Short game confidence

[KeefG]

I've never really been one for practising my short game (wrongly i know) believing that the further I can get up the fairway off the tee the better and the shorter distance I have to the green the easier it will be.

This is obviously wrong and my opinion is drastically changing since I joined my new course that has an 18 hole par 3 along with the full course.

I've found myself playing the par 3 often after work lately and found myself practising chipping from 10 - 20 yds from the green and the difference this is making to my game & confidence is unbelievable!!!

I went approx 2 years without getting a chip in, and I've had 2 in 2 rounds now on the par 3 course, both with my 52* wedge and both from about 20yds away, the 1st pitched, hit the flag and dropped in (lucky, as it wouldve gone 20ft past if it hadnt hit) and the 2nd I aimed to pitch on the fringe with about 5ft break, which it did and rolled in lovely.....cue Ravanelli celebrations.

The way my opinion is changed is in my shot selection, before no matter what the lie or distance, I would always take out my 7 iron and use the bump & run option as I had zero confidence with a wedge close to the green....I'm now finding myself loving the short chip options as more often than not I get close now.

There's a lot to be said for not practising the long game as much!!!

 

[Aztecs27]

Yep. My practice rounds now consist mostly of getting to the green with one or two balls then dropping another or two and chipping 3 or 4 onto the green from different lies. Helps no end.

 

[swanny32]

We have a "par 3 loop" on our practise grounds which is basically some shorter mowed grass with a pin at one end. Perfect for practising technique but not really for judging the release and roll out of shots. I never really bothered with it last year but this year have used it 4 or 5 times already, one time I was on there for almost 3 hours! Got loads of confidence in my short game currently and it's definitely pulling me out of some sticky situations. The good thing is that I have never really had a terrible short game, I have been so inconsistent off the tee and with long irons over the years that I have HAD to have a good short game to put together a decent score.

I would say now I have the short game or a low handicapper but have the long game of a high handicapper, put them both together and you have a 17 handicapper, which I am.

 

[sydney greenstreet]

All i would say is there is nothing wrong with a 7 iron bump n run, probably could be used a bit more, if i was just off the green i would probably get closer with 10 bump n runs than with my 52 wedge chip.

 

[garyinderry]

first chip in for two years


i think that speaks volumes lad! dont neglect the short game! there was a stage last year where i was getting a chip in every two rounds or so!

 

[Lollfred]

Totally agreed Keef, had a lesson with our club pro and practiced my wedge work around the greens in a similar way to yourself. My confidence is much higher on these shots now, buying a new set of irons with decent wedges also helped i still use the bump and run however, but have so many more options now .... plenty of the guys on the forum 'bang on' (joke) about the short game making all the difference, guess what .. they were right

 

[garyinderry]

H/C 24 - 23 - 21.8 - 21.0 - 19.8 - 18.0 - 18.1 - 18.2 - Going the wrong way

lolfred - just noticed your handicap progression. you are not going the wrong way at all. there is always a few 0.1s after you get a cut. you seem to be dropping down nicely. there is still a few massive scores in you yet before the challenge of losing shots after 18.

 

[Lollfred]

if only i had your confidence Gary, if im honest i have taken a massive step back with my driver, as per my posting on the subject in the ask the experts section. I have just bought a new set of irons, which i love to bits and the wedges, well comparted to my old set of big berthas .. hang on, there is no comparision !!! different gravy with my driver i have what can only be similar to the dart yips ... and its very demoralising, just ask the wife and dog about my mood after returning from a round of driving disaster !

 

[garyinderry]

ive had my driving woes of late too. you think its never going to change and it frustrates the life out of you because its usually your first shot to a hole. a small grip change has changed my driving for the better. its not perfect but better than it was. keep it up lad. the cuts come like buses, some when you least expect it!

 

[KeefG]

All i would say is there is nothing wrong with a 7 iron bump n run, probably could be used a bit more, if i was just off the green i would probably get closer with 10 bump n runs than with my 52 wedge chip.

I agree, but I would use the bump & run regardless of the lie and how much fairway/fringe/rough was in front of me and again regardless of the undulations in front of me, this would result in a lot of the time i'd either take one of the undulations and end up either way wide or way short of the pin.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Gone the other way. Working on my chipping but the head way too full of negative thoughts, technique etc that any degree of natural touch and ability have been crushed in a cascade of doubts, poor shots (fats and thins) and this leads to a circle of doom. More I practice the more mixed up I'm getting.

 

[KeefG]

had a lesson with our club pro and practiced my wedge work around the greens in a similar way to yourself

I havent even had a lesson, I just remembered something Vig told me when I used to play with him that when chipping I should put more weight on my left foot than right.

So I did that, and then realised that if I kept the lower half of my body quiet through impact but used my wrists a lot more, kind of emphasising the back of my left hand hitting my forearm that it helps get the ball in the air and also puts a lot more spin on the ball....the result is I now get a lot of check and not as much rollout as I used to get.

In all honesty, I've been lucky and had nice fluffy lies so far, I havent had a bare lie yet and if I do I dont think i'd have the confidence to attempt to slide the club under the ball without thinning it and will inevitably go back to the 7 iron in this situation.

 

[Lollfred]

sounds like we all need to go to a psychologist