[infelconi]

On a par 72 course, a scratch golfer will hit approximately 13 or 14 drives, 4 or 5 fairway woods or lay-ups, and about 12 or 13 approaches with mid or long irons (I'm including the par 3's here). The above accounts for about 32 strokes. The rest of the strokes played (40) are attributable to the short game...100 yards and in to the hole. Nevertheless, when you go to the range, often the loneliest place is the short game practice area.

Math doesn’t lie, the short game is the most important part of the game. What is your short game practice routine, and how often do you practice?

[XYTommy]

This thread might help a little. A ton of members weighed in here.


http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...light=practice

[rfceicizgm]

I don't really have a routine. I just try and make sure that I putt and chip for at least and hour or so 3 or 4 times a week. I use to live near a course with an excellent short game area, but the course near my new home doesn't have as good an area.

[gunhijala]

I do think that philosophy is correct, if you are a pro or low handicap golfer. I think alot of people (including myself) hit balls on the range, stuggling to find that consitency to BE in the fairways, and BE in the position to hit a short iron or wedge into a green. If I'm not driving well, my round suffers more than if my short game is off. That's me personally.

I will concede that the short game is the most important part, and the fact that pros often hit 20 some putts, while most "regular" golfers are in the high 30s and 40s, speaks for itself.

I should practice my short game more often...

[Mifsnavassy]

my short game is money... my long game needs alot of work
bad shots off the tee lead to long approach shots lead to less girs lead to lots of scrambling... so my short saves me... its all i used to work on by necessity... if i could get my long game dialed in id be all good

[BadbarmrapBef]

my short game is money... my long game needs alot of work

thats what she said!

sorry you set me up for it lol

[Mifsnavassy]

thats what she said!

sorry you set me up for it lol

loooool...

[BadbarmrapBef]

hahaha

[CtEkM8Vq]

For the past few months, I've been working on my swing, so haven't spent that much time working on the short game. Last year, I definitely gave my short game more attention. While I think the swings look better, the scores have actually gotten higher.

[Anaedilla]

I tend to spend excessive time practicing my short game all kinds of different shots around the green. I have played about 30 times this summer and more and more I continue to play the more I realize the short game is what saves me 75% of the time. Since the best public course and practice area is 5 mins from my house I take advantage of it every chance I get even if its only for an hour just to chip and putt around. For routines I have never been a big fan of just sitting in one spot and practice chipping 50 balls to one hole I prefer to try and work different angles different lies different shots with different clubs. To be honest the short game is actually one of my favorite facets of my game I enjoy practicing on for hours because most of the time I never get too frustrated.

[Lxbsvksl]

Nevertheless, when you go to the range, often the loneliest place is the short game practice area.

Math doesn’t lie, the short game is the most important part of the game. What is your short game practice routine, and how often do you practice?

I wish that was true. I used to be able to go the the short game area and have it all to myself. Now There always seems to be someone who monopolizes the entire chipping green with a couple of baskets of range balls. I'm not interested in hitting into a sea of balls. I want a clean green so I can hit 2 or 3 balls and see how they actually finish. When I do get a short time alone on the chipping green, I like to use the Harvey Penick method and just use one ball... chip, then putt and the goal is no more than 2 strokes for every "round".

I also have to use the same balls I use when I play... range balls are totally useless for short game work because aside from being round, they have no properties in common with a real golf ball. Why don't some players ever seem to figure that out?

Short game is still what I practice most. I just have to pick my times. Fortunately, since I work at the course, I'm around there often enough to find times when I can get the green without a crowd.

[jaydicassdhy]

Short game is all I practice at the moment. My ball striking is fine, so I'm working on feel around and on the greens. I try not to structure the practice too much, so I just hit a bunch of balls from different positions just to get the arms working and the feel of the shots.

I've been getting up and down a little more often recently. Due to this practice.

[MwhwF6bp]

i practice short game almost exclusively. throw on the ipod and work it out.


creating those shots is the most exciting part for me.

[infelconi]

I do think that philosophy is correct, if you are a pro or low handicap golfer. I think alot of people (including myself) hit balls on the range, stuggling to find that consitency to BE in the fairways, and BE in the position to hit a short iron or wedge into a green. If I'm not driving well, my round suffers more than if my short game is off. That's me personally.

