Bye-bye short game

[bunkerputt]

I thought I had a great plan for improvement:

1. Be a really bad ball-striker to force your short game to improve if you want to shoot lower.
2. Become a really good ball-striker and start shooting under par consistently.

I was well on my way to goal #1 with a nice save % and putting average. Looking at my scores, I was definitely losing most of my strokes off the tee. So I spent about 2 months working on my full swing thinking this was going to be my year. I focused mainly on getting a slight reverse pivot eliminated and getting my wrists to hinge so that the club was square at the top. Suddenly I started striking the ball beautifully. But I found that almost immediately my short game had completely disappeared. I practiced a little 10-foot chip that I once holed 8 times in a row. The first was a foot right, the next a foot left, the next two feet right. I played this weekend, hit 11/14 fairways, and didn't know what to do from 100 yards and in, ending up with a 95. 95! I went from averaging low 80s to a 95! Before, I couldn't wait to get up to the green so I could make the misery of the tee-shot disappear. Now it's the complete opposite. Can you really not have it all?

Wh'appen? I really don't know for sure, but I have a clue. By eliminating the reverse pivot and wrist cupping, I went from a much more straight back straight through full-swinger to a more rotational swinger. That works great for the full-swing. With the short-game, I can't find the target line unless I try to swing along it by taking my hands outside on the way back, cupping my wrist a little, and swinging to the outside on the way through while keeping the club face a little open. It seems like the key to all of this is to really figure out how to either apply a rotational swing to short-game shots, or switch between the two depending on the situation. Has anyone else had this problem? The scorer in me says do what works and try to swing along the target line on short game shots. But something tells me that my short-game technique needs to mature a little. What's the right strategy?

[Ru$ty]

When something in my game become worse, I always go back to my basics. It's a great tip.
Check everything: stance, ball position, rhythm and e.t.c.
P.S. Shortgame needs lot of practice because it depends mostly on feelings, so when your previous feelings will get back, everythyng will be all right.
Good luck.

[inthecup]

I think that you now have to practice everything to maintain it. You ignored your short game to fix the ball striking and now you have to give equal love to both. Don't forget the wife when you are doling out the love.

[CarlSpackler]

I think that you now have to practice everything to maintain it. You ignored your short game to fix the ball striking and now you have to give equal love to both.

That doesn't help the short game.

[bunkerputt]

I think that you now have to practice everything to maintain it. You ignored your short game to fix the ball striking and now you have to give equal love to both.

I've found that's great for your game all-around. Particularly how much time you are allowed to spend on it.

[CarlSpackler]

I've found that's great for your game all-around. Particularly how much time you are allowed to spend on it.

Naw. You just write on a note, "Look here woman..."

Then you tear it up and write the "Hey sweetie..." note.