Alright, golfers! Sarah Chen here, your PGA-certified instructor and golf instruction editor for The Daily Duffer. I’ve spent fifteen years on the practice range, working with everyone from aspiring tour pros to enthusiastic weekend warriors, and one truth always shines through: with the right guidance and effort, anyone can improve. Today, we’re diving into the absolute game-changer for your scorecard: your short game.
Many of you, I know, are keen on data. You understand that hitting greens in regulation is crucial. But let’s be realistic. Even the pros you watch on TV only hit about 13 to 14 greens per round. The real difference-maker? Their ability to get up and down the vast majority of the time. This is where your scores truly drop, and it’s what I often call the “low-hanging fruit” of golf improvement.
Mastering the Chip and Pitch: Your Scorecard’s Best Friend
If you’re looking to shave a stroke or two off your handicap quickly, focusing on chipping and pitching is where it’s at. These are not just small shots; they are scoring shots. Let’s break down the fundamentals to build a solid foundation.
The Setup: Your Foundation for Success
A consistent and correct setup is paramount for repeatable short game shots. Think of it as building a strong foundation for your house – without it, things fall apart. The key is to distinguish between your chip shot setup and your pitch shot setup, as they serve different purposes.
- Feet Positioning:
- For chip shots, keep your feet close together, perhaps a clubhead’s width apart. This limits excessive body movement and encourages a more arm-and-shoulder-driven swing.
- For pitch shots, spread your feet a little wider. This provides a more stable base for the slightly longer swing you’ll be making.
- Weight Distribution: This is critical for crisp contact. For both chips and pitches, you want to feel a significant amount of pressure on your lead foot.
“Have 60-70% of your weight on your lead foot for every short game shot.”
This forward weight helps ensure you strike the ball first, then the turf, preventing those dreaded fat shots.
- Ball Position:
- For chip shots, the ball should be slightly back of center in your stance.
- For pitch shots, the ball is generally pretty much centered.
This subtle difference helps control your trajectory and spin for each type of shot.
- Hands Ahead: For most short game shots, you’ll want your hands positioned slightly ahead of the ball. This delofts the club slightly and encourages a downward strike.
- Chest Alignment: Think about the buttons on your shirt.
“With short game shots, if the button line is angled slightly toward the target, it becomes much easier to make ball first contact as we have moved the low point of the abbreviated swing to the target side of the ball.”
This subtle tilt helps preset your body for that crucial ball-first impact.
The “Y” and “L” Principles: Simple Swing Keys
My students love simple, visual cues, and these are two of the best for short game consistency:
- The “Y” for Chipping: In your chip shot setup, your arms and the club shaft should form the letter “Y.” For chip shots, your goal is to maintain this “Y” throughout the swing. This keeps your wrists firm and prevents scooping, leading to more consistent contact.
- The “L” for Pitching: Pitching involves a slightly longer swing, and here’s where the “L” comes in. As you take your abbreviated backswing, your lead arm and the club shaft should form an “L” at the top. Critically, you want to mirror this on the follow-through, creating another “L.” This ensures a balanced swing and proper release.
Keeping Your Body Moving: Avoid the Stall
One of the most common mistakes I see, especially with higher handicappers, is their chest rotation stalling in the downswing. This often leads to a ‘scooping’ motion, which is essentially the short game equivalent of casting in a full swing. Your body needs to rotate through impact, even on a short chip.
Actionable Drills for Your Practice
Practice is where true improvement happens. Make it challenging and deliberate.
The “Y” and “L” Drill: For chips, set up in your “Y” position. Place a headcover under your lead armpit. Practice making small chipping swings, focusing on keeping that headcover pinned. If it drops, you’re breaking your “Y.” For pitches, work on making the “L” shape on both the backswing and follow-through, matching the length of each. Start small and gradually increase the “L” size to control distance.
Lead Foot Balance Drill: Find a comfortable short game setup. Now, lift your trail foot slightly off the ground, balancing primarily on your lead foot. Make small chipping and pitching motions from this position. This exaggerates the feeling of having 60-70% of your weight on your lead foot and helps you learn to hit down and through the ball consistently.
The Clock Drill for Distance Control: This drill is fantastic for dialling in your pitch shots. Use your lead arm to gauge your backswing length, imagining a clock face.
“When your lead arm is parallel to the ground, call that 9 o’clock and determine how far you hit the golf ball from that position. When you go to 9:30 or 10:00 or 10:30, calibrate those distances as well.”
Practice hitting balls to specific targets, associating each clock position with a distance. Remember, this works best when you’re making solid contact.
Assessing the Lie and Club Selection
Understanding your lie is like being a skilled chef who knows their ingredients. A ball sitting up in lush rough offers different options than one on a tight fairway. Don’t always practice from perfect lies. As Nick Saban often said, “We make practice hard so games will be easy.” Deliberately place balls in tricky spots during practice to build your confidence and adaptability.
When it comes to club selection, less loft often means less risk. I challenge you to try chipping with a hybrid! Many of my students are surprised by how effective and forgiving it is. While a lob wedge can be a miracle worker from a tight lie, it demands precision. Always remember, if you haven’t practiced a challenging shot much, consider a safer, lower-lofted option.
A Final Word of Encouragement
Getting great at the short game, or any part of golf, is a journey that requires commitment. But with these clear, actionable techniques and dedicated practice, you’re not just going to improve; you’re going to transform your scoring. Believe in your ability to learn and enjoy the process. I’m here to tell you, you absolutely can get better!
