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Short game thought process

Paladin

Paladin

Otter be golfing
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
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Location
Augusta
Handicap
15.6
One problem I've been dealing with that's really inflated my scores has been scrambling and the game within, say, 50 yards of the pin. It's made it harder to save par, and it's really a blow to the confidence to flub a chip or skull a pitch over the green. And it really stinks to make solid contact, and have the shot do what you want in the air, land about where you want it to, but then not get enough roll out because the club was too lofted, or you had the right club but opened it too much.

So I'm opening the floor to ideas/drills/thought process behind your greenside and bunker shots. For those who have gotten very good at them, what goes through your mind and drives your decision making for a chip or a bump & run? What drills did you work on to develop that sense of distance in the air and roll?

To be honest, I'm simply not a feel player, and this is the part of my game where I can feel like I've got a good grasp of it on the practice green, then just get my lunch money taken on the course. I've taken lessons on it, learned the shots in terms of the technique, but just haven't been able to apply. I'd love you guys' thoughts.
 
There are 2 books that I found helpfull when it comes to short game. Unconscious Scoring by Dave Stockton and Short Game Bible by Dave Pelz. I think both books have helped me focus more on the right things when it comes to the short game. I know what to look for, whether it's sand type, landing area, slops, etc.

I don't have a good short game area. I tend to go out on the course late or first thing in the AM and get practice in. There is a hole on my course that has 2 bunkers about 40 yards from the green. I get a lot of practice out of them. I also like to drop balls 30-50-70 yards out and work on shots. I don't always do it with the same club, because there are times I want the ball to come in high and others I want to come in low. Not really drills, but just repetition.
 
I use the speed and firmness of the greens to make my decision on what type of shot to play i try to keep the ball low as possible unless the green is soft around the green i try to bump and run more than flop that seems to save me a lot. my coach always tells me to play the high % shot while some times a flop will get it closer there is a greater chance of error
 
I was told by a PGA Tour coach, to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible and let it roll. This is my plan 90% of the time. Carry thr ball beyond the fringe and let it roll.
 
niteowl03 said:
I was told by a PGA Tour coach, to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible and let it roll. This is my plan 90% of the time. Carry thr ball beyond the fringe and let it roll.
Click to expand...

This sounds basic and may not completely answer the question but this has helped me tremendously. I always wanted to hit that high, soft, pretty looking shot. Now I try and play the ball low as often as possible and the results have been so much better for me.
 
niteowl03 said:
I was told by a PGA Tour coach, to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible and let it roll. This is my plan 90% of the time. Carry thr ball beyond the fringe and let it roll.
Click to expand...

I got told the same thing, and I agree with it, but it's led to the next question: Which club do you pull to do that? Is it based on your swing, how far the ball needs to travel in the air, how far you want it to roll, or some combination of the three?

I'm not trying to be contrary, I'd love to think that, eventually, I'll derive a formula to make this work out in my own, or I'll become one of those #feelplayers who just wings it and it works. In the meantime, I'm really interested to hear how people puzzle it all out.
 
Paladin said:
I got told the same thing, and I agree with it, but it's led to the next question: Which club do you pull to do that? Is it based on your swing, how far the ball needs to travel in the air, how far you want it to roll, or some combination of the three?

I'm not trying to be contrary, I'd love to think that, eventually, I'll derive a formula to make this work out in my own, or I'll become one of those #feelplayers who just wings it and it works. In the meantime, I'm really interested to hear how people puzzle it all out.
Click to expand...

I only use the keep it low thing around the green and I use my lowest lofted wedge which is my pitching wedge.
 
Paladin said:
I got told the same thing, and I agree with it, but it's led to the next question: Which club do you pull to do that? Is it based on your swing, how far the ball needs to travel in the air, how far you want it to roll, or some combination of the three?

