Great players know most of the scoring shots are taken from 100 yards and in. However, these can sometimes be some of the most difficult shots in the game. If you think you’re missing out on a few of these short-game secrets, here are five that will help you feel (and play) like the best players on the course.
Chip like you putt
Chipping should be a simple motion. If you can chip like you putt, you eliminate complicated mechanics and unnecessary wrist hinge.
Put your arms and your shoulders to work together like a pendulum to provide consistency. Do the same when you chip.
Think of chipping as putting with a lofted club. To experiment with different distances, try using an 8-iron or 9-iron in addition to the pitching wedge and gap wedge.
This is how Tommy Fleetwood does it so it’s hard to argue with that!
Switch clubs instead of swings
Once you feel how simple a chip shot should be, you can start dialing in distance control by switching clubs (instead of swings). Don’t overcomplicate these shots.
Take a sand wedge, gap wedge and 9-iron to the practice area.
Try to keep the stroke the same and notice the difference in the distance by switching clubs. The lower-ofted clubs roll out more. Adjust the club you hit depending on the pin location but keep your chipping stroke the same.
Use the bounce
The bounce on your wedges is there for a reason. If you struggle to get out of bunkers, start using the bounce to skim through the sand rather than digging the leading edge into the sand.
Hit behind the ball at a descending angle. A little weight on the lead side is important. Try to focus on opening the face, taking a longer and smoother swing and accelerating through, using that bounce to help you get the ball out of the bunker.
Engaging the bounce prevents your wedge from getting stuck in the sand. A steady, downward strike with an open face creates a controlled, explosion-like effect that pops the ball out softly.
Walk around your putts
For the longer lag putts, ensure you read the green from both sides of the hole, checking what it looks like from all angles.
Walking all the way around will also help your brain associate the distance the ball needs to travel to the hole with the length of your putting stroke.
As you get better, look for details like grain direction or slope severity. Right before you take the club back, look at the hole one last time to help you utilize all that information and imagery you collected.
Adapt to the lie
You should analyze every lie you get around the greens. Your technique needs to be adjusted depending on how the ball is sitting.
- When chipping from shorter grass, you can shallow the swing and use more of the bounce to clip it clean. The swing may feel a little more in to out. It’s also easier to take a little less loft and keep the stroke more like a putt if the lie allows.
- In deeper rough, the wedge sometimes has to get more vertical to avoid the thick grass grabbing the clubhead and turning it. These shots will likely have less spin and need you to land them short of the hole so they have room to roll.
If you don’t analyze the lie and you force the same shot type you will not get the results you need to play like the better golfers.
Final thoughts
Great players keep their short games as simple as possible. They let the club do the work and know what to look for when analyzing the slope of the green or the difficulty of their lie. Start implementing these changes into your game today and see what it can do.
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