The biggest difference between Tour pros and amateurs is how far the pros hit. Despite the pros' prodigious length, their most compelling advantage compared with amateurs is their prowess in getting up and down from 30 yards. The pros manage to do so 46% of the time, while 10-handicap amateurs succeed only 11% and 30-handicappers less than 3%. "The short, partial-swing wedge is the high-handicap amateur's worst shot," Pelz said. Part of the problem is a poor feel for distance due to lack of practice. Even worse is hitting the ball fat or thin. Given the delicacy of the half swing, a fat hit might advance the ball only a few feet while a scull could shoot the ball 30 yards over the green. Even once they reach the green, amateurs could face their second-worst shot: long lag putting.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203918304577241550813907764.html
