SHORT GAME TUNE-UP

Now that we’ve all been out playing a bit . . . or a lot . . . the winter rust is chipped off and the deficiencies in our golf games begin to show up and cost us strokes and turn pretty good rounds into bad one. Maybe it’s the driver, maybe the approach shots. But my bet is that almost every golfer really needs to sharpen their short game to get the most out of golf this season. Today’s post is prompted by an email from Charles P., who asked:

“My game is coming around after the winter layoff, but now that summer is here, I want to really work to lower my 14 handicap that I’ve lived with for several years. It’s apparent to me that it boils down to my up-and-down percentage – it’s just not good enough to turn missed greens into pars. How can I improve that part of my game?”

Sure, Charles, as that is what the Wedge Guy is all about. Regardless of your handicap, a sharper short game will help you chisel strokes quicker than anything. So, let’s just dive into a few aspects that will help you, taking my own advice and working from the hole backward.

1. Master the short putts: If you become proficient from 6-8’ and in, you take a lot of heat off your chipping and pitching. This is where break is usually minimized, and it all boils down to stroke mechanics. Try to build a one-piece back-and-through motion with a minimum of moving parts . . . and then just drill like crazy. You can set up a simple putting track in your garage or office with a piece of “fast” commercial or indoor-outdoor carpet glued to an 18” wide strip of plywood. Groove a stroke you can trust and always keep your head down on these “shorties.”


2. Become a better lag putter: The only way to practice this is on the putting green, so spend some evenings there. Take only two balls and choose putts of 15-45’. Putt the first one, go to “school” on it, and hit the second. Give yourself varying putts of different distances and breaks, and just practice getting your eyes and hands to work together. It’s all about touch, and your eyes are the key. Fill your head with a clear picture of the putt as you’ve diagnosed speed and break, take your practice strokes while looking at the hole to get a sense of the speed, and “putt to the picture” in your mind.


3. Quiet Hands for better chipping and pitching: The biggest mistake I see amateur golfers make on their short shots is to get the hands too involved. Chips and short pitch shots require “quiet” hands, which means that the wrist action is minimized, and the club path and speed are controlled by the body core rotation. Actually, it’s not too dissimilar from a good putting stroke, except that you allow the lower body to engage a little due to the length of the swing, and you shift your weight more to your left side as you come down through the ball. There are some great videos online that illustrate the proper chipping and pitching technique.

If you will practice these three areas, Charles, your scoring will get better in a hurry. That new EIDOLON wedge will probably give you an edge as well!

Ask your questions, guys and ladies, and I’ll be happy to answer them. We still give away a FREE EIDOLON V-SOLE wedge every Tuesday!

no comments posted yet.

Terry Koehler is "The Wedge Guy" and President of SCOR Golf- The Short Game Company.

Click here to learn more about Terry.