Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Im not stirring it up, just asking, do you want to be a player, or just someone who hits good shots and has a nice swing?
Short Game Lesson
- Thread starter birdmeal
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Im not stirring it up, just asking, do you want to be a player, or just someone who hits good shots and has a nice swing?
i want to be as good a player as i can be. and i know i will have to put in alot of effort in the short game.
but i really dont know where to start. i stand over a 3 yard pitch shot ad literally have no clue how im supposed to play it. which wedge to use, open the face or not, forward lean or not, open stance or not ...
no clue.
any help on where i can sart to build a short game?
but i really dont know where to start. i stand over a 3 yard pitch shot ad literally have no clue how im supposed to play it. which wedge to use, open the face or not, forward lean or not, open stance or not ...
no clue.
any help on where i can sart to build a short game?
softconsult
New
I don't know how old you are, and it's probabably a moot point, but it's easier for those of use that started playing in our teens. I don't remember being burdened with too many analytical thoughts at age 13. I do remember hitting wedges over the house with a wide open clubface. I pretty rapidly figured out that you can make hit a sandwedge chip shot with hook spin and with cut spin, etc. etc. But I'm the same guy that wanted short game included in my first lesson with Brian.
In my opinion, you don't have to set your short game goal at some unrealistically high point. My observations over the years clearly are that most players have terrible short game technique. They get the handle behind the ball and hit at it with their right hand. On the other hand, many get it up and down with great frequency in spite of the technique. I would think that you could be fine by just learning a basic chip and a basic pitch, but as with anything else in golf you have to practice doing whatever you are working on.
However, most people just hate to practice. The ones that do like to practice then have to find the time to practice and reality often times makes that impractical.
To me the fun in golf is working on techniques that might improve my scoring and working on correcting what went wrong over the last several rounds. I'll give you an example.
Prior to the lesson I had a string of chili-dips on short pitches. Frustration was an understatement. For 50 years, all my pitches and chips were played from an open stance. I never thought about it, but while this does sort of pre-open the hips, it promotes an outside take-away and a steeper angle of attack. Brian immediately got me to square up my stance, stop popping out, and hit it with my pivot. Instant improvement.
I also have been following very similar techniques in a book by another short game guru. After literally hours and hours of practice (more than 15 hours), it's starting to stick. You can get in the right positions and hit chip after chip in practice, but when you take it to the course, you have one chance. The successful crisp shots are coming more frequently and the chili's are mostly gone. My thoughts are less arm swing, and control the shot with acceleration from the pivot keeping weight forward over left leg.
In my opinion, you don't have to set your short game goal at some unrealistically high point. My observations over the years clearly are that most players have terrible short game technique. They get the handle behind the ball and hit at it with their right hand. On the other hand, many get it up and down with great frequency in spite of the technique. I would think that you could be fine by just learning a basic chip and a basic pitch, but as with anything else in golf you have to practice doing whatever you are working on.
However, most people just hate to practice. The ones that do like to practice then have to find the time to practice and reality often times makes that impractical.
To me the fun in golf is working on techniques that might improve my scoring and working on correcting what went wrong over the last several rounds. I'll give you an example.
Prior to the lesson I had a string of chili-dips on short pitches. Frustration was an understatement. For 50 years, all my pitches and chips were played from an open stance. I never thought about it, but while this does sort of pre-open the hips, it promotes an outside take-away and a steeper angle of attack. Brian immediately got me to square up my stance, stop popping out, and hit it with my pivot. Instant improvement.
I also have been following very similar techniques in a book by another short game guru. After literally hours and hours of practice (more than 15 hours), it's starting to stick. You can get in the right positions and hit chip after chip in practice, but when you take it to the course, you have one chance. The successful crisp shots are coming more frequently and the chili's are mostly gone. My thoughts are less arm swing, and control the shot with acceleration from the pivot keeping weight forward over left leg.
Matt 4-L
New
Pick a stock shot that you can use all the time and are good at and use that on all shots if you can. There are tons of ways to play the same shot but instead of thinking like Phil Mickelson try to think like Stuart Appleby who plays pretty much the same chip pitch shot for everything around the green.
Matt 4-L
New
But his ball position, stance, face open/closed are not the same. Look at Appleby's ball and he plays the same trajectory type shot for all standard shots around the green he doesn't try to get fancy unless there is no other option.
For me my short game has gotten better just for the pure fact I know exactly what shot I am going to play around the greens and I know how it reacts. If I had more time to play I might get a little more "creative" but just dumbing things down for me has helped.
For me my short game has gotten better just for the pure fact I know exactly what shot I am going to play around the greens and I know how it reacts. If I had more time to play I might get a little more "creative" but just dumbing things down for me has helped.
curtisj76
New
Pecky, some how you are going to have to change your attitude towards the short game if you want to lower your hdcp. There are tons of ways to practice short stuff and make it "fun". To me, when your short game is on, it's almost as fun as hitting big drives. Probably even more fun since that's where the scoring is.
I'm sure you already know this but sometimes it's nice to have a little reminder.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Ball back-full roll. Ball in middle- half roll. Ball up- reverse roll. All with the same club.
best advice i've ever got
kevin while I agree with the above 1000%,,,,, I thought Brian said the hinge action post impact was non-sense?
gmbtempe
New
I have been working so hard on my long game the past 3 months and nothing on the short game which is not that unusual as I always had a natural feel around the greens with and made a lot of putts. Since I have been working on my mechanics on the full swing its definitely changed my short game a little and for the first time yesterday my short game was a flat out abomination. I had 36 putts and only hit 5 greens, how bad is that ) :
Part of it as I have working on my flying wedges on the full swing I have not been able to translate that to pitches and have hit lots of shots fat with no feel. I shot my worst round in months and it could have been avoided with a competent, well practiced, short game.
Part of it as I have working on my flying wedges on the full swing I have not been able to translate that to pitches and have hit lots of shots fat with no feel. I shot my worst round in months and it could have been avoided with a competent, well practiced, short game.
I too have struggled lately with the short game. Trick for me has been to commit to a technique and stick with it.
I chose now to stick with the technique from the book, "The Short Way to Lower Scoring" by Paul Runyan. Paul Runyan was a short game master, and his method for chips, short pitches, and putting WORKS. It's very simple and flexible as well. After beating Sam Snead in a tournament, Snead said to Runyan, regarding Runyan's short game performance, "I saw it, but I don't believe it."
Once I've nailed this technique, I'll expand it with other shots. Until then, I'm committing myself to using the technique. Heck, first birdie I ever made was a chip in using the Paul Runyan chipping technique, and I'd only been playing at that point for about 2 months. That chip in is a wonderful golf memory in my mind. I can see it now, over 2 years later.
I really wish I would have just stuck with that method instead of jumping around to all sorts of different techniques.
I chose now to stick with the technique from the book, "The Short Way to Lower Scoring" by Paul Runyan. Paul Runyan was a short game master, and his method for chips, short pitches, and putting WORKS. It's very simple and flexible as well. After beating Sam Snead in a tournament, Snead said to Runyan, regarding Runyan's short game performance, "I saw it, but I don't believe it."
Once I've nailed this technique, I'll expand it with other shots. Until then, I'm committing myself to using the technique. Heck, first birdie I ever made was a chip in using the Paul Runyan chipping technique, and I'd only been playing at that point for about 2 months. That chip in is a wonderful golf memory in my mind. I can see it now, over 2 years later.
I really wish I would have just stuck with that method instead of jumping around to all sorts of different techniques.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Yes but the idea has to be in your head well before impact and you will prepare for different hinge actions. For instance, full roll will be put into effect first move of the downswing.
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