Short Game Distance Control

[Trojan]

Ive just had a short game lesson from my local pro.

I worked on 3 shots. Pitching from 15, 25, 40, 60, 80, 100 yrds. Chip and run from around the green and Flop shot over bunkers and banks from differnt lies.

There was perhaps a little too much in the lesson to take in as it lasted 2hrs 20mins. Now im unsure what to do next practice all the shots spending loads of time at it or do bits and practice 1 shot until its learnt?

How much time should I spend practicing on my short game?

Whats more important, learning the yards for each of my wedges and getting a good system or being able to get out of trouble with chip and runs and flop shots?

What do you guys out there do? I dont want to get bored with practice...

 

[sev112]

Spend ALL of your time practising yoru short game

 

[GeordieAggro80]

Had a lesson the other night on my short game. The pro told me to learn my yardages for 3 different swings, full, 3/4 and 1/2 swing.

Played today and think itll help a lot when i know my exact yardages.

 

[G_Mulligan]

yeah you really can't practice the short game enough. I would practice most on your yardages and hitting them consitently.

To stop things becoming boring set challenges and scoring systems to try and break each time. I would then drop a load of balls all around the green in various positions to work on getting up and down with a variety of shots and lies.

 

[kev_off_the_tee]

I had a lesson this time last year and was told to concentrate on 3 distances - 25,50 & 100 yards

I have really let myself down by thinking the game is won by hitting a 300 yard drive, but I've been up the park this week getting back to that very lesson. 100 yards is fine but my short control is appalling so will be up there more often.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Start by working on getting the swing right and don't worry about the distance. Once your happy with the swing hit 10 or so shots and measure the distance to the middle of the spread. This will be your yardage for that club/swing. Once you've got a yardage for acres clubs/swings you'll have enough to get you close on the course. Never try to hit a ball a specific distance. If you pick a distance and play to it on the practice ground you wil probably get quite good after a few balls but it will be down to muscle memory and rythm, which you won't have on the course.

As for how much time to spend practicing, I'd say 80% short game.

 

[G_Mulligan]

Never try to hit a ball a specific distance. If you pick a distance and play to it on the practice ground you wil probably get quite good after a few balls but it will be down to muscle memory and rythm, which you won't have on the course.

I would disagree with that one muscle memory and rythym is exactly what you can take to the course. By working on something reliant on feel like wedge distances over and over again you can ingrain that feeling and reproduce it whenever you want.

 

[Trojan]

I would disagree with that one muscle memory and rythym is exactly what you can take to the course. By working on something reliant on feel like wedge distances over and over again you can ingrain that feeling and reproduce it whenever you want.

I agree, you need draw from long term memory and repetition in practice is a top principle of learning. you need to know if you choose a particular club and swing 9 to 3 it will travel x distance everytime. muscle memory comes replicating the stoke in your practice swing drawn from your LTM.

 

[G_Mulligan]

I agree, you need draw from long term memory and repetition in practice is a top principle of learning. you need to know if you choose a particular club and swing 9 to 3 it will travel x distance everytime. muscle memory comes replicating the stoke in your practice swing drawn from your LTM.

Yes exactly the physical information such as club and distance is stored in the LTM while the feeling of it is stored as an emotion is the cerrebellum. I did a Uni paper on this a couple of months ago.

 

[Trojan]

I did a Uni paper on this a couple of months ago.

Haha a fellow sport scientist...gonna take some work to learn how to pitch and comit it to LTM.

 

[G_Mulligan]

I did a Uni paper on this a couple of months ago.

Haha a fellow sport scientist...gonna take some work to learn how to pitch and comit it to LTM.

Yes indeed I am doing gross motor performance change between the ages of 5 and 10 now. Just can't wait until my exams are over in 2 weeks and I can concentrate all my days on golf I have been stuck inside all weekend

 

[Trojan]

Once your happy with the swing hit 10 or so shots and measure the distance to the middle of the spread. This will be your yardage for that club/swing. Once you've got a yardage for acres clubs/swings you'll have enough to get you close on the course. Never try to hit a ball a specific distance.

I dont think 10 shots is enough to find an average from that dispersion and then to rely on that info for that club. It wouldnt inspire confidence for me...I disagree that taking the average is best way to calculate distances as its not specific enough.

How did you get to 11 if you never try to hit specific distances with clubs?

