Practice chipping to improve your game.
PRACTICE YOUR SHORT GAME
As I have been conducting more short game clinics recently, I’ve had a little time to practice my own game. Spending time around the green always reminds me of the importance of having a good short game. Being competent on and around the green will free up the rest of your game including the most important part, the mental game we all play while golfing. Having a good short game frees your game and your mind.
When you miss a green in regulation and you don’t have confidence chipping and pitching the ball, you immediately start panicking about your next shot. You will get over the ball and start thinking about the technique versus visualizing the landing area and the end result. Knowing you are going to strike the ball crisp and give yourself a putt for par will free up the tension and uncertainty in your mind. Not having that pressure will bring out your best golf.
Over 60 percent, roughly two-thirds, of your shots come on or around the green. This means that if you are going to spend an hour practicing, then more than half of your time should be spent on or around the green. Hitting two baskets of balls with your driver is NOT the best use of your time. For example, I have had some of my best scoring rounds when I was not striking the ball very well, but my short game was on that day. I have also had some great ball striking rounds but didn’t score very well because I wasn’t chipping it close to the hole and the putts weren’t falling.
So, do yourself a favor and treat the shots around the green very seriously. Take your time practicing the shots. Use a lot of imagination and get creative with club selection. Make sure to always pick a landing area and focus on that spot when making your practice swings. Only use as much loft as needed to execute the shot. The longer the ball stays in the air the higher the degree of difficulty. My philosophy has always been to get the ball on the ground as quickly as possible.
A good drill to use when practicing is to take 10 balls and chip them from various spots and different lies around the green. Then go finish out each shot by putting the ball in the hole. Keep track of your total score. To gauge your performance, consider the tour average for getting up and down from off the green is approximately 65 percent. If you can get up and down at least half of the time I promise you will start seeing lower scores.
Hitting the ball on the green and two putting for par is fun but getting up and down for par from off the green is the same score on the scorecard and just as rewarding. Knowing you will chip it close will free up your full swing and your putting stroke.
