball on the green. Keep the clubface neutral and don’t force your hands ahead of the golf ball.

Poor aim and alignment

Chipping and pitching is not a time to ignore aiming. You still need to make sure your clubface is aligned with your target. When practicing shots under 100 yards on the driving range, put some alignment sticks on the ground to confirm your alignment.

A more open stance sometimes encourages a higher ball flight but you must check your clubface alignment to ensure your shots don’t end up too far right of the target.

Incorrect club selection

Picking the wrong club is a classic mistake when trying to get up and down. Many amateurs reach for a club with too much loft when they don’t need it. Those high shots may look pretty (when they work) but your chance of pulling them off is pretty slim.

The lower you can keep your shots around the green, the easier it is to get up and down. Shot Scope data shows that a 15-handicapper is three times more likely to get up and down with their putter than with a lob wedge.

If you’re uncomfortable using the putter from off the green, a 9-iron, 8-iron or pitching wedge gives you at least a 10 percent better chance of getting up and down than the lob wedge.

The bottom line? Keeping the ball closer to the ground gives you the best opportunity to get up and down.

Poor green reading

You want to give yourself the most makeable putt possible when trying to get up and down.

This means taking every opportunity to get the ball close to the hole. Start by looking at the slope of the green. Where do you want to leave the ball? Can you land your shot in a specific location that helps it roll more toward the hole and increase your chances of making the putt?

Can you leave yourself an uphill putt?

Incorporate a little awareness and basic green reading into your chipping and pitching.  

Practicing only from the best lies

How many perfect lies do you get in the course of a round of golf? If you want to get better at getting up and down, teach yourself to play from various lies. (hardpan, rough, sand, etc.)

Here’s a basic cheat sheet for these different types of lies.

Lie Type	Characteristics	Club Selection	Setup and Execution
Hard Pan Lie or Tight Lie	Firm, compact ground with minimal grass coverage.	Use a 7-iron or 8-iron.	Position ball slightly back in stance, focus on a simple action more like a putting stroke.
Thick Rough	Long, dense grass that grabs the clubface.	Use a sand wedge or lob wedge.	Open the clubface and the stance, maintain steady tempo.
Light Rough	Slightly thicker grass, the ball isn’t buried.	Use a 9-iron or wedge depending on shot needed.	Position ball in the center, keep a smooth, controlled swing, open the clubface if you don’t have room to stop the ball on the green.

Mental approach and confidence

If you don’t trust your short game, it’s hard to stand over a delicate chip or pitch and feel like you can pull it off. Spend time practicing pitch and chip shots from various lies and conditions and on making putts that are 10 feet or less. Most importantly, when you stand over a shot, commit to it.

Neglecting to track your stats

Start keeping track of how often you get up and down. This data can tell you if you are making the right shots. At the very least, note how far your chip or pitch landed from the hole. If you are 35 feet away each time and never made the putt, your putting isn’t really the problem.

You’ll need to get your approach within 10 feet of the hole as often as possible to start getting up and down more.

Equipment check

The equipment you use will also influence your ability to get up and down. Look for accurate wedges that can spin (even from the wet grass) and focus on choosing a putter that performs well from 10 feet.

• Best Golf Wedges
• Best Mallet Putters
• Best Blade Putters

Final thoughts

At this point, you have some tips and tricks to help you get up and down more often. While hitting more greens can eliminate the need to get up and down, even professional golfers don’t hit every green in regulation. Getting up and down is just part of the game you have to master!