Instruction
It’s time to work on your short game
Let me bore you with some statistics: The average handicap in this country is 18 for men, 28 for women. But that’s misleading, because the real average golfer doesn’t even have a handicap.
There are 25 million or so golfers in the United States. Of those, perhaps 5 million have registered handicaps, the so-called avid golfers. So the handicap system is utilized by no more than 20 percent of all people who list golf as a hobby in this country. The rest either play too infrequently or, for whatever reasons, do not choose to record their scores. So there’s a good chance that the real average golfer handicap is a lot higher than the figures I quoted above.
We use the phrase Greens in Regulation (GIR) to describe the number of times a golfer is on a par 3 in one shot, a par 4 in two shots and a par 5 in three or less shots. But let’s flip that stat to “Greens Missed in Regulation” (GMR). The scratch (zero handicap) golfer misses seven to eight greens a round, the 85 shooter misses 14 to 15 greens and the 100 shooter misses all the greens on average.
That is why short shots constitute 60 to 65 percent of the game (putting alone is 40 percent). So the 85 shooter will take roughly 50 to 55 short shots a round. Yet 90 percent of the requests I get are for full swing lessons. In other words, 10 percent of golfers want lessons on the shots they play 65 percent of the time and 90 percent of golfers want lessons on shots they play 35 percent of the time. Go to a driving range or any practice facility in the country. If you see 20 golfers practicing at that facility, I’m betting that 17 or 18 will be hitting balls, and maybe two or three will be chipping or putting. This should be in Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
I want you to consider this: If students are missing 14 greens a round, and they work hard on their swing and make a huge improvement in their ball striking, those golfers will still miss 12 greens a round in regulation. The point of all this is obvious: Take more lessons and spend more time on the short game. Here’s why I think it will lead to better scoring: Most golfers could practice until the cows come home and never hit the golf ball anything like a professional. There is so much going on in the full swing, it is unrealistic to even consider another 40 yards or the type of compression a pro generates. But I do not think it is unrealistic to believe the amateur could chip and putt perhaps, not like a pro, but more “pro like.” The motion involved in a chip, a putt or even a little pitch can be learned so much easier than a full swing. Practicing these shots is by far the quickest way to lower scores
Every year at the beginning of the season, it is a great idea to set goals and make golf resolutions. All the people who play for a living keep statistics on their games. These stats help them identify weaknesses. Maybe something like: I missed 12 greens; I was left with two bunker shots, three pitches and seven chips. How many chips did I get up and down, how many pitches, how many three-putts etc. Sometimes when players think they are strong in a certain area, they tend to spend less time working on it. By charting the shots, they soon discover how they are actually doing in that area!
Final thought: Often golfers think they lack feel in this area of the game, when in fact what is lacking is technique. I know for myself when I am thinking mechanics, I have zero feel for that shot. Worrying about hitting the ground or how far back the club goes or any other mechanical part of the swing is a prescription for disaster! Take some short game lessons, develop confidence in the stroke, and then all your focus can be on feeling that shot. Get the little swing down so routine that you don’t have to think about it.
As always, feel free to send a swing video to my Facebook page and I will do my best to give you my feedback.
Click here for more discussion in the “Instruction & Academy” forum.
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Instruction
Clement: Laid-off or perfect fade? Across-the-line or perfect draw?
Some call the image on the left laid off, but if you are hitting a fade, this could be a perfect backswing for it! Same for across the line for a draw! Stop racking your brain with perceived mistakes and simply match backswing to shot shape!
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Instruction
The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic
My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.
As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.
The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.
Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply. Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:
Mis-aligned hands
By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.
The position of the grip in the upper/left hand
I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean. Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.
To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.
Too much lower (right) hand on the club
It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.
Gripping too tightly
Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.
So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
- The Wedge Guy: Why golf is 20 times harder than brain surgery
- The Wedge Guy: Musings on the golf ball rollback
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Instruction
Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!
Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?
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Michael
Feb 20, 2013 at 9:18 pm
If you have any decent carpeted area in your home, you can do some chipping there. If you develop the feel for simple short chips, you’ll have the foundation for longer ones. I use a wedge to chip balls instead of putting balls into the “cup” on my small LR rug. It’s only about 10 feet long, but it still works, and it’s way better than waiting till I can get to the course. Hope you’ll give it a try.
Martin
Feb 6, 2013 at 9:09 pm
I would like to read a article by you who focus on physical ability contra building a sound swing. How can a 40-50+ man (womens are more soft in their moves) find a swing that doesnt demand hard psysical training and flexibility.
Martin
Feb 4, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Rory McIlroy practised by hitting shots into his mothers washing machine! Thats one way to do it… If you really want to, you will find ways to practice the short game, use your imagination. On the driving range for example, there´s no rule I ever heard of that says you cant hit 30-50 yards shots. I have a putting mat infront of the tv, excellent to try to get the stroke as solid as possible. I practice a lot with only one hand at the time. Very effective both to discover weaknesses in your stroke!
Roger
Feb 1, 2013 at 9:25 pm
Play 9 holes then spend an hour putts, chip n run and sand saves.
I did 4 x 1 hour sessions pre xmas…..love my 9i and 8i 20m to 40m chip n run opportunities now!! I did 8 greens in reg yesterday. Just bought another driver, J38, as i need to hit more fairways, only hit 12 yesterday. Keep the stats, practice those 5m,10m and 15m and loong 30m putts, keep them on line at the pin, great things will happen after only a Few Hours Practice.
Swap putters/Wedges/Balls untill your a demon from 135m out!
Thanks Dennis !
George Ounapuu
Feb 1, 2013 at 8:35 am
Great article. I am a 60 year old now 12 handicapper. Over the last 3-4 years I have seen my hcp rise from a 9. Half way through last season I became dismayed with my declining game and went back to keeping stats. Your article is dead on the mark. My GIR was way out of whack and most often I was putting tremendous pressure on my putting to make par or bogey. Your article is timely as it is exactly what my 2013 golf goal is. Practice that short game and putting! Thanks.
Troy Vayanos
Jan 31, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Spot on Dennis,
I’ve been a victim of this in the past and spent 90% of my time on the long game. The short game is just way too important these days to be overlooked.
I now spend more time on chipping and putting than anything else when I visit the golf driving range.
Nick
Jan 31, 2013 at 2:05 pm
For most of us with 9 to 5, or a 9 to 7 that is becoming so common for professionals, practice comes on a lit range at night, on mats. Practicing the short game is not feasible under those circumstances. My short game is what is holding me back. I can hit over half my fairways and around 9 greens. Not tour ready, but not unmitigated hacking either. Yet I am a mid 80’s player. Short game is the reason but unless I can wake up at 6 and get 30 minutes around a practice green before my commute, I just cannot find enough time. It sucks.
nick
Feb 1, 2013 at 8:30 am
Instead of complaining about the conditions rather use the one day you would play golf and dedicate it to short game. Even if you utilize the course in the afternoon when the fee is small. Or you could use a mirror at home to work on positions then travel to the local park and hit a few shots.
Dennis Clark
Feb 1, 2013 at 10:15 pm
I agree finding a place to practice short game is difficult. Unfortunate but true.
Scott Messner
Jan 31, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Yes. Go to the driving range and many high handicappers are there hitting shot after shot with their driver – a club they might use 10-12 times over 18 holes. High handicappers need to split their time between the driving range and practice green.