Short game practice

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Owen_Thomas_14

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Without wanting to hijack the practising thread, what practice do you do for chipping and putting?(if you do practice). Just thinking chipping randomly to different holes isnt going to improve my chipping and the same can be said with my putting. So what is your favourite practice drills or what drills have made you a significantly better with your short game? Cheers :).
 
When I make it down to the practise ground this is!!

I do practise a fair bit of chipping and pitching when I'm there. Most of the time is spent hitting flop shots from a variation of lies and distances. Do practise a few chip/bump and runs but not too much.
I also like to get the camera out to video all the different strokes, takes a bit of setting up (i.e. 10 balls from here then change loctaion and repeat about 5 times) but well worth it help understand more about your short game and swing.

I find hitting flop shots a great way to help build feel around the greens.
 
Chipping - 10 balls from 5 different situations around the practice green including fairway, lofted, rough deep and semi and one just throwing the balls across the green to varying lies. Success = 5 within a good distance (distance varies by shot type) .
Putting - mainly 3 and 4 footers from compass points around hole (5 from each point with 18 or 16 holed) sometimes get longer. Lastly 1 ball 18 holes must be 2 under before I go home!
 
I have a practice green with 3 flags and some tricky breaks I throw 10 sets of 3 balls all around the green some in the rough some in the bunker and some on bare lies and then I hit one ball to each hole and keep track of how many I can get up an down. I don't leave until I can get at least three from one of my positions up and down. I then compare the results week on week and see where I am improving and what still needs work (always those damn bunkers)

I do like using the flop shot but only if the pin is cut close to the edge if there is green to work with I use it and most often will get it running as soon as possible.
 
I practice my putting for about 20- 30 mins before a round.

I place a tee peg in the ground and when I have putt and hit the tee peg 5 times consecutive from 1 foot I move to 2 foot when I have again putt and hit it 5 times consecutive again I move back to 3 feet and so on till happy with putting stroke.

If drill not going well I place 2 further tee pegs one either side of my putter at address of the ball and continue the same drill, so to try and get my putting stroke all lined up.

Works for me :)
 
I spend a lot of time on unstructured practice. Depending on what I want to work on, pitching, chipping, whatever, I simply take 4 balls and some cones that I've dotted around my practice area; I choose a cone and hit one ball it, then hit the rest at the first ball. The object is to get as small a grouping as possible.
 
This might sound awfully strange but i practice chipping with every iron in my bag....
I know that there are some people that have a favourite wedge that they'll use from everywhere but i think that this limits your imagination....
Iv looked at heaps of old Seve and Olazabel videos to get as much info as i can....
The highest lofted wedge i have is a 56 deg... If you can open a 56 deg wedge it'll give you as many options as a 60 deg.

Just my 2 cents but everyone is different. :p
 
I do my focused putting practice at home.

1. Penny putting drill: penny four feet away and a number of distance markers after it. Putt so the ball rolls over the penny and stops in line with the marker

2. Distance building drill: on the putting matt I use the width of the putter head (about 3/4 inches) to measure from the hole. I place a coin by the side and take four putts. If I hole all four I then measure from that mark place another coin and take four more putts. I keep going till I miss one and then I start over again. If I reach the end of the mat I keep putting from the last point until I miss. I score 1 point for each consecutive putt made and try and beat my best score.

3. Precision drill: I use my No 3 putt training aid and practice four foot putts with both pieces and eight foot putts with one piece reducing my margin for error.

At the course I'll practice with one ball on the putting green and start off hitting random long putts. I don't lag I aim to make it but the exercise is about reading break and judging pace of the greens. They all have to drop in two putts. If I hit a three putt I make myself hit five consecutive four foot putts before I can carry on.

Chipping and pitching I do the same as everybody else throw a selection of balls down in clusters, have varying lies & distances and try to get up and down

I find short game practice rewarding and therapeutic, it's far and away my favourite element of golf. I know guys who would love to bomb the ball like Bubba but I'd be happiest with a great touch around the green :D
 
If I'm practicing my chipping I tend to use these, http://www.eyelinegolf.com/Target-Circles-p/targetcircles.htm not as targets but for my landing areas. I hit a few chips to get an idea of run and speed and then set the circles to that point. If it's less than 20 feet I'll use the small circle and anything over that the larger one. I'll swap clubs and move the circle backwards or forwards.

I find if you can pick a landing spot and know how the ball will react and run it makes picking a landing spot on the course much easier. Of course it helps to be able to execute chip shot to start with so 2011 evenign sessions will see that problem tackled first

Other than that like most others I'll chuck balls into various lies and use what I consider the best club for the job to get it out. I tend to try and putt out too and give myself a point for a chip and putt, 3 points for a chip in and -1 for two putting.

For bunkers I'm looking mainly at where I want to hit the sand and how I want the ball to come out (high and spinning or running). Again technique is lacking due to negligence (no-one wants to practice in waterlogged bunkers) so I need to get to grips with the basics again. There has been talk in GM etc about standing and swingwing much more along the line rather than the traditional open stance and swinging down the feet line. Might see if that helps matters.
 
Without wanting to hijack the practising thread, what practice do you do for chipping and putting?(if you do practice). Just thinking chipping randomly to different holes isnt going to improve my chipping and the same can be said with my putting. So what is your favourite practice drills or what drills have made you a significantly better with your short game? Cheers :).
Click to expand...

Best practice you can do is to use one ball and make 100 up-and-downs from around the green. It puts pressure on every chip, and putt.
 
Like a lot of folks I will chuck half a dozen balls down by the practice green and chip them from where they lie. Then drop them in another spot and so on. I try to hole every chip. I don't think chipping 20 or 30 balls from the same spot helps as chipping for me is about seeing and feeling different shots.

Same with putting. Apart from 4 footers and in where I'm looking to groove a stroke, I'll only practice with 3 balls and I'll putt to three different holes, then hole each one out. Then start again with 3 different holes. If others are using the green I'll just use one ball, like Tiger (forum Tiger, not Mr Woods :) ). I think that's better training for a real life situation. I don't think I'd really be helping train my eye and my judgement by putting lots of balls to one hole and simply adjusting my stroke on the basis of what the last ball did.
 
Nick Faldo used to grab a handful of balls and then throw them over his shoulder.

Where they lay is where he'd play.

I tried it once - it was very good. Very realistic.
 
This might sound awfully strange but i practice chipping with every iron in my bag....
The highest lofted wedge i have is a 56 deg... If you can open a 56 deg wedge it'll give you as many options as a 60 deg.

Just my 2 cents but everyone is different. :p
Click to expand...

You're not alone; I practice chipping with everything up to my 4h, and the loftiest club I own is a 55.
 
Usually just put 4 or 5 balls down around the practice green and chip randomly to different holes. Find I get a better natural judgment thatn sending 4 or 5 balls to the same hole, you get it eventually but thats not how it works in a round.

I swap between 7 iron and PW about every 10 mins!
 
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