Flamin' and Arcade Myself!

Many amateurs get caught up in trying to be the longest hitter of the golf ball in their group. The truth is that low scores can be produced without really needing to hit the ball very far. Yes, there is a great deal of pleasure that can be gained from seeing the stunned look in your playing partners faces as you bomb a drive over 300 yard down the fairway however if your short game is weak then you will never be able to capitalize on the advantage that you have off the tee.

The professionals on tour spend a lot of time working on their short game because they know that even on their best rounds they will probably miss a few greens and will need to rely on the short game to help them recover. Here are some simple short game tips to help you shoot lower scores fast:

Tip 1: Hit lots of wedge shots from 40 to 120 yards.

This distance can really make a big difference in your scores especially if you are sharp with your wedges here. Instead of a 30 foot putt for par or birdie, you can find yourself facing much simpler putts from inside 20 feet so you can save par more easily or make the occasional birdie.

Tip 2: Practice from very tough and awkward lies

Do not be afraid to practice from very awkward and difficult lies and situations. This will make the shots you face on the course seem simple by comparison. Look for bare lies or buried lies, uphill and downhill lies and stances and learn to hit chips and flop shots from these lies. Always aim for a tiny target and always focus on holing the shot. With every short game shot the target is to hole the shot not just get it inside some 3 foot circle.

Tip 3: Practice a lot of short putts

Short putting is critical to shooting good scores and being a great putter overall. If you are confident with the short putts then you will naturally be more free and confident with the longer putts which will only help you to make more of these kinds of putts. Line up short putts from 3 to 6 feet from various lines around the hole and focus on a small target and then just looking and reacting. Do think too much when putting or hitting any golf shot for that matter, you need to turn golf into a reaction sport so that you can take advantage of your natural athletic ability.

Tip 4: Build an effective mental routine

Many teachers talk about routines and they are important in order to be a better player. There are two aspects to the golf routine and they are the physical and mental routine. Both are important however the mental routine is more important. It is best to allow yourself to have some flexibility in your physical routine as far as the number of practice swings you take and such. The key element of the mental routine is to reach that moment of decisiveness where you know you will hit a great shot. Try some of these golf short game tips to help you become a better golfer quickly.

The best way to get a lower score is to improve your short game skills. You have to take into consideration that your driving skills should now be up to standard. Long drives down the fairway will give you shorter shots to the green and improve your overall score.

The best way to decrease your shot is having confidence. If you feel comfortable with the shot you should be able to get the right distance and land your ball in a perfect position on the green. A lack of confidence will make you hit the ball too hard and over the green, hitting the ball too softly will leave you with another shot to get onto the green.

The key to a great shot will be less of a back spin and moving the momentum through the shot. Your clubface should flow nicely under the ball and lift it onto the green. Your stance is important when trying to achieve this, place the ball in the center between your legs when taking the shot.

A mistake a lot of people make with short shots is trying to lift the ball with their leading arm. Instead you should let the club loft lift the ball and do its work. Trying to lift the ball with your leading arm will result in a topping shot.

Whether you are setting up for a chip or a pitch, the address position should be the same. The difference between chipping and pitching is simply wrist action – chipping requires no wrist action, while pitching requires some wrist action due to the length or trajectory of the shot. The set-up, however, remains the same.

When you are hitting from an uphill lie the ball will fly higher than normal. The slope you are hitting up effectively adds loft to the club. When you are hitting from a downhill lie the ball will fly lower than normal. The slope you are hitting up effectively removes loft from the club. So use less club to compensate. When the ball is above your feet you are standing more upright and therefore the swing becomes flatter. A flat swing will encourage a draw or hook and the ball will tend to have a lower trajectory flying further.

Putting backspin on a golf ball is not as easy as it might sound. Working on the same concept as back spinning a cue ball in pool. You should hit down on the ball basically pinching the ball between the grass and the club face. The right angle and force will be needed to master the back spin shot. Keep your clubface clean at all times to ensure a successful shot. Use a high spin golf ball to make it easier and enjoy the backspin of 5 -10 feet when your ball lands on the green.

