We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Short Game Shape Up - JB Goes To Work

I set out balls every 5 yards from 10 to 80 as my targets for short game practice. My goal is to feel the distance I need to hit, dropping my shot on top of the target balls. I will randomly pick a distance rather than go in sequence.

I'm not mechanical in my short game at all, so this really helps me dial things in.
 
Just wrapped this up at the range and going to hop in the golf cart and head home. Write up coming up soon.
 
JB said:
Just wrapped this up at the range and going to hop in the golf cart and head home. Write up coming up soon.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna guess you just made the cut from your goal. Impressive if so!
 
Getting back in the swing of things, I went out to the short game practice facility for some work. With me 36 balls and some wedges. I used the ball I play for this as I try to do that quite a bit when working on short game. In this case, the Bridgestone B330-RX golf ball. I was using the 2012 version, because that is what I had enough of.

The short game area was pretty empty, just a lone guy working on sand and since there are 6 flags on the green (this is not the putting green), it gave me space. Took the paper like tape measure and marked out 5 ft on 4 different sides of the hole and placed tees at the 60" mark. It gave me a nice target and today was working out of the rough. Down in this area, the thick bermuda can cause fits on club heads around the green and leave the ball coming off the club face like a knuckle ball at times. To compound this, the grass was still a bit damp from the humidity and I knew spin would be non-existent because of that.

I have a small plastic bucket (looks like a mini range bucket) and went to work. First 2 missed and then I had a good stretch of 9 in a row that landed inside the area and made two of them. After each twelve, I clear the area around the cup and continued this till I was done with the 36. I also moved 3-5 feet to the right after each 12 to make sure I was not complacent. I failed. But there is both good and bad to take away from this one.

First off, the shot I was working on was little more than a standard pitch shot. I was set up about 7.5 yards away from the edge of the green and had about 24 feet from the edge of the green to the cup. No major break, but a subtle left to right about half way to the hole. Ball sets up on the inside of my back foot, weight and lean on my front foot and a simple putting like motion to hit the ball. Im not exactly locked arms, because I feel that takes away some of the "feel" from the shot, but not a lot of movement and limited wrist movement at all. The goal is simple, ball first contact that is clean and minimize risk.

The results today were 22 inside of 5 feet. 14 outside of 5 feet. Of those 14, 11 of them were still inside of 10 feet, which is decent, but not where I want to be. The remaining three were thinned and just off the back of the green. Those 3 are absolute hole killers and it happens when I try to get cute with it, or get lazy. Each of the 3 that were thinned happened directly after holing one out, so perhaps mentally I was trying to get a little fancy.

Taking away from this is that I need to work on concentration a bit and remember what my goals are at the outset. I also need to work on my line. My miss was trying to play too much break and have it die into the hole, rather than my original goal of getting into that 5 ft area. As soon as I made one (4th shot), I was then searching for making them rather than the goal which is something I have to mentally remember. The form and shot felt good, and contact outside of a select few was good on all of them.

In setting up, I have to purposely remember to get my weight correct and my alignment aimed on my target line. To do this I do the same thing I would when putting. Setup to the ball with my feet together. Then move front foot out and then back foot. I like to be shoulder width apart during all of my chips when I can. This was taught to me from Pat O'Brien during a putting lesson and has really helped my alignment more than just about anything else (there is a video on THP somewhere on this). If I look at it with less moving parts and more about putting, despite the club being different, I usually end up in good shape.

Thanks for following along. More coming this weekend as GolferGal and myself take on a few drills coming up preparing for THP Event love is in the air.
 
JB said:
Getting back in the swing of things, I went out to the short game practice facility for some work. With me 36 balls and some wedges. I used the ball I play for this as I try to do that quite a bit when working on short game. In this case, the Bridgestone B330-RX golf ball. I was using the 2012 version, because that is what I had enough of.

The short game area was pretty empty, just a lone guy working on sand and since there are 6 flags on the green (this is not the putting green), it gave me space. Took the paper like tape measure and marked out 5 ft on 4 different sides of the hole and placed tees at the 60" mark. It gave me a nice target and today was working out of the rough. Down in this area, the thick bermuda can cause fits on club heads around the green and leave the ball coming off the club face like a knuckle ball at times. To compound this, the grass was still a bit damp from the humidity and I knew spin would be non-existent because of that.

I have a small plastic bucket (looks like a mini range bucket) and went to work. First 2 missed and then I had a good stretch of 9 in a row that landed inside the area and made two of them. After each twelve, I clear the area around the cup and continued this till I was done with the 36. I also moved 3-5 feet to the right after each 12 to make sure I was not complacent. I failed. But there is both good and bad to take away from this one.

First off, the shot I was working on was little more than a standard pitch shot. I was set up about 7.5 yards away from the edge of the green and had about 24 feet from the edge of the green to the cup. No major break, but a subtle left to right about half way to the hole. Ball sets up on the inside of my back foot, weight and lean on my front foot and a simple putting like motion to hit the ball. Im not exactly locked arms, because I feel that takes away some of the "feel" from the shot, but not a lot of movement and limited wrist movement at all. The goal is simple, ball first contact that is clean and minimize risk.

The results today were 22 inside of 5 feet. 14 outside of 5 feet. Of those 14, 11 of them were still inside of 10 feet, which is decent, but not where I want to be. The remaining three were thinned and just off the back of the green. Those 3 are absolute hole killers and it happens when I try to get cute with it, or get lazy. Each of the 3 that were thinned happened directly after holing one out, so perhaps mentally I was trying to get a little fancy.

Taking away from this is that I need to work on concentration a bit and remember what my goals are at the outset. I also need to work on my line. My miss was trying to play too much break and have it die into the hole, rather than my original goal of getting into that 5 ft area. As soon as I made one (4th shot), I was then searching for making them rather than the goal which is something I have to mentally remember. The form and shot felt good, and contact outside of a select few was good on all of them.

