Welcome to Play Smart, GOLF.com’s regular game improvement column to help you become a smarter, better golfer.
No matter how strong your ball is, you’re bound to miss the greens in regulation. From there, the difference between par and bogey (or worse) is an organized short game.
If you watch the pros every weekend, you’ll notice that they make these ups and downs look normal. On the PGA Tour last season, players saved value after missing the green at a clip of 58.5 percent on average. They may not be automatic, but six out of 10 ups and downs make it to the end.
You may also notice that the gun they use to escape from trouble is usually flashy. High flops and bad spinners are used only when necessary. Most of the time, they tend to shoot the safe, boring chip.
Recreational golfers would be wise to take a page out of their book and excel at this unusual shot. Unfortunately, when many of them try this image, they are very inconsistent.
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Your stock chip shot should not be flash. It should be reasonable and fundamentally reliable. That means removing any unnecessary moving parts.
“I try to keep my wrists in shape,” said GOLF Top 100 instructor Mike Dickson. “I don’t want to have wristiness in going back.”
A common mistake that recreational players make is when they get the sword in their hands, they tend to blow their wrists in the backswing and cock out during the downswing. This is a great way to create speed on full shots, but if you hit a short chip, it usually spells trouble.
Instead of using your wrists to create speed, try to engage your core muscles instead. Lean back and finish with your spine and try to keep your wrists still throughout the movement.
“I like to like my hips to be the controlling factor in this,” Dickson said. “I don’t really use my hands for group movement. My waist is much better.”
When you start using your core to drive your club on these chip shots, you will find that it is much easier to control your distance, layup and consistency. Try it and you’ll be up and down again in no time.
The short game Earning Air Holes
They sound scarier than those – trust us. SGG Ghost Holes can be used to improve performance both on and off the green. Each ghost hole (sold in packs of 3) is the exact size of a regulation golf hole. There is one thing that separates these ghost holes from other practice cups. Made of tough, yet flexible PVC, they’re thin enough that the golf ball can drop seamlessly, but won’t blow away. The edges are flat, allowing you to aim them without affecting the roll of the ball. This makes them perfect options for controlling distance with the putter and as a target for shots around the green. Many players also like to use them during practice and place them where they believe the holes will be closed during the event so they can practice the putts they will face.
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