Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible

[Dan McClellan]

I'm reading Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible for the first time (it's the first time I've ever read any golf instruction book), and I love that he takes a scientific approach. It resonates very well with me. I was especially surprised by the stat that sits at the foundation of his book. He has gathered statistic data on hundreds of players over the course the course of thousands and thousands of shots, and he says the only correlation between shot accuracy and ranking on the money list comes from the shots between 100 yards and the green. Driving accuracy does not correlate, nor does putting, nor does long long-mid iron accuracy. Only shots between 100 yards and the green show a correlation between accuracy and winning. This range is also the only range where the standard distribution of shots is spread along the distance line and not the target line. That is, the pros miss long and short on these shots, while staying on line, while on longer shots that miss right and left rather than short or long. Obviously the latter uses a full swing whereas the former uses a finess swing. According to Pelz, the better our finess swing, the better our scores. Period.

I thought about it after reading the first few chapters and realized that that distance range is the distance I practice the least. It's also the weakest part of my game. There's a lot of room for improvement for me there, which is exciting considering I am usually only a few shots over par. Thoughts? How does this bear on your game?

 

[INgolfer]

The book sounds interesting. I can definitely attest to the fact that when the short game is working well within 100 yards a round can still turn out well. I was struggling with my irons mid-season with a bunch of pushes, and I still almost won a big tournament because I spent a lot of time practicing with my wedges inside 100 yards at the range. Even if I pushed my approach shot to the right during the tournament I was usually within 50-75 yards, and I was putting the ball close very often within that range and made some good par putts, and knew that I was still only going to make bogey at worst. Over the last month I have practiced my irons a lot more and have not practiced my short game as much, and I have felt it on the course...my wedges are not getting close, and I am even chunking some shorter pitches within 40-50 yards that were usually a money shot for me. That just shows me that the short game is what counts the most, and overall this year when I have practiced my short game the most I have noticed the lowest scores coming out...

 

[KellyBo]

The last time I shot my best round was right after I had a long practice session hitting balls from 60 yards in which is my finesse shot range. I haven't been practicing those shots nearly enough and my scores are suffering because of it. I am starting to "flip" my hands again which is something I worked so hard to stop doing. Back to the practice hole!

 

[Chunkylover77]

My favorite short game book ever. Take the time to learn the 3x4 system and it's incredible.

 

[Richard Rodgers]

Totally agree with CL.

It helped my short game no end, but you do need to stick at it.

Another good read is his Putting Bible.

 

[Damaikis]

I need to read this book. My short game was bad today... I've heard good things about this book. It really interests me.

 

[coolbreeze]

I've been meaning to get this book for some time, and I think I'm finally going to break down and buy it. I actually think my short game is pretty good, but like the rest of my game it could get a lot better.

 

[Howzat]

I would say that makes sense. The worst part of my game is 100 yards and in and this is something I rarely practice.

 

[Chunkylover77]

Totally agree with CL.

It helped my short game no end, but you do need to stick at it.

Another good read is his Putting Bible.

Perfectly put. It really is not the easiest swing to learn but once you learn it you are golden from 100 yards and in.

Putting bible I did not like as much. He teaches SBST and I don't like that stroke

 

[#Cookie]

Hmmm....you guys are peaking my interest. Need to look into this.


Tappin' from my iPad!

 

[Richard Rodgers]

Here you go lads. Just over $24 at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Pelzs-Sh...3447/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318233881&sr=8-1

Probably the best $24 you will ever spend!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dan McClellan]

My favorite short game book ever. Take the time to learn the 3x4 system and it's incredible.

I just finished reading the section on the 3x4 system. Sounds pretty helpful, although it also sounds like quite a bit of work.

 

[Buckjob]

sounds like a great good. i agree with the 100 and in ive started including my local chip and putt course in my weekly practice regiment and its helped a lot on the course.

