Are you spending 70% of your practice time on your short game like Michael Breed implies you should?

[Par Fore]

I don't see where he's being dishonest.....unless they are honing a swing change or working out a specific issue, tour pros should only have to hit enough balls to groove their swing before they go out.....they play golf 5 days a week.....to get to the pro level, at the minimum, you need a repeatable swing that is mechanically sound at impact.....I don't see where they should need to just pound the range all the time, other than to warm up before a round and groove the swing.....and the stronger your short game, the more pressure it takes off of your long game....if you can get up and down from anywhere at 100 yards and in, who cares if you hit fairways.....if you can get up and down from anywhere around the green, where is the pressure on your long, mid and short irons?

While I have never been a good golfer, there was a time when I played decent golf....before a tournament round, I'd spend 30 minutes on the putting green, 30 minutes in the short game area, and 30 minutes on the range, finishing with the club that would be my first shot off the first tee....it worked pretty well.....when my short game was grooved, it took a lot of pressure off tee and second shots - all I had to do is keep the ball in play.

[turtleback]

While I have never been a good golfer, there was a time when I played decent golf....before a tournament round, I'd spend 30 minutes on the putting green, 30 minutes in the short game area, and 30 minutes on the range, finishing with the club that would be my first shot off the first tee....it worked pretty well.....when my short game was grooved, it took a lot of pressure off tee and second shots - all I had to do is keep the ball in play.

This is warming up, not practice, IMO.  And if you are warming up to play a course you are not familiar with, as is often the case in a tournament, you SHOULD be spending more of that time on the short game because you aren't practicing it you are acclimating yourself to the speed and texture of the greens and the grass at that particular course on that particular day.

But practice is different.  There the goal, IMO, should be to make the short game as moot as possible by improving your long game so you hit more greens.  It is better to focus on not making a mistake than it is to focus on being proficient at fixing mistakes, IMO.

[bubble]

From 70-130 yards you're still mostly using full swing mechanics. I tend to think of short game as 30-40 yards and in.

not my post of view as first of all I believe the mechanics are the same just smaller in amplitude. even for putting.

also my PW goes 130 meters max on a full swing, thats about 140 yards or so. I'm still on calculated shorts shots 120 years in (110 meters or so). I fellI'm pitching the ball even with a 9 or 8 iron in hand. great practice around this idea of half BS and hold with a low rev.

[mvmac]

not my post of view as first of all I believe the mechanics are the same just smaller in amplitude. even for putting.

also my PW goes 130 meters max on a full swing, thats about 140 yards or so. I'm still on calculated shorts shots 120 years in (110 meters or so). I fellI'm pitching the ball even with a 9 or 8 iron in hand. great practice around this idea of half BS and hold with a low rev.

Short game vs long game, different mechanics.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video-golf-pitch-shot-technique/576#post_1136911

even for putting.

Putting is completely different,

[iacas]

not my post of view as first of all I believe the mechanics are the same just smaller in amplitude. even for putting.

That's not accurate at all.

Even if it were, we are saying "the short game" starts at about 60 yards where you can use pitching mechanics.

[logo]

I think what happens is that good golfers develop this nice straight drive and good shots and then all of a sudden the short game matters a lot so they think its the problem for everyone. For me, I pretty much hit out of bounds on my drives 50% of the time and am taking a mulligans to get a decent shot (I am learning which is why I am doing it) and taking 3-4 shots to get on the green on par 4 holes. I might 3 putt a few holes but man if I could fix my swing I would be a sub 10 handicap and thats with no work on my chipping/putting right now and my average score is 103 for the last month. My drives slice and when they are good they are only 200 yards. I am taking lessons and doing everything to fix it but its been months and a good consistent drive is still ways a way for me. I spent an afternoon working on my chipping a few weeks ago and its 100% better. I havent really had a problem chip shot since but that chip shot doesn't help me when I am chipping for 4 or 5 on a par 4 hole. A good swing is the first thing you need to get down before you worry about that chip/putt. Heck my wife has never played golf in her life and she could 2-3 putt most holes just from playing miniature golf a few times a year.

[GHIN0011458]

I think what happens is that good golfers develop this nice straight drive and good shots and then all of a sudden the short game matters a lot so they think its the problem for everyone. For me, I pretty much hit out of bounds on my drives 50% of the time and am taking a mulligans to get a decent shot (I am learning which is why I am doing it) and taking 3-4 shots to get on the green on par 4 holes. I might 3 putt a few holes but man if I could fix my swing I would be a sub 10 handicap and thats with no work on my chipping/putting right now and my average score is 103 for the last month. My drives slice and when they are good they are only 200 yards. I am taking lessons and doing everything to fix it but its been months and a good consistent drive is still ways a way for me. I spent an afternoon working on my chipping a few weeks ago and its 100% better. I havent really had a problem chip shot since but that chip shot doesn't help me when I am chipping for 4 or 5 on a par 4 hole. A good swing is the first thing you need to get down before you worry about that chip/putt. Heck my wife has never played golf in her life and she could 2-3 putt most holes just from playing miniature golf a few times a year.

I never thought about it this way.. now that I know my wife is a better putter than me .

BUT it is just tough. Statistics show it is the long game, better players typically feel like it is the shorter game. I separate myself in a bad way with putting. I feel like I am hitting as many greens as the next guy who may be leading the tournament. Can I learn to get closer to the hole? Absolutely, will it help me make more putts, I guess so since they are shorter but they better be within 5 feet. Most of my birdies are kick-ins and I make pretty much 95% of putts within 5 feet. Anything outside of that, I always just tell God that I am going to need some help on this one.

