Short game practice??

Status
Not open for further replies.
vjsinger

vjsinger

New
After seeing Brian he convinced me, rather convincingly,:pthat the way to really score and play well is through your short game. I knew this already, but I didn't really know how good the guys on TOUR are compared to a really good amateur/club champion/the guy that you think has a great short game at your club, the difference is startling. When he told me the stats behind it and a few of his philosophies behind his thinking about the TOUR and Tiger, it really got me thinking and yearning for a killer short game.

Here's my question for the Playaz' here...how do you guys practice, and make practicing fun when practicing by yourself?? Also, what do you practice and how do you divide up your time with putting,chipping,pitching,sand play and specialty shots, etc.? One more, How much do you practice the short game as opposed to the long game? Thanks for all the feedback and help, you guys are the best.

-VJ
 
mgranato

mgranato

New
Very seldom hit wedge shots from "driving range" lies. Recovery shots are rarely played from perfect lies. The better you get a bad lies, the better your short game will become.

Play a lot of 18 hole rounds from 50 yards and in. Turn 18 holes into a par 36 and see how well you can score. You can usually play 2 balls from 50 and in with the same amount of time it takes to play the hole from tee to cup.

The ultimate test/gauge/real world practice is 18 holes of "miss 'em all". Play 18 holes from tee to cup except you must miss every green. The catch is you have to place 6 approaches into the rough, 6 approaches into light rough/fairway, and 6 into the sand. Your shots onto the green has to come from those 3 areas. It's a great test, and a great eye-opener as to how close you can or can't get to your normal handicap.
 
B

Bigwill

New
mgranato said:
Very seldom hit wedge shots from "driving range" lies. Recovery shots are rarely played from perfect lies. The better you get a bad lies, the better your short game will become.

Play a lot of 18 hole rounds from 50 yards and in. Turn 18 holes into a par 36 and see how well you can score. You can usually play 2 balls from 50 and in with the same amount of time it takes to play the hole from tee to cup.

The ultimate test/gauge/real world practice is 18 holes of "miss 'em all". Play 18 holes from tee to cup except you must miss every green. The catch is you have to place 6 approaches into the rough, 6 approaches into light rough/fairway, and 6 into the sand. Your shots onto the green has to come from those 3 areas. It's a great test, and a great eye-opener as to how close you can or can't get to your normal handicap.
Click to expand...


Never heard of these. Sound like great ways to learn to score.
 
ggsjpc

ggsjpc

New
mgranato said:
Very seldom hit wedge shots from "driving range" lies. Recovery shots are rarely played from perfect lies. The better you get a bad lies, the better your short game will become.

Play a lot of 18 hole rounds from 50 yards and in. Turn 18 holes into a par 36 and see how well you can score. You can usually play 2 balls from 50 and in with the same amount of time it takes to play the hole from tee to cup.

The ultimate test/gauge/real world practice is 18 holes of "miss 'em all". Play 18 holes from tee to cup except you must miss every green. The catch is you have to place 6 approaches into the rough, 6 approaches into light rough/fairway, and 6 into the sand. Your shots onto the green has to come from those 3 areas. It's a great test, and a great eye-opener as to how close you can or can't get to your normal handicap.
Click to expand...


We play a similar game as this with my golf team but we make it worst ball also. We play each hole from a different yardage but instead of purposely missing, they play two balls each shot and choose the worst. It's like an opposite scramble individually. Must make two putts to make a score.

generally speaking, shortgame practice is most rewarding with a buddy and with some competition.
 
S

steveb22

New
Three things that I do :

Play closest to the pin with my wife for 9 or 18 holes around the practice green. We alternate picking places to play from. She gets two shots to my one. Loser buys the drinks.

Play 18 holes around the practice green with one ball - chip, pitch, bunker then putt out. 2 is par.

Take three balls and play three different shots with the same club from the same spot and lie. Play a leading edge chip, a chip using the bounce and a open faced flop, etc. Don't always use a sand or lob wedge. Try this with a 7 iron, etc.
 
dashfan87

dashfan87

New
I use my what im paying 750 a month for... my apartment.;) good old carpet pitching isnt the best way to practice, but I tell you what... It keeps me sharp.:cool:
and for a guy who plays like once a month, I have a pretty dang good short game.
 
curtisj76

curtisj76

New
I've decided chipping is the #1 way for me to lower my hdcp this year. Obviously if I hit more GIR's I wouldn't have to worry about it but it's easier to get better from 15 yards than it is 150 yards. Just have to find a good system. I've always used several clubs when chipping but I've heard some people say to just use 1 club. Not sure what to do.
 
jimmyt

jimmyt

New
steveb22 said:
Three things that I do :

Play closest to the pin with my wife for 9 or 18 holes around the practice green. We alternate picking places to play from. She gets two shots to my one. Loser buys the drinks.