I'm not trying to be contrary, I'd love to think that, eventually, I'll derive a formula to make this work out in my own, or I'll become one of those #feelplayers who just wings it and it works. In the meantime, I'm really interested to hear how people puzzle it all out.
Click to expand...

what i did was go to chipping area at my course and chip with all my clubs and see how far they will roll out i found that for me an 7i is the most i will need most of the time at my local course a PW and 52* is max the greens are small
 
ddec said:
There are 2 books that I found helpfull when it comes to short game. Unconscious Scoring by Dave Stockton and Short Game Bible by Dave Pelz. I think both books have helped me focus more on the right things when it comes to the short game. I know what to look for, whether it's sand type, landing area, slops, etc.
Click to expand...
This is exactly my answer^^^^^

I'm becoming more and more a fan of Stockton's approach around the green. Low shot or high shot? Pick a landing spot for the ball. Hit shot. That's it in terms of mental approach and decision making. I like it.
 
Brianbigoats said:
what i did was go to chipping area at my course and chip with all my clubs and see how far they will roll out i found that for me an 7i is the most i will need most of the time at my local course a PW and 52* is max the greens are small
Click to expand...

This was the route that I took. My most used club around the greens is my 51* wedge foe this shot, but I am comfortable with everything from my 7i to my 59 depending on needing flight. Land ball just past fringe and release, much harder shot to flub or skull. Results may not be perfect but less can go wrong once the ball is on the ground.
 
Good answers so far and I just wanted to add a drill that has been helping me this year and contributed to me breaking 80.

I spend about 15 minutes each nite hitting chips into a net with a quiet lower body and good form. I hit the ball higher on each chip until I I get mid way up the net and then work my way back down. To get different heights I uses AoA, face angle or speed. I mix it up a bit to feel more creative. I use the same club to do this drill but the club varies from night to night.

My main focus is to always make contact on an exact spot on the face every swing. Together with this drill and actual practice around the greens I've developed some feel and confidence around the greens.
 
My first question is how many times do you find yourself 50 yards from the green. Eliminate that distance all together because that is a feel distance. It's a shot that needs to practiced or you just know what swing to put on your wedge to achieve that distance.

you say you have been taught the shots but aren't executing. Why? What are you doing wrong? I know you asked for drills and such but it swing related, setup or delivery. A drill won't fix bad mechanics. Think back to your short game woes and pin point what you are doing wrong.

Too much weight on the right foot
hands behind the ball
lower body movement

figure these out ann I think you'll have your answers.
 
Tadashi70 said:
My first question is how many times do you find yourself 50 yards from the green. Eliminate that distance all together because that is a feel distance. It's a shot that needs to practiced or you just know what swing to put on your wedge to achieve that distance.

you say you have been taught the shots but aren't executing. Why? What are you doing wrong? I know you asked for drills and such but it swing related, setup or delivery. A drill won't fix bad mechanics. Think back to your short game woes and pin point what you are doing wrong.

Too much weight on the right foot
hands behind the ball
lower body movement

figure these out ann I think you'll have your answers.
Click to expand...

^this

also, when it comes to the short game, be careful when practicing too much at one distance or lie angle. My golf pro told me that repetition is great, but one of the worst ways to utilize it is by just dumping a pile of balls and hitting from a certain distance. He advocates taking your shag bag out, and spreading balls all around in an area from 10ish to 40ish yards. I think it's in an effort to get used to hitting a variety of shots. Like panda said. how often do you find yourself 50 yards out, right in front of the green?
 
I see this quite a bit and the one thing I always tell people is that you have to accelerate through the ball no matter the distance. Most often when someone has a shorter touch shot, they try to swing easy and that doesn't always work. Lots of things can go bad when you ease up going through the ball. I always recommend to choke down, make a shorter backswing, and accelerate through the ball. For me, it's the best way to make consistent contact for a variety of distances. They are the types of shots that takes a lot of practice to get the feel engrained.
 
