How To Improve Your Short Game In Golf?

Improving short games in golf is the most efficient way to keep your golf score down. But you cannot better that short game at will and you need to combine several things together. And the combination would be the best and result-oriented when it includes good technique, structured practice, proper selection of shot, and more. These should answer to the query of how to improve your short game in golf.

But when it comes to practice, you may encounter unprecedented distractions and find it difficult to maintain long sessions of practice or lessons. That is where short and precise suggestion best short game instructors can be a go-to option.

Here you go.

10 Short Game Golf Tips

If you are after short game improvement plan, read on the golf short game tips to better your golf scores. Try these for improving short game at home.

1. Do Not Abandon Swing Mechanics

Novice golfers often commit the mistake of not giving attention to swing mechanics while playing pitch shots. But that is a grave mistake to do thinking that the short game covers a lesser than usual distance and so abandoning swing will not matter much. But almost all the golf masters opine that you should not undermine the importance of effectiveness of the swing even when hitting the ball on pitch shots for a comparatively short distance. Listen what the veterans advise in this particular case.

You should start by setting up pretty well by

• Taking a bit closed stance along with squaring the face
• While it is the backswing, allow your right wrist a bit and thus the handle will stay considerably close
• Do not forget to turn and at the time of downswing, turn your body toward the target when the hips level will be at the finish. 

2. Take Advantage of Bounce on Pitches

What is the goal when we play a pitch shot? It is to reach the ball closer to the hole – as close as we can and sometimes the pitch shot is so accurate that the balls enter into the hole to our utter amazement. To make it a success, we must take advantage of the bounce coming as the by-product of the pitch shot. If you go by the master golfers, we will find that utilizing the bounce while playing pitch shots will allow the club slide through the grass to hit soft.

It is that floating shots but possible only if are able to keep your hands and the club-head in line with impact. But a failure to do so and pressing the hands forward, normally we do in chip shots, you run the risk of driving the club stuck in the grass as you de-loft your clubface.

Read: Best ways to stop chunking and blading chips

3. Slam the club into the Ground for a Flop Shot

Many novice golf players will not agree on a flop shot for lack of practical experience. But this is urgent to derive the full swing effect. If you hit a flop shot properly which is a tricky craft, you will become a fan of this and commit the flop shot. Here you go with one of the most effective short game tips on how to hit a flop shot.

First of all, open the clubface and then extend your left shoulder by moving back and now the time to bam – slam your club on the ground. I know it will create a scary sound but the wedge bounce will serve the purpose of preventing your club from getting into the ground. To make it successful, you must know that the success of the shot lies in keeping the club-head moving onward full-throttle while your face pointed toward the sky. Conversely, slamming the club into the ground and stopping may be counter-productive.

4. Push The Clubface Below the ball

The flop shot is crucial in short game and requires proper golf drills short game. If you want to play an authentic flop shot, you must drive the clubface under the ball and the club-head has to move the shaft with proper impact. Now, it is not that easy to try and succeed when you are a novice you must earn the accuracy of hitting a flop shot.

The experienced and expert golfers say it is important to put the clubface at the address I mean approaching the right of the goal mark. Thus, you can add more loft by making the grip of the club easier in the same order. Moreover, if need be you may make the grip lose by rotating your hands toward your target. The shot will get even softer at it. But not to miss the key point that is of opening the clubface prior to taking the grip. The best short game instructors are of the same opinion.

Read: How to write a killer golf instructor resume?

5. Your Arms can help Pitch Successfully

Pitch shots are not the result of wrist action and you can commit the blunder of hitting a fat or thin shot instead while depending on the wrist more than the arms. Conversely, you should give more focus on applying the arms more to have the max effect in hitting pitch shots. This shot too, like all others above, would be easier with suggestions from the veteran golfers. Here you go:

At soling your club, take care that your arms are in the form of a “V”. Keep this “V” shape built until the swing completes by moving the club back and through. Keep the action of the hand and forearm to the minimum. You are doing it for maintaining the clubface loft you create at the address. That is what drives the ball high and fly high with sufficient spin.