In setting up, I have to purposely remember to get my weight correct and my alignment aimed on my target line. To do this I do the same thing I would when putting. Setup to the ball with my feet together. Then move front foot out and then back foot. I like to be shoulder width apart during all of my chips when I can. This was taught to me from Pat O'Brien during a putting lesson and has really helped my alignment more than just about anything else (there is a video on THP somewhere on this). If I look at it with less moving parts and more about putting, despite the club being different, I usually end up in good shape.

Thanks for following along. More coming this weekend as GolferGal and myself take on a few drills coming up preparing for THP Event love is in the air.
Click to expand...

Glad to see in not yet only one skulling chips across the green.

Great stuff & look forward to incorporating this drill.
 
Thanks for posting that this morning. Was interesting to read and provided some things to look for and work on in this area for me. Just as the whole thread has.

JM
 
Nice work, JB. Short game work is where it's at, and can make or break a scorecard. Well done.
 
nice work JB. Love me some short game practice. The thin short game shot is definitely a hole killer.
 
Awesome update JB. Sounds like a great practice session.
 
Love seeing numbers and data when it comes to this. Not bad results for the first time doing it this year. I know you were 8 yards off the green, was it a plat space to the green or did you have a hill or any elevation change to clear to the green?
 
This might be a me thing, but do you find you make more JB when you're not trying to? Usually my goal is inside 3-5ft depending on the length of the shot. If I think hole it, they come off too aggressive in speed sometimes and then rumble outside the original goal. If I only focus in inside that goal, I notice more go in.
 
JB said:
For me, unless I am getting very creative around the greens for some "odd" shot, the less moving parts the better. For a standard shot, my thoughts are quite simple. Hands and wrists firm, ball a tiny bit back, weight forward and hit it like a putter.

I also am not a big fan of chipping with my feet super close together and "opened" towards the target. My philosophy has always been the closer to the swings I practice (meaning full and putting) the less trouble I will have.
Click to expand...

I feel this is the most efficient way to work the greens by far. Ball position and hands starting position determine flight. I used to use the more open stance idea with this and found it harder to keep a low straight follow through, and that would result in side spin. Could get them close alot, but have been making many more with squarer stance.

Great thread JB.
 
mikedean441 said:
Love seeing numbers and data when it comes to this. Not bad results for the first time doing it this year. I know you were 8 yards off the green, was it a plat space to the green or did you have a hill or any elevation change to clear to the green?
Click to expand...

It was pretty flat.

Mward said:
This might be a me thing, but do you find you make more JB when you're not trying to? Usually my goal is inside 3-5ft depending on the length of the shot. If I think hole it, they come off too aggressive in speed sometimes and then rumble outside the original goal. If I only focus in inside that goal, I notice more go in.
Click to expand...

I dont know really. It seems lately, I am getting one a round if I am missing a lot of greens. Not sure I try to make any, but in the back of my head, I am thinking about it I am sure.
 
Good start JB. What wedge did you use or did you switch out?
 
Pretty good results there JB. Question regarding the line.....

Do you try to read based off where the ball bounces to play for the bounce or do you look at where you anticipate it to start rolling. This is one of the big things my teach has me working on right now which is visualizing the whole shot. My problem is I tend to over analyze
 
Nate said:
Good start JB. What wedge did you use or did you switch out?
Click to expand...

I used my 50* on this shot. I try and simulate what I would use on the course and in this case it would either be my 50* or my PW from this distance. Due to the rough being high, I wanted something with a bit smaller sole to get through it (although the flip side is stronger grip is needed to prevent twisting).
 
flog2424 said:
Pretty good results there JB. Question regarding the line.....

Do you try to read based off where the ball bounces to play for the bounce or do you look at where you anticipate it to start rolling. This is one of the big things my teach has me working on right now which is visualizing the whole shot. My problem is I tend to over analyze
Click to expand...

I read the whole thing, and pick my landing spot (general area) where I would like the ball to land based off of that read.
 
I am glad this thread was brought back to life. Giving my wedge game more structure and making it similar to putting is going to be a huge help for me going forward. Be ready for a closer match next time we se each other.
 
good luck!
 
Howzat said:
I am glad this thread was brought back to life. Giving my wedge game more structure and making it similar to putting is going to be a huge help for me going forward. Be ready for a closer match next time we se each other.
Click to expand...

I believe that. You were already coming around and since adding that putting lessons to the mix, you will take me easily next time.
 
JB said:
Nate,
Let me know if I can help. I worked with 4 different coaches over the years on short game stuff and took a lot of what each taught me in the little tests.
Click to expand...

This is what I wanna do this year get some different coaches ideas on short game so I can incorporate different things into my arsenal and see what works best for me. Knowledge is power and I know by doing that with my putting I took a little from a few places has been a thousand times better than it was before.
 
great write up JB, especially the mental part about getting fancy after holing one out. I find myself doing the same thing (thinking back upon previous practice sessions), and will try to incorporate some of these thoughts into my next practice time.
 
A ton of very useful info in here.

Definitely adding today's drill to the schedule.
 
Good stuff JB! I've been working on short game more lately as well. Learning how to chip with a 9i just off the green has been a revelation and helped my game. I like your drill with the 5ft circle. Will give it a shot this weekend.
 
Ole Gray said:
I subscribed to this thread because of all the cool info available. Great stuff JB!
Click to expand...

Me too! Thanks JB for such a detailed description of this drill & analysis of your results. It really paints a vivid picture of how this should go.

And now I have "the JB line" (30 of 36 or better) as my standard of excellence, so I have a new goal to shoot for!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top