[DougJ]

Started concentrating on my short game last year at the suggestion of my local pro.  Marked improvement .     40% chipping 40% putting 20% range.      I am breaking 100 much more than I used to.  If I shoot over a 100 it usually less than 3 strokes.

[RFKFREAK]

I never thought about it this way.. now that I know my wife is a better putter than me .

BUT it is just tough. Statistics show it is the long game, better players typically feel like it is the shorter game. I separate myself in a bad way with putting. I feel like I am hitting as many greens as the next guy who may be leading the tournament. Can I learn to get closer to the hole? Absolutely, will it help me make more putts, I guess so since they are shorter but they better be within 5 feet. Most of my birdies are kick-ins and I make pretty much 95% of putts within 5 feet. Anything outside of that, I always just tell God that I am going to need some help on this one.

You wouldn't be alone, and I don't think you should be so hard on yourself since a PGA Tour player will only make 40% of his 10 foot putts and 23% of his 15 foot putts.

[GHIN0011458]

There has to be a secret to shooting under par at least 75 percent of your rounds... anyone?

[Golfingdad]

There has to be a secret to shooting under par at least 75 percent of your rounds... anyone?

Be good. Like, really, really, really good. Now, shhhhhh. Keep that to yourself and don't tell anyone or else it won't remain a secret.

[Mac62]

There has to be a secret to shooting under par at least 75 percent of your rounds... anyone?

For a scratch golfer?  Play the forward tees on easy courses all the time.

I'll be sure to let you know if I find the secret - I'm still working on being able to shoot under bogey at least 75 percent of my rounds!

[RFKFREAK]

Be good. Like, really, really, really good.

Now, shhhhhh. Keep that to yourself and don't tell anyone or else it won't remain a secret.

In other words, be the opposite of @Golfingdad .

[Gunther]

I never thought about it this way.. now that I know my wife is a better putter than me :blink: .  BUT it is just tough. Statistics show it is the long game, better players typically feel like it is the shorter game. I separate myself in a bad way with putting. I feel like I am hitting as many greens as the next guy who may be leading the tournament. Can I learn to get closer to the hole? Absolutely, will it help me make more putts, I guess so since they are shorter but they better be within 5 feet. Most of my birdies are kick-ins and I make pretty much 95% of putts within 5 feet. Anything outside of that, I always just tell God that I am going to need some help on this one.

If you're making 95% of your putts from 5 feet, dude, you are a phenomenal putter. I make 95% from 2 feet but probably 65 or 70 from 5 feet, and I think I'm a pretty good putter. Sounds to me like you just have a speed problem from longer range but with a hcap like that and a 5-foot percentage so high, I think you're underestimating your putting skill.

[Golfingdad]

If you're making 95% of your putts from 5 feet, dude, you are a phenomenal putter. I make 95% from 2 feet but probably 65 or 70 from 5 feet, and I think I'm a pretty good putter.

Sounds to me like you just have a speed problem from longer range but with a hcap like that and a 5-foot percentage so high, I think you're underestimating your putting skill.

Agreed.  I consider myself a pretty good putter as well.  (Gamegolf stats have me at 2% zero putts, 35% one putts, 59% two putt, and 4% three putt - that works out to 29.7 putts/round).

If I had to guess, I'd say I make 75% of my 5 foot putts, and that's probably being generous.  Might be closer to 2/3.

EDIT:  Sorry, I just noticed that GHIN said he made 95% of his putts from WITHIN 5'.  That's quite a bit different than saying he makes 95% FROM 5'.  I probably make 95% of mine from within 5' too because so many of those are 1, 2 and 3 footers.

(95% on PGA tour from 5' and in is 188th place - JB Holmes incidentally - and last place on the list [207th] is still over 90%.  By comparison, 95% from exactly 5' is good for 6th best on tour just ahead of Matt Kuchar.)

[Dave2512]

If I have a five foot putt I blew a lag or stuffed it. My guess is the lack of opportunities makes it seem like they drop more often than they do. We remember the ones that fall.

I two putt 66% of the time.

[GHIN0011458]

If you're making 95% of your putts from 5 feet, dude, you are a phenomenal putter. I make 95% from 2 feet but probably 65 or 70 from 5 feet, and I think I'm a pretty good putter.

Sounds to me like you just have a speed problem from longer range but with a hcap like that and a 5-foot percentage so high, I think you're underestimating your putting skill.

http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.403.html

EDIT:  Sorry, I just noticed that GHIN said he made 95% of his putts from WITHIN 5'.  That's quite a bit different than saying he makes 95% FROM 5'.  I probably make 95% of mine from within 5' too because so many of those are 1, 2 and 3 footers.

(95% on PGA tour from 5' and in is 188th place - JB Holmes incidentally - and last place on the list [207th] is still over 90%.  By comparison, 95% from exactly 5' is good for 6th best on tour just ahead of Matt Kuchar.)

Exactly: My goal is to at least be in the top 50 percent of the tour with these stats. 5 footers you can just tap your ball on line and it usually goes in. Get to a 20 footer and I actually have to dial in my speed and get the line perfect.. not good at that.

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHIN0011458

There has to be a secret to shooting under par at least 75 percent of your rounds... anyone?

Be good. Like, really, really, really good.

Now, shhhhhh. Keep that to yourself and don't tell anyone or else it won't remain a secret.

To late.... I heard.

Now that I know the secret, I am going to start implementing it this week.

You guys will probably see me at the US Open....