Lots of great advice. Learn your distances and trajectories for various swing lengths and clubs and be aggressive enough that you don't quit on your shots.

When I'm looking at a shot like that I first decide how I want the ball to fly/roll and then pick my club/wedge from there. I see exactly what I want the ball to do in my mind, and generally focus on the exact spot I want it to land. Then I take a couple practice cuts to feel the swing I want to put on the ball. At that point, I feel committed and can take my swing confidently.

To me, you either need to avoid these shots through course management or really practice it often - as in exclusively multiple times a week. Once you develop the knowledge of what you can do with different swings/clubs, you will develop the touch to pull it off with confidence.
 
Paladin, I would bet that you are more of a feel player than you give yourself credit for. We are humans and we innately know how to judge distances, lies, obstacles etc. My guess is that you are over thinking it and getting in the way of your natural ability to just respond to the situation.

The lie, hazards, the distance, the flight you want, etc. will all dictate which club to hit and how to hit it. Once I decide which shot to hit I think of two things. Use my backswing as a gauge to how far I'm going to hit and watch the ball leave the club face.
 
Smithfaced said:
This sounds basic and may not completely answer the question but this has helped me tremendously. I always wanted to hit that high, soft, pretty looking shot. Now I try and play the ball low as often as possible and the results have been so much better for me.
Click to expand...
I agree, the high shots look better, but I find my consistency and proximity to the hole is way better with a bump and run vs a pitch/flop!
 
Breathe and stay compact would be my 2 cents. Adrenaline can wreak havoc on those shots and so can being too loose with the swing. Tempo to make a good swing.
 
Nice replies. Two other thoughts come to mind. An instructor once told me to take practice swings until you can feel the swing that executes the shot you want to hit. This may increase your sense of feel. Second, I only practice with one ball and I always putt it out (replicating playing conditions). I try to make the chip/pitch or save the up and down, and never have more than three strokes to get it in the hole.
 
niteowl03 said:
I was told by a PGA Tour coach, to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible and let it roll. This is my plan 90% of the time. Carry thr ball beyond the fringe and let it roll.
Click to expand...

I've been told this as well. Depending on the shot, it's a pretty simple concept. My pro has also told me to find two or three clubs to pitch and chip with and use those. So I have a 9i chip, 52* chip/pitch and 60* pitch/chip shot. Haven't been able to get outside and use it yet, but I'm getting good in the simulator....FWIW
 
I do want to thank all of your for your responses. I agreed with nearly all of them in one way or another. I've been fortunate enough to see some of the simple ones already be implemented. I also went ahead and picked up Unconscious Scoring. I like Dave Stockton's delivery and calling a spade a spade. Fear of a terrible shot will only result in a very mediocre shot. I think it's a mantra I need to carry with me in general.
 
Short chips and pitches are something I have been struggling with....been re-reading the Short Game Bible again....it helps a lot

I know a lot of people around here use the Pelz methods

Most people associate Buckjob with hitting the ball FAR.....while that's true, he worked the Pelz method really hard going into the Morgan Cup last year and the dude got crazy good with his short game and his scores really got lower.
 
Lot of great drills and suggestions. I am going to try to apply some to my game. Chipping/pitching is the main thing that keeps me from getting into the 70's.
 
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niteowl03 said:
I was told by a PGA Tour coach, to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible and let it roll. This is my plan 90% of the time. Carry thr ball beyond the fringe and let it roll.
Click to expand...

I agree with this thought and this is me most of the time. I'll use anything from a 3 hybrid all the way across the bag club wise depending on the conditions and situation. The only time I use my 58 degree wedge is if there is a real need to loft the ball high over something or from deep rough well off the green. My style has changed with the move to the new grooves.
 
I recently had a short game lesson and my thought process around the greens was to automatically grab the 58*. My instructor handed me a 9i instead and this has made a huge difference. It takes a bit to get used to the speed but it's very reliable and consistently close to the hole.
 
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