Short game sabbatical.

There's a debate that crops up here quite often about which facet of the game an average player could most profitably spend his time practicing -- full swing or short game. Don't pretend to know the answer, but just thought I'd share my own recent experience of being strictly limited (by injury) to the short game for the past three weeks.

In that time, I've spent two to three hours a day on or around the practice green, splitting the time roughly evenly between putting and then chips, short pitches and bunker shots. I had a putting assessment from a specialist club fitter/putting coach and a lesson from our club pro on sand play, which has been a particular weakness. I've sweated through two floppy hats and just about worn out my trusty ball shagger.

Results, well, there's nothing quantifiable to offer because I still can't get out and play. But -- on the practice green at least -- I am a much better putter today, mainly because I can now roll the ball straight down my line with a face that is square at and through impact. This makes the entire exercise considerably simpler! If (big if) I can take it to the course, that alone should be worth a shot or two a round in the five to seven foot range. Lag putting still needs work but has also improved.

Around the fringe, I looked at my average dispersion over hundreds of shots and found that I was missing short the majority of the time, regardless of slope. My basic motion was a hands forward - hips forward slide into contact that sort of squirted the ball out with inconsistent spin and made rollout hard to judge. I've since been practicing more of a pitching action, focusing on keeping the weight stable and letting the loft of the wedge throw the ball up higher into the air and closer to the stick. This has me going past the hole a bit more, but coming up way short far less frequently.

Probably the most obvious progress has been in my bunker play. I simply didn't understand how to hit a sand shot before. Execution isn't always right yet, but at least I stand over the ball now with a clear idea of the swing I'm trying to make for the particular lie, desired trajectory, amount of spin etc. My level of expectation has gone from "Oh please God just don't let me thin this over the green into the water" to "Let's just try to leave this on the right side of the hole with a legit look at a save."

Anyway, that's my story. I don't know what the particular moral is. Maybe something like: really thinking about your short game and then really working on it is actually more fun than you'd think.



Also just for fun, here are the basic short game stats from my last 10 rounds before the lay off. I'll update with a comparison after my next 10. Not exactly hard science, but ...

Average differential -- 8.6
Scrambling -- 32.4%
Sand Saves -- 30.4%
Putts per hole: 1.78
Putts per GIR: 2.00

Once you get your putts /GIR down to the 1.7 area that will help as well.

Short is a different animal different shots require vastly different approaches and the typical proper blast out of a bunker is so inordinate compared tot he rest of the golf swings it great to get a better feel for it. Good luck. practice always pays off, if it doesn't you're not practicing enough.

If you get putts/GIR down to 1.7, you would be tour quality. Just a way too optimistic. Getting it under 2.0 is very good for the average player.

I agree that short game is where the strokes are, once you get a semi-decent swing.

I've pretty much gave up practicing the long game around august this year. Just wasn't enjoying it, improving, and I didn't want to spend the 8 bucks. But I did practice my short game and putting a bunch. The way I did it was by playing a game that I call par two golf (it is exactly what it sounds like). I use three balls and play "3 holes" at a time keeping score. Were I practice you can hit anywhere from a 50 yard pitch to the smallest shot making it as easy as hard as you want. I mix it up throughout the game. This has really helped me. I combined this with playing 9 holes 3 days a week and I feel like this was the biggest improvement I've had in a long time. One area I am going to expand the game next year to is longer putts. I still through away shots with the 30-50 foot putt and I will use the same game to practice them. I actually feel more confident with a 20 yard pitch than a 60 foot putt.

But I don't have the data yet. My index wasn't active this year and I didn't keep stats. Once next year starts and I get some scores I'll know for sure if I am better or not.

I am in the planning stages of building a dedicated short game practice area at my house complete with a bunker. When it's all done, I will be able to practice from at least 50 yards out from the pin.

For me, short game is definitely where I want to spend the most time practicing.

2.0 is my standard, i hate 3 putts more than anything else. I don't play on huge greens, so i believe i should three putt from at least 50 feet and in all the time. Thats the attitude i take to the green. But i don't stop there, try to make every putt, every putt must go past the hole as well. Last year i was probably a 1.95-2.0 putter

I played once a week and my practice sessions have been mainly on the putting green and short shots from 50 yards and in.  This has help keep my game sharp and maintain my handicap.

The short chips and pitches focusing on making solid contact has helped my overall swing as well.

Have now played 10 rounds since the original post.

Stats for those and change from previous:

Average diff: +5.3 (-3.3)

Scrambling: 36.2% (+3.8%)

Sand saves: 12% (-18.4%)

PPH: 1.71 (-0.07)

PPGIR: 1.91 (-0.09)

Again, not much more than an anecdote, but I do feel my short game has improved. The scrambling/saves are both skewed lower by one nasty, rusty round where I was on the beach more than your average lifeguard and didn't get up and down a single time, from anywhere. But yesterday, for example, I played a long, unfamiliar course and the wind was absolutely pumping in our faces all day. Managed to scratch an 80 from the back tees -- good enough to take low net for the day -- mostly because I got up and down seven times. With the tough conditions, a bunch of those were for 5s so they don't reflect in my simple stats, but those are bogeys that feel like birdies if you know what I mean!