If you are just learning how to play golf then you must first understand the critical importance of the short game and how it can help you learn and improve at the game very quickly. Most amateurs spend way too much time hitting their long irons and driver and not nearly enough working on putting, chipping and wedge play. Here are some tips regarding the various aspects of the short game that can help you to shoot lower golf scores quickly:

Putting Tips:

Putting can really make a big difference in lowering your golf scores and making the game more enjoyable. There are many putting styles that you will see even the professional golfers using so the key is to pick one style you like and stick with it making only minor adjustments here and there to improve it. Do not get caught up constantly changing your entire putting technique just because you did not make a few easy putts the last round.

One of the biggest keys to succeeding in putting and never getting the putting yips is to realize that putting is very much a mental game. Confidence is a critical factor and you need to always believe that the putt will go in the hole every time you hit the golf ball with your putter. Do not aim for a 3 foot circle with long putts because this will only increase your margin for error. Always focus on making every putt.

What you think about before you hit each putt is the most important element to consistently good putting. It may be best to simply keep your mind quiet and just look and react to your targets trusting that your mind and body will send the ball the right distance and direction.

Chipping And Sand Shot Tips:

You should always spend some time during each practice session hitting chips and sand shots around the green. Look for the worst possible lies and hit from them because then hitting from the fairway on the course will seem easy by comparison. When hitting chip shots you want the ball to be back in the stance aligned with your right foot and you want to use an open stance where your feet point to the left of the target.

With sand shots you want the ball a little further up in your stance still using an open stance and you should aim to hit a spot a few inches behind the ball so you can use a cushion of sand to lift the ball out of the bunker. Be sure to accelerate on the downswing otherwise you risk hitting it fat.

Wedge Play Tips:

Do not underestimate the importance of good wedge play as it can setup easy birdie opportunities for you on the course. Hit many wedge shots from various distances from 40 to 135 yards. The key to developing feel is simply practice so there are no shortcuts here. You should hit at least half of your practice balls with the wedge. Remember that the full swing is simply an extension of the shorter ones so if you can hit the wedge well then you will be a much better striker with your longer clubs like the driver. Follow some of these short game tips to help you play better golf.

For some reason when I encourage my students to work on their chipping, it just goes in one ear and out of the other. Heaven forbid that I suggest taking a chipping lesson as opposed to working on their full swing. They look at me like I am trying to cheat them out of the time that they have bought. Last time I checked, they bought my time to improve their overall game and more importantly lower their scores.

Working on your short game will lower most players’ scores faster than spending hours on the range. Even Tiger does not hit every green during a round of golf. However, when he misses, he does not miss many chances to get the ball up and down for a score of par. That is the difference between good players and really good players.

Many amateurs have the same challenges when it comes to chipping the golf ball. Here are three short game tips to improve your chipping and your overall short game:

1. In your chipping setup position, place your feet closer together and have seventy percent of your weight on your forward foot. This would be your left foot for a right-handed golfer. Many amateurs have their feet shoulder width apart while attempting to hit this shot. I do not see anyone on TV doing that.

2. Determine where you want the ball to land before you set up to the golf shot. If possible you want to find a flat spot just onto the putting green. Any time that you can hit a low shot that runs the ball up to the hole as opposed to flying it all of the way there, do it. This gives you more room for error and percentage-wise you will get you closer to the hole for the next shot, unless you make the chipping! Do not be scared to use an eight, seven or even a five iron to get the distance that you need.

3. Make sure that your grip of your golf club passes the crease in your pants or shorts on your follow through. Than hold your finish until the ball has stopped rolling. Use this time to evaluate how you hit the shot. You will be interested in noting where you made contact with the golf ball on the face. If the answer is that you hit it on the bottom of the face make sure you got the club past your left leg on the finish. If this is good then check the amount of tension in your shoulders. You will want them to be relaxed.

Implementing these three chipping tips into your short game, you will very quickly see an improvement in how solid your chip shots become. You can still go to the range and bang balls with your full swing, but keep in mind the majority of the shots that you will hit during your round will be within 100 yards of the hole. See you in the short game area!