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The Short Game
Short Game DefinitionMy definition of the short game includes all shots within 60 yards of the green. Putting I hold in a category all by itself, since it is a completely different shot and requires special attention.The shots in a short game range from the full swing to pitching, chipping, punching and flopping. We will get into the deffinitions of each and when, where and how to use them. Some of these shots need to be used in other areas of golf, particularly when you are in trouble. For instance, your ball comes to rest under a low hanging tree. For this shot you just want to get back into the fairway and a punch shot would come in handy. The PitchThis shot has more air than roll. What I mean by that is that this shot is meant to come up off the ground quickly and get quite a bit of height before it lands on the green and then gets a little bit of roll. This shot is good when you have a bit of trouble to get over, like a bunker or a knoll.For a more detailed description of this shot and how you can add it to your game, head back to the main page and sign up for the Short Game Report. It wil show you why you mess up the easy shots around the green and what to do to fix it. The ChipThis one gets a little bit of air and a lot of roll. It is best to keep the ball low and keep control around the green. As long as you don't have a bunch of rough to get over, a chip is a very handy shot to have.The chip shot is probably one of the more utilized shots in golf since many golfers miss the green in regulation (GIR). This leaves a short distance to the green and a short bit of rough and fringe to reach the green. To make this shot you should use a short backswing with your weight forward. Do not shift your weight in the backswing. This will have the club coming down on the ball at a sharper angle and allow the leading edge of the club to get under the ball. This helps to get the ball to pop up out of the grass and clear the short distance to the green. The PunchThe punch shot is a low shot like the chip, but it is really meant to go some distance. You want to use a less lofted club to perform this shot. As mentioned before, it is meant to get you out of trouble by going under some obsticle. It is not used so much in the short game, but I mention it here because it is one of those unique shots you might use that is similar to the other three.The FlopLike the pitch shot, the flop gets a lot of air and little or no roll. This shot is used when you have to get over a high barrier, like a tree. For this shot, you have to come down on the ball, forcing it to go high. There is much more air involved with this shot than the pitch.Which shot do I use?When should you chip instead of pitch? Well, think about each shot and how the ball reacts. The chip shot has a little bit of air, so that little bit of air needs to get you on the green. Too much air and you sail past the hole. If there is 6 feet or so of rough to get over, you problably want to pitch the ball onto the green.The pitch and chip shots will be the most used shots right around the green. If you only have a little bit of fringe to cover, you will probably want to avoid both of these shots and just putt away. Get my pail and shovel, I'm bunker boundThe greenside bunker. Probably one of the most dreaded positions to be in, but it should not be so. Using the proper technique in the sand will get you out in one and not too far from the hole. So, what is the proper technique?In most cases, you should line up the ball in the middle of your stance and aim just behind the ball. You want your club to dig into the sand a bit and carry that sand with your ball out onto the green. Take a full swing and followthrough in the greenside bunker. Don't be afraid to hit it too hard. The sand will take a lot out of the power of the swing and the ball will not go too far. Again, that's in most cases. If your ball is burried or there is a bit of a crater around your ball (known as a fried egg lie), you will want to have the ball a little forward in your stance so that you can dig in a bit more before carrying you ball out to the green. Do you need to get out of the bunker?Here is an awesome DVD all about how to deal with bunker shots. It's a step by step professional quality DVD that shows you exactly what to do and why you do it the way they teach.No longer will you struggle on the beach. It'll be nothing but a chip and a putt, even from the sand. Lesson 1- Introduction |
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