I will concede that the short game is the most important part, and the fact that pros often hit 20 some putts, while most "regular" golfers are in the high 30s and 40s, speaks for itself.

I should practice my short game more often...

You arrived at the correct conclusion, but I think you need to think it through a bit more. While all parts of the game come together to make a score, there are some parts that are much more important. We agree on that. In the scenario I posed, all drives and approaches were theoretically perfect, and still 40 out of 72 shots are attributable to the short game...and this is for people that are hitting fairways and greens most of the time. For the higher handicapper, the short game is so much more important since it is sometimes the only thing that turns tripples into doubles, and doubles into singles and pars. The philosophy of learning the game from the hole back to the tee is something well worth exploring.

Yesterday I played with a friend who is learning the game. While he was a bit wild off the tee, he managed to make it up to green side in a reasonable number (usually 3 strokes on the par 4's). Once there, it was clear that he had no feel for short game. As he chipped and putted balls raced by the hole, or did not get up to the hole. How many times have you seen that among higher handicappers? What could have been 5's and 6's turned into 7's and 8's.

If a golfer starting out became a proficient short game player in the first year, and then kept practicing the short game, he/she would come down to the single digits much faster than most.

The fact is that most new golfers will dedicate 75% to 95% of their practice sessions to the long game, and some will not practice short game at all, when the smart thing to do would be to concentrate on the short stuff.

[infelconi]

I wish that was true. I used to be able to go the the short game area and have it all to myself. Now There always seems to be someone who monopolizes the entire chipping green with a couple of baskets of range balls. I'm not interested in hitting into a sea of balls. I want a clean green so I can hit 2 or 3 balls and see how they actually finish. When I do get a short time alone on the chipping green, I like to use the Harvey Penick method and just use one ball... chip, then putt and the goal is no more than 2 strokes for every "round".

I also have to use the same balls I use when I play... range balls are totally useless for short game work because aside from being round, they have no properties in common with a real golf ball. Why don't some players ever seem to figure that out?

Short game is still what I practice most. I just have to pick my times. Fortunately, since I work at the course, I'm around there often enough to find times when I can get the green without a crowd.

You should come to my club. Unless there is a lesson, the pitching greens are usually mine. Golfers putt before a round, but I rarely see anyone trully practicing for the sake of practice. I just smile...more for me!

[Mifsnavassy]

You should come to my club. Unless there is a lesson, the pitching greens are usually mine. Golfers putt before a round, but I rarely see anyone trully practicing for the sake of practice. I just smile...more for me!

the short game areas around here are crowded all the time

[fedelwet]

Yeah, it's the best way to keep scores low if your long game is missing that day


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[Ecurrexchangess]

I had my playing lesson this past Thursday with my instructor and she told me I need to start spending a minimum of 30 minutes at least 3 times a week practicing short game. She I need to focus more on that and she is absolutely right it's the one area of my game I never work on. She has told me a million times how important the short game is and I always tell myself I am going to practice it but then I get lost at the range. Plus our short game practice area really sucks so I don't really enjoy practicing out there. Anyhow, I plan to do exactly what she said and spend at least 30 minutes 3 times a week or more working on just short game. She also said it will speed up my pace of play because I won't be wondering which shot I should take, although a lot of that comes with experience too.

I also plan to use some training aids when out there putting because I do think it helps and if the pros are still using training aids then there is no reason an amateur shouldn't.

[ITYfl01c]

I have always been notoriously bad at taking the time to practice my short game, instead focusing on my swing. Have always hit my irons well but ecently I realised that whenever I have a bad hole (or a bad day) it is usually due to my inconsistent short game (tbf something I should have probably realised much, much sooner). Have devoted much more of my practice time to it now and it has improved my confidence by a ton...now if I could only stop suddenly hitting my irons all over the place

[bpejjssoe]

Every time I am at the range. There is a flag on a 'green' 100 meters out I usually spend a third of the balls I get at the range with two of my wedges (a different two every time)- targeting the line to that flag. Plus I play a par3 every other week. Scored a 36 on that yesterday with 4 pars! So my short game is getting better.