Improving the short game

[TN94z]

I would say another important thing to practice is different shots with different clubs. I would much rather chip with my 9-iron than my SW or 60 anytime I have some green to work with. It is much easier to execute with more room for error. For me, it is better to have the ball on the ground as soon as I can than trying to fly it to the hole hoping that it checks up when I want it to. I say for a higher HCr, these chips will help lower your scores compared to the SW or 60 chip

[thedoxology]

Use different clubs to groove the distances you hit each. Take 100 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 swings with each wedge and note the distances of each. Then start varying your swings. Get a little more wristy, less wristy, choke down, move the ball forward in your stance, then back, hit from rough, from hard pan, etc. The posters have been saying it, but you need to spend as much or, preferably, more time on your short game than anything on the driving range.

Get Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible. It will lay out the short game in a very easy way and actually get you excited about the short game.

[jambalaya]

The short game is very much about method and fundamentals. If you don't have a solid, engrained approach for making short game shots, you will be very inconsistent and practice is meaningless. Take each part: putting, chipping and pitching and come to an understanding of what you want to do. For example short pitching: weight forward, narrow stance, ball middle, abbreviated follow through, pinch ball. Not saying these are exactly the thoughts you must have, just an example of an approach to pitching. Find out what works for you and do it consistently. Practice it and you will develop feel and get better, then practicing it will become more enjoyable.

I saw a video on pitching once that just made a lot of sense. I tried it and had some good results. That is how I approach pitch shots now. Do some homework and make something work for you.