Just how important is the short game?

[flopdarock]

i need more girs

[Norm3333]

[QUOTE=tjy355;244154]Funny! Perhaps because we think it is easier, that is why we never practice the short game.

What is your point? You agree with me then?

And, there is useful info there. I'll bet most of our best rounds included a lot GIRs. You can't one putt for a birdie unless you hit a GIR. If you are relying on chipping in for your birdies, good luck.

And, the article I refer to is talking about amatuers. Other posters brought up Tiger and how good his short game is and that is why he is so good.

My whole point was that, there is a much larger difference in the way us amatuers strike the ball into the green than the pros, compared to how well we chip/putt compared to them. There is no refuting this.

I'll take a round of 18 of 18 GIRs than my best putting day. I guarantee I score better when I am putting for birdie than when I am chipping on and putting for par.

[Norm3333]

Exactly, exactly, exactly. The point of golf for most amateurs is to have fun and you can't really do that if you are unable to get off the tee or hit greens consistently.

Finally a golfer with a clue.

[case31]

Everyone always says the "short game" is the most important part to get down. I don't agree. If I could have a professional golfer hit a shot for me on a par 5, I would not have him hit a chip. The difference between his result and mine is not near as great as what a pro can do from ~230 yds away.

I disagree. Now admittedly, I did not read the article. Does it factor in the difficulty of courses the pros play on versus the courses the typical recreational golfer does? Pros have to be skilled at hitting shots most of us attempt maybe a handful of times per season. For example, Mickelson's flop shot out of the rough to a tight pin. He's able to pop the ball out of there and get it to stop within 5 feet, where most golfers, myself included, usually chip it with the wedge and hope to get it anywhere on the green to hopefully 2-putt. And that's on a green that probably runs 13 or 14 on the stimp meter.

Compare Phil's game to Tiger's: Phil can hit it just as far, just as straight from tee to green as Tiger can. When you see Phil start to fade in a tournament, it's often because he gets the yips on the green. After that, his long game starts to get loose. Getting back to my point, the recreational golfer usually plays on a course that is much more forgiving with wayward shots. The greens are slower with less undulation, so the stats will be relatively close. However, you putt a pro on a muni course and a regular player on a PGA-caliber course, and I'm possible that the swings in putting and up-and-down stats will be disproportionate.

[Norm3333]

[QUOTE=case31;244191]I disagree. Now admittedly, I did not read the article.

Read the article. And, Phil does not hit GIRs like Tiger. Lord!

Read the article and look at the stats.

Anyone who doesn't want to be putting for birdie, raise your hand.

Anyone who wants to be scrambling for par raise your hand.

Anyone who raised their hand, have your head examined.

[I <3 Titleist]

Short game is the way I learn to play the game because I didn't even own a driver or 3 wood when I started.

I would practice with a bucket of balls from end zone to endzone on a football field with my PW. After 3 months of learning how to hit with a PW, I was shooting mid 90s. After 6 months I was shooting low 90's consistently. (playing off the tee with a 3 iron)

Almost all my strokes were saved on soft chips and 50 yd approach shots that got relatively close to the pin for a putt.