Simplify your Short Game

Sand Wedge

8 Iron

During a round of golf there are countless Short Game factors and variables like wind or rain that are out of your control. However, in the short game, control is essential to managing the distance of chips and pitches. Before trying a big change in technique, try changing your mental approach to the short game and you might start to regain some control over your shots from around the green.

When members and students come to me for lessons on chipping or pitching, I often evaluate their short game from two perspectives: technical and mental. From a technical standpoint, I often look at balance points, setup posture, club path, and other aspects to how they swing the club and move their body. To evaluate the student’s mental approach to the shot, I start by asking questions. I want to understand how they see the shot occurring, before they strike the ball. Often times, students are able to vividly describe how long or how fast they intend to swing the club, and how they intend to make good contact with the ball, but fail to describe the ball’s flight and roll. Being able to visualize and control where your short shots land is crucial to getting the ball close to the hole. That’s where I’ve seen the most potential for improvement with the majority of people that I’ve worked with.

In these photos, I am set up to hit a chip shot to the pink and purple stakes on the green. The pink rectangular box on the green is the landing zone for each shot. You’ll notice that the landing zone stays consistent, but the target changes. To make this work, I have to change my club selection. In the first photo (with the pink stake), I’ve selected a sand wedge. In the second photo, I’m using an 8 iron. Despite identical landing zones, the ball will release further into the green when I use a lower lofted club like an 8 iron. I like to use the following guideline as a rule of thumb:

8 iron: ¼ in the air, ¾ on the ground

PW: 1∕3 in the air, 2∕3 on the ground

SW: ½ in the air, ½ on the ground

To practice this, all you need is a golf towel and the three clubs listed above. Simply lay the towel on the green four to five paces from where you are chipping and practice landing each ball on the towel with your 8 iron, pitching wedge, and sand wedge. After hitting 5–10 shots with each club, you should start to see the balls group together, getting further from the towel as you start to use less loft. Practice this from different distances from the towel to develop some better feel around the greens. Good luck!