 

[Trojan]

Yes indeed I am doing gross motor performance change between the ages of 5 and 10 now. Just can't wait until my exams are over in 2 weeks and I can concentrate all my days on golf I have been stuck inside all weekend

I know all about it pal finished my degree in 06...stick in there worth it in the end. I studyed antecendents of anxiety in competitive golf players. good luck!

 

[timgolfy]

Yes indeed I am doing gross motor performance change between the ages of 5 and 10 now.

I'v only recently come to realise the importance of this. Just like The Karate Kid film with Mr Miyagi training Danny the "polish on, polish off" techniques.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Got a chipping lesson booked for Saturday although I think it's going to be hard for him to erase my mental issues I've got with this part of the game. I'm hoping though he'll strip it down to basics and we'll treat it as a beginner would and it'll all come back. If so I'd like to spend a bit of time going over the short 30-50 yard pitches which doesn't need a full swing as I'm strugglign to get these right too

 

[Mongoose]

I'd spend as much time on each part of the game that gives you the best on-course results, and that is enjoyable. Developing your overall skill set (including mental) so that you skills are fairly equally balanced in each aspect of the game should give the best results, if this means spending time patching up any part of your game that is currently causing trouble then it will be time well spent.

Short pitch shots are tricky, and its worth assessing how much effort it will take to significantly improve them versus spending the same amount of time on other aspects, for example irons shots so that you dont leave as many short pitches, course management again so that you dont leave those awkward shots (for example hitting 3W second shot to a Par 5 that gets you to 30yds and leaves a tough shot, it may be better to hit and iron and leave a full wedge shot in). Short pitches and chips are effectively recovery shots and while we will always get them if you improve the shots that result in having to play them it will reduce the dependency on them. Least thats my ethos

 

[bobmac]

If so I'd like to spend a bit of time going over the short 30-50 yard pitches which doesn't need a full swing as I'm strugglign to get these right too

Homer, the next time you get a chance to practice this shot, try this.
Get a bit of string and 2 tent pegs (or something similar).
Stick them in the ground about 4 feet in front of you and 4 feet apart with the string tied tightly between them about 6 inches off the ground.
Then try and hit the ball under the string without thinning it

Hopefully, every shot will sail over the string but you will learn the feeling of hitting down on the shot.
If no-one's watching, cross your right foot over your left foot to make sure you stay centred over the ball.
HTH

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Never try to hit a ball a specific distance. If you pick a distance and play to it on the practice ground you wil probably get quite good after a few balls but it will be down to muscle memory and rythm, which you won't have on the course.

I would disagree with that one muscle memory and rythym is exactly what you can take to the course. By working on something reliant on feel like wedge distances over and over again you can ingrain that feeling and reproduce it whenever you want.

I guess I didn't make my point well enough. Yes you need repetition and rythm but you need to know how far that repetition and rythm will hit the ball. For example, I hit my 3/4 SW around 73yds. I know that because when I practice I measure the average of my shots. If you said to me I had to hit it to an 80yd target, after a few shots I'd get it and standing on the practice ground I could hit it 80yds consistently. However, on the course my 3/4 SW wilk go about 73yds, that's my distance for that swing and club. I don't have to think about it, that's just how far it goes. My 3/4 GW goes about 86 yds and again I don't have to think about it. To hit it 80 yds I have to think about it, a little more on the SW or a bit off the GW. There is a very real chance that I won't be as accurate doing that as I will with my natural yardages.

I just think that if your learning to hit wedges a specific distance and you don't have all day every day to practice, your time is better spent working on your natural distances than trying to force the ball to go a distance that isn't natural to you. Repetition yes, muscle memory yes, but when your on the practice ground trying to hit it yardages that aren't natural to you it is short term muscle memory which isn't any use on the course.

Once your consistent with your natural yardages you can work on tinkering but the best way to be consistent quickly is with your natural yardage.

Hope that's clearer

 

[chrisd]

I watched several clips from Phil Micklesons "Hinge and Hold" video on Utube at the weekend - well worth a few minutes!! My local pro says that all top pro's use this method they just dont give it a name. You never know, it might just transform your game.



Chris

 

[bobmac]

my 3/4 SW will go about 73yds, that's my distance for that swing and club. I don't have to think about it, that's just how far it goes. My 3/4 GW goes about 86 yds and again I don't have to think about it.

Do you always hold your wedges in the same place on the grip?