Master Chipping Around the Golf Green with RULE of 12

This is an excerpt of the Golf Smarter podcast ep532 published on 3/22/16.
Host Fred Greene is at Rooster Run Golf Course in Petaluma, CA with Director of Instruction Dave Johnson. In this excerpt of the full interview, Dave talks about turning 3 shots into 2 by mastering green-side chipping by using a putting stroke and knowing how long the ball will roll with each club.

[QueensWino]

Best, most succinct explanation of the rule! Thanks for breaking it down without all the excessive verbiage used by others!

[ScratchArkkitehti]

This isnt counting how many paces off the green you are. The increments come from how many paces from the edge of the collar you are to your desired landing spot EX: Easier than ratios. Ie. Chipping only, recommended to be max. 3 paces off green. Start counting from the edge of the collar to your landing spot. Say 3 paces on. And you're 15 total paces from collar to cup. So you've got 5 total units of 3. Use 12 minus your 5 units = 7iron. Note: might be an 8 for modern lofts.

[ANTROBUSN]

This has changed my short game for the better!

[Zerpersande]

Uh, don’t you have the PW and SW turned around in your thumbnail???

[kipbillings]

Wouldn't the math be simpler using the "Rule of 13"? For example, 1 part carry plus 1 equal part roll: 1+1 =2, 13-2 = 11 or SW. Or, 1 part carry, 3 parts roll, 1+3 =4, 13-4 = 9 iron.

[dougsmith]

so this strategy was applied when SW was god knows what, and PW was like 50 degrees, correct? Does it still apply the same? or should we subtract 1 from each club or make it rule of 13 instead due to loft jacking?

[kbrownou]

All clubs loft spacings are similar; except there’s no Gap wedge shown here between the Sand Wedge (1:1) and Pitching Wedge (1:2). I would think the Gap wedge (having a loft between SW and PW) would have 1:2 carry/run ratio, with PW then being 1:3; and so on through all the irons.

[kompratboodsri]

Hi, it is a really good technique for chipping. I have one question. I assume this ratio might be used for normal slope. If in case that the slope is down hill or up hill, what the ratio will be. Hope my question is clear and not too late to ask. Thanks.

[kc]

No, i dont get the 12 bit!! Like the flight:roll ratio tho.

[BourneAccident]

Isn't the calculation made a little differently? Units deducted from 12 rather than a flat ratio? Or is it the same thing? What about the GW? Anybody?

[wisherweet]

Thumbnail wrong...SW and PW are wrong way

[swingwizard]

OMG! bullshit.why? I am a PGA pro for 20 years now, but when I was an amateur I thought like this too en wanted to have a complete list with distances like what is described here. So I made it. That was on a hard Dutch dry links course with a hard green. I was also member of Golf club du Mans in France (yes the 24 hour circuit) with a forest course and very fast soft greens. (they were like the most American greens). Nothing of my data was usable. Nothing. All my sand wedges were way short due to the backspin.