Play 18 holes around the practice green with one ball - chip, pitch, bunker then putt out. 2 is par.

Take three balls and play three different shots with the same club from the same spot and lie. Play a leading edge chip, a chip using the bounce and a open faced flop, etc. Don't always use a sand or lob wedge. Try this with a 7 iron, etc.
Click to expand...


I didn't hear or read a word you said after you mentioned "WITH MY WIFE"......JK
 
Shot Limit

Shot Limit

New
curtisj76 said:
I've decided chipping is the #1 way for me to lower my hdcp this year. Obviously if I hit more GIR's I wouldn't have to worry about it but it's easier to get better from 15 yards than it is 150 yards. Just have to find a good system. I've always used several clubs when chipping but I've heard some people say to just use 1 club. Not sure what to do.
Click to expand...

Depends on what type of shot you need.

People say to use one club because chipping is all about feel. You want to use something you're used to when it comes to feel.

I love to use my 5 iron to chip when I have a lane to the pin; I have good distance controll with that club, don't know why, but I'm used to it. There's no way I can use that all the time though, something is eventually going to get in my way.

IMO, I should use a few clubs for chipping, I don't think several are necessary, but a few, yes indeed.
 
mgranato

mgranato

New
curtisj76 said:
I've decided chipping is the #1 way for me to lower my hdcp this year. Obviously if I hit more GIR's I wouldn't have to worry about it but it's easier to get better from 15 yards than it is 150 yards. Just have to find a good system. I've always used several clubs when chipping but I've heard some people say to just use 1 club. Not sure what to do.
Click to expand...

I like using a bunch of different clubs for chipping. I think it's what keeps chipping so simple. One basic little swing can make the ball go 8' or 150' just by changing clubs - every club gets it's chance to be a scoring club :) Personally, I've never understood trying to manipulate my setup and swing to make my lob wedge behave like an 8 iron when I have and 8 iron that already knows how to behave like an 8 iron.
 
curtisj76

curtisj76

New
mgranato said:
I like using a bunch of different clubs for chipping. I think it's what keeps chipping so simple. One basic little swing can make the ball go 8' or 150' just by changing clubs - every club gets it's chance to be a scoring club :) Personally, I've never understood trying to manipulate my setup and swing to make my lob wedge behave like an 8 iron when I have and 8 iron that already knows how to behave like an 8 iron.
Click to expand...

That's the way I look at it as well. I'd like to hear from the "other side" as to why they only use 1 club. Seems like too much manipulation to me.
 
B

Bigwill

New
curtisj76 said:
That's the way I look at it as well. I'd like to hear from the "other side" as to why they only use 1 club. Seems like too much manipulation to me.
Click to expand...

I do much better with one club. Once I have the feel for the club (loft, weight, etc.), it becomes like using my hand to "throw" the ball. That way takes less practice, which for me is huge; don't have much practice time. I'm learning that I play a lot better when I get less technical and more feel oriented, especially when it comes to the short game. Using one swing with different clubs seems to make that more difficult for me.

It is more manipulation. But I think it allows for a lot more flexibility. Using more clubs seems as if it would be simpler (using only one swing). But I'm kinda backwards, anyway :)
 
curtisj76

curtisj76

New
mgranato said:
One of the single best things to happen to my gold game was when my wife took up tennis ;)
Click to expand...

I tell my wife to quite the game but she hasn't. I just can't golf with her, I end up getting pissed and then can't enjoy golfing. If she would just be open to learning how to play she could get really good. She's by far the longest woman off the tee but after that she is horrible. No mid/short game and George THE ANIMAL Steele has (if still alive) more touch around the green than she does. When it comes to golf, wife's are good at one thing and that's watching the kids. JK JK :) :)
 
bcoak

bcoak

New
90 minutes of practice broken out as follows:
30m - putt
30m-chip/pitch
30m hit balls (including short shots)

My favorite way to practice is to play the "incorrect" club for the shot. Maybe you have a tight pin that the correct club would be a L wedge. Take out a 9 iron and figure out how to get it close. Maybe you have a long pitch and run. Use a L wedge and try and make it work. teaches clubface contro
 
vjsinger

vjsinger

New
Thanks for the tips so far guys. If it ever stops raining I may actually be able to practice. Keep the feedback coming, I think this can help many of us.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top