6. Use an Extended Shaft to Play Chip Shot

Yes, most golfers, at least in the beginning, struggle with their short game requiring golf short game tips and drills. So, what is the easy way out that you don’t have to go through the struggle? For that, you have to take help of a second staff or an alignment stick in the grip end of your club. I know it is not that easy as it is said. But following the instruction below, you can master the trick.

If and when you use this extended club, this no way should be in contact with your body while swinging through the golf ball. Doing so will be synonymous with scooping at the impact the frequent mistakes golfers make commonly. A good swing idea in this regard would be to keep the grip top moving to the target while swinging through. Thus you can chip the ball with added consistency.

7. Hinge the wrists for Bump-and-Run

A popular technique to bounce the golf ball is to hit a bump-and-run shot. When done it accurately, the ball bounces of the green leading to roll toward the hole. Now, the question is how to hit a bump-and-run shot successfully.

You set the ball in your previous stance and make the shaft tilting forward and this will decrease the loft for this shot. Now hinge the wrists at the backswing and keep the wrist as it is all along to the finish. Hinge your chest leaning toward the target while the arms swing. Finally, you can make a downward bow and take a little divot in the ball front.

8. Soften Your Hands at Chips

Keeping the hands softened is as crucial in golf short games as it is with other sports. Yes, soft hands are a necessity in playing the short game. Tiger Woods recommends that grip pressure should be as light as possible and he clearly suggests keeping the pressure 4 on a scale of 1-10. This will keep the tension of the arms to a reduced level and thus softness in the hands will be easier to maintain.

Then it is a matter of basic chipping technique. Now, you need to promote the ball-first contact by ensuring the ball to the back of the slightly opened stance while keeping your chin high and the back straight.

9. Left Arm is the Key

While playing chip shot for the short game, you should never forget that the left arm is the key that controls the chipping shots. That is common knowledge for even novice golfers but how to make the best use of your left arm in chip shot may not be easy for you. Here is the suggestion from the veterans to go by.

It is as simple as keeping the left hand and the arm as a unit while starting the backswing and the wrists will make a slight pivot. Now, in the downswing, the left arm is in the lead to hit the ball with the club-head.

10. Body Rotation for Improved Contact

Rotation of the body is crucial for a successful chipping stroke. While making the swing, you must rotate your body forward for an authentic chip shot. Thus, you can put the body weight to the front foot to keep the shaft tilting toward your target with impact. This is very common with the master golfers who are great chippers too. You should consider the right knee to be the trigger while making the downswing.

To give the shot a try and to execute this short game golf drills, start with swinging back the club-head before kicking the right knee with the left knee. Thus how you can successfully unlock the right part of your body and the entire body will rotate forward without much effort.

How To Improve Your Short Game In Golf Video

FAQs

1. How important is the short game in golf?

Short game in golf is pretty important as improving short game is synonymous to keeping the scores lower. Successful short game shots are what end your game in your favor.

2. How can I improve my short iron play?

To improve your short iron play, you have to avoid the four mistakes. They include:

• Trying to hitting the ball up
• Fear of taking Divot
• Not keeping enough club around
• Not turning your shoulder full

3. Why am I hooking my short irons?

When you commit the following three mistakes, you end up hooking your short irons. They are:

• When a shorter shaft sits more upright
• When you put more weight on the front foot
• If you play the ball far more forward

4. Why do my short irons go left?

The reason your short irons going left is the poor ball position. When you set the ball too forward, the clubface points toward the left at the way through by sending your irons leftward.

5. How do I stop pulling my short irons left?

Take a mid-iron and set the ball in the center of the stance and ensure that your sternum is over your stance at address. Thus, how you can stop your short irons from going left.

Takeaway…

In this guide, you have come across 10 short game golf tips on how to improve short game in golf. You better understand that they are meant for practice and master over time. Once, you have mastered the chip shots; you are one step ahead on the way to the top.