 

[Nate]

Playing a 2 man scramble in about a month and will be hitting tons of <100 yard shots. It's my least favorite shot to practice but probably the most important. Have not seen it yet but will try and pick up.

 

[Howzat]

I just finished reading the section on the 3x4 system. Sounds pretty helpful, although it also sounds like quite a bit of work.

Can you give a quick description of the 3x4 system?

 

[golftoday]

Thanks for the post. I'm going to check out this book as well. Looks like an interesting read for sure!

 

[niwotian]

Can you give a quick description of the 3x4 system?

The basic idea is that you have 4 wedges (PW, AW, SW, LW), and you groove three strokes with different length backswings (7:30, 9:00, 10:30 - where your arms represent the hands of a clock). Then you measure and document your distances with each wedge for each swing length to give you 12 known distances (some people even tape a cheat sheet to each club). I did this, and for a high handicapper like me it was great - gave me something objective to start from. I've heard low handicappers say they develop a feel, so they don't need this kind of system. I've also heard the system criticized because it doesn't account for elevated greens and other variants that affect distance, but for me I'd still rather have a known distance that I can adjust if needed to the particular shot - just like if the yardage says the shot should be an 8 iron, but due to elevation change or wind you decide to go a club stronger or weaker.

 

[Howzat]

The basic idea is that you have 4 wedges (PW, AW, SW, LW), and you groove three strokes with different length backswings (7:30, 9:00, 10:30 - where your arms represent the hands of a clock). Then you measure and document your distances with each wedge for each swing length to give you 12 known distances (some people even tape a cheat sheet to each club). I did this, and for a high handicapper like me it was great - gave me something objective to start from. I've heard low handicappers say they develop a feel, so they don't need this kind of system. I've also heard the system criticized because it doesn't account for elevated greens and other variants that affect distance, but for me I'd still rather have a known distance that I can adjust if needed to the particular shot.

Thanks for the info!

 

[TrueFX]

Just ordered this book for $1.98 off of Amazon.

Really looking forward to it.

 

[Xt1ncT-NZ]

Love this book. Helped me come down from an 18 handicap golfer to single figures.

When I'm playing badly it's almost always the short game that helps me out, and always after I go back to this book.

The 3x4 system really is so simple, but so effective!

Another great stat is the "golden 8" - that is putts made from between 2 and 10 feet. Interesting reading for sure.

Remnds me I have to get started reading it again.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[mdbuschsr]

Bought this book yesterday.

 

[DCSerafin]

I've heard low handicappers say they develop a feel, so they don't need this kind of system. I've also heard the system criticized because it doesn't account for elevated greens and other variants that affect distance.

The system/process makes total sense to me but that statement does not. Just like we know how far our full irons go, we then make adjustments for wind and elevation changes. This system/process sounds like an extention of knowing how far we hit a full 5i -to- 60* LW. Taking the time to truly know how far the wedges will travel with different length backswings (7:30, 9:00, 10:30 - where your arms represent the hands of a clock) make perfect sense. It's like adding clubs to the bag that you can trust. Knowing a 7::30 56* SW goes 40 yds is huge and certainly could help lower some scores, and just like any club in the bag, one needs to adjust for the elevation/wind.

 

[mdbuschsr]

"Feel" IMO is based on practice and hard work. But if we're not practicing the right things, then the feel we develop is of little/no value, I'll cite my own full swing as proof of that! I'm only just into the 4th chapter, but everything I've read to this point excites the hell out of me.

 

[mhachtx]

I've often thumbed through this book, I'm going to see if its on kindle and if it is not I will be ordering one!

 

[mdbuschsr]

I've often thumbed through this book, I'm going to see if its on kindle and if it is not I will be ordering one!

Up front I will say I know nothing about e-readers... After that I would say that this is a book that I'm glad I have in paper form. As I've said I'm only a handful of chapters into it, and not really at the meat of it yet, but I already have several sticky notes marking pages that I want to go back and reread.