Avoid the wrong shot in
your short game
By Ben Alexander, PGA Professional Director of Instruction,
Poppy Hills Golf Club
As we all know, the short game is where we score or try to score
that low number. But for many high handicappers, this is where
their problems really start.
Some teachers tell us the short game starts from 100 yards in to
the green. I believe that 100 yards in is a full golf shot for
most amateurs. Fifty yards or less is the most common trouble
distance for amateurs, and I see them consistently choose the
wrong shot strategy over and over such as chipping when they
should be putting or pitching the ball up in the air rather than
chipping the ball low to the ground and rolling it to the hole.
My formula will allow the amateur to score better and never be
in doubt with what golf shot to choose from 50 yards in. First
off, ask yourself if there anyway you can putt the ball. If so,
putt it. If you can't putt it, resort to the chipping game. The
key word here is I have to resort to the chipping game because
there is NO WAY I can putt this ball. If you have to CHIP, the
order of club choice will be 7-iron first, pitching wedge second
and sand wedge last. The purpose here is to roll the ball to the
hole. Play the ball back of the right foot (for right-handed
golfers) and the hands forward, even with the left knee. This
will allow the clubface to hood and de-loft, giving the ball 100
percent forward roll to the hole.
The lie of the ball and how much rough we have to contend with
determines which of the three clubs we will choose. A 7-iron
will roll the ball better than a pitching wedge and a pitching
wedge will roll it better than a sand wedge. The sand wedge will
be used in heavy-grass lies because of the heavy weight of the
club head. If you can't putt it or chip-and-run the ball, your
last and final choice will be a pitch shot. A pitch is a regular
golf shot, turning the body and cocking the hands but with a
shorter adjusted backswing to allow for the shorted distances.
So, follow the formula for better scores in the short game from
50 years in. Have fun and remember to walk fast and swing slow.
